The "mark of the beast" next claims our attention. The beast referred to is the Papacy. How did the Papacy mark its subjects? Undoubtedly, by the false spirit which animated that organization, branding them all with its delusive doctrines and errors. In a previous chapter the servants of God were represented as receiving the seal of God in their foreheads. This was shown to signify the pure Word and doctrines of the Bible being planted within them by the Holy Spirit. In making the sect image in imitation of the Papal original, then, the principle of marking subjects has also been copied. The members of every sect organization are indelibly marked. You can not become one of them without solemnly agreeing to believe the doctrines taught in their discipline and accepting the government of their man-made institutions. Subscribing to the rules of faith and practise that originated with the sect shows how its members worship the image. They are also said to worship the first beast, the original of the image. How is this fulfilled? In the same manner that the worshipers of the first beast worshiped the dragon that preceded it; namely, by accepting and believing false principles of faith that originated in the system immediately preceding. Protestant sects have transferred many of the false doctrines of Romanism to their own creeds, hence they worship the first beast just as truly as the Papists worshiped the dragon by accepting heathenish principles. The greatest principle of false doctrine that originated with Catholicism, and one that has been transferred to every Protestant sect, is, that a human organization is necessary to complete the church of Christ on earth. The church of Rome has an earthly head and a human government; and Protestants, also, firmly believe the unscriptural doctrine that they must bow to an organization of men and thus be under a visible headship: they receive the mark of the beast. Many sects have also copied other Popish doctrines, such as infant baptism, the destruction of all outside of the pales of the church (?), infantile damnation, sprinkling, and other things too numerous to mention. Thus, they worship the first beast as well as his image.
They also receive the "name of the beast." Here again "beast" refers to the Papacy. The Papal beast was represented as being full of the names of blasphemy, which blasphemy was shown to signify the usurpation of prerogatives and rights belonging to God alone. The greatest ecclesiastical usurpation reached by the Romish hierarchy was that of claiming to be the head of the church and the right to prescribe and enforce their doctrines, naming their organization the Holy Catholic Church. In making their sect organizations in imitation, Protestants, as above stated, have transferred the same principle and make the same blasphemous claim of a right to make disciplines to govern God's people, and then name their sect machinery a church of God. The name may be Methodist, Baptist, Mennonite, Episcopalian, or what not, it is only a beast name, yet a name that you must accept if you desire to become one of them.
They not only receive the name of the beast, but also receive the "number of his name." It will be necessary first to explain what is meant by the number of a name. "The modern system of notation by the nine digits and the cipher, was not introduced until the tenth century, but on account of its superior excellence, has since superseded every other. Previous to this great discovery, the letters of the alphabet were used to denote numbers, each letter having the power of a number as well as a sound. The same system is still retained among us for certain purposes. The Roman letters I. V. X. L. C. D. M., have each the power of expressing a number. This, however, was the common and the best mode of notation that the ancients possessed." The number of a name, therefore, was merely the number denoted by the several letters of that name.
The number of the name of the beast—the first beast—is said to be the number of a man. When we enter the Romish hierarchy and search for a man the number of whose name will be six hundred and sixty-six, where could we go more appropriately than to the Pope himself, its authorized head? The Scriptures point him out particularly as the "man of sin," "the son of perdition." 2 Thes. 2:3, 4. Has the Pope of Rome a name the letters of which, used as numerals, make six hundred and sixty-six? Yes. He wears in jeweled letters upon his miter the following blasphemous inscription: Vicarius Filii Dei—Vicar of the Son of God. Taking out of this name all the letters that the Latins used as numerals, we have just six hundred and sixty-six. U and V were both formerly used to denote five.
V ..... 5 F ..... 0
I ..... 1 I ..... 1
C ... 100 L .... 50
A ..... 0 I ..... 1
R ..... 0 I ..... 1
I ..... 1 D ... 500
U ..... 5 E ..... 0
S ..... 0 I ..... 1
—-
666
In some manner the worshipers of Protestant images also receive the number of this name—six hundred and sixty-six. The name is that of "Vicar of the Son of God." In all Protestantism (see remarks on chapter [11:7, 8]) the true Vicars of Christ on earth—the Word and Spirit of God—have been set aside, and conferences of men have taken their places in all the official acts relative to spiritual affairs. Hence the number of the name applies to them as well. What that number specially symbolizes I do not know, unless it is, as has been explained by others—division. While the policy of Romanism has been that of unity, still the false claims made by one individual can be as well made by another, and by many, which has been the case, as just explained; therefore it would not be improper at all to make the Pope's number a symbol of the whole, since his system has been so largely copied by the rest. The whole structure of sectarianism is built on the principle of division, and it so happens that there is always enough left to divide again. So this special number is perhaps the symbol of endless division, signifying the great number of human organizations claiming to be churches of Christ. The church of God, however, is built on the principal of unity; division is destruction to its true nature and life, for it is Christ's body.
It is further said that "no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." To "buy or sell" is to engage in the ordinary pursuits of life and have intercourse with human society. Applying this as a symbol to the analagous department of the church, we have the fact set forth that those without the special mark have no more recognized standing in the so-called churches than men that are not allowed to buy or sell have in a community. But selling, as a symbol, would specially indicate the dealing out of truth, or the preaching of the gospel. A Holy Ghost minister in the clear light of heaven's truth, independent of all the creeds of Babylon, will not be allowed the privilege of laboring freely among sectarians, after the truth for which he stands becomes well known. And if he holds meetings in the community, the members of the sects are often warned by their leaders against "buying"—receiving—it from the Holy Ghost minister, because of his not having the mark or name of the beast. Their ministers are specially marked, for they come out of their colleges and theological seminaries with the stamp of their respective doctrines upon them and a license from the sect to enter its ministry; and those not thus marked or designated have no place among them. This may also explain the manner in which the beast causes those who will not worship the image to be killed—an analagous killing; namely, an ecclesiastical cutting-off, or excommunication, as explained in previous chapters.[9]
Footnote 9: [(return)]
The early history of Protestantism shows that at that time the principle of religious intolerance brought over from Romanism manifested itself in the actual putting to death of numerous dissenters. For example see pp. [252], [291-294] of the present work. It is possible that the persecuting principle ascribed to the two-horned beast may include both the literal and the ecclesiastical cutting-off, reference being made directly to the intolerant spirit.
The facts just stated are well illustrated by the following circumstances. A few years ago a brother in the ministry went into a certain town to find a place to conduct a series of holiness meetings. He was directed by a Presbyterian lady to their pastor, who, she said, was a believer in the doctrine of holiness. When he called on the minister and made known his errand, the first question asked him was this, "Are you a member of the Presbyterian church?" The brother answered in the negative. He did not have the name of the beast. The next question that greeted him was this, "Do you believe the Westminster Confession of Faith to be orthodox?" He answered, "No, sir." He did not have the mark of the beast. The last question asked was, "Do you belong to any of the various orthodox Protestant denominations?" The brother said, "No." He did not have the number of his name. The answer was, "You can not have our house."