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this assertion, he shews us, that as the number 12 is found in the entire structure of Jerusalem which is the church and holy city, viz. twelve gates, twelve angels at the gates, twelve tribes written on the gates, twelve foundations with names written on them, twelve thousand furlongs, the measure of the city, and twelve manner of fruits of the tree of life; so also the number 25 prevails in the Papistical hierarchy. As, first, in the number of Cardinals, which, at their first institution, were 25, considered in opposition to the Apostles, which were but 12. + Secondly, in respect to the number of churches into which Christian Rome was originally divided, which were 25, in opposition to the Heavenly Jerusalem, which has but twelve gates, the churches in which baptism was performed corresponding to the gates of the city. ‡

*See Potter's interpretation of the number 666, pp. 98, 99, Oxford, 1642; and L'Accomplissement des Propheties par le S. P. J. P. E. P. E. Th. A. R. Tom. I. pp. 93, et seq. Rotterdam, 1686.

+ See Potter, c. 19. The foundation of the Roman Pontiff's subsequent greatness is dated by this author from the time of the removal of the imperial seat from Rome to Constantinople.

See

The gates of the ancient Jerusalem are thus reckoned by Villalpand, in his " Apparatus Urbis et Templi," Tom. III. viz. Porta Fontis, Stercoris, Vallis, Anguli, Ephraim, Vetus, Piscium, Benjamin, Gregis, Equarum, Aquarum, et Fiscalis. Potter, p. 141. The names of the Roman gates are thus given by Onuphrius: viz. Porta Flumentana, Collatina, Quirinalis, Viminalis, Gabinia, Esquilina, Colimontana, Latina, Capena, Ostiensis, Portuensis, Janiculensis, Sextimiana, Aurelia, Quer

Thirdly, in the number of the parishes or tribes, which were 25 in Rome, in opposition to the Heavenly Jerusalem, which has but 12 tribes, as appears by the 21st chapter of the Apocalypse. Fourthly, in the number of the foundations of Rome, which are 25 cardinals, originally constituting the Sacred College, which is called the foundation of the church: in opposition to the Holy City, which has but 12 foundations, which are the 12 apostles. + Fifthly, in the number of the angels, that is to say, of the head-pastors, which were the 25 cardinals which constituted the Sacred College; in opposition to the twelve angels, or twelve head-pastors of the primitive Christian church, which were the twelve apostles. Sixthly, in the ‡ number of the gates of Rome, which were 25; in opposition to Jerusalem which has but 12 gates. § Seventhly, in the extent of the City of Rome, which was 25 thousand furlongs; in opposition to the extent of the Heavenly Jerusalem, which is but 12,000 furlongs. || Eighthly, in the number of the fruits of the tree of life, which are the articles

quetularia, Piacularis, Catularia, Minutia, Mugionia, Sanqualis, Nævia, Randuscula, Lavercalis, Libitinensis, et Triumphalis. See Potter, p. 145. These gates Onuphrius says existed between the times of Pliny and Justinian.

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+ Ibid. § Ibid. c. 20.

|| Ibid. c. 21. This point is not well maintained, as the author has assumed the circuit of Rome to be 14 and a half miles, which is only the mean of different authorities upon this subject, no one historian having asserted it to be of this dimension.

of faith, because the righteous live by faith. The articles of the Christian faith are 12; but those of the Papistical creed amount to 25.*. Besides the eight principal divisions of similitude between the Christian and Papistical hierarchies, Dr. Potter observes that the number 25 prevails in all the dependencies of the Papacy: † as, for instance, there were 25 abbots in England, as Camden testifies, which had a vote in the Parliament; the number of the monks, friers, and singing mass-priests in several of their abbies, priories, monasteries, and other Papistical assemblies, were 25; the knights of the order of the Virgin Mary resident at Rome, in the court of the Pope, were 25, and the same number at Loretto; the penitentiary court at Rome consisted of 25 officers; upon the top and high terrace of St. Peter's at Rome is placed a gilded cross of 25 hand-breadths in height, upon a gilded globe of brass; in the forepart of this church are five gates which are commonly used, and another gate, called Porta Sancta, which stands open only one year in 25; in the same church, (as also in that of St. Mary the Greater,) have been about twenty-five altars § besides the great square altar

*See Potter, c. 22. The creed consisting of 25 articles, is that famous one agreed upon by the council of Trent, and composed by Pope Pius IV.

+ Ibid. c. 24, pp. 166–171.

Ibid. c. 25. Onuph. de præcip. Basil. c. 4.

§ The twenty-five altars here mentioned are those that existed in the old cathedral of St. Peter's at Rome; for, in consequence

or sepulchre of St. Peter, the measure of each side of which is precisely 25 feet, and upon which no man may celebrate mass but the Pope only; upon almost all their altars they have 25 squares on each side, and in five squares of the upper side are imprinted five times five cinques or round spots, in allusion to Christ's five wounds; these five cinques are also accounted a symbolical device, and made armorial, and are inserted into the arms of the king of Spain, the emperor of the Romans, and the archduke of Austria; the Pope and cardinals cause them to be imprinted in the frontispiece of several books published at Rome for their better success, and their greater confirmation; their mass of Christ's five wounds five times multiplied and repeated is pretended to have been commanded by the archangel Raphael; their celebration of the Jubilee takes place every 25 years; their priests, deacons, subdeacons, &c. are not accounted of a perfect age till they have attained 25 years; their chief holidays are upon the 25th day of the month; upon the 25th day of December is the beginning of the Popish year, and the celebration of Christ's nativity; upon the 25th of January is the conversion of St. Paul; &c. &c. &c. * It is also observed that the general council of Trent was begun by 25 prelates, continued 25 sessions, ended with the

of the addition of building to this church in the 16th century, the number of altars has been considerably increased. See Potter, c. 25.

*Potter, c. 26, pp. 176–180.

subscription of 25 archbishops; and, last of all, the doctrine and faith decreed in this council was afterwards by the Pope and his cardinals reduced* to a set form of words naturally branching themselves into 25 articles. Finally, the number 25 is thought by Dr. Potter to be peculiarly applicable to the Papacy, as this number has been esteemed, both by Heathens and Christians, a sign of evil, as Jerome, Lyra, and Peter Serranus fully attest. † As to the objection why 666 is called the number of the Beast, as 25 is not the square root of 666, but of 625, Dr. Potter has given several very ingenious answers: the principal of which are the following: If the number of the Beast had been called 625, then the square root would be exactly 25, and in no respect could be called 26; which would give the Jesuits room to object that the first number of cardinals was 26, and not 25, as the Pope is also numbered among the cardinals, it being customary to paint a cardinal's hat upon the Pope's coffin, thereby pointing him to be one of their number. Secondly, if the number of the Beast had been called 676, then the square root could in no sense be said to be 25 but 26, in which case it might be alleged that the Pope is Vicarius Christi, and therefore not to be numbered among the cardinals. Thirdly, if the number of the Beast had been call

* Potter, c. 22.

+ Ibid. c. 12. See Jerome upon Ezekiel viii. and xi. Ibid. c. 27, and 28.

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