Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsRevelation 17

Babylon.

In the end of S. Peter's first Epistle, where the Apostle dateth it at Babylon, which the ancient writers (as we there noted) affirm to be meant of Rome: ^◦ the Protestants will not in any wise have it so, because they would not be driven to confess that Peter ever was at Rome. But here for that they think it maketh for their opinion, that the Pope is Antichrist, and Rome the seat and city of Antichrist, they will needs have Rome to be this Babylon, this great whore, and this purple harlot. For such fellows, in the exposition of holy Scripture, be led only by their prejudicate opinions and heresies, to which they draw all things without all indifferency and sincerity.

But S. Augustine, Aretas, and other writers, most commonly expound it, neither of Babylon itself a city of Chaldæa or Ægypt, nor of Rome, or any one city, which may be so called spiritually, as Hierusalem before chap. 11 is named spiritual Sodom and Ægypt: ^[1] but of the general society of the impious, & of those that prefer the terrene kingdom and commodity of the world, before God & eternal felicity. The author of the Commentaries upon the Apocalypse set forth in S. Ambrose name, writeth thus: This great whore sometime signifieth Rome, specially which at that time when the Apostle wrote this, did persecute the Church of God, but otherwise it signifieth the whole city of the Devil, that is, the universal corpse of the reprobate. Tertullian also taketh it for Rome, ^[2] thus. Babylon (saith he) in S. John is a figure of the city of Rome, being so great, so proud of the Empire, and the destroyer of the saints. Which is plainly spoken of that city, when it was heathen, the head of the terrene dominion of the world, the persecutor of the Apostles and their successors, the seat of Nero, Domitian, and the like, Christ's special enemies, the sink of idolatry, sin, and false worship of the Pagan gods. Then was it Babylon, when S. John wrote this, and then was Nero and the rest figures of Antichrist, and that city the resemblance of the principal place (wheresoever it be) that Antichrist shall reign in, about the later end of the world.

• 1 By Babylon (according to all the Fathers) is signified, partly the whole society of the wicked, partly the city of Rome, only in respect of the terrene & heathenish state of them that persecuted the Church.
• 2 li. advers. Iudæos.
• ◦ The Protestants here will needs have Babylon to be Rome, but not in S. Peter's epistle.

Now to apply that to the Roman Church and Apostolic see, either now or then, which was spoken only of the terrene state of that city, as it was the seat of the Emperor, and not of Peter, when it did slay about 30 Popes Christ's Vicars, one after another, & endeavoured to destroy the whole Church: that is most blasphemous and foolish. ^◦ The Church in Rome was one thing, & Babylon in Rome another thing. Peter sat in Rome, and Nero sat in Rome, but Peter, as in the Church of Rome: Nero, as in the Babylon of Rome. Which distinction the Heretics might have learned by S. Peter himself ep. 1. chap. 5. writing thus, The Church saluteth you, that is in Babylon, co-elect. So that the Church and the very chosen Church was in Rome, when Rome was Babylon. Whereby it is plain that, whether Babylon or the great whore do here signify Rome or no, yet it cannot signify the Church of Rome: which is now, and ever was, differing from the terrene Empire of the same. And if, as in the beginning of the Church, Nero and the rest of the persecuting Emperors (which were figures of Antichrist) did principally sit in Rome, so also the great Antichrist shall have his seat there, as it may well be (though others think that Hierusalem rather shall be his principal city:) yet even then shall neither the Church of Rome, nor the Pope of Rome be Antichrist, but shall be persecuted by Antichrist, and driven out of Rome, if it be possible. For, to Christ's Vicar and the Roman Church he will bear as much good will as the Protestants now do, and he shall have more power to persecute him and the Church, than they have.

• ◦ The Church of Rome is never called Babylon.

S. Hierom epist. 17. c. 7. to Marcella, to draw her out of the city of Rome to the holy land, warning her of the manifold allurements to sin and ill life, that be in so great and populous a city, alludeth at length to these words of the Apocalypse, and maketh it to be Babylon, and the purple whore. But straight way, lest some naughty person might think he meant that of the Church of Rome, which he spake of the society of the wicked only he addeth: There is there indeed the holy Church, 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 Gentility trodden under foot, the name of Christian daily advancing itself on high. Whereby you see that whatsoever may be spoken or interpreted of Rome, out of this word Babylon, 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. Iovinian. c. 19.) signifieth, that the holiness of the Church there, hath wiped away the blasphemy written in the forehead of her former iniquity. But of the difference of the old state and dominion of the Heathen there, for which it is resembled to Antichrist, and the Priestly state which now it hath, read a notable place in S. Leo serm. 1 in natali Petri & Pauli.

• ◦ Ro. 1.

Mystery.

S. Paul calleth this secret and close working of abomination, ^◦ the mystery of iniquity. 2. Thessal. 2. and it is called a little after in this chapter vers. 7. the Sacrament (or mystery) of the woman, and it is also the mark of reprobation and damnation.

• ◦ Mystery.

Drunken of the blood.

It is plain that this woman signifieth the whole corpse of all the persecutors that have and shall shed so much blood of the just: of the Prophets, Apostles, and other Martyrs from the beginning of the world to the end. ^[1] The Protestants foolishly expound it of Rome, for that there they put Heretics to death, and allow of their punishment in other countries: but their blood is not called the blood of saints, no more than the blood of thieves man-killers, and other malefactors: for the shedding of which by order of justice, no commonwealth shall answer. ^[2]

• 1 This woman signifieth all persecutors of saints.
• 2 Putting heretics to death, is not to shed the blood of saints.

Seven hills.

^◦ The Angel himself here expoundeth these 7 hills to be all one with the 7 heads and the 7 kings: & yet the Heretics blinded exceedingly with malice against the Church of Rome, are so mad to take them for the seven hills literally, upon which in old time Rome did stand: that so they might make the unlearned believe that Rome is the seat of Antichrist. But if they had any consideration, they might mark that the Prophet's visions here are most of them by Seven, whether he talk of heads, horns, candlesticks, Churches, kings, hills, or other things: and that he alluded not to the hills, because they were just seven, but that Seven is a mystical number, as sometime Ten is, signifying universally all of that sort whereof he speaketh, as, that the seven heads, hills, or kingdoms (which are here all one) should be all the kingdoms of the world that persecute the Christians: being heads and mountains for their height in dignity above others. And some take it, that there were seven special Empires, kingdoms, or States, that were or shall be the greatest persecutors of God's people, as of Ægypt, Chanaan, Babylon, the Persians, and Greeks, which be five. Sixthly of the Roman Empire which once persecuted most of all other, and which (as the Apostle here saith) yet is, or standeth. But the seventh, then when S. John wrote this, was not come, neither is yet come in our days: which is Antichrist's state, which shall not come so long as the Empire of Rome standeth, as S. Paul did Prophesy. 2 Thessal. 2.

• ◦ The Protestants' madness in expounding the 7 hills, of Rome: the Angel himself expounding them otherwise.

The same is the eight.

^◦ The beast itself being the congregation of all these wicked persecutors, though it consist of the foresaid seven, yet for that the malice of all is complete in it, may be called the eight. Or. Antichrist himself, though he be one of the seven, yet for his extraordinary wickedness shall be counted the odd persecutor, or the accomplishment of all other, & therefore is named the eight. Some take this beast called the eight, to be the Devil.

• ◦ What is the eighth beast.

The great city.

If it be meant of any one city, and not of the universal society of the reprobate (which is the city of the Devil, as the Church & the universal fellowship of the faithful is called the city of God) it is most like to be old Rome, as some of the Greek expound it, ^◦ from the time of the first Emperors, till Constantine's days, who made an end of the persecution. For by the authority of the old Roman Empire, Christ was put to death first, and afterward the two chief Apostles, & the Popes their successors, and infinite Catholic men throughout the world, by lesser kings which then were subject to Rome. All which Antichristian persecutions ceased, when Constantine reigned, and yielded up the city to the Pope, who holdeth not the kingdom or Empire over the world, as the Heathen did, but the fatherhood and spiritual rule of the Church. Howbeit the more probable sense is the other, of the city of the Devil, as the author of the homilies upon the Apocalypse in S. Augustine, declareth.

• ◦ The double interpretation of Babylon.