742. [verse 13] 'These have one purpose, and shall surrender their power and authority to the beast' signifies that they unanimously acknowledge that government and dominion over the Church is solely by means of the Word. By 'to have one purpose' is signified to acknowledge unanimously. By 'to surrender power and authority to the beast' is signified to attach government and dominion over the Church to the Word. The reason that it is government and dominion over the Church is because it treats of those because it treats of the Word. It is plain from these things that by 'these have one purpose, and shall surrender their power and authority to the beast' is signified that they unanimously acknowledge that government and dominion over the Church is solely by means of the Word. They indeed acknowledge the Pontiff as head of the Church, but they do not acknowledge his government and dominion over the Church as like that of the head over the body, but as what is supreme over the body, which rules and dominates not out of itself but out of God by means of the Word; and that it is in such case to be obeyed. Consequently [they acknowledge] that the interpretation of the Word does not belong to him only of right, as has come to pass, because thus the Divine authority of the Word is perverted and perishes.