734. And is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition, signifies deliberation at different times in the Papal Consistory concerning the reception and reading of the Word by the laity and common people, but rejected. By "the beast which was about to come up" the Word is signified, as above (n. 723, 733); by "the abyss" out of which he was about to come up nothing else can be signified but that religious persuasion, and especially where its throne is, thus the Papal Consistory. It is "an abyss," because that which is decreed there regards domination over the holy things of the church and over heaven, and thus over all things of the Lord and His Word (n. 729). These they have for their end as the essentials, but the good of the church and the salvation of souls as formal things necessary as means to the end. By "going away into perdition" is signified to be rejected. It is known from ecclesiastical history that the reception and reading of the Word by the laity and the common people has been several times deliberated there, but rejected. It was also proposed by a Pontiff who is now among the Reformed and the blessed, who is spoken of in the Continuation concerning the spiritual world (n. 59), but it was not accepted; and this is especially known from the Bull Unigenitus, and besides from the Councils.