fpects, equalled; the downfall and divifion of the two laft of them; and particularly the chief grand revolutions of the laft itfelf, its converfion, its divifion into so many parts in the weft, the fubfequent reunion of those parts, not indeed under one temporal head, but under a head which, in the prophetic ftyle, is, with the utmost propriety, faid to be diverfe from all others; the nature of whofe power, joined with its extent, the means of acquiring and fupporting it, and its amazing effects, have fomething in them fo diverfe from other powers, fo marvellous, fo hard to be accounted for, and unparallelled, that the poffibility of its existence would perhaps be difputed by fome, if experience left any room for it; notwithstanding all which things, which might feem to render it probable, that what was fo marvellous and ill founded could not be very durable, its paft duration fo far exceeds that of other great monarchies, that it exceeds one fifth of the time fince the creation, and one fourth of the time fince Noah.

Such peculiarities feem to difcover footsteps of fupreme wifdom in the ftructure of prophetic defcriptions, of the most comprehenfive kind, taking in fo large a compafs, as to extend from the ancient ages of the greatest empires called univerfal, to the last days, when that of the Meffiah would be really fo, in the higheft and ftricteft fenfe.

5. In fo comprehensive a structure, it would perhaps have been expected by many, that a larger proportion of prophetic defcription fhould have been bestowed on fo confiderable fubjects as the more ancient fecular powers of the world. But instead of this, as was hinted above, both the prophetic vifions and interpretations, after a tranfient view of thofe other powers, feem to haften forwards to that grand fpiritual feducing power in the divided weitern empire. When any critics object against fome Proteftant interpreters, what they might with equal

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reafon

reafon object perhaps to primitive Chriftians, That too great a proportion of prophecy is applied by them to one antichrift, or one oppofer of truth, while other powers, in more eaftern parts, chargeable with fuch oppofition, though in a different way, have been, and are ftill, fo very confiderable; in making fuch objections, men do not fufficiently advert to the guilt of prefcribing to the fpirit of prophecy; and what affinity it would have to such arrogance, if people pretended to interpret fcripture-predictions, not by comparing the characters contained in them with the events to which they agree, but by taking upon them to determine what proportions of predictions about oppofers of the truth might moft fitly be allotted to different powers liable to that charge. But befides this, the properties that have been mentioned as agreeing to the feducing power that is actually moft enlarged and infitted on, fhow how exceedingly fit and fuitable it is that it fhould be fo.

VII. Though feveral of the above reafonings not only fhow, that the prophecies under confideration agree really to the power to which they are applied, but that they agree to it fo peculiarly as to be applicable to no other, it is proper to urge this laft point more directly and fully; becaufe it is a chief objection against the force of arguments from prophecies, that it is pretended the characters in them are too indefinite and general; fo that, fuppofing them to agree to one thing contended for, this does not hinder their being equally applicable to other things quite different from it; and because it fo happens, that numbers of the friends of the Papal power feem willingly to own, that Rome is the feat of the grand adverfary of truth defcribed in the chief prophecies both of Daniel and John; while one party pleads it must be one of the predeceffors of the prefent Romish fovereign, viz. the Heathen emperor; and others, that it is a fucceffor

of

of his, who is to appear near the end of the world. Each of them brings fo invincible arguments against the oppofite fide, as to make it out between them, that the predictions are applicable to no Romish power before the prefent one, and to none that can.

come after him.

Whereas all that were before are reducible to two forts, namely, Heathen and Christian fovereigns; it is fufficient, for obvious reafons, to fhow, that the above five characters of the little horn, Dan. vii. are not applicable to the former of them, as on all hands it is agreed they are not to the latter. There is not one of thefe characters but affords demonftration, that it is not Heathen Rome that is meant neither the time of that horn's rife, nor the nature of his power, nor the means of acquiring it, nor the amazing ufe made of it, nor its duration, can at all agree to the Pagan emperors. 1. Instead of rifing when the empire was divided, the Pagan emperors, and Pagan fupreme powers, in Rome, in general, were gone long before that time. 2. Instead of being a little horn, Dan. vii. as to fecular power, and great in power of a diverfe kind, they were a great horn in the firft of these refpects, meddling little with the other among other nations, except in fubmitting to, and adopting too often, the idols of the nations they conquered.

3.

As to the means of their power, instead of its flowing from a voluntary furrender of power on the part of other nations, Dan. ii. and vii. prophecy and history agree, it was to flow from their fubduing, devouring, and breaking in pieces. 4. As to the crimes charged on the little horn, tho' perfecuting of the faints of the Moft High, and fpeaking great words against himfelf, were chargeable on too many of them; yet it is otherwife as to two comprehenfive enormities charged on the horn: one is, that of being the fource of falfe religion to fo many other kingdoms, thefe being rather the fources

of

of idolatry to Heathen Rome; another is, that of apoftafy from the laws of the true religion, and the guilt of changing them, thefe laws having never been established in their empire till they were gone. 5. As to their duration, instead of continuing till the ages of the univerfal establishment of truth, it is above fourteen centuries fince they are gone, and that great revolution has not yet taken place.

Though this is a good argument against applying the predictions to the Heathen fovereigns, it does not follow, that it is a juft objection against applying them to their prefent fucceffors; as is evident from the obfervations made formerly about those parts of prophecies that are yet unfulfilled, fhowing, that they afford no valid objection against wellfounded interpretations of thofe parts that are fulfilled. The character of duration to the time called the time of the end, above explained, cannot poffibly agree to the Pagan powers of Rome. None can fhew, that it cannot poffibly agree to the Papal power. In the very nature of the thing, the downfall of that power muft tend to the happy revolution by which the time of the end is characterifed; that power being a very great and principal obftacle to that revolution. As to the other character of the little horn's duration, more darkly expreffed in Daniel vii. the light thrown on it, partly already, and more fully afterwards, from parallel and more clear paffages, fhows a duration much exceeding, not only that of the Pagan emperors, but that of all the Pagan powers of Rome before them, from the time that Rome could be reckoned a great kingdom, or great commonwealth; yea, the whole time from the beginning of what the prophecies call the third great empire to the downfall of Paganifm in the fourth, makes perhaps but about one half of the number of the centuries which Daniel's expreffions imply.

As the characters of the little horn are not appli

cable

cable to any predeceffors of the present Romish powers, neither can they be applied to any future power that can be fuppofed to be their fucceffors. There is a decifive proof of this in the first of the above-explained diftinguishing characters, taken from the time of the rife of that power, viz. that it was to be about the time of the divifion of the empire into fo many parts, having fovereigns of their own. Though the little horn is faid to rife after these, he is alfo faid to rife among them. How could he be faid to rife among them, if he was not to appear till above twelve centuries after them? That space exceeds what intervened betwixt the days of Daniel and of the first of the empires that he speaks of, and the downfall and divifion of the fourth and laft of them. When the third or Greek empire is reprefented as having four horns belonging to it, this is meant of four powers that appeared immediately after the divifion of that empire. How can it be imagined, that the ten horns of the fourth empire fhould be meant of powers that were not to exist until above twelve centuries after that empire's divifion and downfall?

People that indulge imagination may pretend, that though all the other characters of the little horn, different from the time of its rife, fhould be allowed to agree to the Papal power; and to that power peculiarly, fo far as not to be applicable to any other that has existed already; yet it is not ab-. folutely impoffible but another future power may appear to which thefe characters may agree. Tho' it would be improper to infift on prolix anfwers to an objection of this kind, it may not be amifs to make the following brief remarks on it. ft, The character, from the circumftance of time, is of itself clear and decifive, which may be more fully confirmed afterwards. 2dly, People may apply abftract reafonings of this kind, relating to fimple poffibilities, to any other uncontefted hiftory, or hiftori

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