1 a Which was Christ Jesus who will take vengeance on this Romish harlot.
1 b Antichrist is compared to an harlot because he seduceth the worlde with vaine wordes, doctrines of lies, & outwarde apperance.
3 d The beast signifieth the ancient Rome: the woman that sitteth thereon, the newe Rome which is the Papistie, whose crueltie and blood sheding is declared by skarlat.
3 e Ful of idolatrie, superstition and contempt of the true God.
4 f This woman is the Antichrist, that is, the Pope with the whole bodie of his filthie creatures, as is expounded, {vers. 18}, whose beautie onely standeth in outwarde pompe & impudencie and craft like a strumpet.
4 g Of false doctrines & blasphemies.
8 i This is the Romaine empire which being fallen into decay, the whore of Rome vsurped autoritie, and proceded from the deuil and thether shal returne.
9 l For after that the empire was decayed in Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitelius, Vespasian & Titus dyed in less then fourtene yeres and reigned as Kings: Domitian then reigned, and after him Coceius Nerua which was the seuenth.
9 k Which are about Rome.
11 m He meaneth Traian the emperior who was a Spanyard & adopted by Nerua, but because he persecuted the faithful, he goeth also to perdition.
13 n He signifieth the horrible persecutions which haue bene vnder the empire of Roma, and in all other realmes subject to the same.
14 o And breake them to shyuers as a porters pot.