d Job the sea typifies the world, and fishes
men." The old man's head at the base of the monster's spine they
interpreted to mean "the abolition and end of the papacy," and proved
this from Hebrews and Daniel. The dragon which opens his mouth in the
rear and vomits fire, "refers to the terrible, virulent bulls and books
which the Pope and his minions are now vomiting forth into the world."
The two great Reformers then went on to insist that, since this monster
was found at Rome, it could refer to no person but the Pope; "for,"
they said, "God always sends his signs in the places where their meaning
applies." Finally, they assured the world that the monster in general
clearly signified that the papacy was then near its end. To this
development of interpretation Luther and Melanchthon especially devoted
themselves; the latter by revising this exposition of the prodigy, and
the former by making additions to a new edition. Such was the success of
this kind of interpretation that Luther, hearing that a monstrous calf
had been found at Freiburg, published a treatise upon it--showing, by
citations from the books of Exodus, Kings, the Psalms, Isaiah, Daniel,
and the Gospel of St. John, that this new monster was the especial work
of the devil, but full of meaning in regard to the questions at issue
between the Reformers and the older Church.

The other main branch of the Reformed Church appeared for a time to
establish a better system. Calvin's strong logic seemed at one period
likely to tear his adherents away from the older method; but the
evolution of scholasticism continued, and the influence of the German
reformers prevailed. At every theological centre came an amazing
development of interpretation.

Eminent Lutheran divines in the seventeenth century, like Gerhard,
Calovius, Coccerus, and multitudes of others, wrote scores of quartos
to further this system, and the other branch of the Protestant Church
emulated their example. The pregnant dictum of St. Augustine--"Greater
is the authority of Scripture than all human capacity"--was steadily
insisted upon, and, toward the close of the seventeenth century,
Voetius, the renowned professor at Utrecht, declared, "Not a word is
contained in the Holy Scriptures which is not in the strictest sense
inspired, the very punctuation not excepted"; and this declaration was
echoed back from multitudes of pulpits, theological chairs, synods,
and councils. Unfortunately, it was very diffic