Pursuits of Literature, p. 98, would do honour to the most enlightened period of the church.

8. If we proceed, in the order of terminations, to his whole period; supposing the 2268 years to commence at the time of the vision, B.C. 553, [in the third year of Belshazzar, Dan. viii. 1.] the period will terminate in 1715; when (Louis XIV.] the last Romish persecutor died, and the age of pure popery was effectually terminated by the GOSPEL."

But immediately after, he dates the commencement of the Age of Philosophy, or appearance of the Infidel Antichrist, in the very same year; and how this could contribute to the "effectual" establishment or triumph of the Gospel, I leave Juvenis to reconcile. Besides, in his reduction of the 2300 Chaldean, to 2268 Julian years, he is not critically correct; for Whiston, from whom he did, or might, borrow the idea, in his Essay on the Revelation, p. 237, reckons them equal only to 2266 Julian years, and 344 days, or to 2267, in round numbers.

9. Returning to the half period; " if we take,” "if says he, "the Epoch 666, [when, according to Fleming, the Latin service was universally instituted] the time will end in 1800; when the mystery of Infidel iniquity seems to have been more fully developed." But this too seems to be inaccurate; for the Latin service was instituted earlier, by Vitalian in 655, as shewn before, Vol. V. p. 216; and the mystery of iniquity seems to have been earlier developed, in 1798. See Vol. V. p.

284.

Besides, there lies one general and unanswerable objection to all these assigned terminations,-that the end of the 2300 years is not yet come: nor will the desolation

of

of the Jewish church cease, till "the building of the third temple," according to the expectation of R. Levi's founded on Tobit xiv. 5, and supported by the antecedent prophecies of Nathan, David, Isaiah, Hosea, Micah, Haggai, Zechariah, &c. detailed in the course of the former series of SACRED CRITICISM.

By a most sagacious conjecture indeed, Whiston, Essay, &c. p. 271, &c. concluded, that the desolations of the Jewish church, at the end of 2300 years, and the persecutions of the Christian, at the end of 1260 years, would expire together; as further proved, and I trust indisputably, Vol. V. p. 338.-Juvenis too, has unwittingly assumed their coincidence.

Hence the most judicious modern Critics, look forward to some future termination of the 2300 days, reckoning from different epochs, viz. (to begin from the remot est terminations).

Sir Isaac Newton conjectures, that the period may begin either from,

1. The dispersion of the Jews and final desolation of Judea by Adrian, A.D. 136; and consequently end A.D. 2436.

2. The destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, A.D. 70, ending A.D. 2370.

3. The pollution of the sanctuary by Antiochus, B.C. 168; ending A.D. 2132.- Or," concludes Newton, "from some other epoch which TIME will discover," on Daniel, p. 122. Since his time, Bishop Newton has conjectured, that it may begin from,

4. Alexander's invasion of Asia, B.C. 334; ending A.D. 1966. Proph. Vol. II. p. 77.

And after him, Wood reduces it still lower, from,

5. The complete reformation of the Jewish polity, by Nehemiah, about B.C. 420; ending A.D. 1880.

Vol. VI. Churchm. Mag. Feb. 1804.

M

Of

Of all these hypotheses, I have adopted the last, as most conformable to THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH; and shall sketch a general outline of the scheme of interpretation founded thereon, according to my last corrections and improvements scattered throughout the preceding communications; more collectively and explicitly than in my former outline five years ago, published in the INSPECTOR, p. 259.

1. It is built on that most sagacious conjecture of Wood, that the period of 2300 days, begins along with that of the 70 weeks, in the ensuing explanatory vision; (compare Dan. viii. 26-27 with ix. 22-23) these 70 weeks, or 490 years, according to the ablest Jewish and Christian commentators, expire with the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, A.D. 70, which therefore becomes a fixed point in the whole period, enabling us to find out its beginning (counting backwards 490 years) in B.C. 420; and consequently its ending, A.D. 1880. The whole period consisting of two branches, the seventy weeks of years before, and 1810 years after the destruction of Jerusalem, A.D. 70,

2. The former branch of 70 weeks is divided into three parts, viz. 62 weeks, 7 weeks, and 1 week. Of these, "the 62 weeks," or 434 years, expired A.D. 14. " af ter which," but not immediately after, " THE MESSIAH was cut off," by an iniquitous judgment, " in the midst of the one week," A.D. 31. (Petavius). But this passion week began, A.D. 28, three years and half before, with our Lord's baptism; and ended with the martyrdom of Stephen, A.D. 34. (Usher, Pearson); if therefore we split the remaining sepen weeks, or 49 years, into two parts, and place them before and after the passion week, thirteen of these years will fill up the chasm between the end of the 62 weeks, A.D. 14, and the beginning of the

passion

passion week, A.D. 28; while the remaining 36 years, placed after the end of the passion week, A.D. $4, will complete the whole, ending A.D. 70*. And, further, as MESSIAH THE PRINCE was to come in judgments, to destroy the city and the sanctuary," after" the 7 weeks collectively, and the 62 weeks," or 483 years, ending A.D. 63; so accordingly in the midst of the last week, A.D. 66, the Jewish war actually broke out, during the oppressive administration of Florus, as we learn from Josephus. This additional circumstance forms a material improvement of Wood's scheme.

3. The latter branch also of 1810 days, is distinguished by three remarkable periods, of (a time, times, and half a time, or) 1260 days, 1290 days, and 1335 days, not running in succession, like the former, but partly synchronizing or coalescing with each other. The first period of 1260 days, according to Wood (adopting the most sagacious conjecture of Whiston) is supposed to end with the grand period, A. D. 1880, and consequently by reckoning backwards, to begin A.D. 620, with the promulgation of the Papal and Mahometan powers; comprising the general persecution of " the saints," " or faithful witnesses” of the Church militant, from the combined assaults of the Papal, Mahometan and Infidel Antichrists.

The second period of 1290 days, I reckon (with Whiston and the author of the Sacra Heptades, whom he cites) commenced with the destruction of Jerusalem, A.D. 70; and consequently, reckoning forwards, ended A.D. 1360, with the dawn of the Reformation in England, by

* Wood, following the computation of Cato, reckons, that the vulgar Christian ara, began Jan. 1, U.C. 753; but following the computation of Varro with Petavius, and the ablest chronologers, I reckon it began U.C. 754, a year later; which reduces Wood's numbers, A.D. 29; A.D. 32, A.D. 85, by unity.

M 2

the

the first preaching of Wickliff against the Papal Antichrist *.

The third period of 1335 days, reckoning forwards from the same epoch also, ended A.D. 1405, with the opening of the Reformation in Germany, by the first preaching of the blessed martyr Huss, the disciple of Wickliff, against the errors and corruptions of the see and church of Rome*. And this hypothesis, so corrected, verified and improved, after laborious research, and the strictest scrutiny, for upwards of ten years past; I now now take the liberty of recapitulating, and offering with increased confidence, to the most learned and most enlightened divines, either for further correction of for confirmation; as being the simplest in its structure; the most consistent, in the adjustment, connexion, and concatenation of the several parts with each other and with the whole; the most comprehensive in its plan, comprizing and embracing the whole chain of chronological prophecy respecting the fortunes of the church of GOD, from the restoration of the Jewish polity, after the Babylonian captivity, to their final restoration, at " the end of the desolation," when" the MYSTERY OF GOD shall be finished, as He declared by his servants the prophets," from Moses to John. Rev. x. 7.

And this last circumstance, especially its comprehensiveness, gives it, I am persuaded, an obvious and decided superiority above any that has hitherto appeared. Too many critics and commentators, indeed, from partial, imperfect, and confined views of the subject, con

*Wood dates the commencement of the second and third periods, A.D. 599, the year of Gregory the Great's accession to the Papacy: but without authority from Daniel. Whence the 1290 days would end, A.D. 1880: and the 1335 days, A.D. 1925: forty-five years beyond the grand period.

sidering