Concerning the Precepts of the Decalogue in general:-

[2] It is said by some, that he who sins against one precept of the Decalogue sins also against the rest, thus that he who is guilty of one is guilty of all. But how this agrees with the truth shall be explained. He who transgresses one precept, by assuring himself that it is not a sin, and thus commits it without fear of God, rejects the fear of God, because he is not afraid to transgress the rest of the precepts, although he may not do so in act.

[3] As, for example, whoever does not account frauds and illicit gains, which in themselves are thefts, as sins, neither regards as sins the committing of adultery with the wife of another, the hating of a man even to murder, the lying against him, the coveting his house, and other things belonging to him. For he denies that anything is a sin, when in one precept he casts out the fear of God from his heart. Hence he is in communion with those who similarly transgress the rest of the precepts. He is as an infernal spirit who is in the hell of thieves; and although he is not an adulterer, a murderer, or a false witness, yet he is in communion with such, and may be persuaded by them to believe that such things are not evils, and may also be led to commit them. For he who becomes an infernal spirit by the transgression of one precept, no longer believes it to be a sin to do anything against God, or anything against his neighbour.

[4] But the contrary is the case with those who abstain from the evil of one precept, and shun, and afterwards turn away from it, as a sin against God. Because such fear God, they come into communion with the angels of heaven, and are led by the Lord to abstain from the evils of the other precepts, and to shun them, and at length to turn away from them as sins. And if they happen to have sinned against them, still they repent, and thus by degrees are withdrawn from them.

THE APOCALYPSE.

CHAPTER XVII.

1. AND there came one of the seven angels having the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

2. With whom the kings of the earth committed whoredom, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her whoredom.

3. And he carried me away, into a wilderness, in the spirit and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

4. And the woman was arrayed in crimson and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of the abominations and uncleanness of her whoredom.

5. And upon her forehead a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the whoredoms and abominations of the earth.

6. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with a great wonder.

7. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

8. The beast which thou sawest was, and is not, and is about to ascend out of the abyss, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder; they whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, but yet is.

9. This is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

10. And they are seven kings; five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

11. And the beast that was, and is not, he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

12. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet; but they receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

13. These have one mind, and shall deliver up their power and authority to the beast.

14. These shall fight with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings and those that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

15. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

16. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall devour her flesh, and burn her with fire.

17. For God hath put into their hearts to do his mind, and to come to one mind, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be consummated.

18. And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, which hath a kingdom over the kings of the earth.