absolute level with its Pagan predecessor, was in fact the idol-image set up by the priesthood to be worshipped in all its plenitude of persecuting omnipotence and despotic infallibility *. To this, as a new opinion, Mr. Cuninghame expressly challenges the sifting eye of severe criticism.

Before we proceed to make some general observations on Mr. Cu ninghame's plan, considered as a whole, we think it our duty to hint, although it is not without some fear and trembling, that we venture to do so to so grave a personage as an expounder of prophecy, that he appears to us occasionally under a somewhat undue influence of the imagination. We had marked a few of his illustrations and allusions with the note of " fanciful:" but the length to which this article has already extended, indisposes us to descend to particulars, and, on second thoughts, we rather choose to leave the naked hint to its own operation on our author's mind, than endanger its effect by a specification, which perhaps might, after all, prove nothing but our own stupidity.

In reverting to some few general observations on the present interesting publication, it is impossible not to express ourselves as somewhat staggered at the important novelties which it presents to our minds. We are aware of the strong remonstrances uttered by Mr. Faber against Archdeacon Woodhouse's canon of interpretation; and we have ourselves sounded the trumpet of alarm, in our humble Review of the Archdeacon's work. Now we must not dissemble our conviction,

In Mr. Cuninghame's explanation of "the tenth part of the city falling from it by an earthquake in the same hour with the se cond woe," he differs from Mr. Faber, who makes it the French Revolution; and follows a valued correspondent of ours, signing him

self Philo, (C. O. for 1810), in considering it

as the noble defection of England from its connection with the beast, in the happy reformation of our national church. We must content ourselves in referring to it, p. 137, et seq.

that the same objections lie in principle, if not in degree, against the partial adoption of the same canoni by Mr. Cuninghame. Whether the seventh seal be by the Archdeacon made contemporaneous with the first, or by Mr. Cuninghame be brought back only to the third, the principle of succession is equally violated, and it may be asked how, without an abuse of terms, that can be called the seventh which, in point of fact and of time, is the third. If this objec tion be however palliated by the answer which Mr. Cuninghame may give, viz. that though the seventh seal begins with the third, their contents by no means end together; the still-more-cogent objection, in our mind, remains yet in full force, that an opening is given by this means for a latitude of interpreta tion to which there can be no limits assigned. There is surely, at least, much strength in the argument, that had the Divine Spirit intended any one or more of these series of prophecy to be synchronical with another, some clear intimation to that effect would have been conveyed to the reader, similar to what we find in the book of Daniel: if, on the other hand, both the intimation itself is to be imagined, and then the exposition is to be founded on that imaginary intimation, imagination may thus be heaped upon imagination, and theory upon theory, till at length the expositor of prophecy shall lay himself open to a charge, however unjustly and even flippantly it may on some occasions be urged, similar to that of the Indian who put the earth on an elephant and the elephant on a tortoise.

We own we write these things against our fonder prepossessions, We could wish Mr. Cuninghame had given us stronger external evi dence for this inviting theory of the six first seals. Standing by itself, its internal probabilities are very great. Even Mr. Faber is desirous of giving these seals a spiritual meaning, though we think him not

as yet successful in his suggestions of their import. We must own also, that the application of that part of the sixth seal which is contained in the seventh chapter of the Apocalypse, to the mere temporal rest and peace of the Church in the reign of Constantine, has always been most unsatisfactory to our mind. Never, since we became acquainted with this secular view of the passage, have we known that zest which our happier days of ignorance realized in the perusal of it; and which we must own the reasonings of Mr. Cuninghame have half restored to us. There is, besides, in the opening of this chapter, a mention made of four angels, which we do not observe Mr. Cuninghame to have noticed as strongly analogous to the mention of other four angels in what he deems the corresponding chapter, the 14th, describing the same period of jubilee in the church. On the whole, we shall be forward to express our obligation to Mr. Cuninghame in the strongest manner if he shall be able, by arguments à priori, to convince us, that the Apocalypse may justly be deemed as fore telling, in its different series,synchronical events; that the evident retrogression found in the little book" may be considered as precedent for the admission of a like retrograde motion in other parts, of the prophecy*; that the opinion of antiquity, "of Victorinus, of Andrew, and of Arethas," was clearly in favour of this principle of parallelism in the interpretation of the Apocalypse; that some canon may be found capable of defining with sufficient clearness how far this principle of interpretation may be carried, and where it must stop; that, in the mean time, no such uncertainty need be excited in the breasts of ordinary readers by these vacillating

Some very appropriate remarks on this head, and much in favour of Mr. Cuning hame's views, may be found in the judicious Bishop Newton's 25th Dissertation, which we strongly recommend to the consideration of all parties.

comments as to shake the very foundations of their faith in the records of prophecy; and that, after all, the difficulties which meet us in our study of the prophetical parts of Holy Writ all tead, in the wellregulated mind, to carry on the great work of edification, to humble our reason, to exercise our faith, to quicken our watchfuluess, and to stimulate our exertions in the pursuit: of truth.

Though these suggestions may some measure apply to Mr. Cuninghame's interpretation of the seven last vials, as well as of the six first seals, yet we admit there is some difference between the two. The vials, as representing only current events, must, of necessity, lie open to much uncertainty and debate. There is something in the turn of expression, when they are said to be poured out, which we admit, with Mr. Cuninghame, to indicate a synchronical effusion. To synchronize with each other is different from later ones preceding the earlier. Even Mr. Faber* admits the possibility, in the case of the seals, of one beginning before another is terminated; and if not ending in succession, whether seals or vials, why is it necessary they should begin in succession? At least, the synchro nizing principle is partially admitted; and we cannot consider ourselves very far from granting the actual parallelism of the vials, if we are brought already to the fifth vial by means of their successive effusion.

Upon the parallelism of the vials depends, in some measure, that most importantquestion, respecting the ter mination of the 1260 years. It seems to be generally conceded that the first vial synchronizes with the blast of the seventh trumpet, which is generally supposed to have sounded in 1792: it is also supposed that the last vial synchronizes with the close of the 1260 years; consequently, if the first and last vial synchronize with

On the Prophecies, vol. ii. p.515.

[

each other, the close of the 1260 years took place at the blast of the seventh trumpet in 1792. With this conclusion following from the premises, the reader will, doubtless, scrutinize with an anxious eye, the reasonings on which Mr. Cuninghame has built the parallelism of the vials. Probability must, after all, guide his judgment; and probability, as it is to be inferred from a variety of independent considerations, seems, on the whole, to be in favour of a prolongation of the destined period. We have already given our opinion on the reasonings which date the commencement of the 1260 years from the grant of Phocas in 606; though we must own, on the other hand, that every fresh investigation into the circumstances of the earlier grant by Justinian, aided by the authoritative opinion of civilians, has entitled us to hold our favour for Mr. Faber's opinion with diminished force. Should events have continued to look strongly towards the consummation of the period in 1792, we should not have felt any surprize merely on the score of its supposed commencement in 606.-That commencement must itself be collected from doubtful probabilities, independent of the mere act of an emperor at an early and dark period of history: Mr. Butt has placed it much earlier than Mr. Cuninghame. Mr. Milner has placed it later than Mr. Faber.

But events, says Mr. Faber, look strongly against the fulfilment of Mr. Cuninghame's views. Of the thirty years which are to succeed the 1260, and during which the final triumph of the saints at Armageddon is to be prepared, and the Jews to be restored to their native land, upwards of twenty years are now expired, and no signs appear of the triumph of the saints, of the speedy restoration of the Jews, or of those numerous and signal events which are to bring the powers of Antichrist in contact with the kings of the North and the South. Every day as it passes, it must be acknowledged, places the fulfilment

of Mr. Cuninghame's vials, which are also those of Mr. Faber, respecting the revival of the power of France, "as a rod of tron, to break in pieces the nations," at a greater distance. And, "if the expectations of those persons should be realized," who are of opinion that the military power of Bonaparte and of revolutionary France is drawing to a close, Mr. Cuninghame himself owns, "it will prove that he has entirely erred in some of the conjectures hazarded on future events." What then can we do ourselves, what can we advise Mr. Cuninghame and his readers to do, but patiently and with humility to await the course of events? Conjectures on futurity we always expect to see disappointed; and we cannot say that they abound in Mr. Cuningham work more than they must almost necessarily do in any similar attempt to interpret prophecy. At the same time, we are far from considering Mr. Cuninghame as decidedly wrong in any of his conjectures, merely because the aspect of affairs at the present moment tells against it. Our readers are aware that Mr. Faber also has so interpreted the fifth vial* as to make it consistent with " some grievous calamity," at this very moment "materially affecting the secular power of persecution, and filling his kingdom with consternation and confusion."-But if this be true, and if, according to Mr. Cuninghame, that power shall be the seventh head of the beast in the person of Bonaparte, may not his views of prophecy be at this moment substantially fulfilling, though not in the way he anticipated? And when we observe the blow to have been inflicted mainly from Russia and from Spain, we are reminded of Mr. Faber's further suggestions in respect to the Kings of the North and of the South: and should it hereafter appear that this is, in fact, the war to have been waged with Antichrist by the aforesaid kings; Vol. ii. p. 405.