; both because the Roman
Emperor (whose falling was the Pope's rising) was brought very low before
that time by the wars of the Goths and other barbarous nations, and
otherwise, which will appear from history; and further, because pope
Innocentius(1399) (who succeeded about the year 401) was raised so high
that he drew all appeals from other bishops to the apostolical see,
according to former statutes and customs, as he saith. I cannot pitch upon
a likelier time than the year 383, at which time (according to the common
calculation) a general Council at Constantinople (though Baronius and some
others reckon that Council in the year 381) did acknowledge the primacy of
the bishop of Rome,(1400) only reserving to the bishop of Constantinople
the second place among the bishops. Did not then the beast receive much
power when this much was acknowledged by a council of one hundred and
fifty bishops, though sitting in the East, and moderated by Nectarius,
archbishop of Constantinople. Immediately after this council, it is
acknowledged by one of our great antiquaries,(1401) that the bishop of
Rome did labour mightily to draw all causes to his own consistory, and
that he doth scarce read of any heretic or schismatic condemned in the
province where he lived, but straight he had recourse to the bishop of
Rome. Another of our antiquaries(1402) noteth not long before that
Council, that Antichrist did then begin to appear at Rome, and to exalt
himself over all other bishops.

Now if we should reckon the beginning of the beast's reign about the time
of that Council, the end of it will fall in at this very time of ours. But
I dare not determine so high a point. God's work will, ere it be long,
make a clearer commentary upon his word. Only let this be remembered, We
must not think it strange if, after the end of the twelve hundred and
sixty years, Antichrist be not immediately and utterly abolished; for when
that time is ended he makes war against the witnesses, yea, overcometh and
killeth them. But that victory of his lasteth only three days and a half,
and then God makes, as it were, a resurrection from the dead, and a tenth
part of the great city falls before the whole fall; see Rev. xi. 3, 7, 11,
13. Whether this killing of the witnesses (which seemeth to be the last
act of Antichrist's power) be past, or to come, I cannot say: God knows.
But assuredly, the acceptable year of Israel's jubilee, and the day of
vengeance upon Antichrist,