the histories of the two little horns; a needless perplexity and confusion. A chronological prophecy is, from its very nature, absolutely incapable of a double accomplishment. The series of events, which such a prophecy foretelis, succeed each other in the same regular order as when subsequently detailed in history: hence it is obviously impossible, that any particular link in the chain should be what Mr. Kett terms a double link.* If the abomination of desolation, predicted in the present prophecy, relate to the sacking of Jerusalem by the Romans, (and that it does, cannot be doubted) every thing, that is mentioned after it, must necessarily be posterior to that event; and, as such, can have no primary relation, as Mr. Kett supposes, to the times of the Maccabees and Antiochus Epiphanes. On the same grounds, we may safely venture to assert, that it is utterly incompatible with the nature of a professedly historico-chronological proph ecy, that the king, predicted in Daniel's last vision, should be not only the Papacy, but a double type of Antichrist, either Infidel or Mohammedan, likewise.† Each link in a chain of historicul predictions must be referred to one corresponding event, and only one; each of the little horns therefore, and the king who was to exalt himself above every god, must be understood as respectively symbolizing a single power. I have already endeavoured to prove, that the two horns were designed by the spirit of God to typify the Papal and Mohammedan apostacies: I shall now attempt to ascertain what state is predicted under the character of the king.

* Hist. the Interp. Vol. i. p. 363.

I cannot find, that Mr. Kett any where attempts to sherv, that the king is a double type of Antichrist. He dwells strongly upon his being the Pope; but he advances the idea of his being likewise a double type, rather as a random conjecture, than as a fact which he designed to prove. (See Vol. i. p. 368, 374, and Vol. ii. p. 301, 302.) Accordingly, in the table of contents to his second volume, he speaks of the king as being solely the papal power; of the little born of the he-goat, as being solely the Mohammedan power; and of the little born of the fourth beast, as being solely the Infidel power. I should be sorry to appear captious in these remarks upon Mr. Kett's work, which contains some very valuable and important matter: but I certainly am not conscious, that I have wilfully at least misrepresented the sentiments of its respectable author. An attentive perusal of his treatise, many times repeated, induces me to hope that I have not mistaken his meaning: and, in order that the reader may be able satisfactorily to follow me in my observations, I have carefully given him accurate references to the third edition of that work. The bane of Mr. Kett's interpretation of the prophecies of Daniel is his scheme of primary, secondary, and even ultimate, accomplishments of one and the same chronological prediction

I. The same chronological series of events, which shewed us, I had almost said to demonstration, that this formidable power cannot be either Popery or Mohammedism, will lead us, in these last days, to point out with considerable precision the state intended by it. We have seen, that we are to look for the rise of this impious tyrant after the reformation: and, unless I be much mistaken in the preceding remarks upon the numbers of Daniel and St. John, we are now removed but little more than sixty years from the end of the great period of the 1260 prophetic days: consequently it is but reasonable to conclude, that we are now living, not merely in the latter times, but in the last times. Existing facts amply tend to prove, that this conjecture is but too well founded. The superstition of the latter days is now supported, rather from motives of policy, than of religion. The distinguishing feature of the present age is certainly not that of giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of tutelary saints; of speaking religious lies in pious hypocrisy; of forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats; of attending to old wives' fables, and bodily mortifications; of worshipping idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and wood; and of voluntary humiliation in the worship of angels. All these mummeries of the latter days are indeed still in existence, and will continue to be so to the end of the 1260 years but they no longer, as formerly, constitute the distinguishing feature of the age. It is an equally evident truth, that the impieties of the last times have for some years been the most prominent characteristic of the present period. Perilous times are come: men are now professedly lovers of their own selves; insatiably covetous of the territories of their neighbours; boasters, proud, blasphemers; disobedient even by system to their par

I mean the conjecture, that we are living in the last days. This is proved by existing facts, whether the year 606 be the proper date of the 1260 years, or not.

† Such, I doubt not, will be the case with the king's holy war at the time of the end. Religion will be the pretext; hence his union with the false prophet: but the real cause will be the crooked policy of an insatiable ambition.

The command to love one's parents is more the work of education than of nature." Barruel.

ents; unthankful, unholy, without natural affection truce-breakers, false accusers,† incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good; traitors, heady, high-minded; lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof creeping into houses, and leading captive silly women; § led away with divers lusts; ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth;|| resisters of the truth; men of corrupt minds; reprobate concerning the faith; scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? willingly ignorant of the tremendous catastrophè of the deluge;

* One of the grand doctrines of modern philosophy is, that to a certain abstract idea, a sort of remote political good, all the feelings of natural affection are without scruple to be sacrificed.

†The public papers, which teem with the lying accusations of the French against all whom they cannot subdue, particularly England, are a sufficient proof of the accuracy of this part of the description.

See the initiatory discourse of the president of the Illuminati. (Barruel, Vol. iii. p. 164. and Kett, Vol. ii. p. 178.) " Jesus Christ, our grand and ever celebrated master, appeared in an age when corruption was universal-He supported his doctrines by an innocent life, and sealed them with his blood." So much for their form of godliness. "All ideas of justice and injustice, of virtue and vice, of glory and infamy, are purely arbitrary, and dependent on custom-conscience and remorse are nothing but the foresight of those physical penalties to which crimes expose us. The man, who is above the law, can commit without remorse the dishonest act that may serve his purpose-The fear of God, so far from being the beginning of wisdom, would be the beginning of folly-Modesty is only an invention of refined voluptuousness-Virtue and honesty, with regard to individuals, is no more than the habit of actions personally advantageous; and self-interest is the sole scale, by which the actions of men can be measured. Sublime virtue, and enlightened wisdom, are only the fruits of those passions called folly." So much for their power of godliness.

S" There is no way," says the miscreant that founded the diabolical sect of the IIluminati, "of influencing men so powerfully as by means of the women. These should therefore be our chief study. We should insinuate ourselves into their good opinion, give them hints of emancipation from the tyranny of public opinion, and of standing up for themselves. It will be an immense relief to their enslaved minds to be freed from any one bond of restraint; and it will fire them the more, and cause them to work for us with zeal, without knowing that they do so." There was moreover another very weighty reason with that son of perdition for thus labouring to lead captive silly women : This association might serve to gratify those brethren, who had a turn for sensual pleasure."

See the various conflicting opinions of those wretched mock philosophers, Hume, Shaftesbury, Bolingbroke, Voltaire, Rousseau, and Frederick of Prussia. Kett, Vol. ü. p. 146, 147, 148, 149.

"We cannot know, whether a God really exists, or whether there is the smallest difference between good and evil, or vice and virtue-The immortality of the soul, so far from stimulating man to the practice of virtue, is nothing but a barbarous, desperate, fatal tenet-Jesus Christ, the son of the true God, was an impostor-Crush the wretch-Human reason is the only supreme God." Barruel passim.

**For this purpose the bowels of the earth were industriously ransacked by the pupils of Voltaire; and various geological systems, rivalling each other in laborious

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denying the Lord that bought them: inducing many to follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of; walking after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness; despising government; presumptuous, self willed, not afraid to speak evil of dignities; having eyes full of adultery; beguiling unstable souls; speaking great swelling words of vanity; alluring, through the lusts of the flesh, those that were cleanescaped from the error of the papal Apostacy;* promising them liberty, while they themselves are the servants of corruption; denying both the Father and the Son ;† mockers; blasphemers of the name of God. Such principles as these existed indeed in the very days of the Apostles even then the spirit of Antichrist was in the world; and his pernicious maxims were concealed in the bosom of the Church. Both St. Peter and St. Jude complain, that men, tainted with atheism and the vain pretensions of a spurious liberty, had insinuated themselves into the primitive feasts of charity, and were labouring to lead weak brethren astray. Antichrist however was not to be revealed, in all his undisguised horrors, till the last days; till there bad first been a great Apostacy, till the reign of superstition was nearly over.

At the head of this long and black catalogue of the peculiar vices of the last times, we may justly place atheism and infidelity: or, as St. John expresses it when speaking of Antichrist, a denial both of the Father and of the Son for, as a belief, that "God both is, and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him," is the root of all religion; so atheism and infidelity are equally the root of all irreligion, and of every kind of profligacy of manners. We have seen, that the regular series of events

absurdity, were published for the perversion both of old and young. A few, and but very few, heathen nations have been involuntarily ignorant of the flood; but these conceited pretenders to science were willingly so. It is almost superfluous to observe, that scoffing and ribaldry, instead of calm and temperate discussion, have been the favourite arms of modern philosophers. For this it is not difficult to assign a cause. Sober reasoning has always espoused the cause of revelation: but every fool can make a mock at sin; every fool can say, both in bis beart, and with his tongue, there is no God. • The once protestant countries of Holland and Switzerland were main agents in propagating those pernicious lies, which have now pulled down swift ruin upon their own heads.

+"The Supreme Being, the God of philosophers, Jews, and Christians, is but a chimera and a phantom-Jesus Christ is an impostor." Barruel.

leads us to place the king, mentioned by Daniel, after the reformation and we have likewise seen what sins have been predicted to be most prevalent in the last days: we have only therefore to study the character of this king, and to compare his deeds with the above-recited vices, in order to determine whether we are to look for his manifestation, not only after the reformation, but in that period of the 1260 years which is peculiarly distinguished by the title of the last times.

"And a king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every God, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that, that is determined, shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor (him who is) the desire of women, nor regard any God: for he shall magnify himself above them all. Yet, when he is established (in power,) he shall honour tutelary gods together with a god; even, together with a god whom his fathers knew not, shall he honour them with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and desirable things: and he shall practise (prosperously.) Unto the upholders of his tutelary gods, together with the foreign god whom he shall acknowledge, he shall multiply glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for a price."

No person can compare the character of this king with the vices of the last times, and not be convinced that they are closely connected together. Like the Antichrist of St. John, he was to be a professed atheist : and, as such, was to speak marvellous things against the God of gods, to disregard the God of his fathers or immediate predecessors, to pay as little respect to that illustrious character who was the desire of women, and in short to pay no regard to any god. Like the scoffers of the last days, he was to be heady and high-minded: for he was to magnify himself above all. And, like the mocking blasphemers of the name of God, he was to deny the Lord that bought him, and contemptuously ask, Where is the promise of his coming? In fine, he was not to be revealed till after the period of the Reformation, till the