epochs, their termination would take place in the year 1711, or 1793; consequently, in fulfilment of the prophecy, in the one or other of these years, "the wonders" connected with the great Western Apostacy, and even that Apostacy itself, must have been brought to an end: whereas, unhappily, the System itself, and "the wonders" it is capable of producing, are still being exhibited on the great theatre of nations.

SECONDLY, Notwithstanding the claim to SUPREME Dignity, asserted on the behalf of the Bishop and Church of ROME, by the Pope's Legate, at the Council of Chalcedon in 451; yet the history of that Council makes it appear, that not the Pope's Legate, but the Emperor Marcian's Commissioners, and, on the 25th of October, in the sixth Session, the Emperor himself, moderated in the Council. The assumption, therefore, of this dignity did not meet with all the respect which the papal representative might have desired or expected.

And although, in the second chapter of the 131st of the Novella, which were published in the year 541, and regulate almost all the discipline of the Church in his time, the Emperor Justinian gives the first place, in point of precedency, to the Bishop of ROME; and the second to the Patriarch of CoNSTANTINOPLE ;—yet, in the third chapter, he grants to the Archbishop of JUSTINIANEA, as the place of his own nativity, jurisdiction over the Churches of DACIA, MYSIA, DARDANIA, and PANNONIA; and, in the fourth, he renews the ancient rights and privi

leges of the Church of CARTHAGE. Whence it appears, that the pre-eminence thus conceded, or perhaps, confirmed, to the ROMAN Pontiff by this new Law, was merely a precedence in point of Dignity; and not such a pre-eminence in power and authority, as diminished, in any respect, the equality that subsisted among all the Bishops, as to dignity and authority, within their own peculiar jurisdictions; or invalidated, in any instance, their rights, privileges, and liberty. and liberty. And, accordingly, this Emperor himself', as SUPREME Head of the Church within his dominions, summoned, and presided in, the second Council of CONSTANTINOPLE, held in the year 533, which is commonly called the fifth EcuMENICAL or GENERAL Council.

THIRDLY. Nothing can be clearer, than that GREGORY I. Bishop of ROME, who sat in the papal chair from the year 590 to 604, knew nothing whatever of the title, the power, and high pre-eminence of "UNIVERSAL BISHOP," as attached to his own particular See; and, consequently, that these accessions of spiritual dignity and authority must have been acquired by the Bishops of ROME since his time. In his earnest remonstrances, upon this subject, with JOHN the patriarch of CONSTANTINOPLE, who

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"He was persuaded," says Du Pin, "that it was the duty of 66 an emperor, and for the good of the state, to have a particular care of the Church, to defend its faith, to regulate its external "discipline, and to employ the civil laws and temporal power to preserve in it order and peace." Life of Justinian, Vol. V. p. 37.

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had taken upon himself that title, at a council held in that city, in the year 586, he says,-" Whom do you imitate, in assuming that haughty TITLE? "Is it not him, who swelling with pride, exalted "himself above so many legions of Angels, that "were his equals; that he might be subordinate to none, but that all might become subject to him?” As to the Apostles, he urges, that "Peter was the "first member of the Universal Church;"..." but "all were members of the Church under one Head, "and none would ever be styled Universal:" whence he deduces the following appeal-" If none "of the Apostles would be styled Universal, what "will you have to answer for, at the last day, to CHRIST, the Head of the Church Universal,-you, "who by arrogating that title, labour to subject all "his members to yourself?" At last, in expressing his dismal apprehensions of the consequences, he adds-" The king of Pride is at hand; and, I dread "to say it, an army of priests is prepared for him : "for they, who were chosen to point out to others "the way of humility and meekness, are them"selves now become the slaves of pride and ambi"tion 1."

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Hence it appears, that the commencement of the 1260 years, which are to comprehend the whole period of the tyranny of "the little Horn" of the West, cannot be reasonably supposed to have

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1 Gregory's Epistles, Book IV. Ep. 32. Other letters of Gregory, in relation to the same subject, are enumerated by Du Pin, in Vol. V. of his Eccles. Hist. p. 78.

taken place before the death of this great man in 604.

But, indeed, any date assumed for the beginning of this long period, which does not cause it to terminate in the same year as the corresponding 1260 years allotted to the domination of " the little Horn" of the He-goat in the East, must necessarily be erroneous; according to the very particulars pointed out in the prophecy, as well as the very nature of the case.

Having thus ascertained, as nearly as may be, the beginning, and the conclusion, of this grand period of 1260 years, it now remains to be seen,--whether the periods allotted, in some other prophecies, for the principal events and circumstances by which it was to be distinguished, will not only corroborate what has been deduced upon these heads; but also supply a clew, by which to discover the points of time, which will respectively form the limits of the other chronological numbers recorded by the prophet Daniel.

And this naturally leads me, in the first place, to a comparison of the two prophecies already considered, with some of those, which form the leading subjects in the Revelation of St. John.

1st. It has been seen, then, that the whole period which has been allotted, in the Divine Economy, for the tyranny of the little Horn of the He-goat, or the prevalence of Mahometanism, in the

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East, is "a time, times, and a half," or one thousand two hundred and sixty years'.

2dly. And that, in like manner, the apostasy and tyranny of the little Horn of the fourth great Beast, or the predominance of Popery, in the West, is to be permitted throughout a period of the same duration 2.

3dly. But a large portion of the tyranny, and persecuting propensity, of this little Horn, was to be carried into effect, by means of the temporal powers of the Beast, which all along supported and abetted him; that is,-by the Powers which administered the government of the ROMAN empire, and especially in its revived state, after the year 800, when it acquired the distinguishing title of " The Holy ROMAN Empire." And therefore it is particularly mentioned, that "power was given unto the Beast," under the influence of this little Horn," to continue in action forty and two months" but this number of months, at the average rate of thirty days to the month, is equal to one thousand two hundred and sixty days; which, as the days in question are prophetical of years, amount to the same space of time, as those already noticed, namely, one thousand two hundred and sixty years.

4thly. As the main objects of the tyranny of this spiritual Power in the West, have been-the HOLY SCRIPTURES, which testified of it that its works were

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Pages 20, and 24, of the present volume.

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Pages 29, 30, and 38, of the same.

3 Rev. xiii. 5.