solution of the Church should terminate that period. The Mighty angel swears that when the seventh angel shall be about to sound, the computed time of Antichrist shall then expire (shall be no longer.) The angel in his speech reveals himself to be the envoy of Christ by cal ling the Witnesses his own (Rev. xi. 3.) and finishes with a description of the great time of trouble the last scattering of the holy people (Rev. xi. 7. to 14.) the crucifying of the body of Christ, the finishing of the Mystery of their redemption (Rev. x. 7.) followed by their Resurrection (Dan. xii. 2. Rev. xi. Í1.) and glorification (Rev. xi. 15. where observe that the description of the events contained in the seventh trumpet proves the time of it to be the finishing the scattering of the power of the Holy people, and the end of the Mystery of the conversion of the Gentiles, until which time the book was to be a mystery and sealed.)

Such is the outline of the harmony upon which I mean to build an exposition of the 10th and 11th chapters of the Revelation. I shall now offer a few introductory remarks upon the vision to be explained. Both Bishop Newton and Mr. Kett allow that the period of the Turkish triumphs (Rev. ix. 15.) is past at least a century ago; and yet they suppose that we are living under the sixth trumpet and second woe. I shall endeavour to prove the inconsistency of this opinion, and to shew that whenever that period terminated, the sixth trumpet and second woe, according to the constant usage of Scripture, must be considered as having been accomplished." Indeed the trumpet cannot be considered as having any long duration, however the woe contained in it may; for the trumpet is only the signal and commencement of the war or woe following. Nor can I see that we have any authority to continue this woe for a longer time than the 391 years mentioned, Rev. ix. 15. (a time generally allowed to be expired) both from a consideration of that verse, and also from the general computation of Scripture. Mr. Mede has most satisfactorily proved that the fall of an empire is dated from the commencement of its fall throughout Scripture. The commencement of the fall of the Ottoman empire is allowed to have taken place towards the close of the 17th century, as its rise is generally dated from about the year 1300. I conclude therefore, that the second woe terminated within the last 25 years of the 17th century, which is sufficient for my purpose, which is to vindicate the system of Mr.

Mede

Mede from all the bold and irrational assertions which have been opposed to his deep and solid arguments-to vindicate the Church of which I am a member, from the weak, or wicked attack made upon it, through the medium of prophecy, by proving in answer to her ene mies, that though England was once one of the ten horns of the beast; one of the ten parts of the Babylon ish commonwealth; she, and she alone has fallen off from that community, never to be reunited to it. The rejection of Mr. Mede's epoch of the 1260 years has led to the most dangerous errors. "You acknowledge, says the Dissenter, that the ten kings of Europe were to remain antichristian during 1260 years, and that these 1260 years are not nearly expired: how then can you prove that England is not still (as you acknowledge also that it originally was) a horn of the Beast, a tenth part of Babylon?" (see Illustrations of Prophecy and Bicheno on the Revelation.) What answer to such an argument the enemies to Mr. Mede's system would give I cannot divine; but my answer would be such as follows. "The power of the Pope to prevail in war and council has been over for more than a century: the Protestants during the same period have been blest with security and repose, and have cast away their sackcloth garments: they have even triumphed over the Papists. I conclude therefore, that the 1260 years of the Popish triumphs are over, and that as one of the ten kingdoms at least was to become the kingdom of our Lord at the termination of the 1260 years, which according to Mr. Mede's epoch, terminated in 1697, I have reason to think that the acknowledgment of the right of William III. before styled only Prince by Louis XIV. to the throne of England, was the first part of the seventh trumpet. And as for the Dissenter who dates the three and a half days of the dissolution of the Witnesses in France from 1685 and terminates them in 1790; and who considers the French Revolution as the fall of the tenth part of the city, I would recommend to him to read Dr. Goodwin on the place; but not Dr. Goodwin mangled and mutilated by Jacobinical Editors, but the original author, and then let him endeavour to find out the true figurative meaning of a day in Scripture in order to compute the 3 days from his own epoch afresh.

You see, Gentlemen, that I have a grand object in view, to vindicate our glorious establishment from the Dragon, who having been cast down to the earth at the

English

English revolution, and dethroned, has of late become as great an enemy to establishments as he formerly in his day of power befriended them. I am not less eager to check the progress of that spurious liberality, but real scepticism towards the doctrine and discipline of our Church, which is meditating innovations in an esta blishment which has secured to us every possible blessing for a century past.

O fortunatos nimium sua si bona nôrint

Anglicolas!

St. John has informed us of whom the Holy City consists (Rev. xxii. 18, 19.) viz. of those who in faith neither fall short of the doctrine of Scripture (as all Heretics do) nor exceed it (as Catholics do). Let him who would break down the fence, take care lest he be not cast out of our Holy City, for "there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that maketh common," (Rev. xxi. 27. compare Rev. iii. 16.)

I am, Gentlemen,

Your obedient humble servant,

MISCELLANIES.

JUVENIS.

AN ESSAY

ON THE NATURE AND ENDS OF SOCIAL UNION,

WITH OCCASIONAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE

"CONFESSIONAL."

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S

MAGAZINE.

SIR,

I AM of opinion, that the following Essay, written by my friend, the Rev. T. Ludlam, will be peculiarly acceptable to your readers at the present crisis. Though an entirely original composition, it has the merit (which, in the estimation of all true friends of our establishment

in Church and State, must be no small one) of comprising the substance of the first two books of Bishop Warburton's "Alliance between Church and State;" and will be very useful to those students, whether in divinity or politics, who have not opportunity to read that far-famed work. I should be sorry, however, as would also my venerable friend, if the perusal of this Essay hindered any from consulting the Alliance" itself, when an opportunity of consulting it was afforded. Bishop Warburton, perhaps, was the first writer who went to the bottom of this difficult and important subject; and he has settled the principles of it on so firm a foundation, that all attempts to subvert them may safely, be set at defiance. To adopt the words of the discerning Dr. Hey; "the more I see of controversies about the King's being the head of the Church, the independency of the Church, &c. the more I am convinced of the worth and excellency of Bishop Warburton's Alliance of Church and State." Nor. Lect. Vol. II. p. 206.

Whether the question, respecting the abolition of the Corporation and Test Acts, is likely soon to be revived, I do not know; nor is it now my intention to deliver my own sentiments upon it. It is certain, however, that we ought not hastily to lose sight of the grounds on which the abolition of those acts has hitherto been resisted; nor can I help expressing my earnest wish, that no member of the legislature will ever give his vote for their abolition till he has carefully perused and considered Dean Swift's" Presbyterian's Plea of Merit," with his other clear and forcible tracts on the same subject, written in 1732. Bishop Sherlock's" Vindication of the Corporation and Test Acts," and Bishop Warburton's "Alliance between Church and State.

Rempstone, April 12,

1804.

AN ESSAY, &c.

E. PEARSON.

THE reasons for Social Union amongst mankind must be sought for in that general constitution of man, which God our Creator has thought fit to bestow upon the human race *. The particular nature of this union must

st

* See a Note to the 3d. of Bishop Butler's " Sermons."

be

be sought for in the peculiar ends of each different society. Now, the happiness of his intelligent creatures (as far as men can discover) appears to be the ultimate, i. e. the last discernible intention of God in creation; unless we suppose Him to be influenced by motives better suited to the imperfect nature of his creatures. But, though happiness is plainly designed, it is by no means immediately provided for them. It is to be the acquisition of those various powers which their Creator has given them, employed in attending to and considering such subjects as may lead them to the knowledge of what this happiness is, and how to be attained. Now, these subjects can be only the divine and the human nature. From the first, we collect what happiness God intended; from the second, what happiness man is adapted to enjoy. Au acquaintance with both will certainly enable us to ascertain what is good for man.

*

But, while men have either neglected to consider, or but slightly regarded, God's GENERAL conduct respecting the WHOLE human race; from which alone that most important knowledge, the knowledge of His Character can be derived, they have turned their attention to God's PARTICULAR Conduct respecting, perhaps, a few individuals, or at most a small portion of mankind; and hence have concluded themselves authorized to imitate, or conceived themselves under obligations to follow, that mode of acting which God has thought fit to pursue in these His particular, and, if I may so say, PRIVATE dispensations: not reflecting that God has scarcely ever given, or men have scarcely ever been able to discover, the reasons upon which the MODE of these dispensations was founded; and that, whenever they have been able to discover them, the discovery has always shewn the absurdity of such imitation. These groundless and ridiculous expectations of finding every thing in the word of God, have often occasioned men, who were much better acquainted with the phraseology than the sense of Scripture, and who were led by their own prejudices, when they fancied themselves to be following the directions of God, to make a most absurd use of the Bible, and pervert it to purposes for which it was never intended.

Whoever attends to the constitution of human nature, will readily observe to how much higher degrees of ex

* See the 4th of ❝ Sia Essays, &c. by T. Ludlam.”

cellence,