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Now, it is a matter of historic verity, that "in A.D. 666, Pope Vitalian first ordained that public worship should be performed in the Latin language, and popery really became the Latin Church." As therefore the number of the Papal Beast is found in the name Latinus, (and with which corresponds the Hebrew Romiith, and the Greek lateros) it can apply to no other than to the western, or Romish Church, whose subjects" are universally called Latins; and it is true as an able commentator1 has expressed it, they latinise every thing; masses, prayers, hymns, litanies, canons, bulls, in short, every thing is in Latin; the Papal councils speak Latin, nor is Scripture itself read in any other language under Popery than Latin. The council of Trent commanded the vulgar Latin to be the only authentic version; nor do their doctors doubt to prefer it to the Hebrew and Greek text, in which it was written by the Prophets and Apostles; and, moreover, the Pope has communicated this language unto the people as the mark and character of the Empire."

Finally, respecting this number we remark, that while its numeral letters, which indicate the name of the Beast, are designed to "show his character, or the copy of his countenance;" the direction given Rev. xiii., 18, to "count his number," points us to the period as above, viz., A. D. 666, when he should assume this particular feature of his Anti-Christian Our conclusion is, that this number, as some contend, cannot have a common commencement with

career.

1. Dr. H. Moore.

2. Consult 1 Cor. xiii., xiv.

the 1260 years of Daniel and St. John: nor as others, because this particular form of the Papal Anti-Christ took its rise in the sixth century, that it is to continue to run a career of three times six, or eighteen centuries. Either of these conjectures introduce so much confusion in the department of prophetic Chronology, as to carry to every intelligent mind, the evidence of their own refutation.

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Of these two Anti-Christian powers therefore, the facts as herein brought to view demonstrate, that there is a correspondence in their general characteristics, in their name, in their malicious and cruel work,in the common object of their persecuting rage, and in the period assigned to each, for the commencement and termination of their respective career. Is it not reasonable therefore to conclude, that they commence and end their career together? True, the marks which evidence the period of the rise respectively of these two powers, may not at first sight exhibit them as exactly cotemporaneous. This however admitted; as the "little horn" of Daniel vii., 8, and which is to be understood of the Papal persecution, was preceded by its preparatory elemental workings even in the days of the Apostle Paul; so of the "little horn" of Daniel viii., 8, 9, which denoted the existence of the Mohamedan imposture. And, as of their commencement, so of their termination. If we assign to both these powers, in accordance with the end of the period allotted to their prevalence respectively, a certified point of time, we are not to imagine a total annihila

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1. 2 Thess. ii., 7.

tion of their peculiar elements. For, as the anti-christian elements of the Papal power, preceded by some centuries, its existence in an embodied and tangible form; so, upon the termination of the period assigned to its existence in that form, (like "the beasts" in Daniel vii. 12, which, while "they had their dominion taken away," "their lives were prolonged for a season and a time,”) it may still exist in the union of its elements with others, in the establishment of the last Anti-Christian Confederacy, which, according to the Apostle Paul, is immediately to precede the second advent.' And, what is true of the Papal, is true also of the Mohamedan power. Indeed, of this last power, its final extinction, as one of the severest persecuting agencies in the hand of Satan against the church, is fixed in prophecy 2 at an advance of at least 51 years beyond the termination of the 1260 years. Hence we remark, that while these two persecuting powers, the Papal and the Mohamedan, are principally brought to view in the visions of Daniel and St. John, there are two others to which we would allude; the one, the Pagan, the dread ordeal of trial to the Primitive Church; the other, the Infidel, a combination of the malign influences of the "three unclean spirits like frogs," which St. John saw "come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet;" and who is to constitute the last ordeal of the Church's integrity.

1. 2 Thess. ii., 1-6.

2. Rev. ix., 14, 15.

3. Rev. xvi., 13.

In conclusion therefore on this subject we remark, that, corresponding with these several persecuting powers of the faithful of God in different ages, are first, the “seven times” of Daniel iv., 16, comprehending twice 1260 years,1 and ending with it; and second, the 2300 years of Daniel viii., 14, which ends with the overthrow of the last Anti-Christ in 1847, and consequently includes ALL the persecuting AntiChristian powers-the Pagan, the Papal, the Mahometan, and the Infidel.

Sufficient therefore, we think, has been said to show that "the time, times, and an half," or 1260 years of Daniel vii. 25, and xii. 7, commence and end together. We now remark, that with this number synchronizes THE WILDERNESS STATE OF THE CHURCH, as brought to view in the "thousand, two hundred, and three score days, or 1260 years of Rev. xii. 6, and the "Forty and two months," or 1260 years of Rev. xi. 2, and xiii. 5.

Now, as to the date of the commencement of the 1260 years, if we can fix upon the period of the rise of either of the two above named principle persecuting or anti-Christian powers, it will fully answer all the purposes of arriving at the important conclusion which is the object of our search. This, we think, we can find in the period of the rise of the PAPAL power. True, on this subject, different dates are assigned, by different interpreters. Bishop Newton fixes it at A.D. 727, at which time the Pope and people of Rome re

1. See p. 229.

volted from the exarchal of Ravenna, and threw off their allegiance to the Greek Emperor. Fleming, in his Apocalyptical Key, adopts A.D. 606, as the time of its rise, assigning the reason, that in that year Phocas bestowed upon the Pope the title of Universal Bishop.

The objection (which, with all due deference I submit) the objection to Bishop Newton's period is, that, it is adopted with a view to accommodate the termination of the 1260 years as nearly as possible to the end of the last 2000 of the 6000th year of the world. "But the very circumstance of this being the case proves him to be in error; for at the year 2000, according to his own showing, the millenium is to commence; consequently prior to that time all the prophecies relating to the subjugation of the true church, and the dominion of apostacy, must have ceased." Consequently, the 6th and 7th vials (Rev. xvi. 1217) if poured out at all, that pouring out must take place after the commencement of the millennium, which supposition contravenes the general idea entertained of that state, which all consider to be exempt from the judgments of God. But we contend, and the Bishop virtually admits, that the 1260 years end with the pouring out of the fifth vial. The influence of the Beast (Papal) as the Bishop afterwards says, most probably will continue till the millennium, when he is to be miraculously "consumed with the spirit of the mouth, and destroyed with the brightness of the coming" of the Son of Man. This perfectly accords

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1. 2 Thess. ii., 8.

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