the
group called Sporades in the AEgean sea off the southwestern corner of
Asia Minor, where the apostle represents himself to have been "for the
word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ" (chap. 1:9): that
is, in accordance with ancient tradition, banished to that isle on
account of the gospel.

4. For the _interpretation_ of this book many and very discordant plans
have been proposed. Setting aside at the outset all those schemes which
do not find in the Apocalypse a view of the conflicts of Christ's people
to the end of time and their final victory over their enemies, there
remain two general principles of interpretation. The first may be called
the _generic_ principle. Those who adopt it inquire only after the
general import of the symbols employed, without attempting any
particular application of them to the history of the church in
connection with that of the world. Thus, the white horse of the first
seal (chap. 6:2) denotes in general the conquests of Christ through his
gospel; the red horse of the second seal (chap 6:4), war and carnage, as
accompanying the progress of the truth; and so on throughout the other
symbols of the book. But when we come to the most important part of the
prophecies, those concerning the two beasts (chap. 13), and that
concerning the woman riding on the scarlet-colored beast (chap. 17),
this principle utterly fails. It cannot be that so many specific and
very peculiar marks mean only persecuting powers in general. They point
with wonderful clearness and precision to that grand combination of the
civil with the ecclesiastical power of which papal Rome has ever been
the chief representative.

We come, then, for the true key to the Apocalypse, to the other
principle, which may be called the _historic_. This seeks in the history
of the church and of the world for the great events foretold in this
book. It is no valid objection to this principle, that in the attempt to
apply it interpreters find great, and in many cases insuperable
difficulties. The mystery of God is not yet finished. It may be that the
mighty events of the future can alone throw a clear light on the entire
plan of the book. Meanwhile we must wait in reverential expectation,
having in the plain fulfilment of that part of its prophecies which
describes the rise and character of the combined ecclesiastical and
political power which, under the name of Christianity, persecutes the
true servants of Christ, a certain p