writer astonishes and confounds my understanding, when he represents the commencement of the blessings of eternity at a period when others look for a previous procrastination, of 1000 years, as the luss of any measure of blessedness. I should have thought, that no Christian could contemplate it otherwise than as an infinite accession of gain; since the blessings of the eternal kingdom are the consummation and full perfection of that felicity, which must always be inferior in every scheme for a millennium, however it may be imagined great. The author, further, asks "Why I have overlooked all "those passages which have been quoted from the "fathers, by learned writers on Prophecy, in sup "port of the ancient scriptural doctrine of the "millennium?" The reason is, that I have preferred to consult the writings of the ancient fathers themselves, rather than unconnected, passages quoted from them by any writers, however learned. And this I have done sufficiently to assure myself, that whoever speaks of an ancient scriptural doctrine of the Millennium, is either fascinated by system, or but little acquainted either with the writings of the primitive fathers, or with the opinions that were really held as scriptural doctrines by the primitive church. Certainly, the notion of a Millennium was never received as a doctrine in the ancient church, although it was entertained by some individuals as early as the second century. And I do not except from this remark the excellent Mede himself, who, by an unaccountable prepossession upon this subject, has laid himself open to an easy refutation by the learned Whitby, in his "Dissertation on the Millennium;" whose judgment may be the less objectionable to our modern Chiliasts, or Millennarians, because, though he exposes half the fallacy of the doctrine, he still adheres to half. Having been compelled by the author of “ The Dissertation" to make this general reply to his A strictures on my "Christian's Survey," it only now remains for me to return him my thanks for the approbation which he is pleased to express of the conclusion of that work; and to set the reader free, to pursue the awful subject laid open to his contemplation in the following pages. |