That I am not singular in supposing there are seve ral things wrong in the church establishment of this country, is evident from the words of Watson in his reply to Gibbon: "There are many worthless doctrines, many superstitious observances, which the fraud or folly of mankind have every where annexed to christianity, especially in the church of Rome, as essential parts of it; if you take these sorry appendages to christianity for christianity itself, as preached by Christ, and by the apostles-you quite mistake its nature." Many of our bishops and clergy will complain in private, and some few in public, that various things are wrong and want mending: but there are exceeding few who will speak out, remonstrate, and use their influence, that things may be put upon a more defensible footing. We keep reading what we do not approve-professing what we do not believe, subscribing what we know or suspect to be wrong, and swearing to observe laws, which are truly horrible in their tendency, all our lives long, for the sake of a little paltry food and raiment, and a moiety of worldly honour. Is this the way to glory, and honour, and riches everlasting?-If Wickliffe, and Luther, and Cranmer, and Ridley, and Latimer, and the glorious army of martyrs, had acted in the manner we do, no reformation had ever taken place. We should have been popish priests at this day. The same spirit that keeps us quiet in our several snug protestant preferments now, would have kept us quiet in our several snug popish preferments then, if such had been our situation. It is much more easy to fawn, and cringe, and flatter, with Erasmus, than face a frowning world, with Luther and his noble companions. From this view of these two classes of predictions concerning the Saviour of mankind, and the condition of the Christian church in the world, every candid and sober-minded man, may see, without the smallest room for deception, that there is something far more than human in the prophetic Scriptures. It is impossible to account for all these strange coincidences, upon any principles of nature or art whatever. Here is a long series of predictions running through all time, partly fulfilled, partly fulfilling, and partly to be fulfilled. Let any man account for it, without supernatural interposition. If he cannot, then the Scriptures are of divine original; Jesus is the Saviour of mankind; all the great things foretold shall be accomplished; infidels and infidelity shall be confounded " world without end; and sound, practical believers in Christ Jesus, of every denomination, shall stand secure and joyful amidst the convulsion of nations, the subversion of churches, "the wreck of matter, and the crush of worlds." "Such, in that day of terrors, shall be seen To face the thunders with a godlike mien, The planets drop; their thoughts are fix'd above: Are not abundance of these predictions fulfilling at this day before our eyes? Is not the religion of Jesus diffusing itself far and wide among the nations of the earth? Did not the corruptions of it commence at a very early period? Did not the church of Rome assume an universal spiritual empire in the seventh century, and temporal dominion in the eighth? (5) Is it (5) Mohammed began his imposture in the very year that the bishop of Rome, by virtue of a grant from Phocas, first assumed the title of universal pastor, and thereon claimed to himself that supremacy, which he hath been ever since endeavouring to usurp over the church of Christ. This was in the year 606, when Mohammed retired into his cave to forge his impostures; so that Antichrist seems at the same time to set both his feet upon christendom together; the one in the east, and the other in the west. A correspondent, acquainted with the prophetic Scriptures, gives it as his opinion, that we are now in the second period of not expressly predicted, that the illegitimate empire of thrat church should continue the precise period of 1260 years? Does it not seem that those 1260 years are upon the point of expiring? Were not great changes to take place among the kingdoms, into which the Roman empire was to be divided, about the expiration of the said term? Have not great changes already taken place in those kingdoms? Were not the nations, which, for so many ages, had-given their power unto the beast, to turn against that beast, and use means for its destruction? Is not this part of the prophecy also, in a good degree, fulfilled at the present moment? Have not all the catholic powers foraken the pope in the time of his greatest need? And is not he, who, a few ages ago, made all Europe emble at the thunder of his voice, now become weak like other men? Are not the claws of the beast cut, and his teeth drawn, so that he can no longer ither scratch or bite?(6) Is he not already in our day, and before our own eyes, stripped of his temporal dominion? And doth not the triple crown, even How dance upon his head? or rather, has he not for ever lost his right and title to wear it? Is it not extremely remarkable, and a powerful confirmation of the truth of Scripture prophecy, that just 1260 years go from the present 1798, in the very beginning of the year 538, Belisarius put an end to the empire of the Goths at Rome, leaving no power therein but the bishop of that metropolis? the seventh vial. "The battle of the great God has been, and is fighting. The sacking of the nations is come. The man of sin who has been sitting in the temple of God 1260 years, all but a faw; whom God hath been consuming with the spirit of his mouth since the reformation; whom he is now ready to destroy with the appearance of his presence, we see is ready for the blow." (6) The French even took the ring from the Pope's finger, and deprived him of his snuff! Read these things in the prophetic Scriptures;(7) compare them coolly with the present state of Europe, and deny the truth of Divine revelation, if you can. Open your eyes, and behold these things accomplished in the face of the whole world. This thing is not done in a corner. It would be well, if you would seriously consider still further, that the opposers of the gospel are no other than tools and instruments in the hands of that Redeemer, whom you so cordially despise, and rashly reject. He sitteth in heaven at the right hand of power, and laugheth at all your puny and malicious efforts to impede the interests of his kingdom. (8) He perinits his word, however, to be tried like as silver is tried. But the more it is opposed, the more completely will it be refined. The more it is scrutinized, the more it will be approved. The severity of your criticisms will serve the cause it is intended to overthrow. Your assistance is advantageous to us, though infinitely dangerous to yourselves. You are co-opė (7) There is an astonishing chain of prophecy in the Sacred Writings; and the argument thence is invincible. The prophetic scheme may be ridiculed, but it can never be answered. (8) Would the reader compare the second and hundred and tenth psalms, with the history of those persons who in the several ages have set themselves to oppose either the Jewish or Christian dispensations, he could not fail of receiving strong conviction of the truth of these two prophetical compositions. We may, indeed, deny any thing, and turn into ridicule every prophetical accomplishment, as Josephus informs us the Jews did in the last dreadful ruin of his unhappy countrymen. It was familiar with them" to make a jest of divine things, and to deride, as so many senseless tales, and juggling impostures, the sacred oracles of their prophets;" though they were then fulfilling before their eyes, and even upon themselves. If the reader is disposed to examine another prophecy, I will refer him to the ninth chapter of Daniel. Ferguson has written a dissertation upon it, which he concludes in these words: "Thus we have an astronomical demonstration of the truth of this ancient prophecy, seeing that the prophetic year of the Messiah's be ing cut off, was the very same with the astronomical." rating, unintentionally indeed, with all the zealous servants of Christ, in carrying forward the designs of heaven, in like manner as Judas, with the Jews and Romans, contributed to the fulfilment of the ancient prophecies, and the salvation of the world, in betraying the Lord of glory. The greater the learning, the more rancorous the hatred, the stronger the opposition, the more brilliant the talents of its antagonists, the faster will the kingdom of Messiah come forward, and the more complete and honourable will be the victory. (9) The gospel never triumphed more gloriously, in the first ages, than when Celsus and Porphyry drew their pens; Dioclesian and Julian their swords, vowing its annihilation. Truth fears nothing more than inattention. It is too important to be treated with indifference. Opposition calls forth and sharpens the powers of the human mind in its defence. The cause of the gospel hath ever gained by investigation. Credulity is the bane of it. Sound policy in the deists would let it alone, and leave it to itself. It was by opposition from all the world it was originally propagated. When that opposition ceased, and the great ones of the earth smiled upon and fostered it, a worse than Egyptian darkness of ignorance and delusion overspread christendom.(200) It is by (9)" Christianity may thank its opponents for much new light, from time to time, thrown on the sublime excellence of its nature, and the manifestation of its truth; opponents in some sort, are more welcome than its friends, as they do it signal service without running it in debt; and have no demand on our gratitude for the favours they confer. The stronger its adversaries, the greater its triumph; the more it is disputed, the more indisputably will it shine." (200) In the middle age, such thick clouds of barbarity and ignorance had overwhelmed all schools of literature, that the maxim then was-Quanto eris melior grammaticus, tanto pejor theologus.. Espencæus acknowledges, that amongst their best authors, Græce nosse suspectum fuerit, Hebraice proprie hæreticum. Zuinglius and Collinus had like to have lost their lives for meddling with Greek and Hebrew. To give the derivation of the word Halle |