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In Dan. xii. we have three different numbers. (The first a with that in chap. vii. 25.) Ver. 7. I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and fware by Him that liveth for ever, that it shall be for a time, times, and an half time. Three years and a half, or forty-two months of years, viz. 1260. And when he fhall have accomplished to fcatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. Again, ver. 11. And from the time that the daily facrifice fhall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh defolate fet up, there fhall be a thoufand two hundred and ninety days. Ver. 12. Bleffed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thoufand and three hundred and five and thirty days. As the first number agrees with the predictions in the Revelation of John, respecting the continuance of the power and profperity of the antichristian beast: and as the numbers appear to contradict each other if they are confined to the tyranny of Antiochus, (though he might be pointed at as the type of Antichrist) I confider them as harmonizing with the New Testament predictions. According to Rev. xi. 2. the holy city is to be trodden under foot of the Gentiles forty and two months`; and in ver. 3. the two witnesses are to prophesy twelve hundred and fixty days clothed in fackcloth. Chap. xii. 7. we have the fame number; and in ver. 14. we learn that the woman was to be nourished in the wilderness for a time, and times, and half a time. Chap. xiii. 5. power is given unto the beaft (the first beast remember, not the second) to continue or practife forty and two months. The fame time, 1260 years, is intended by all these numbers.*

But how can we reconcile thofe three different numbers of Da niel with the seven (two in Daniel and five in the Apocalypfe) which agree?

In the first place, let it be allowed, that the convulfions which are to bring about the predicted final overthrow of Antichrift

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began with the revolution in France in 1789, and then reckon thus.

Daniel's

Here let me again remind the reader, that in the ftyle of the prophets, a day is a year, a month thirty years, and a year 360 years, there being fo many days in the Jewish month and year. A time is the fame as a year, (Dan. iv. 16.) times, two years, and the dividing of time, half a year, which put together amount to 1260 prophetic days, or years.

11.

Daniel's time, times, and half a time (1260 years) begin and end with the five numbers in the Apocalypfe, and as they are 1260 years, and supposed to end at the French revolution, they must begin A. D. 529, and end in 1789. Daniel's 2300 years begin 481 years before Chrift, and end in 1819, when fome other great event, or events, will take place. The beast and the falfe prophet (Rev. xix. 20.) i.e. the papacy and the French tyranny having previously been brought to an end, then, perhaps, the dragon, civil defpotifm, will be bound, (Rev. xx. 2.) and the Jews, the dry bones in the valley of vifion, (Ezek. xxxvii.) be raised to political life, and restored to their own land.-Daniel's 1290 years begin with his time, times, and half a time, and with the former five numbers of John in the Apocalypse, i. e. at the commencement of the reign of the beaft, A. D. 529, and end with the former number, (2300) in 1819, and which they muft, for they are to accomplish the fame event, as may be seen by comparing Dan. viii, 13, with chap. xii. This agreement deserves particular attention. His 1335 years (the end of which, according to him, will eminently be a bleffed time) begin in the fame year of Chrift 529, and terminate in 1864, when perhaps the Jews are to be converted by that remarkable appearance of the Lord in their favor, which is predicted in Ezek. xxxviii. xxxix, and in Zech. xii. and xiv, Thus the final attack on the beaft commences in 1789. Thirty years are employed in the overthrow of the papacy, the Turks, and other tyrannies: a season, it is likely, of great calamities, but especially to the enemies of Chrift's kingdon. The next forty-five years, to 1864, to which time Daniel's 1335 years extend, may be spent in gathering the Jews, (who, according to Jer. xvi. 16. will be unwilling to return to their own land) and in purifying them by those trials which, according to the † prophets, are to take place on their first return; as well as in purifying, and in bringing to an end all the fects and partics of the Gentile Christians; and which may be effected by that greater light which is to fhine upon the Chriftian church in the latter days, previous to that greater glory and superior state of felicity which is to commence perhaps, (as we have conjectured from Daniel's number of 1335) about the year 1864, on the converfion of the Jews, and of those heathen nations not before gathered to Christ.

Jer. xxx. 3-8. 11-16. Ezek. xx. 32-38. xxxv. 24, 25, 31, 33.
iii. 7-14. Zech, xii, xiii, xiv.

But

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But, perhaps it may be asked, What arguments are there which favor the conjecture of the 529th year of Chrift being that from which the power of the beast is to be dated? I own I have put this year down by accident, as the measurement back from 1789. To demonstrate, that in this year he came to such a state of maturity (for this mystery of iniquity was forming in the apostle's days, and continued to grow for ages) as to conftitute him a beast, is not effential to the making good our hypothefis. But though no man, from the history of past times, can determine the exact year from which God dates the kingdom of antichrift, yet there are good reasons from which a probable conjecture may be formed, that it was as early as the fixth century.

The apostle Paul, fpeaking of that which hindered the progrefs of this wicked one, fays, (2 Theff. ii. 6-12.) The mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way; and then fhall that wicked one be revealed, &c. Our most approved commentators fuppofe, that by he who letteth, the imperial power is intended, and that we must not expect to find this wicked one arrived at maturity till the fall of the western empire. This took place A. D. 476. Soon after this therefore we may expect the ecclefiaftical tyranny to be matured.

Some of our most able critics, as Bishop Newton and Mr. Lowman, are of opinion, that by the wound which the first beast received, chap. xiii. 3. we are to understand the blow which was given to the majesty and power of Rome, by fubjecting it to the exarchate of Ravenna; and, that by its being healed, is intended its restoration to its former dignity, by this exarchate being given to the Pope, by which he became a temporal prince. Now, this wounding took place A. D. 568, and continued 206 years. If this be well confidered, it tends much to ftrengthen our argument; for though, when the Pope was made a temporal prince, at the time of this healing, the world wondered more than ever after the beaft, (Rev. xiii. 3.) yet the papal beaft exifted before, and this only gave him increafing eclat. But farther to confirm our hypothefis, confider the state of fociety, and particularly the state of what was called the church, in this fixth century. Now, magiftrates were tyrants, and priests were wicked, fuperftitious, and intolerant, beyond any former age. Now, numberless laws and re

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gulations were obtruded upon the church by human authority, which at once violated the authority of Chrift, defaced Chriftianity, and robbed Christians of their dearest liberties. And in this very year 529, which we are looking for, the Juftinian code was first published, by which thofe powers, privileges, and immunities were secured to the clergy; that union perfected between things civil and ecclefiaftical, and thofe laws impofed on the church, which have proved fo injurious to Christianity, and so calamitous to mankind. And which code, through the zeal of the clergy, has been received, more or lefs, as the foundation of the jurifprudence of almost every state in Chriftendom; and that not only in things civil but ecclefiaftical; and by this means, as some author has obferved, the old fancy of the Romans, about the eternity of their command, is thus far verified. We may add also, that this fame Juftinian, if not in 529, yet as early as 534, declared the Pope the head of all churches; all were to be fubject to his judgment, but himself to be judged by none.t

That this pamphlet, which is already larger than intended, may not be swelled into a volume, permit me to refer to Mofheim's Eccl. Hift. Cent. VI. and especially part II. chap. 2d, 3d, and 4th. All forts of abfurdities were imposed, the groffeft ignorance and wickedness prevailed among the clergy; the Bishop of Rome grafped at abfolute authority over confcience, and unlimited supremacy over the whole Chriftian church; and though he did not altogether fucceed in the east, in this western part of the world, where the fcene of John's vifions chiefly lay, his dominion was acknowledged, and parafitical panegyrifts, among other blafphemous affertions, maintained, that the Roman Pontiff was conftituted judge in the place of God, which he filled as the vicegerent of the Moft High; fo that now was fulfilled that prediction of the apoftle, 2 Theff. xi. 3, 4. As God he fitteth in the temple of God, fhewing himfelf that he is God. Now, the wicked were taught that remiffion

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+ Mr. Mans, explaining the heads of the Roman beaft, writes, " Quis igitur rex feptimus erit? Nimirum ipfe papa. Nam ex quo A. D. $34, eum ecclefiarum omnium caput declaravit Juftinianus, alii omnium judicem, ipfum' a nullo judicandum, tauta reverentia & obfequio ab imp. ipfis cultus eft, tanta authoritate ipfos fubinde reprehendit, interdum etiam anathemate perculit, ut ron minus dicendus fit regnaffe in fpiritualibus, quamvis fe fubditum femper fervumque fervorum diceret, quam in temporalibus imperatores," &c. See Bishop

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of fins was to be purchased by their liberalities to the church and its ministers; now those doctrines which taught men the worship of faints and images, the efficacy of obferving human rites and institutions towards the attainment of falvation, the power of relics, and a thousand more errors and absurdities were brought to perfection. Now did monkery over-run the world, and marriage was forbidden, as unworthy of those who aspired to be faints.—And in this very year 529 also, a new order of monks, which in a manner absorbed all the others established in the west, was inftituted by Benedict of Nurfia. In process of time, this order having acquired immense riches, they funk into luxury, intemperance, and floth; abandoned themselves to all forts of vices; extended their zeal and attention to worldly affairs; infinuated themselves into the cabinets of princes; took part in political cabals and court factions; made a vast augmentation of fuperftitious rites; and, among other meritorious enterprizes, labored most ardently to fwell the arrogance, by enlarging the power and authority of the Roman Pontiff. This and the other monaftic orders, (finks of ignorance, indolence, and vice!) were the fountains from whence iffued all forts of abominations, and the rivers which carried fuperftition, oppreffion, and violence, to all parts of the earth. They taught princes to tyrannize, and the people to cringe.

Was not the time of the publishing of the forementioned code of Juftinian, and of the rifing of this order of monks, a period, in the history of the apoftacy, in which we may fuppofe the Almighty, with distinguished propriety, to begin to reckon the 1160 years of the beast's power, and the treading down of the holy city? The conjecture is probable a priori: but, if present events, and these compared with other events, agree to recommend this date, 529, the probability is much increased.

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To fay no more of this concurrence of several numbers, thus iffuing from different periods, and these the most interesting in the history of nations, and of the church, and yet harmonizing in their termination fo conformable to what the prophets seem to point out, respecting the events of the last days; a concurrence which is not the effect of labored contrivance, as fome, at firft fight, may imagine, but the natural and neceffary confequence of taking the French Revolution, in 1789, as the termination of the 1260 years of the prophets, and the point from which to measure all their other

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