refore, devote our attention to the ecclesiastical phase as
developed under this particular symbol of the woman.

The nature of the symbol itself fixes the interpretation. A woman
must of necessity symbolize a church, but we must determine by the
character of the woman whether or not the true church or a false
church is represented. The woman of the vision was splendidly attired
and evidently occupied a prominent place; for she is represented as
riding on the beast, the political empire, thus directing its course;
and she is also represented as sitting upon many waters, interpreted
as "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues" (verse 15),
denoting her wide influence over distant nations. She is not
simply represented as a prominent person, however, but _as a vile
character_. She is "a great whore," "with whom the kings of the
earth have committed fornication." It is clear that in Scripture
false, idolatrous worship is represented as _whoredom_ (see 1 Chron.
5: 25; Ezekiel 16 and 23). Hence a false church is represented.

[Sidenote: Mother and daughters]

There is only one church that can fulfil the description, and that
is the Church of Rome. Long has she delighted in calling herself the
"mother church," but centuries before she made this claim, the pen
of inspiration affixed to her indelibly the title of
"_mother_"--"MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
She bore upon her forehead this inscription, together with the title
"Mystery, Babylon the Great." Other false apostate churches there are,
but she heads the list and is the mother of them all. No wonder the
apostle marveled when he saw this professed church of Jesus Christ
defiled by the most abominable wickedness, in league with all the
evil powers of earth, and, above all, "drunken with the blood of the
saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." That Rome from
the date she became firmly established in power has ever been a
constant persecutor of the saints, the pages of all history abundantly
attest. Even Rome's ecclesiastical writers and historians themselves
admit her use of force in destroying those whom she denominated
heretics.

Revelation 17 covers the same period chronologically and ends at
the same point of time as did chapter 13. Hence we should naturally
suppose that it would also describe in some manner the power
symbolized by the two-horned beast--Protestantism--as well as
duplicate the description of the ten-horned be