beast, (saith he) is the successor and substitue of the dragon,' or of the idolatrous heathen Roman empire: and what other idolatrous power hath succeeded to the heathen emperors of Rome, all the world is a judge and witness. The dragon' having failed in his purpose of restoring the old heathen idolatry, delegates his power to the beast,' and thereby introduces a new species of idolatry, nominally different, but essentially the same, the worship of angels and saints instead of the gods and demigods of antiquity." (p. 279.)

The head of the beast which was wounded, Dr. Newton observes "was the sixth head, for five were fallen,' (Rev. xvii. 10,) before St. John's time: and the sixth head was that of the Cesars or emperors, there having been before kings, and consuls, and dictators, decemvirs, and military tribunes with consular authority. The sixth head was as it were wounded to death' when the Roman empire was overturned by the northern nations, and an end put to the very name of emperor in Momylus Augustulus; or rather, as the government of the Gothic kings was much the same as that of the emperors, with only a change of name, this head was more effectually wounded to death,' when Rome was reduced to a poor dukedom, and made tributary to the exarchate of Ravenna." "But not only one of his heads was, as it were, wounded to death, but his deadly wound was healed."" "And this was effected by the pope and people of Rome revolting from the exarch of Ravenna, and proclaiming Charles the Great, Augustus and emperor of the Romans. Here the wounded imperial head was healed again, and hath subsisted ever since. At this time, partly through the pope, and partly through the emperor, supporting and strengthening each other, the Roman name again became formidable: and all the world wondered after the beast' and, (verse 4)' they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?' No kingdom or empire was like that of the beast; it had no parallel upon earth, and it was in vain for any to resist or oppose it, it prevailed and triumphed over all; and all the world in submitting thus to the religion of the beast, did, in effect, submit to the religion of the dragon, it being the old idolatry with only a new name. The worshipping of demons and idols is in effect the worshipping of devils." (p. 280-281.) According to this interpretation, the most alarming part of the prophecy has been long ago fulfilled.

The beast mentioned in Rev. xiii. 11, Dr. Newton maintains is the "Roman hierarchy, or body of the clergy regular and secular. This beast, continues he, is otherwise called 'the false prophet,' than which there cannot be a stronger instance to prove, that false doctors or teachers were particularly designed,

For the false prophet' is no more a single prophet, than the beast' is a single man, but a body or succession of men propagating false doctrines, and teaching lies for sacred truths. As the first beast rose out of the sea, that is, out of the wars and tumults of the world, so this beast (ver. 11,) groweth up out of the earth' like plants, silently and without noise; and the greatest prelates have often been raised from monks, and men of the lowest birth and parentage. He had two horns like a lamb;" he had both regular and secular, the appearance of a lamb; he derived his powers from the lamb, and pretended to be like the lamb, all meekness and mildness. But he spake as a dragon;' he had a voice of terror like the dragon, or Roman emperors, in usurping divine titles and honours, in commanding idolatry, and and in persecuting and slaying the true worshippers of God, and faithful servants of Jesus Christ. He is an ecclesiastical person, but intermixeth himself much in civil affairs. He is the prime minister, adviser, and mover of the first beast,' or the beast mentioned verse 12. He exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him.' He holdeth, imperium in imperio, an empire within an empire; claimeth a temporal authority as well as a spiritual; hath not only the principal direction of the temporal powers, but often engageth them in his service, and enforceth his canons and decrees with the sword of the civil magistrate. As the first beast concurs to maintain his authority, so he, in return, confirms and maintains the sovereignty and dominion of the first beast over his subjects; 'and causeth the earth, and them who dwell therein, to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.' He supports tyranny, as he is by tyranny supported. He enslaves the consciences, as the first beast subjugates the bodies of men. Mr.Whiston well observes, 'He is the common centre and cement which unites all the distinct kingdoms of the Roman empire; and by joining with them, procures them a blind obedience from their subjects; and so he is the occasion of the preservation of the old Roman empire in some kind of unity, and name, and strength; which otherwise had been quite dissolved by the inundations and wars succeeding the settlement of the barbarous nations in that empire."" (p. 284, 12th Edit.)

We must confess, that this interpretation by Bishop Newton, appears to us the most probable and consistent of any, upon the prophecies in question, which have come under consideration.

The well-informed reader will observe, that the author, after using many arguments to prove that the first beast represented the papal power, proceeds to prove that the second beast is personated by France at present. The second beast being said to arise out of the earth, he observes, "may imply the baseness of its extraction." Some of his observations upon this subject, are as follows:

"France rose to the dominion of its present empire, from the greatest debasement of human authority, and displays two horns, her own dominion and the pope's. In all her acquisitions she manifested the most lamb-like, innocent, and friendly professions, till she allured the nations of Europe into her snare; and when she had made them her prey, she assumed the voice of the dragon in her edicts and proclamations, to intimidate their revolt; and, at this time, exercises all the temporal, and assumes a control over the ecclesiastical power of the first papal beast before it. France has done great wonders in raising herself from the most abject state, amidst all the efforts of Europe to subdue her, and she has perhaps literally accomplished the metapor, of "making fire come down from heaven,' as ascribed to the second beast, (ver. 13,) which appears to intimate no more, than the provok ing the vengeance of the highest earthly powers, figuratively expressed by a celestial display of anger. She has laid great restrictions on the commerce of Europe, and almost, if not quite, to the extent of the prophecy, which appears to insinuate, that none shall traffic without some mark of distinction from the beast, or bearing the name of his subjects," &c. (p. 34.)

Apprehensive that the pope, notwithstanding his recent great, and still comparative degradation, will, once more, before the final overthrow of the papal hierarchy, possess extraordinary power, which he will exercise in a most tyrannical manner, our author reasons thus upon the subject.

"If the first beast prefigured the papal power, of which there can be no doubt, the image of that beast is evidently the pope ; and the pope, which the nations of Europe, according to this prophecy, (in Rev. xiii.) will be compelled to set up by the edict of the second beast, will eventually astonish them. The image of the beast will not only be set up, but animated with power 'both to speak,' and, what is still more dreadful to us as a protestant nation, to cause that as many as will not worship him, shall be killed. In this proclamation our civil and religious liberties seem to be involved, England being a nation uniformly protesting against its supremacy and doctrines; and therefore a persecution issuing from its authority, would direct its fury against us, and involve us in all the horrors of its hatred and vengeance.

"Let us contemplate, for a moment, the outlines of the mise ries resulting from such an event, and it will inspire every feeling of sensibility, and rouse every exertion to avert such a dreadful consequence. As a protestant nation, it is probable we should never yield up our religion, but with our unparalleled constitution, which would plunge us in all the horrors of foreign and domestic.commotion. Revert to the days of Queen Mary, when our nation was in flames, and our best men, the founders of our

Established Church, were burnt at the stake for their adherence to our present religion. If ever the papal power should again stretch his prerogative over this kingdom, we have to anticipate all the horrors of that period, and, in the issue, the loss of every privilege we now enjoy and venerate." (p. 38, 39.)

That the future events foretold in the Scriptures will certainly come to pass, is admitted by all who have correct views of the subject; but what does this admission imply? Surely not the necessity of wicked actions, by means of which many of the prophecies will be fulfilled; but it implies the omniscience and providence of God, who regulates and overrules the free actions of men, in a manner worthy of his infinitely wise government.

"To make, saith our author, all the prophecies absolute decrees of God, would be to make him the author of much, if not all, of the ambition and wickedness that cause their fulfilment, which would destroy his good providence, wise government, and inflexible justice. What raised up Buonaparte, (the presumptive hero of the second beast in St. John's vision,) whose ambitious spirit invested France with her present dignity and power? Can the nations of Europe say that God raised him by any supernatural means to accomplish his word? Has not Buonaparte been invested with his power by the prevalence of tyranny and ambition? Was it not the pride and oppression of France that threw down that monarchy, and made way for his accession to power? And did not the combined powers of Europe against France, prompt her to set up Buonaparte as her representative and most able defender? Is there, in these circumstances, any thing more than natural causes producing their obvious effects? We cannot consistently suppose, that those prophecies, which are evidently accomplished by the height of human depravity, are the decrees of God, but only the effects of national wickedness." (p. 70, 71.)

However differently pious and intelligent readers may decide on the merits of PHILO BRITANNICUS's interpretation, they can have but one sentiment, and that of approbation, concerning the moral and religious tendency of his Essay. After observing that the mutual co-operation of all denominations is necessary to strengthen the hands of religion, and that without a due regard to the laws of God, the lares of man will lose their effect, he proceeds thus:

"We may read, (Neh. xiii. 17,) that the breach of the sabbath was the cause and forerunner of the Jewish calamities, and that Nehemiah anticipated a renewal of their former afflictions, by a repetition of the crime. In Jeremiah xvii. 27, God pronounces the destruction of Jerusalem, for the contempt of the sabbath-day, and (Isa. lviii. 13, 14) establishes the prosperity and security of a nation, upon their respect to his holy day. By an attention to these irreversible laws of God, and the certain consequences of

their violation, all governments may perceive that their very existence depends on their regard to the sabbath-day. God seems to have made this the primary cause of national glory and individual happiness; and the disregard of that sacred ordinance is the inlet of that torrent of universal depravity, which eventually must bring down the judgment. Thus we see particularly demonstrated, and divinely confirmed, that memorable apophthegm of Solomon, 'Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people,' Prov. xiv. 24. In tracing the rise and fall of kingdoms, we shall behold that the most noble principles generally raised them, and that universal depravity always overturned them! What a lesson for modern nations! Cannot Britain take warning by their example? These instances of the invariable and respective effects of virtue, and of vice, in political kingdoms, should regulate every administration, legislator, and patriot, and dispose them to pursue those principles only which can give stability to their authority, and greatness and honour to their country; for every other motive, however specious, entails certain destruction upon their policy and power. In a further detail of the criminality of Israel, we shall behold a reflection of other crimes that stain our land, and will invoke our destruction, unless we speedily check their progress. We may read some of them, for our instruction and improvement, in Hosea iv. 1-7; Ezek. xxii; and Isa. lviii. 1—13.

"As the degeneracy of a nation (which is a prelude to its destruction) arises, in a greater or less degree, from the inattention of the priesthood to the morality of the people, whose virtues keep pace, and decline with, the exertion of their spiritual teachers; so, in the destruction of any government, effected by the revolt of the people, the popular vengeance is generally aimed at their order, and that, though blindly, as a just punishment for their neglect to restrain the impetuosity of vice, which always, sooner or later, overthrows the kingdom which permits it to stalk about with impunity; witness the consequences of the French revolution, where the priests were the objects of national persecution, and forced to emigrate throughout Europe, not because of their office, but because they neglected their office, and their impiety and profligacy rendered them the objects of national execration! Their example should be a warning to all ministers, in every state of Europe; for God will require the blood of all such devoted nations, at the hands of such careless watchmen, and perhaps by the instrumentality of those whom, their neglect have (has) implicated in destruction; and it ought to animate all denominations to lay aside those empty distinctions, which serve only to retard the influence of religion, and dispose them unanimously to strive to check the tide of universal corruption, which threatens to overwhelm us." (p. 78, 79.)