Ye would not, oh my friends, admire Yet Hope fhall foothe the bofom care, 6 Perchance when time hath ftol'n away Hiflory the Interpreter of Prophecy, or, a View of Scriptural Prophecies and their Accomplishment in the past and present Occurrences of the World; with Conjectures refpecting their future Completion. By Henry Kett, B. D. &c. 3 Vols. 12mo. 10s. 6d. Boards. Rivingtons. 1799. To profefs the belief of Chriftianity subjected a man, at one time, in every part of the Roman empire, to various pains and penalties, and even to death itself: to profefs the difbelief of it was, at another time, over the fame extent of territory, punished in the fame manner. Intolerance, in the former cafe, held out the wretched excufe, that the eftablished worship of the country, the holy faith and facred rites of antiquity, were infringed: in the latter inftance, there was no apology for the perfecutors; for they were violating the laws of the founder of their religion. Where Chriftianity was fo thamefully abufed, that the difbelief of it was deemed a fufficient ground for murdering the pagan, it is not surprising that many other abufes fhould arife, or that God in his wif dom fhould permit those who were wilfully blind to increase in blindness, and prove the purity of the Chriftian faith by its power of enduring the fevereft trials. Hence the religion of Mohammed in the east, and popery in the weft, became the means of teaching mankind, to what extent the best gifts of God might be abufed; and it is our fate to live at a time when thefe mighty engines of fuperftition and folly, having outlived their power, are either to give place to the pure truths of the gofpel, or to fome device of man's heart, which po may apparently impede the coming of the heavenly kingdom. Two of our greatest men, Newton and Hartley, were of opinion, that the downfall of the falfe religions above-mentioned, would be produced, not by a conviction of the truth in the votaries of those two fects, but by the propagation of an intolerant infidelity, which might destroy thofe fuperftitions. It may be faid, that their prognoftications naturally arofe from the state of learning and fociety in their times, and that they could not fail to perceive marks of the decline of pery, or to obferve that the freedom, with which religious queftions were then difcuffed, alfo led to the rejection of all religion in the unftable minds of thofe who, feeing it only in its abuses, had not the refolution to examine the purity of its doctrines at the fountain-head. But, if we cannot attribute more than common forefight to our philofophers--if it should appear that, above feventeen hundred years ago, thefe changes of religious opinion were foretold, and that the infidels at this moment are only fulfilling the divine commands, and are permitted to profecute their career, till he who can control their madness fhall put a stop to their proceedings-we, who have no doubt of the truth of the divine word, fhall have caufe to glory in this farther manifeftation of it; and, the delufions of infidelity being expofed, the nations may be led to fee the error of their ways, and be brought by the light of prophecy to the pure doctrines of Chriftianity. The great object of the prefent publication is to develope this laft idea, and to afford a new interpretation of fome obfcure paffages in the Revelations. The fubject is of high importance, and is well treated. If at any time the writer does not hold the balance with perfect fteadinefs, in weighing the crimes of popery and infidelity, fome allowance thould be made for the impreffion which late acts of cruelty must have made on every feeling mind; and, in establishing a new opinion, it is neceffary to dilate more upon recent events than on thofe which have been referred to the fame caufe by general confent in proteftant countries. We are inclined, but with orrow we make the remark, to proceed to the full extent of our author's interpretation. We forcfee with him the great triumph of infidelity; but, with him alfo, we look up with confidence to the founder of our religion; who, in the time eftablished by the decrees of providence, will pave the way for his glorious kingdom by the utter extinction of all falfe religion and infidelity. The fubject is introduced by a general view of prophecy; and the first volume is occupied with the examination of various predictions. In the fecond volume are ftated the grounds for believing that the Romish and Mohammedan fyftems, and infidelity, are different branches of the antichriftian power foretold in fcripture; and the rife and fall of the two former fyftems are explained with judgment and propriety. The third volume relates to the rife, progress, and establishment, of the infidel power of antichrift. The chief merit of the firft volume (for in this part much novelty cannot be expected) is, that it places together in a striking point of view the most interefting prophecies from the creation of the world to the destruction of Jerufalem, with their accomplishment. The records of the hiftorian are in fact a comment on each verfe of prophecy; and, to perfons who have not time to pursue this fubject to a great extent, we recommend this volume as an excellent abridgement of the best writings on this head. If we venture to differ from Mr. Kett in one point, that difference is not of great importance, and does not affect the main fcope of the argument. We do not fee, in our Saviour's prophecy of the deftruction of Jerusalem, any intimation of the deftruction of pagan tyranny and fuperftition; nor do we confider the era of Conftantine as the triumph of the Chriftian church. On the contrary, the stone that was cut out without hands was indeed growing; but its progrefs was gradual; and it probably has been increasing from the time that our Saviour was upon earth to this moment: but we must look for it in the hearts of men, not in the fplendor of an imperial palace. The fecond volume commences with a preliminary chapter, not written by the author, but by a friend, who defired that his name fhould be concealed. In such a cafe, we do not with to give any clue to a discovery; and, whether our conjecture be right or not, this union is highly honourable to both; to one for relinquishing the credit of fo excellent a differtation, to the other for incorporating it in his work, and ingenuoufly acknowledging the affiftance which he has received. In this differtation the character of antichrift is taken from St. Paul's Epiftles to the Theffalonians and to Timothy, from thofe of St. John, St. Peter, and St. Jude, from the Revelations, and from the book of Daniel, • From all these descriptions taken together, it clearly appears that a power, fometimes represented as the little horn, the man of fin, the antichrift, the beaft, the harlot, the ftar fallen from heaven, the falfe prophet, the dragon, or as the operation of false teachers, was to be expected to arife in the Chriftian world, to perfecute, oppress, and delude the difciples of Chrift, corrupt the doctrines of the primitive church, enact new laws, and establish its dominion over the minds of mankind. • Such are the names, the characteristics, and the qualities of this power of antichrift, which I confider to be the power of the dragon himself-explained by the angel, to be that old ferpent which is the Devil or Satan the old enemy of mankind, beginning and ending his rebellious war with deceit and lies.-Caft from his throne of pagan Rome when Chriftianity was established in the feat of empire, and the triumphant church enjoyed a fhort repofe, he returned fecretly to the conteft, and disturbed its peace by herefies and confequent animofities, corrupted it through the medium of profperity, and reduced it, excepting only a very small part, to a ftate requiring correction and punishment for having yielded to temptations which obedience to the laws of its divine mafter would have enabled it to refift.-Then was the dragon again permitted to exalt himfelf to the throne of this world-But in the fame manner as the captivity of the Jews was previously limited to the term of 70 years, to prove it the punishment allotted by God, and not the conqueft of the heathen over his people; fo the reign of the dragon or antichrift, was previously limited to 1260 years, to prove that the fufferings of the church are by the appointment of God, and not the triumph of the dragon over the church of Christ.-Babylon was deftroyed at the expiration of the 0 years; and when the 1260 years fhall be expired," the dragon.. fhall be bound and cast into the bottomless pit." Vol. ii. P. 24. That the papal and Mohammedan powers are branches of the antichriftian character, is proved in that mode in which the generality of proteftant commentators acquiefce, and in which we readily concur with the writer. We agree with him alfo in the important remark made by him, which, we think, fhould be kept conftantly in view by all who study (and what Chriftian is there who does not ftudy) these fubjects-that the kingdom of the mountain prophefied by Daniel is to be confidered as yet as entirely future.' On the marks of thofe two religions in the prophetical defcriptions, our limits will not permit us to enlarge: our readers will be father anxious to learn in what manner infidelity can act in concert with thofe great corruptions of Chriftianity. Here it will not be neceffary to remind them of the difficulties that have hitherto attended the explanations of the beaft, the image of the beaft, and the falfe prophet, in the Revelations. We fhall give the folution of thefe difficulties in Mr. Kett's words. The first beaft arofe out of the fea, that is, in prophetical language, out of, or during, violent commotions, wars and tumults, or times of violence and troubles,The second beast arises out of the earth, that is, according to general interpretation, exactly the reverfe of the first defcription-rifing gradually in times of calm and quiet, like a plant out of the earth, which eftablishes itself imperceptibly by a thousand roots, before it fhews its head, and filently attains its deftined height and ftrength-This beaft has two horns like a lamb." Horns are the acknowledged fymbols of ftrength or power the first beaft has ten horns, which are explained by the angel to be ten kingdoms which gave their power to the beaft, and thus increafed his civil power. But the horns of the fecond beaft are of a peculiar kind, they are like a lamb, or the lamb," which fymbol throughout the Revelations represents Christ-It is this which has efpecially led to the opinion that the fecond beast is the ecclefiaftical power of Rome, because these horns muft denote fomething which feems to be like Christianity-they are not faid to be the horns of a lamb, but like, or resembling, the horns of a lamb, 7 "He speaks (however) as?, in the fame manner with a dragon, or the dragon.", As words proceed from the beart, or foul, or mind, which are truly the man, the real nature of this perfonage is thus declared in very plain terms, and fo are the arts by which he fhall obtain and support his power. "It appears then, that this fecond beaft is not to wear the form of civil tyranny, but is to derive his power or ftrength from its femblance to the religion of Chrift, or the lamb; by which it will deceive many (who are elsewhere said to be under the influence of "ftrong delufion, and to believe a lie"), and will thus gain poffeffion of public opinion, though this" feducing form of godlinefs" breathes in reality" the doctrine of devils."-It is ufually understood that this fecond beast is called "the falfe prophet," or teacher, which was taken with the (fi) beaft, and "the beaft that arifethe out of the bottomlefs pit" (or "hell, in which the dragon is afterwards bound")" and that maketh war against the witneffes, overcometh and killeth them."-This description agrees perfectly with that of his rifing out of the earth, but (unless the pit and the fea mean the fame, which I think they cannot mean) not with that of the beaft which rifeth out of the fea.-It agrees alfo with the power of the fecond beaft to give power to the image of the first beaft, to caufe that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. This fecond beast did not appear to make the image of the first beaft himself, but he caufed them that dwell in the earth to make it: having firft de ́ceived them into obedience to his will by means of the miracles or wonders, which he had power to do in the fight of the first beaft; that is, before the expiration of the 1260 years, or within his kingdom. And fo abfolute and univerfal was his sway, that "fmall and great, rich and poor, bond and free," "were deprived of all commerce with men, and civil privileges of life, if they did not in fome way or other make profeffion of obedience to his conftitutions and decrees," and adopt fome fign, or wear fome mark denoting their enrolment into the fervice of the beaft and his image, by which they are themselves formed into an affociation or fraternity. And all men are confidered and " treated as worthy of death, who refufe an entire fubmiffion, in any particular, to |