That the leopard beast is a symbol of the papacy, there can be no question; but some may want more evidence that the wounding of one of its heads, or its going into captivity, was the overthrow of the papacy in 1798.  This can easily be given.  A nation being represented by a wild beast, the government of that nation, that by which it is controlled, must as a very clear matter of course be considered as answering to the head of the beast.  The seven heads of this beast would therefore denote seven different governments; but all the heads pertain to one beast, and hence all these seven different forms of government pertain to one empire.  But only one form of government can exist in a nation at one time; hence the seven heads must denote seven forms of government to appear, not simultaneously, but successively.  But these heads pertain alike to the dragon and the leopard beast; from which this one conclusion only can be drawn:  that Rome, during its whole history, embracing both its pagan and papal phases, would change its government six times, presenting to the world seven different forms in all.  And the historian records just that number as pertaining to Rome.  Rome was first ruled by Kings; second, by Consuls; third, by Decemvirs; fourth, by Dictators; fifth, by Triumvirs; sixth, by Emperors; and seventh, by Popes.

John saw one of these heads wounded, as it were, to death.  Which one?  Can we tell?  Let it be noticed, first, that it is one of the heads of the beast which is wounded to death, and not one of the heads of the dragon; that is, it is some form of government which existed in Rome after the change of symbols from the dragon to the leopard beast.  We then inquire, How many of the different forms of Roman government belonged absolutely to the dragon, or existed in Rome while it maintained its dragonic or pagan form?  These same seven heads are again presented to John in Rev. 17; and the angel there explains that they are seven kings, or forms of government, verse 10; and he informs John that five are fallen, and one is; that is, five of these forms of government were already passed in John’s day; and he was living under the sixth.  Under what form did John live?  The imperial; it being the cruel decree of the emperor Domitian which banished him to the isle of Patmos where this vision was given.  Kings, Consuls, Decemvirs, Dictators, and Triumvirs, were all in the past in John’s day.  Emperors were then ruling the Roman world; and the empire was still pagan.  Six of these heads, therefore, Kings, Consuls, Decemvirs, Dictators, Triumvirs, and Emperors belonged to the dragon; for they all existed while Rome was pagan:  and it was no one of these that was wounded to death; for had it been, John would have said, I saw one of the heads of the dragon wounded to death.  The wound was inflicted after the empire had so changed in respect to its religion that it became necessary to represent it by the leopard beast.  But the beast had only seven heads, and if six of them