Matthew and Job the sea typifies the
world, and fishes men." The old man's head at the base of the
monster's spine they interpreted to mean "the abolition and end of
the papacy," and proved this from Hebrews and Daniel. The dragon
which opens his mouth in the rear and vomits fire, "refers to the
terrible, virulent bulls and books which the Pope and his minions
are now vomiting forth into the world." The two great Reformers
then went on to insist that, since this monster was found at Rome,
it could refer to no person but the Pope; "for," they said, "God
always sends his signs in the places where their meaning applies."
Finally, they assured the world that the monster in general clearly
signified that the papacy was then near its end. To this
development of interpretation Luther and Melanchthon especially
devoted themselves; the latter by revising this exposition of the
prodigy, and the former by making additions to a new edition.
Such was the success of this kind of interpretation that Luther,
hearing that a monstrous calf had been found at Freiburg, published
a treatise upon it--showing, by citations from the books of Exodus,
Kings, the Psalms, Isaiah, Daniel, and the Gospel of St.
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