and to unite in a vast confederacy for the utter extirpation of the new church of God in Jerusalem.* The seventh vial finds him there, pitched in the ancient Armageddon, at the head of his vast coalition of the kings of the earth, and of the false prophet; and it plunges him in ruin. Here, under the most signal judgment of the great Head of the church, he comes to his end, and none shall help him.

Other passages in the Old Testament predict this infidel Power and his overthrow in Palestine. But as the way may be better prepared to form a right understanding of them, the consideration of them will be deferred till the last chapter of this Dissertation.

Egypt; or that the event takes place immediately, or before he returns home from his first expedition. The contrary of this will doubtless appear to be the fact. This first expedition prepares the way for the restoration of Israel, by the subversion of the Ottoman empire; as I trust will appear. And the return of God's ancient people, their conversion to Christianity, and the preparing of the way for the last coalition against them, must occupy some time; as long a time, I apprehend, as the space between the sixth and seventh vials. For I believe it will appear, that the first expedition of this infidel Power will fulfil the sixth vial; and that the second will open the way for the fulfilment of the seventh. To suppose that this prophecy in Daniel predicts but one expedition of the infidel Power into Palestine, is, to involve the subject in great obscurity. The first expedition being said to be at the time of the end, (verse 40,) amounts to no objection against there being two expeditions. The slaying of the witnesses is said to be, when they shall have finished their testimony. Yet some authors suppose that the event may consistently with this be more than three centuries before they shall have actually finished their testimony. This I believe to be incorrect. Yet I think it very consistent with the language of prophecy, where the year is not specified, to say, a thing is at the time of the end when it is yet as far distant, as is the time of the sixth vial from that of the seventh.

*See last chapter of this Dissertation.

+ Rev. xvi, from, the 13th verse to the end; and xix. 19, 20, 21.

SECTION III.

Antichrist another Power beside the Papal hierarchy.

IT has been the general opinion of Protestant divines, that the predictions concerning Antichrist were fulfilled in the Papal hierarchy. But some of late explode the idea: And I believe they do it with propriety. Mr. Faber has clearly shown the incorrectness of former expositors upon this point. No doubt the Romish hierarchy was Antichristian to a dreadful degree. It was the little blasphemous horn of the Roman beast, into whose hands the saints were to be delivered for 1260 years.* It was the apostasy predicted by the Apostle Paul, when he said, that some in the latter days should depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. It was the second beast in Rev. xiii, 11, which rose out of the earth; which had two horns like a lamb; but which spake like a dragon. It is the woman in R v. xvii, 3; the Mystery, Babylon the great, the Mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth. But the Papal hierarchy was not the only, or last, power predicted to be raised up in judgment to the wicked world, as too many have seemed to imagine. A Power was to be raised up, for the execution of judgment on the wicked nations, to destroy that Mother of harlots, to hate her, and to burn her with fire. Surely this terrible Power was to be subsequent to the reign of Popery; and distinct from Popery. The characteristics of this new Power, or Antichrist, are such as were never applicable to Popery. The Romish hierarch never denied the Father, or the Son; did not deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. The Pope professed the highest veneration for God, and Christ, and the Christian Religion. And though his profession was hypocritical; yet it having been uniform from the beginning, and thus constituting a characteristic, it evinced that he was not the AntiRev. xvii. 5.

* Dan. vii, 8, 25.

+ 1 Tim. iv. 1, 2.

christ of the last times. For it is the essential characteristic of the latter, that he denies the Father and the Son; denies that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.* The predictions noted in this Dissertation decide, that Antichrist was to be a terrible, atheistical Power, to arise in the last days, and to bring upon itself swift destruction. He ascendeth from the bottomless pit, and goeth into perdition. His judgment lingereth not, and his damnation slumbereth not. His ruin is nearly connected with his origin. His reign is thus to be of short continuance. But could this have been said of the Papal hierarchy? Surely not. That was to continue for many centuries; even 1260 years.

We shall find in the predictions to be noted, that it is the Roman beast, under his last head; and not the Papal beast; nor the little horn; nor the false prophet, that is to be found in battle array against Christ, at the time of the end, or of the seventh vial. Dan. vii, 11; I beheld then because of the voice of the great words, which the horn spake; I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. Here the great Power, predominant upon the ground, at the commencement of the battle of that great day of God Almighty, is the Roman beast, in distinction from the Papal power. This accords with the various. descriptions of the same event in the Revelation to St. John. There we find that the Powers, then in array against Christ, are the beast and false prophet; the Roman beast under his last head, and Popery. In the various passages, where these Powers are mentioned at that period, they are found in this connexion. The beast is first, and predominant. In Rev. xvii, we shall find this terrible beast is bearing the Papal harlot to her execution; and is to be her executioner. These representations all imply, that Antichrist was to be another Power beside the Papal hierarchy.

The present state of this hierarchy utterly forbids, that she can be that vast terrific Power, in terrible array against Christ, in the last days. The Romish hierarchy

*1 John ii, 22.

has already fallen under the iron grasp of a far superior Power, who is inflicting the judgments of heaven upon her. And to whatever degree of mischief to the people of God, this hierarchy may be made an engine of policy and ambition in the hands of this superior Power, she will never more be predominant. She will be nothing more than a political puppet in the hands of an Imperial The latter is the terrible Power, the beast, whose body is to be destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

master.

Antichrist, or the great Power predicted in Dan. xi, 36, is at, or near, the time of the end, to be-engaged in a war with the king of the north, and the king of the south; Dan. xi, 40. No such event as this was ever fulfilled with respect to the Papal power; nor can it ever be, according to any present probability. This one consideration must afford a full decision, that Antichrist, the terrible Power of the last days, is distinct from, and subsequent to, the Papal power. It will appear, I trust, in all the predictions to be noted in this Dissertation, that Antichrist is a distinct Power from Popery.

When the reformation under Luther, the art of printing, and the revival of learning in Europe, had unveiled the abominations of Popery, millions, whose pride of heart would not permit them to embrace the doctrines of the reformation, would easily be induced to deny God, and the Christian religion. This was a process very natural in old, corrupt, Popish countries, after the mummery of their false system was exposed. And especially was this the case, among a people constitutionally licentious, volatile, haughty, and impatient of every moral restraint. Such a people would need only an association of subtle, Infidel philosophers, under the instigation of the old serpent, to institute a scheme which would give birth to the Antichrist of the last time. And such will appear to have been his origin,

SECTION IV.

Antichrist predicted by the Apostles.

IN 1 John ii, 18, we read, Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. This Epistle is supposed to have been written with a principal view to the Christian Jews. A principal object of the writer probably was, to exhibit the beauties of the Christian character, in contrast with the bitterness of the unbelieving Jews, and of the carnal heart; and to evince the great doctrine, that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah; in opposition to the infidelity of the Jews.*

This Epistle is supposed to have been written just before the destruction of Jerusalem; which was one coming of Christ, or a lively type of the destruction of Antichrist at the battle of the great day. This circumstance may explain the writer's saying, it was the last time; in the original, the last hour. It was then, as it were, the last hour, previous to the coming of Christ, in the fatal catastrophe of the Jewish nation. There were at that time many violent opposers of the doctrine of the Divinity of Christ, especially among the Jews, and the Judaizing teachers;† from which event the

*It has been supposed by some, that St. John, in this Epistle, had his eye upon the heresies of the Gnostics and Ebionites. The Gnostics, a heretical, gentile sect, from Simon Magus, boasting of their knowledge sufficient to teach men the things of God, denied the humanity of Jesus Christ; and held that he suffered only in appearance. The Ebionites, a heretical sect of Jewish Christians, denied the Divinity, and the miraculous conception of Jesus Christ; yet pretended to hold that he was sent of God. Possibly the sacred writer had his eye upon these heretics. They virtually denied the Father and the Son, and thus were antichrists. But the infidelity and bitterness of his nation, the Jews, and the hordes of Judaizing teachers, whom Paul calls dogs, evil workers, and the concision, Philip. iii, 2, probably were one great occasion of his writing this Epistle.

+Titus i, 10, 11.