REV. MR. BAXTER'S BOOK. recommending the book, as well worthy of "NAPOLEON THE DESTINED MONARCH OF THE diligent perusal. It presents the best results WORLD." WE had space, at the making up of our last number, merely to notice the fact that Rev. Mr. Baxter's book on "Napoleon the Destined Monarch of the World" had made its appearance. Mr. B. is an English clergyman, of the Established or Episcopal Church, who has been devoting himself almost exclusively to the preaching of the Second Advent of the Savior, and related topics. He travels from city to city, preaching in the churches opened to him, and in the streets, that Louis Napoleon is the destined Antichrist of the last days, who is to perish at the personal descent of the Savior in the course of the next seven or eight years. He is a man of education, and of extensive acquaintance with prophetic subjects and modern writers on them. He has succeeded, in many places, in awakening much interest on the themes of his addresses, the substance of which he has embodied in the volume that has just appeared. It is compactly and clearly written, and presents in a moderate compass a large amount of important information. He has well digested and arranged the arguments of the writers who have elaborated the system and order of events to which he gives his confident and unqualified adherence. Some of the leading positions of his book we regard as somewhat hypothetical as yet, and cannot feel ourselves safe especially in venturing upon his dates. He may be correct; and it is for all to watch and pray, and to keep in anxious readiness for whatever may be revealed. There is much also in the signs of the times strongly corroborative of the views which he advocates. But we have not been persuaded that it is well to lay so much stress upon calculations of specific years, or designations of living persons. It is enough to say that the day is at hand, and that we should be expecting it in our lifetime, and at any time, at least until some of the final tests have unmistakably appeared. We have no hesitation, however, bating these particulars and a few inaccuracies, in of the investigations of many expositors of the prophetic word whose works are not generally accessible, and its practical bearing is impressive and awakening. Mr. Baxter is a warm friend of " The Prophetic Times," and is engaged in introducing it to the attention of his hearers wherever he can. He has also had the kindness to recommend it in his book. DR. SEISS' "LAST TIMES." REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION. "THE work of Dr. Seiss has met with distinguished favor. It is regarded by those who sympathize with its views, as one of the most able, comprehensive, and powerful works called forth by the millenarian investigations of our day. Whatever may be the intellectual attitude of the reader, he can hardly resist the feeling as he peruses the book that it embodies the deepest and most earnest convictions of the writer. It is hard to resist the ardor of so intense a faith as these discourses reveal. The positiveness of Dr. Seiss is not that of proscription, but of personal conviction. We have never taken into our hands a book in defence of the particular views maintained in this, which seemed to us so complete, so conscientiously prepared, and so well adapted to win attention and to fix conviction in regard to the The author has repositions it defends. wrought his original work, and has brought up its reasonings to the advanced state of his views upon the subject. There is a complete analysis of Scripture references which bear, or are thought to bear, upon the second advent of Christ: a number of interesting notes, some of them running out to the fulness of Excursus, have been added, To those and the work has a good index. who desire to study this side of a great question, which is destined to agitate the Church profoundly, we recommend Dr. Seiss' book. If we desired to do Millenarianism all the good we could, we should circulate Dr. Seiss' book far and wide."-Lutheran and Missionary of April 16th. The Prophetic Times. Vol. I. JUNE, 1863. Special Contributions. INTEGRITY. DR. MOSHEIM AND THE MILLENARIANS. No. 6. claimed it, but that all the apostolic fathers whose writings have come down to us also held it, and that some of these fathers (i.e. Irenæus adv. Haeres.) wrote against this Ir is astonishing to notice how eminent very Cerinthus. We should reasonably exwriters opposed to the Millenarian doctrine pect that in the history of the second cenendeavor to conceal the array of Church tury some reparation would be made; but not authority in favor of our view. Particularly a word, pro or con, although knowing, as he is this the case with many who profess to must,—having the writings of the fathers in give a history of the Church and of its doc- his possession,-that it was universally actrines. Passing by numerous instances in knowledged by all such, as Dr. Whitby which the testimony of the apostolic fathers tells us, who "were exactly orthodox." In is entirely ignored, I shall select but two the third century, however, he is compelled examples to illustrate the unfairness of such to make a serious admission. I say comwriters. Let us take the "Ecclesiastical His-pelled; for, had not the controversy between tory" of Dr. Mosheim, which is regarded as a Origen and the Chiliasts arisen, he would standard work, and is certainly worthy the have still left the reader under the imprescareful perusal of every student. Now, trace sion that it was a heretical opinion of Cerinthe history of Millenarianism as he gives it thus. The fatal admission is as follows:from the first century down to the seven- That the Savior is to reign a thousand years teenth; and the uninformed reader, if de- among men before the end of the world, had pending on his account, will most certainly been believed by many in the preceding cenbe led to the conclusion that it is a doctrine tury, without offence to any." He then goes only entertained by fanatics, enthusiasts, or on to state how the doctrine "fell into disvery ignorant men. He seems to take plea- repute," and was opposed by Origen "besure in mentioning every heretic or fanatic cause it contravened some of his opinions." that held it either in part or whole, and most He is unusually guarded not to tell us, either carefully avoids to notice that noble class of in the body of the work or by foot-note, who. men who in every century so ably advocated among "the many" had believed, and, if it it. To give the reader a correct idea of the were not for the partial notes of Maclaine manner in which this is done, it is necessary and Schlegel, the reader would be left in to follow him in his allusions to our doctrine. entire ignorance. Now, if the belief of our In the first century the only reference made doctrine was entertained "without offence to to it is when he describes Cerinthus, whom any" (vide Murdock's trans.), why does he he classes among heretics, saying that this virtually class it among the heresies of Ceheretic, among other things, taught "a reign rinthus? If it met with no decided opposiof Christ with his followers during a thou- tion until the days of Origen, and was never sand years in Palestine." Is this candid? regarded by the writers of that period as a He well knew that not only Cerinthus pro- heresy, why link it with the name of a here tic? An auswer may suggest itself to the Consequently, we are not surprised to find reader. that the next allusion to the doctrine is when he mentions John Wil. Petersen, who defended, he says, "the obsolete doctrine of Christ's future reign of a thousand years on the earth." The fling of "obsolete" is not worthy of an answer. But why does he state the tenet in this connection? Because it affords him a good opportunity slyly to heap ridicule on "the blessed hope." He therefore gravely tells us how this man was connected with visionary ladies, with “disordered brains," &c., as if our belief was to be judged by the character or peculiarities of certain weak persons who may have embraced it. There are three or four additional allusions, but, as they are in exact corre spondence with those already specified, it is not necessary to examine them in detail. The spirit of the writer is evinced, however, But this is not all. Without giving credit to the fact that eminent and pious men promulgated Chiliasm, he passes them by, century after century, until we come down to the seventeenth, where he states that the worst of the so-called Pietists "asserted that the reign of a thousand years, mentioned by John, was at hand." Schlegel, in a foot-note, adds, that in meetings for prayer "fantastical persons talked of the Millennial kingdom and the downfall of Babylon." Now, a common reader, unacquainted with the history of Chiliasm, would take it for granted that only a base sort of people adopted it; but the intelligent reader knows well that Dr. Mosheim had no special love for the best of Pietists, and conceals the fact that some of the most devoted and able men in the Church also taught the doctrine. The entire state-in selecting "an astrologer” and “ a minister ment is, therefore, to be received with great caution. The frequency with which he is corrected by Maclaine, Schlegel, Von Eierem, and Murdock, clearly indicates that he is not always reliable. His assertion, in connection with the passage just quoted, that this expected reign of Christ was the recalling 'upon the stage an opinion long since condemned," is another instance. He does not tell us who "condemned" it; for it would not be very honorable to his cause to give such a statement. It was the Pope, and popish councils and popish doctors and inquisitors, that condemned it; but that line of witnesses opposed to popish corruption, and so barbarously persecuted by the papacy down to the Reformation, still upheld it. And it was condemned, too, by the papacy because so fatally antagonistic to its spirit, pretensions, and corruption. Such a condemnation is adapted to increase our love and veneration for the doctrine, portraying as it does its preciousness. If any man wishes to see the measure of love that Mosheim has for such Pietists, he has only to refer to his description of Godfrey Arnold, the historian, and then read Murdock's and Walch's defence of Arnold. In view of what has preceded in the history, we are fully prepared for what follows. deprived of his office," and "a company of delirious persons who would have turned the world upside down," as the exponents of Millenary doctrine. Where is the integrity that he boasted of in his preface? Is it any wonder that comparatively so few are acquainted with the history of the Millenary doctrine, when so distinguished a writer endeavors to conceal that history?—and his work is used by thousands as their text-book. The wonder is, that so many are sufficiently familiar with it to be able to detect and expose the subtle and unfair method of dealing with our views adopted by certain authors from whom better was to have been expected. This lack of integrity is not only seen by Millenarians, but even by unbelievers. Thus Gibbon, in his "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," vol. i. p. 535, describing the faith of the early Christians in the personal reign of Christ and his saints on the earth, declares that "the assurance of such a Millennium was carefully inculcated by a succession of fathers from Justin Martyr and Irenæus, who conversed with the immediate disciples of the apostles, down to Lactantius,” (which, he adds in a foot-note, is a "fact not disputed,") and says, in a note, that "the latter of these learned divines [viz. Dr. Mos heim] is not altogether candid on this occa sion;" not candid, because, as we have shown, he does injustice to the advocates of our faith, as the MSS. to which Gibbon refers prove. The second illustration of this lack of fairness in history is reserved for some future number. G. N. H. P. NOTE.-Whilst the above strictures on Dr. Mosheim's fairness are in a measure deserved, his representations of the history of Millenarian doctrine are not universally so adverse as our correspondent seems to think. In the Historical Commentaries on the State of Christianity during the First Three Centuries (vol. ii. pp. 245–247) Dr. Mosheim makes statements and admissions to the effect, not only that our doctrines were entertained by prominent fathers of the Church, but that they were the common belief of the primitive Christians. quote especially the following: We "THE MORNING COMETH.” BEHOLD, the morning cometh, The night has pass'd away; When Christ the Lord, appearing, Of all the Church the Head, And raise his sleeping dead. He comes, the King of glory, His chosen ones to save; Their victory o'er the grave, The sleeping saints to raise,- S. S. W. UNCONNECTED DISSERTATIONS ON THE PROPHECIES AND CORRELATIVE THEMES. "Behold, the Lord God will come with STRONG HAND, and his arm shall rule for him."-ISA. xl. 10. "I have used similitudes by the ministry of the prophets."-HOSEA xii. 10. "Among both the ancients and the moderns," many have supposed that Cerinthus first propagated this error [the doctrine of a future reign of Christ on earth]. Few, however, will readily agree with them, if they consider that this sentiment was embraced by many-e.g. Irenæus, Tertullian, and others who abhorred Cerinthus and accounted him a pest to Christianity. Nor do I think Eusebius is to be trusted when he tells us that the expectation of a Millennium flowed down to the subsequent doctors from Papias, a bishop of Jerusalem in the second century. For, as Papias was not the first excogitator of the opinion, but received it from others, as Eusebius himself concedes, it is clear that at least some Christians before Papias had embraced this opinion. And Irenæus cites Papias, not as being the author of this opinion, but as bearing his testimony to it. It is certain that in the second century the opinion that Christ would reign a thousand years on the earth was diffused over a great part of Christendom, FROM the caption of this article, no one and that the most eminent doctors favored it, and will expect a connected commentary upon no controversy with them was moved. Tertullian any particular prophecy. We think that speaks of it as the COMMON DOCTRINE OF THE WHOLE CHURCH.... This is certain, from Justin Martyr, and others, that VERY MANY, and they MEN OF GREAT INFLUENCE, thought as he did; nor were they, on that account, taxed with corrupt doctrine.... But in the third century, the reputation of this doctrine declined; and first in Egypt, through the influence especially of Origen... And yet it could not be exterminated in a moment; it still had respectable advocates."-ED. ... "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart."-MATT. xiii. 19. the too close following of the details of a subject, rather than the principle which it is intended to illustrate, lessens the beneficial effect of many discourses. For our own part, we are generally too intent upon the representative moral of a text, and its practical issues, to follow the subject in detail in a doctrinal point of view. And we much prefer the didactic to the ornamental style. This necessarily involves occasional digressions, which would be apparently a departure from the text: so, to avoid this, we have chosen a heading which indicates a digres- | STANDING OF THE ENTIRE BODY of the Old sional treatment of it. Testament, and is the fundamental idea of the New, IN WHICH THE SUM AND SUBSTANCE of Messianic prophecy is concentrated." Dr. Seiss, also, has this very appropriate remark upon the effect of a reception of it:— "Participation in the honors of the kingdom is made dependent on the manner in which we are affected towards the Savior's Heb. ix. 28; 2 Tim. iv. 8; Phil. iii. 20; 1 Thess. i. 9, 10; Titus ii. 11-13; 2 Peter iii. 11, 12; Matt. v. 17-20."-Last Times, pp. 382, 383. As the sublime event announced in Isa. xl. 10 is the concentrical point of the world's destiny and the ultimate result of all human events, we place it at the head of our dissertations; for all others serve mainly to illustrate this one grand fact, that "He will come in person, and that his own arm shall rule for him." It is rather, then, as coming.-Matt. xxiv. 42-51, xxv. 1–13; the morale of the whole, than to indicate the particular subject of the chapter, that we place it as a general motto. It is of the highest importance that we should have a proper understanding of this subject, To these scriptures we may also add the and that we draw a marked line of distinc- testimony of Luke xii. 36-48, and many tion between the spiritual and personal other passages. We see from Luke xii. 37, reign, giving to each its due place, both doc- 43, that the only servants who are mentioned trinally and practically; for that a right ap- as blessed at his coming are those who were preciation of this doctrine does exercise a watching and waiting,-" preparing themhighly beneficial effect on the heart and life selves and doing according to his will." But cannot be doubted. Yet we hear some in- that servant that said, My Lord delayeth his timate that even if it is so it makes not coming (and consequently did not prepare much difference, that it is of little practical himself, neither did according to His will), importance. But not so did the Savior" shall be beaten with many stripes." (Luke speak of any part of his gospel. To the xii. 45-47.) The whole difference in the contrary, we may infer, from the parable of treatment of these servants is in reference the sower, that a right understanding of his to this one thing, that is, their position word is of great value, for it was owing to towards the Lord's coming. There is more imperfect comprehension of "the word of than blessing for the waiting servant. THE KINGDOM" that the preached gospel does is "to escape all those things that shall come not profit the wayside hearers. "When any to pass [those terrible tribulations of which one heareth THE WORD OF THE KINGDOM, and the Savior had just been speaking], and to UNDERSTANDETH IT NOT, then cometh the stand before the Son of man." To all the wicked one, and catcheth away that which rest it was to "come as a snare," which, of was sown in his heart." (Matt. xiii. 19.) course, would be a natural consequence of Here we find the most disastrous conse- their not being in a watchful or expectant quences attributed solely to the imperfect condition; it would inevitably come sudunderstanding of "the word of the kingdom;" denly upon them, without preparation. (Luke the very part which it is thought can be xxi. 35, 36; 1 Thess. v. 3.) neglected with impunity. It is intimated that, if the persons referred to had understood it properly, the wicked one would not have caught it away from their hearts. Is it therefore a slight matter for our ministers to neglect the proper exposition of this important part of the Scriptures, comprising so large a portion of divine truth? For, as Dr. Auberlen very properly observes, this doctrine "does not rest upon isolated passages, but is essential to ▲ RIGHT UNDER He Consider, for instance, the difference be tween those members of the Jewish Church who received the first advent, and those who rejected it. The believing Jews had faith in the warnings of the Savior, who, when they saw certain signs of Jerusalem's approaching judgments, were to flee, which they accordingly did, and remained in peace and safety during that dreadful time of trouble" when the Jewish State and Church fell to rise no more until it shall be said, Blessed 66 |