the nations of Europe formerly controlled by the Papacy that religious toleration is generally granted. In Italy, the headquarters of Popedom, where the Catholics are greatly in the majority, religious liberty is granted by law. And even Spain, denominated by the Encyclopædia Britannica "the most Catholic country in the world," exhibits "a general indifferentism to religion," meaning that the fanaticism and intolerance of former ages that caused thousands, and perhaps millions, to be slain, is rapidly dying out. In the vision before us, however, the special actions ascribed to this beast--_speaking_, working miracles, deceiving, making an image and imparting life to it, etc., which all belong properly to the department of human life--show conclusively that it is the character of this beast as an _ecclesiastical power_ that is the chief point under consideration. He was not to become such a terrible beast politically (for his horns were only _like a lamb_), but "he _spake_ as a dragon." As soon as we enter the department to which _speaking_ by analogy refers us, we find this beast to be a great religious power; and it is in this character alone that he is dilineated in the remainder of the chapter. That the description of a religious system is the main burden of this symbol, is shown also by the fact that it is in every case referred to in subsequent chapters as the "false prophet." Chap. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10. Therefore every reference I make to this second beast hereafter should be understood as signifying the religious system of Protestantism, unless otherwise stated. That Protestantism in its many forms can be properly represented by a single symbol--a beast or false prophet--may seem a little strange at first; but when we come to consider next the making of an image to the beast, it will be seen that the Protestant sects, from God's standpoint of viewing, are all alike in character, as were the multitudinous forms of heathen worship represented under the single symbol of the dragon. Hence only one beast, or the making of one image, was necessary to stand as representative of the entire number. It will be noticed by the reader that from verse 12 to the close of the chapter the term _beast_ signifies the first beast, or the Papacy, and that the second beast, or Protestantism, is designated by the pronoun _he_.