how many are there in the world of between a great character, described the same intolerant sentiments, who in Rev. chap. xix. 11. and Nebumake an idol of their own imagina- chadnezzar, that ancient conqueror, tions, before which every other being called also a King of Kings, because within the sphere of their power is to he was raised up to be the scourge of bow down. Whether a monarch nations.. upon his throne, or a spouter in a I am persuaded, that the truly rahouse of declamation; whether a tional and enquiring mind will not preacher in a meeting or church, or be diverted from these kinds of invesa speaker in the House of Lords or tigation, because the extraordinary Commons, whoever or whatever he events of the present times have called may be, who insists upon giving law forth male and female prophets in to another man's conscience, such a abundance, each disseminating addiman ought to be held in universal tional folly and extravagance. It is contempt as a knave, or treated as not in the province of reason and one who had lost his senses, and a fit philosophy to multiply moral delusion. object for the house of incurables. They will unravel, rather than inWhat this spirit of toleration will crease, the intricate mazes of theoproduce in France, it is not easy to logy; and a very short period may foresce. If it brings the protestants prove that the haste of former comto make the holy scriptures the rule mentators to account for the fulfilof their faith, instead of being guided ment of predictions before their time, by the dreams and mad freaks of will justly condemn the majority of Calvin, the advantage to the country their learned lucubrations as so many will be immense. They have much loads of waste paper. still to learn; and if France has ad- Bishop Newton has been looked up vanced one step before us in religious to as a kind of classic, "though in toleration, we will hope, that we fact he is little more than entertaining shall not long be behind her in this and plausible; those who wish to respect; and that a laudable emula- enter deeply into the study of the tion may subsist between the two Apocalypse, will soon perceive him to countries, in endeavouring to restore be but superficial." the profession of Christianity to the truth, as it is manifested in the four gospels, and the writings of the apostles. I remain, Your constant reader, CRITO. Is a Military Character to usher in the Millenium? The writings of Mr. J. Mede, justly called the learned, are like gold in the ore; his profound researches have been of great use, even to Sir Isaac Newton and succeeding commentators. Lowman, though less known than Bishop Newton, is a writer of superior acuteness and penetration; of greater accuracy, and more extensive acquaintance with the "And behold a mighty man, with the sacred scriptures. Whiston and Dauthousands of heaven; and when he turned buz are extremely prolix; Dr. Brice to look, all things trembled under him- Johnson, of Scotland, is well spoken And he graved himself a great mountain, of; The Illustrations of Prophecy, and flew up upon it-I saw after these things, and behold all they which came to supposed to have been written by the fight against him were sore afraid, and son of the late Dr. Joseph Towers, they durst fight.-Now when he destroyeth is one of the most intelligent and the multitude of the nations that are ga-, useful of modern productions. Howthered together, he shall defend the people ever, several luminous points of disthat remain."-See Esdras xiii. Rev. xix. covery are to be found among a number of writers, who have not MR. EDITOR, treated professedly upon the whole, OME writers of eminence main- but only parts of the prophetical writStain this principle, but have been ings, Vit. Dr. Gill. Dr. Hartley, premature in applying it to the proper Dr. J. Priestley, Mr. E. Evanson, person. In my last, upon the Pro- and particularly Mr. J. Bickens, of phetic Indications of the present Newbury, Berks. Among the coTimes, I hinted at a resemblance pious commentators, the works of yet 1807.1 the Rev. G. Faber and Mr. Wode- ness over the face of the whole earth, house ought not to be overlooked; at which time the fulness of the Genthe discovery of the latter, that the tiles being come in, or their time acword you, in Rev. vi. 5. should have complished, the Jews shall be wonbeen rendered a yoke, instead of a derfully converted to the acknowledg pair of balances, may be of much ment of their Messiah, and Christ shall reign in the hearts of men, by utility. The Millenium, a late Divine of having his authority acknowledged, the Church of England very properly and his laws obeyed, as well by the styles, the Golden Age of Chris- Jews as by the Gentiles. tianity." Dr. Whitby's ideas of it Relative to the term of the Mille. are rational and strictly consistent. nium, I would add, the best way Even an infidel, making proper al- would be to measure it by the extent lowance for a churchman, cannot and duration of former wars and resist his conclusions, because they devastations under the previous reign are founded in the nature and fitness of the antichristian kings. It may of things:-I say allowance for a then be found to exceed these periods, churchman, as a mere, ecclesiastic as much as mercy generally exceeds has no ideas of the importance of the judgment. civil rights and interests of mankind, beyond those of a monk. From these premises, I am further led to infer that neither the reign nor Many people still cherish the idea, the appearance of Jesus Christ in the that when the Millenium commences, Millenium state, ought to be underChrist will appear again personally stood personally, as too many of the upon the earth; that serpents, rave- commentators have supposed, but nous beasts, &c. will become harm- rather representorial, in his chosen whether emperors, less! These absurd conceptions arise instruments, from confounding the figures of princes, or meaner persons, purspeech used in the scriptures with real posely endowed with great and extrafacts. But the truly pious, rational, ordinary qualifications. But if profound peace, perfect and philosophic divines, to whom I allude, have very different ideas of tranquillity, and a wonderful increase that period. Dr. Whitby seems to of knowledge and goodness are to be have resolved all his enquiries relative the distinguishing features of this new to it into these summary conclusions: empire, still these are to be only esti"There shall be then an universal mated in comparisonwiththefrequency peace and plenty, and a great increase of former wars and commotions, and of knowledge and righteousness the lamentable defects of knowledge throughout the whole church of and goodness which attended the past ages of trouble and vexation. Divines The Bishop of Clogher, in his in general are right in the spirit of Dissertation upon Prophecy, published their expectations, but wrong in the in 1741, observes, "It is by no means application. A rational view of the necessary, that to understand Rev. Millenium does not suppose any xi. 15, we should suppose Christ radical change in the nature of manand his Saints acctually descending kind, but a very great alteration in from heaven, with the same bodily the spirit of civil and ecclesiastical appetites which they had while upon governments, in consequence of the earth, as some of the enthusiastic predicted revolutions in kingdoms Millenarians vainly imagined in the and states, which, in the prophet's second and third centuries, and whose language, may be said "to prepare absurd exposition of these texts ren- the way of the Lord, and make his dered the whole doctrine justly con- paths straight." God.' The reasonable expectation of such Nor is it necessary to temptible. confine the expression of one thou- a state as the Millenium is not founded sand years to that precise number; upon scripture prophecy alone; it may it may be taken in general only to be looked for in the natural course of signify a large and indefinite period. It is enough to say, that this will be a period of great bliss and righteous There are events in civil society. few who doubt of this state being the object of almost all the ancient Jewish prophets or politicians; but probably these days of remuneration from all there are many who do not conceive others. how it may be said to be among the The great founder and teacher of natural course of human events. Such the Christian religion, when he forepersons I would wish to consider, told the destruction of Jerusalem, 1. That it is natural that the best predicted another visitation, that was state of society should have a ten- not to be less signal: this destruction dency in itself to degenerate-2. That was to be preceded by extraordinary no society, institution, or body cor- revolutions in states and kingdoms. porate, having degenerated, possesses If we paraphrase Matt. xxiv. 29, 30. virtue or capacity to reform itself it will read thus: "Immediately after and, 3dly. That it is therefore neces- the tribulation of those (the former) sary, that each degenerated portion of days, shall the sun (of monarchy) be society should be reformed by the darkened, the moon (the church) operation of some power, interest, or shall not give her light, and the stars, agency distinct from itself. The (dignities and distinctions) shall fall prophecies in the Old and New from heaven (the heaven of authority), Testament are grounded upon a fore- and the powers of the heavens (the sight of the apostacy and degeneracy force of governments) shall be not only of the ecclesiastical but even shaken. Then shall appear the sign the secular powers of Christendom, (the token of the Son of Man, Christ, to which the Christian church has coming, or making his authority been most fatally allied; the restora- known, in heaven, viz. among the tion, therefore, which has been fore- ruling powers; and they shall see seen, is, philosophically speaking, the Son of Man, the fulfilment of nothing more or less than society his predictions, coming or making finding its own level. him (his doctrines) known in the It is natural for extremes to destroy clouds of heaven, the darkness and each other. Let vice and immorality distress of thrones, with power and hear and tremble at this confirmation great glory, and all the tribes of the of the doctrines of scripture, while they contemplate the uncommon calamities which are to distinguish earth, the lower and inferior orders of people, shall have cause to mourn." The beginning of these sorrows, wars and rumours of wars, nation rising against nation, kingdom against However it may appear to half- kingdom, famines, earthquakes, or reasoning theologians, Bishop Butler, revolutions, and men's hearts failing in his Analogy, is an impartial, because them for fear, we have already seen, an involuntary, witness to the truth of but the end is not yet. What is the the doctrine here advanced. He sup- end of all this commotion? Why hath poses a society or kingdom upon this heaven, as it were, assembled so earth in a situation advantageous for Universal Monarchy. In such a state the kings mentioned in the Revela many nations to battle? Why have he observes, "there would be no such tions, who had given their kingdom thing as faction; but men of the and authority to the beast, been gagreatest capacity would, of course, all thered to the battle of that great day along, have the chief direction of of God Almighty? Why, we are affairs willingly yielded to them." He told in Rev. xviii. 14, These shall thinks, that the general influence of make war with the Lamb, viz. the such a kingdom over the face of the earth by way of example, without any reference to supernatural influence or ages, and claiming its protection in causes, would "plainly render it su- successive exigencies The head of perior to all others, and the world it would be an Universal Monarch in must gradually come under its em- another sense than any mortal has yet pire, not by lawless violence, but been, and the Eastern style would be partly by what must be allowed to be literally applicable to him, "THAT just conquest, and partly by other ALL PEOPLE, NATIONS, AND LANkingdoms submiting themselves vo- GUAGES SHOULD SERVE HIM."-Thus luntarily to it throughout a course of far Bishop Butler. injured and suffering party, and the of this vial? So I hope and heartily Lamt shall overcome them, for ke is pray. Gird thee with thy sword, Lord of Lords and King of Kings; therefore, O great king, go on prosand they that are with him, viz. in perously and bear rule, because of his interest, are called and chosen on truth and righteousness, and thy purpose to oppose the kings of the right hand shall teach thee marvellous earth, and are therefore said to be things." faithful. Now it is plain, that, as That military means may be as the system and the kingdoms that are necessary to demolish an offensive to be overthrown were built upon the system of policy, civil and ecclesiasblood of martyrs, and worthies, and tical, as others had been before during great oppression, so it was necessary the dark ages to establish it, cannot that the Babel or Babylon, thus be doubted: and it seems highly proerected, should be overthrown by the bable, as hinted by a late author (Vide sword of the warrior, which, in its An Essay on some important passages turn, shall punish and destroy those of the Revelation of the Apostle John, that destroyed the earth. The nine- compared with correspondent pasteenth chapter of the Revelations sages of the Book of Daniel, 2d edit. therefore presents us with so great with additions, by Lauchlan Taylor, and mighty an angel, or rather an A.M. Minister of Larbert, Edinburgh, agent of the Messiah, that the pro- printed and sold by A. Donalson, phet, to distinguish him like another and E. Dilly in the Poultry, 1770), Nebuchadnezzar, of whom it is said, "that even the angel, which, in Rev. "Whom he would he set up, and xix. 17. is represented as standing in whom he would he put down, whom the sun, signifies some person who he would he slew, and whom he shall then be possessed of an imperial would he kept alive," calls him also crown." Mr. Taylor, however, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, looked upon the immortal Frederic See Ezekiel xxvii. 6, and therefore of Prussia as one of the greatest of he cannot be Christ in person, as the scourges to the (oppressive) House commentators have hitherto imagined, of Austria, because this prince rebut a warrior, another mighty poten- sembled Moses in many respects, as tate or agent in his service, to slay a legislator, a prince, and a general. with the sword, to make a fort, and Relative to the particulars of the cast a mount against the mystical hero's character, for whom the great Babylon of the New, just as Nebu- task was reserved, Mr. Taylor thought chadnezzar had done against the literal" he would be one untainted with Babylon of the Old Testament. And vice, yet loaded with reproach; of thus what the Messiah chuses to do singular moderation, yet accused of by his agents, he may be properly ambition; of highest dignity, yet and strictly said to do himself. condescending to the meanest; in a The necessity for a great warrior to word, one of invincible fortitude, introduce the Millenium, or the pe- supported by the God of Heaven, and riod of the restoration of all things, whose heart glows with the love of is neither a new nor a solitary opi- truth, of liberty, and of mankind." nion. It has been expressed by some The exploits of the great Frederic writers of the soundest principles. were certainly uncommonly brilliant; The learned Mr. Joseph Mede, in his he had surmounted innumerable obClavis Apocalyptica, seemed to en- stacles, and vanquished a host of foes; tertain great hopes of Gustavus Adol- but as the writer I have just quoted phus, King of Sweden. "There is did not live to see army after army, now," said he, "at length come kingdom after kingdom, and empire from the North, God's avenger of after empire, overthrown by a greater wrongs, to succour afflicted and dis- than Frederic, it is certain that though tressed Germany; a godly king, right in the principle, he was wrong happy, and which way soever he in its application. Still the applicaturneth, a conqueror, whose pros- tion is strengthened by the remarkable perous progress is wonderful speedy. affinity it bears to the truth. Is not this he whom the Lord of Hosts If we consider that the great Bahath destinated to execute the work bylon of the New Testament is not, asunder the bars of iron, whom the Lord also surnamed and girded with power, though the (modern) Assyrjan knew him not. To conclude, an earthly potentate is undoubtedly necessary to usher in the Millenium, the reign of peace. The question who this monarch is, it would as yet be presumption to determine; but, if we consult our strictly speaking, either the City or Behold another Cyrus, before whom Church of Rome, governed by a suc- the Lord went to make crookcession of priests; but a powerful ed places straight, to break in politico-religious interest, partly a pieces the gates of brass, and cut lamb and partly a dragon, ruling over Many nations, commanding slaves and souls of men, and supported by "all that had ships in the sea, the wealth of Ormus and of Ind,"-I say, considering all this power on one side, on the other hand we ought not to be surprised, if the imagery which describes the agency brought to act against it is uncommonly grand and terrific. To me it seems to attempt celebrated monthly prognosticator, such a display of the divine energy, as was perhaps never before delegated to any human being. The final and decisive victory over the enemies of the Christian cause, in chap. xix. v. 11. seems to be announced as one of the most inscrutable acts and manifestations of divine providence. He, the earthly representative of the triumphant Messiah, the faithful and true, is said to judge or make war in righteousness or justice-his eyes were as a flame of fire, his discernment London, Feb. 7, 1807. was strong and piercing-and he had a name, a designation written, Francis Moore, he has most probably live! See Isaiah xlvii. 13. I am, your's, &c. FINANCE. Henry Petty's large quarto, on his new scheme of finance. It has set us all to think on the subject, but it seems that the more we read his book, and the more we look into his tables, the less we understand of the matter. appointed for him, that no man knew To the Editor of the Universal Mag. but himself-and he was clothed in a SIR, vesture dipped in blood, viz. his vic-on to us the other day, Lord UR member of parliament sent tories and conquests had become his principal ornaments-and his name, his office, is called the Word, or manifestation, of God-and he had a name written upon his vesture and his thigh, he had all the external appearances of supreme dignity, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords-and the It was discussed a long while the other armies which were in heaven, in the heaven of supreme power and authority, followed him upon white horses, the harbingers of peace, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And besides these armies and their weapons, out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, viz. the conviction of the justice of his cause, that with it he should also smite the nations. The application of this character must yet be left to the few that can discern the Signs of the Times. In the mean while, following up the ideas of the prophet, one may exclaim, Behold another Assyrian and his host; another axe in the hand of him that heweth therewith; another saw in the hand of him that shaketh it: night at our club, and we all united in one sentiment, that it was a good thing not to have any more taxes; and that it was high time to look about us, and to see into whose pockets the enormous sums raised by taxes went, and what those persons who so kindly eased us of our money, did for the good of the nation. In the midst of our discussion, our squire, who is generally very silent on these topics, surprised us by more pertinent remarks than we had been accustomed to hear from him: "You all think," said he, "my friends, that I know nothing about this matter of finance, but in this, let me tell you, that you are mistaken. I flatter myself that I am somewhat better ac |