with more appropriate circumstances, its fpirit of intolerance and perfecution, its mo nastic establishments, the celibacy of its clergy, its impious affumption of a divine power to grant pardons and abfolutions for fin; the departure of the Proteftants from its communion, its gradual decline, and its final deftruction.

66

If in the days of St. Paul and St. John, there were any footsteps of fuch a fort of Power as this in the world; or if there ever had been any fuch power in the world; or if there was then any appearance or probability, that there ever could be any fuch kind of power in the world; much lefs in the TEMPLE or Church of God; and if there be not now [or very lately was] fuch a Power actually and confpicuously exercised in the Christian world; and if any picture of this Power, drawn after the EVENT, can now defcribe it more plainly and exactly, than it was originally described in the words of THESE PROPHECIES; THEN, BUT NOT TILL THEN, may it with fome degree of plausibleness be suggested by an Atheist or a Deift, that these Prophecies are nothing more than enthusiastic imaginations".

Clarke's, Evidences of Natural and Revealed Religion, vol. ii. p. 720.

VOL. IL

CLASS

CLASS II.

CHAPTER THE SECOND.

THE RISE, PROGRESS, ESTABLISHMENT, AND DECLINE OF THE MAHOMETAN POWER OF, ANTICHRIST.

σε

a

WE have already feen that the Prophets Daniel and St. John clearly revealed the rife and establishment of a Power in the Eaft, at a certain period of time, which was to be a fcourge to the people of God" for their manifold offences; and which is to be confidered as one of the forms of Antichrift.We now proceed to prove, from the autho rity of the most eminent and learned Commentators, Mede, Vitringa, Daubuz, Sir Ifaac and Bishop Newton, More, Whifton, Lowman, and many others, and from the teftimony of Hiftorical facts, that thefe Prophecies are ftrictly applicable to Mahomet

* See Introductory Chapter, Clafs II. vol. i.

and

and his followers-that they have been aca complished by them as far as time will admit of their accomplishment, and are at the prefent hour fulfilling before our eyes.

In the ninth chapter of the Revelation, which the Reader will recollect was quoted at length in the Introductory Chapter to Clafs II. vol. i. St. John has prefigured, under fuitable emblems, the origin, the characteristic manners, the arts of war, and the deftructive ravages of the pretended Prophet of Arabia, and his followers-the Arabians, Saracens, and Turks-upon the idolatrous and corrupt Chriftians. This formidable power commenced about the year of our Lord 606, which is confidered by most of the early Commentators, as the year when the Papal Antichrist was first established *.

By the permiffion of divine Providence, whose defigns are frequently reprefented in

It is fomewhat remarkable that these powers not only arofe, but were fully established nearly together. In the year 758 the Pope received the exarchate of Ravenna, and foon after became fovereign of Rome. In 762; the Saracen Caliph, Almanfor, built Bagdad as the capital of his extenfive empire. It is certain that they have declined together, and the popular opinion in Rome and Conftantinople concerning their fall is fingularly fimilar.

F 2

Scripture,

Scripture, and more particularly in the Apocalypfe, as being accomplished by celestial agents; an angel defcended and opened the cave of the abyss, for fo the words of the original Greek ought to be tranflated. This figurative representation properly expresses a commiffion from heaven to allow Satan to infeft the world with fome new and great trial. "The word ftanding in the original for cave, is more particularly expreffive of thofe caverns, which, on account of the fprings they contain, emit a vapour, and were by Pagan fuperftition often confidered as the feats of oracles and fources of infpiration. And does not this emblem moft ftrikingly defcribe the rife of a pretended revelation? Or, when fuch, answering in all points to the prediction, was propagated at the period to which this Prophecy relates, does not the literal circumstance of its rife from a cave, both fix the application, and demonftrate the truth of the Prophecy? And that fuch was the origin of the Koran of Mahomet, we learn from Mr. Gibbon's declaration that Mahomet during the month Ramadan in each year withdrew from the world to the cave of Hera, and confulted the spirit of fraud and enthusiasm "."

• Whitaker's View of the Proph. p. 119-121.

The

Sun

fun and the air were darkened by reason of the fmoke of the pit, when the falfehoods, contradictions, and fables of the Koran ufurped the place of the Gofpel truths. And that the preaching of Mahomet brought on a spiritual darkness, by obfcuring the light of Revelation, the fate of the Gospel in the countries ruled by his difciples fufficiently proves, without taking into the account the following words of the hiftorian, when defcribing the treatment of Chriftians dwelling in Mahometan countries.-"A decent reverence for the national faith is impofed on their fermons and converfations: and the facrilegious attempt to feduce a Muffulman will not be fuffered to escape with impunity.-In a time however of tranquillity and justice, the Chriftians have never been compelled to renounce the Gospel or to embrace the Koran; but the punishment of death is inflicted for the apoftates, who have profeffed and deferted the law of Mahomet "."-Reftrictions like these, and efpecially the laft, when laid upon the leffons of truth, amount to obfcuring it; though we add not the effect of other circumstances which have impeded the influence of the Gofpel, and diminished the

* Rev. ix. 2.

F 3

⚫ Gibbon, c. 51. number