subdivided. It shows that the Antichrist was to come, after these four portions of Alexander's empire should have ceased to be independent kingdoms-that is, after they should have been absorbed into the Roman empire, which is Daniel's fourth beast. The prophecy, therefore, relating to the he-goat, or Macedonian empire, as far as it regards the little horn, or the Antichrist, is substantially the same as the other prophecy, relating to the Roman beast. The one proves especially the locality of the little horn, or the Antichrist, to be within the geographical limits of what constituted Alexander's empire; the other fixes the period of his coming. The one says that Antichrist was to appear in the east ; the other declares that he was to appear after the overthrow of the Roman empire, and its subsequent division into ten kingdoms. Protestant commentators generally agree with us in the explanation of the passage of Daniel, but they deny the identity of the little horn of the Macedonian he-goat with that of the Roman beast. Anxious to apply to the Pope what is said of the latter, they strain every nerve in order to prove that this is totally distinct from the former. We answer them in the words of our most respected friend, Mr. Ambrose Phillipps, as follows: maintaining this theory in opposition to ours, which asserts the identity of the two little horns, Protestants seem to forget that the Roman beast must represent the whole Roman empire, and not alone the western half of it; that the empire of the Macedonian he-goat had already become a portion of the Roman empire, and, consequently, in looking for the ten horns, into which the Roman empire was to be subdivided, that we

"In

must look for them not only in the western half, but in the eastern portion also of this same Roman empire; and, consequently, that when the prophet speaks of the little horn that rose up amongst the ten other horns of the Roman empire, it is altogether arbitrary and unreasonable to say that we are to look for this little horn only within the precincts of the western empire, and that he is not to be expected within the precinct of the eastern half of the Roman beast. If so, then, how comes it that the prophet, in describing what Protestants gratuitously assume to be the western little horn, makes no mention whatever of that other little horn, which they themselves cannot deny was destined to arise in the east out of the precincts of the Macedonian he-goat? How comes it, I say, that the prophet tells us of only one, instead of two little horns, issuing out of the Roman beast, if the Protestant theory be correct, that there really were two such horns? Assuredly, no satisfactory answer can be given to this question on the Protestant theory; whereas on our theory, the answer is simple and obvious, because there was but one such little horn, and, therefore, but one is described as issuing out of the Roman beast. The prophecy of the eighth chapter had already prepared us to expect and to conclude this; for, when the angel explained to Daniel the time of the coming of the little horn, which he had seen issuing out of the Macedonian he-goat, he expressly assured him that it would be after the reign of the four kingdoms of the Macedonian he-goat-that is, after they ceased to be independent kingdoms, and after they had been absorbed within the limits of the Roman beast. All Protestants, as far as

I know, admit that the little horn of the Macedonian he-goat did, in point of fact, not appear until after the breaking-up of the Roman empire. I therefore conclude, peremptorily, that the little horn described by the prophet, as issuing out of the Roman beast, is the little horn of the Macedonian he-goat; consequently, that the Roman little horn is to be looked for within the precincts of the eastern, not the western, Roman empirethat is, in other words, within the geographical limits of the domains of the Macedonian hegoat." 1

Another remarkable prediction of Daniel, concerning the Antichrist and his wicked kingdom, is contained in the latter part of the eleventh chapter of his prophecy. The angel, from the first to the thirty-sixth verse, declares to Daniel many things concerning the Persian and Grecian kings. After this the angel at once proceeds to the subject of the Antichrist, saying: "And the king shall do according to his will, and he shall be lifted up and shall magnify himself against every god; and he shall speak great things against the God of gods, and shall prosper, till the wrath be accomplished; for the determination is made. And he shall make no account of the God of his fathers, and he shall follow the lust of women, and he shall not regard any gods; for he shall rise up against all things. But he shall worship the God Maozim in his place; and a God whom his fathers knew not, he shall worship with gold and silver, and precious stones, and things of great price." That this prediction concerns the Antichrist, besides intrinsic evidence, we have the authority of the ancient writers, who declare it to be so. St. Je

I Mahometanism in its relation to Prophecy, chap. ii.

rome writes thus: "Porphyry interprets those things that are here said till the end of the chapter of Antiochus, surnamed the Epiphanes. But our people believe all those things to be predicted of the Antichrist, who is to come in the latter time." And again: "From this place (the 36th verse) the Jews think that the prediction concerns the Antichrist, and we also believe the same." And here let it be remembered, that what the prophet says of the Antichrist, that he "will be lifted up and shall magnify himself against every god, and he shall speak great things against the God of gods," perfectly agrees with the description which the same prophet has already given of the same person in the seventh and eighth chapters. For in the seventh chapter he says: "That he shall become mighty, and shall speak words against the High One, and shall crush the saints of the Most High." And in the eighth chapter he declares, that "his power shall be strengthened, he shall lay all things waste, he shall destroy the mighty, and the people of the saints. He shall rise up against the Prince of princes."

The prophet adds, that the Antichrist shall prosper until the wrath be accomplished. This means that the Antichrist will be allowed to prosper until the anger of God, justly enkindled against his people for their crimes, shall be appeased. But when the time of God's vengeance shall have expired, then also the time for Antichrist's prosperity shall end, and he shall be broken down and entirely overthrown by the power of the Most High.

1 St. Hier. in Dan. xi. 21.

2 Ibid. xi. 36.

SECTION II.

Predictions of St. Paul.

A most remarkable prediction concerning the Antichrist and his wicked kingdom is contained. in the second Epistle of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, where the Apostle writes as follows: "And we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of our gathering together unto Him, that you be not easily moved from your sense, nor be terrified, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by epistle, as sent from us, as if the day of the Lord were at hand: for (the day of the Lord shall not come), unless there come a revolt first, and the Man of Sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and is lifted up above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself as if he were God. Remember you not that when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now you know what withholdeth, that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity already worketh; only that he who now holdeth does hold, until he be taken out of the way. And then that wicked one shall be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus shall kill with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: him, whose coming is according to the working of Satan, in all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and in all seduction of iniquity to them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Therefore God shall send them the operation of error to believe a lie."1

The object of the Apostle in writing to the

1 2 Thess. ii.

C