597. And He causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to adore the first beast the stroke of whose death was healed, signifies that thus by confirmations they have established this, that it is to be acknowledged as a holy thing of the church, that because no one can do a good work from himself and fulfill the law, the only means of salvation is faith in the justice and merit of Christ, who suffered for man, and thereby took away the condemnation of the law. It is unnecessary to explain this any further, because it follows from the explanations given above (n. 566, 577-582). By "the earth and them that dwell therein," are signified the churches of the Reformed as above; "to adore" signifies to acknowledge as a holy thing of the church, as appears also above; here this is meant by "the beast coming up out of the sea, after the stroke of his death was healed;" and this has been explained already.
