And he had power to give life unto the image of
the
beast,
&c.] Or "breath"; he breathed into it, and animated it; he
gave this new religion a sanction, he confirmed and established
it, and obliged all in his dominions to embrace and acknowledge
it; and this he did by his decrees and canons, and those that
refused were delivered over to the secular power, which he also
exercised under another consideration:
that the image of the beast should both speak:
so that it was not like Nebuchadnezzar's golden image that he set
up, which required another to speak for it and demand adoration
to it; and should seem to be preferable to the dumb idols of the
Gentiles, which have mouths, but speak not; and may be understood
either of the images of the virgin Mary, and other saints, which
it is pretended, and the people are made to believe, that they do
at times actually speak, and really weep and laugh, as it may
serve their different purposes; or this image may be said to
speak by the decrees, canons, anathemas, curses, threatenings,
persuasions, doctrines, and blasphemies of the pope and his
clergy; so that this image is like both the first and second
beast; it has a mouth speaking blasphemies, as the first, and it
speaks like a dragon, as the second;
and cause that as many as would not worship the image of
the beast
should be killed:
which, according to the generality of copies, refers to the image
itself, that that has a power from the beast as to speak, so to
put to death those that refuse to worship it; but the
Complutensian edition reads (kai
poiei) , "and causes": that is, the beast causes, or
orders all those that will not worship the image, to be killed;
that is, that as many as will not embrace and profess the Popish
religion shall be put to death; and these are the known orders
and decrees of the Papacy, which have been executed by the
Inquisition, and other hands, in innumerable instances; the blood
of all the saints and prophets is found in Rome Papal, and will
be avenged; these are the martyrs of Jesus, with whose blood the
whore on the scarlet coloured beast has been made drunk; and this
sense is confirmed by the eastern versions.