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the conversion of Mahometans *. Thus, in this distinguishing article of faith, the Unitarian Christians agree with the Mahometans. And in the remaining articles, which separate them from the pure Church, a yoke is imposed †, nearly similar to that which binds the papal church. They are these; excessive and merely oral prayers, fastings, pilgrimages. Whatsoever in Mahometism is excessive and antichristian in respect to these articles, will be found to correspond very nearly with corruptions which prevail in the papal church. External purification, and hypocritical ostentation, supersede, in both these religions, the religion of the heart. Mahometism, as well as Popery, has its purgatory, and its indulgences to be purchased by money ‡

On the whole, when we consider the origin of Mahometism, and its near affinity to corrupted Christianity; when we reflect also on the amazing extent of this superstitious domination, which occupies nearly as large a portion of the globe, as that possessed by Christians; comprising vast regions in ancient Greece and Asia Minor, in Syria, in Persia, in the Indies, in Tartary, in Egypt, and Africa; which once were Christian; we shall readily admit that, if not a Christian heresy, it is at least a Christian apostacy, and well worthy, from its magnitude, to be accounted one horn or division of empire of the antichristian beast.

After these observations, it may be useful to exhibit together, in one point of view, these two horns, and to shew their mutual agreement with the prophecy.

+ See note, ch. vi. 5.

Dr. Priestley, &c. Sale's Koran, Introduct. Ockley's Hist. of the Saracens, vol. ii. p. 128. Ricaut's Ottoman Empire, 188. Nieburgh's Travels.

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is a Christian apostacy, formed upon the basis of true Revelation, and professed by nations which were formerly in the pale of the Christian Church.

is one of the powers into which Antichrist is divided, usurping the redeeming and media

Christ, and pretending has two horns like torial power of Christ,

to a vicarial power from him, and producing out of its own body mediators and intercessors in opposition to him.

The doctrine of Po-" pery, though it affect to be Christian, is in

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many respects car

"nal, worldly, devil

a lamb:

which is annihilated

under this system, or transferred to the usurping false prophet.

The doctrine of Mahomet, though it assume an heavenly ori

"ish ;" and its edicts speaks like a dra- gin, is not heavenly,

have been enforced by

the sword of the civil power, under the direction of the ecclesiastical.

The object of Popery has been to acquire civil power, which the Popes have effected to a vast extent, and transmitted to their

successors.

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but "carnal, worldly, "devilish," and has been enforced by the sword.

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Such is the agreement between Popery and Mahometism; and so exactly do they both fulfil the prophecy of the second apocalyptic beast. But still, there is a great and remarkable difference between these two apostacies. The Mahometan, though it acknowledge Christ as a Prophet, divinely born and commissioned, and as such expects him to return again before the end of the world; seems practically to forget him, and to be as it were lost to his name; dead to the life which is in Christ. The papal apostacy, though in works it deny Christ, and in many instances has so corrupted his holy Religion, that it can scarcely be known as such; yet in name acknowledges him as supreme Lord, and calls itself exclusively the Christian, the Catholic, or universal Church. This difference seems to supply us with the reason, why these two branches of Antichrist, when they come to be treated separately and particularly in the visions of the Apocalypse, are exhibited in a manner so different. The Mahometan branch, having sprung up rapidly into power; having by open force, as well as art, possessed itself suddenly of empire, and continued in the possession of it many ages, apart from the professed Christian Church; so its rise and extension, and all their effects, are represented at once under the sixth Trumpet; and are not often noted afterwards, excepting in this its conjunction with the papal horn. But the papal branch required a more particular description. It grew up gradually and covertly; stole silently into power, and without much conflict. To the pure and reformed Church, (which is to win her way to victory in T pia, out of the body of the beast in which she is enveloped,) this branch is to be exhibited specially in all its as

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[Pt. IV. § 4. sumed grandeur and artifice; and comfort is to be afforded against its terrors. For this reason, the papal horn is again produced to view, under the symbol of the great harlot, the corrupt Babylon *. With this branch of Antichrist, the battles of the Church are principally to be fought. As in the Apocalypse, so in the Prophecies of Daniel, the blow of the stone strikes this part of the beast; the toes and legs of the image; the Western, the European Roman empire; that blow, which is to break the whole of Antichrist to pieces; when the stone itself will become a great mountain, a kingdom of everlasting righte ousness, and fill the whole earth †.

Ver. 18. The number of the beast.] I have not been able to devise any plausible interpretation of this number. The verse which contains it being wanting in some of the MSS., I had entertained some suspicion, that it did not belong to the true text; but it appears upon enquiry to be genuine. The early comment of Irenæus upon it, appealing to ancient MSS. for the genuine reading, (ad fin. lib. v.) stamps it with great authority. And I do not find that any of the commentators since his time have produced any more probable conjectures than that of this Father. The word Lateinos was first produced by him and modern commentators adhere to it. Others compute the number of the beast from the time of the vision, seen by Saint John in Patmos; and thus bring the 666 years to the year of our Lord 756, or 758, when the Pope obtained his temporal power. I confess myself far from satisfied with any of the methods hitherto produced for solving this difficulty.

* Ch. xvii.

See Bishop Newton, &c. on this passage.

+ Dan. vi.

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