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We may further obferve, that the difference of opinion among Commentators upon particular parts of a Prophecy, does not invalidate their teftimony as a proof of the truth of those great points, in which they agree; nor even the precifion of the Prophecy itself in all its parts, though that precision cannot be seen by us till the courfe of events presents it to our view. For example, all agree that the corruption and diftrefs of the church in the later ages of the world, and the final triumph of our Lord over all his enemies, have been clearly foretold in the Old and in the New Teftament. But whether the reign of Anti'chrift be the establishment of the Papal power; or of Mahometanism, or of Infidelity and Atheism, or of all united, may be difputed till events determine the question; according as the different writers are influenced by fituation, course of study, turn of mind, and attention to paffing circumftances, or now perhaps, by political principles; for in no times was caution in interpretation ever more neceffary than in these, when Party Spirit in religion and in politics is fo prevalent as to mingle itself almost imperceptibly " with the

thoughts

thoughts of almoft every man's heart." If, however, the prefent are times of greater general diftrefs and alarm than hiftory can furnish any account of — if the series of Prophecies and their correfponding events that are paft and generally acknowledged to be underfood, is brought down near enough to our own times to mark whereabouts we are in the

Series of trumpets and vials -it will be furely difficult to deny that "the Antichrift is come," " and that "the judgments of God are" now" abroad in the earth," though the appropriation of the title of Antichrist to any particular power, or united powers, be left undecided. "If indeed it be true, as the Romanists pretend, that this part of the Prophecy is not yet fulfilled, and that Antichrift will come only for a little time, before the general judgment, it would be in vain to enquire who, or what he is; we should split upon the fame rock as the Fathers have done ; it would better become us to fay with Calmet, that, as the reign of Antichrift is fill remote, we cannot fhew the accomplishment of the Prophecies with regard to him:" but, if the fyftem which I prefume to offer concerning the power of Antichrift be right, it

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Newton, vol. i. p. 476.

will appear that these different opinions of the Proteftants and Papists, derived from partial views of the subject, are not wholly incompatible with each other.

The PAPAL POWER one Branch or Form of Antichrift.

With refpect to the commonly received opinion, that the Church of Rome is Antichrist, the Divines of the Church of England, as well as moft of the Divines of the Proteftant churches abroad, who have written

upon

the fubject, concur in maintaining, that these Prophecies of Daniel, of St. Paul, and St. John, that have been quoted, point directly to the Church of Rome. And the members of that Church cannot complain, that the application of these Prophecies has been made by men incompetent to the difcuffion of such a subject; for perhaps, in the whole compass of the learned world, it would be difficult to find those who poffeffed more can

dour,

dour, learning, diligence, acutenefs, or zeal for the difcovery of truth, than the writers who have turned their attention this way.

The fubject has been examined and illuf trated, and this important point has been determined by Mede and Newton, Warburton, Daubuz and Clarke, Lowman and Hurd, Jurieu, Vitringa, and many other illuftrious members of the Proteftant Churches.

The first Reformers likewife, in the most ftrong and explicit terms, charged the See of Rome with her Antichristian spirit, and urged, in their own defence and vindication, the authority of those Prophetical warnings that encouraged all true Chriftians" to depart out of her communion, that they might not be partakers of her plagues." This was the conftant exhortation of Wickliff, of Luther, and of Jewell; and fuch was the language of their followers. They were fenfible of the value of the arguments drawn from thefe Prophecies in favour of their feceffion and feparation from a corrupted and erroneous Church, and they failed not to oppose them to their adverfaries with the greatest zeal and energy.

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That

That their conduct was highly justifiable, is clear from what we may collect from the most authentic records of Ecclefiaftical Hif tory; because we find that the very fame interpretation was given to thefe predictions, not only long before any controverfy was moyed between the Papifts and the Proteftants, but before any fuch diftinctions of Chriftians were known to the world.

It was the reigning opinion of the Chriftians of the earliest times, that Antichrift would appear foon after the fall of the Ro man Empire. They looked forward to this event as fo replete with alarm and danger to the church, that it was a custom to introduce particular prayers in their liturgy for the con tinuance of the Empire of Pagan Rome, that' the coming of Antichrift might be delayed. St. Jerom, who flourished in the fourth century, in his commentary upon the Prophecies of Daniel, delivers the general opinion of his age in these remarkable words; "Let us affert, in conformity with the fentiments of all the Ecclefiaftical writers, that towards the end of the world, when the Roman Empire fhall be destroyed, ten kings fhall come, and divide the Empire, and an eleventh king fhall arife, in whom Satan fhall dwell corpo really,

VOL. I.

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