581.“说，谁能比这兽，谁能与他交战呢”表该教义胜过其它所有教义的优越性，因为谁也驳斥不了它。“谁能比这兽”表以为该教会因其教义胜过其它所有教义而具有优越性；“兽”表示普通民众，因而表示教会，抽象而言，表示教会的教义。“谁能与他交战呢”表示谁能驳斥人不能凭自己行任何属灵之善，以及其它事，如前所述（566节）；由于这一点是驳斥不了的，所以“我们得救不是因着无需律法行为的信”吗？不过，这个结论是荒谬的，甚至本质上就是疯狂。对此，凡从圣言知道点什么，并变得明智之人都能看出来。“谁能与他交战呢”还表示教会的领袖和随从他们的教师们如此狡猾巧妙地确认这个教义，又如此加以强化，以致它无懈可击。
581. Saying, "Who is like the beast? Who can fight against it?" This symbolizes the preeminence of that doctrine over any other because no one can dispute it.
"Who is like the beast?" symbolizes the people's opinion of that church as being preeminent over any other because of its doctrine. The beast symbolizes the general populace, thus the church, and in an abstract sense, its doctrine. "Who can fight against it?" means, symbolically, "Who can dispute that a person cannot do any spiritual good of himself," and other doctrines, as shown in no. 566 above. And because this cannot be disputed, are we not saved, then, through faith apart from works of the law? But this conclusion is absurd, indeed in itself insane, as anyone can see who has some knowledge of and wisdom from the Word.
"Who can fight against it?" also means symbolically that the leaders of the church and its teachers after them have so cleverly and skillfully defended and thus fortified the doctrine by arguments that it cannot be attacked.
581. 'Saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to fight with him?' signifies the superiority of that doctrine over all others, because it cannot be contradicted by anyone. 'Who is like unto the beast?' signifies the supposition of the superiority of that Church, by virtue of its doctrine over all others. By 'the beast' is signified the community at large, thus the Church, and abstractly its doctrine. 'Who is able to fight with him?' signifies who can contradict the fact that a man cannot do any spiritual good by himself, besides more, of which above (566), and because this cannot be contradicted, are we not saved by faith without the works of the law? But that this conclusion is absurd, indeed us itself insane, can be seen by any one who knows anything and is wise out of the Word. 'Who is able to fight with him?' also signifies that that doctrine has been confirmed by the leaders, and the teachers after them, by means of such ingenious and subtle arguments, and thus fortified so that it cannot be assailed.
581. Saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to fight with him? signifies the excellence of that doctrine above all others, because it cannot be contradicted by anyone. "Who is like unto the beast," signifies the opinion of the excellence of that church above all others on account of its doctrine; by "the beast" is signified the common people, thus the church, and abstractly its doctrine. "Who is able to fight with him," signifies, who can contradict that man is not able to do any spiritual good from himself, besides other things, as above, (566); and as this cannot be contradicted, "are we not therefore saved by faith without the works of the law?" But that this conclusion is absurd, yea, insanity itself, may be seen by everyone who knows anything and is wise from the Word. "Who is able to fight with him," also signifies that this doctrine has been so ingeniously and subtly confirmed, and so fortified by its leaders, and the teachers after them, that it cannot be impugned.
581. "Dicentes, Quis similis Bestiae, quis potest pugnare cum ea," significat excellentiam illius Doctrinae prae omni alia, quia a nemine contradici potest. - "Quis similis est Bestiae, significat opinionem de excellentiam illius Ecclesiae ex ejus doctrina prae omni alia; per "Bestiam" significatur communis caetus, ita Ecclesia, et abstracte doctrina ejus; "quis potest pugnare cum illa," significat, quis potest contradicere quod homo non possit bonum aliquod spirituale facere a se, praeter plura, de quibus supra (566); et quia hoc contradici non potest, "Annon sic salvabimur per Fidem absque Operibus Legis." Sed quod conclusio sit absona, imo in se insana, videri potest ab unoquovis qui scit aliquid et sapit ex Verbo. "Quis potest pugnare cum illa," etiam significat quod doctrina illa ab antesignanis, et a docentibus post illos, per argumenta tam ingeniose et argute confirmata sit et sic munita, ut non impugnari possit.