French power," for France (says he), so far from "being guilty of religious persecution, has been

26

distinguished for giving liberty of conscience."

Without inquiring into the liberty of conscience conceded by the tyrant of France and Christendom, I shall beg leave to observe, that persecution is not necessarily to be restricted to the sense in which the author chooses here to assume it; but, if not otherwise limited, is entitled to be understood in its genuine and comprehensive sense. Persecution —persecutio, dis-signifies properly, persevering cruelty and oppression in general. The word is understood by the ancient Christian writers to signify vexatio, afflictio. When Herod first persecuted the infant church, it is said that he vexed the church. The vexation was the persecution, independently of the hostility in the mind of Herod to the Christian faith. A persevering cruelty and oppression is a true persecution; the Christian world, subjected to such a persevering oppression, is truly persecuted. In that sense we find the

d

word used in our version of the Scriptures*; and we have only to inquire, whether the Christian churches of every denomination have been subjected by France, for many years past, to a persevering cruelty and oppression, such as is without a parallel in history, in order to determine, whether the French domination (which the author acknowledges to be "a rod of iron,") has or has not been distinguishably a persecuting power over those churches; although not avowedly on account of their religious persuasions, which the author arbitrarily makes essential to the persecution foreshown in the Prophecy. The Prophecy, however, says nothing of persecution, only that this power" shall "make war with the saints and prevail against them, " and wear them out; and shall think to change "times and laws." "But," says the author of 'The Dissertation,' 9 66 none are molested or persecuted by "the French power as saints, or because of their "religious persuasion." Neither does the Prophecy

See Psalm x. 2, and passim.

say that they should be persecuted as saints, (or for being Christians); but only, that the saints (i. e. Christians*) should be assailed by war, and overcome, and worn out, by the last power, who would attempt to introduce a total change in established customs and institutions. And who will deny that this predicted character is marvellously descriptive of the new Empire of France, and of no other power? Thus, then, I am unable to discover any force whatever in any one of these three special objections which are advanced so confidently by this writer, in proof that the French power cannot be the power designed by the symbol of "the small horn."

. Subsequently, however, to the date of his Strictures, the author has been constrained to add a Postscript, in which he says: " Since the following 68 pages were written, and even since they went to "the press, the state of things on the Continent "has undergone a great change; and many sen"sible persons seem now to be of opinion, that the

*Ephes. i. 1. Phil. i. 1. Col. i. 2.

"military power of Buonaparte, and of revolu ❝tionary France, is at an end. If the expecta❝tions of these persons should be realized, it will

66

prove that I have entirely erred in some of the "conjectures hazarded by me, with respect to the "probable course of future events." This is a very candid declaration; but it compels me, in justice to my own argument, to observe, that if the power of France be now in course of declension, the inferences which I have drawn, with respect to the true character of the present times in relation to the prophetic signals, will be the more strongly confirmed. I do not adventure, like the author of

"to

The Dissertation, to hazard any conjectures "with respect to the probable course of future " events;" and for the reasons which I have already assigned in "The Christian's Survey," I only pretend to distinguish, generally, by aid of the lights which are held forth to us, that the symbols show us to be approached very near to the end. And I

Part iii. sect. 2. p. 190. 2d Ed.

therefore cannot but wonder at the boldness, I might say the imprudence, with which this author risks the authority of his judgment, when he says; ' "Notwithstanding present appearances, I do not "hesitate to avow my own opinion, that the power "of the last secular head of the Roman Empire, "which is now identified with the French Empire, "is to be broken, not in Europe, but in Palestine.” The French Empire, so self-entitled, can in no respect be legitimately regarded as an head of Roman Empire; but only as a part, or member, of that Empire, which (as was expressly forcshown,) has rapidly and suddenly exalted itself above its head, and arrogated to itself, for a short space of time, a supremacy and exorbitancy of power and dignity. As to its being broken "in Palestine," I must regard that opinion as one of the many fond visions, which have been generated from a misapprehension of the figurative language of the Prophecies.

"I now come (says the author of The Disser