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3. Another, and more mischievous corruption of its genuine doctrines, were the revolutionary notions that began to be entertained of the Kingdom of the Saints, as designed "to smite in pieces and destroy" all subsisting governments, like Daniel's stone," the image," or the four great monarchies that preceded it; which were afterwards carried to such an excess (as we have seen in the foregoing article of the two resurrections) by the Anabaptists of Munster *. This completed the disgrace of the Apocalypse, by the odium which its misinterpretation brought upon the Reformation. This odium was artfully fomented by the advocates of the Church of Rome, in their controversies with the reformed.

To this principally may we attribute the prejudices of Luther himself against it, although it so strongly depictured the abominations of popery, and pointed him out as the third angel of the Reformation, (see Vol. II. page 526.) It was considered, indeed, by several of the reformers, as supporting not merely speculative, but dangerous practical errors. "For the expectation of a kingdom in which pure saints should rule over the unregenerate children of the world, began to excite a spirit of sedition, (as it is very easy for the unruly members of a discontented party to fancy that they themselves are the saints, and their opponents the unregenerate :) and for this very reason, the Augsburg Confession, (Art. XVII. De Reditu Christi ad judicium) condemns the doctrine of the Millennium in express terms." Michaelis IV. p. 542.

4. This prejudice was supported by the objections drawn from the peculiar style of the Apocalypse. Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, in A.D. 247, (whom Michaelis evidently follows) took a middle course between the opposite opinions, either that the Apocalypse was written by John the Apostle, or by Cerinthus; he admitted it to be a divinely inspired work, written, perhaps, by some other John; but he contended that it could not be the Apostle, from the difference of the style between this and his genuine writings, the Gospel and Epistles. And his authority had considerable weight with the Greek Fathers after him: though Origen, his much more learned preceptor, ad

* In addition to the foregoing references, the curious may see their doctrines and practices stated by the judicious Hooker, Preface, p. 47-49, in an excellent abridgment of Guy de Bres, contre l'erreur des Anabaptistes.

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mitted the authenticity of the book, notwithstanding his warm opposition to the doctrine of the Millennium; which is more than a counter-balance to the opinion of Dionysius, Michaelis IV. p. 480-486; especially, if we add "the celebrated names of Jerom and Augustine," who received it after more cautious examination, and appealed, in support of its authenticity, to ancient testimonies, p. 493.

This difference of style is reducible to its alleged solecisms and figurative language, if compared with the simple and more classical style of the Gospel, which Dionysius contended was perfectly pure Greek; going too far on the other side, p. 529,

530.

But these alledged solecisms, or “harsh constructions," are mere Hebraisms, common in the Alexandrine Greek, as we have noticed before, p. 31 of this Volume. Thus año Inσov XplσTOν, ÕμарTνç ὁ πιστος, Rev. i. 5, in classical language would be του μαρτυρος TOU TITOU, the latter genitive being in apposition to the former, but the given construction is perfectly grammatical, ó wv, being understood before the nominative, "from JESUS CHRIST [who is] the faithful witness." The same construction is found in the Alexandrine Sept. όρασις του ενυπνίου αυτου, ὁ αρχιοινοχοος και ὁ αρχισιτοποιος. The vision of his dream [who was] the chief butler and the chief baker," Gen. xl. 5, where the Vatican copy alters the nominatives to genitives, according to classical usage, του αρχιοινοχοου, &c. It is also found in the Gospel: ύμεις φωνειτε με, ὁ διδασκαλος, και, ὁ κύριος. “Ye call me THE TEACHER, and THE LORD; and ye say rightly, for I am," John xiii. 13, which, in classical Greek, would be, rov didaokalov, in apposition with uɛ, the preceding accusative case ; but like the Alexandrine, ov aç, "thou art," is plainly understood before the nominatives, as remarked in a foregoing note, p. 260 of this Volume.

The figurative language of the Apocalypse is admirably explained by Michaelis himself; and we cannot withhold from the reader the pleasure his remarks must give them, (as they have already given us,) in the words of his excellent translator.

"The language of the Apocalypse is both beautiful and sublime, is affecting and animating; and this, not only in the original, but in every, even the worst translation of it. Who can read, if he reads without prejudice, the following address of JESUS to John, sinking to the ground through fear, and not be

affected by the greatness of the thoughts and the expressions : 'Fear not, I am THE FIRST and THE LAST: I am He that was dead, but now liveth: Behold, I am alive for evermorè, Amen, and have the keys of Hades, and of Death,'" i. 17, 18.

"The Apocalypse has something in it which enchants and insensibly inspires the reader with the sublime spirit of the author. When future blessedness is promised (to the righteous), or the New Jerusalem described, a man must be devoid of feeling who is not affected: and when the author denounces 'judgment to the wicked,' and represents the smoke of their torment ascending up for ever and ever, before the throne of GOD and his Angels,' one must be either prejudiced before one reads, or one cannot read without terror.

"A great part of the imagery is borrowed from the ancient Prophets; but the imitation is for the most part more beautiful and more magnificent than the original, which is particularly true of what is borrowed from Ezekiel; and the imagery which is taken from the Theology of the Rabbins, acquires in the Apocalypse a taste and eloquence, of which the Rabbinical writings themselves are wholly destitute.

beauties; but then they For while the author of enchanted ground, and

"St. John's Gospel has likewise its are beauties of a very different kind. the Apocalypse hurries us away to resembles a torrent which carries every thing before it, St. John the Apostle is plainness and gentleness, and is like a clear rivulet which flows without rapidity and violence.—Is it -Is it possible, therefore, that St. John the Apostle, and the author of the Apocalypse, called St. John the Divine, were one and the same person?" p. 533, 534.

Yes, we will reply to this most unequal and provoking critic, whom we must praise and censure in the same breath. Yes, the very difference he stumbles at is the surest proof of the identity of both.

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"John the Apostle" wrote in his proper character, and in his own language; "John the Divine," in the language of inspiration, as THE SPIRIT gave him utterance." Of course, they differ as much as "the language of the Gods and Men" in Homer. And they ought to differ, that the learned might not. idly mistake the Apocalypse for a human composition, the Apostle being only the vehicle of the divine Afflatus, like the Prophet of old,

"Who saw the vision of THE ALMIGHTY,

Entranced, but having his (mental) eyes* open."

And like his "most noble compeer †," so highly favoured with “abundance of visions and revelations of THE LORD," who was rapt into Paradise, and even into the third Heaven, (whether in the body, or out of the body, he knew not, GOD only knew,) and heard unutterable expressions, which it was not allowed for man to speak."

Still we are highly indebted to Michaelis for that candour and fairness of mind, that did not withhold the curious and valuable counter-evidence which his copious stores of general learning supplied; though we cannot but regret, for his own sake, that he did not sufficiently avail himself of that information he has so liberally supplied to others. He had, indeed, more learning than judgment, and too great a deference to authorities of inferior weight.

We shall conclude this article with the valuable testimony of the ancient and learned historian, Sulpitius Severus, A.D. 401.

"During the reign of Domitian, [about A.D. 95,] John, the Apostle and Evangelist, was banished to the Isle of Patmos, where, after hidden mysteries had been revealed to him, he wrote and published his book of the sacred Apocalypse, which is foolishly or wickedly rejected by many." See Lardner, v. p. 164.

From the foregoing critical investigation, we may collect the most probable

CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF PAUL'S EPISTLES.

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So much the rather, THOU CELESTIAL LIGHT,
Shine inward, and the mind through all her powers

Irradiate there, plant eyes, all mists from thence
Purge and disperse; that I may see, and tell

Of things invisible to mortal sight ! ———— Milton.

↑ Par nobile fratrum, the two most highly illuminated mortals that ever appeared on earth, were John and Paul.

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The credibility of the Acts and Epistles may partly be collected from the foregoing enquiry into their authenticity; evincing a remarkable harmony and consistency between them, in a great variety of minute and incidental circumstances scattered throughout, so rarely to be found in miscellaneous historical documents. It will further appear, from the concurring information they afford, collectively, of the history of this period; to which we now proceed, after these preliminary observations.

THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH.

After OUR LORD's ascension, (the particulars of which are recorded, as we have seen in the first chapter of the Acts, 1-11,) the infant community of our Lord's disciples, consisting of the "eleven Apostles," and the seventy disciples, (we may presume,) our Lord's mother, “ Mary," and the rest of the pious women," and the brethren, to the amount of 120 persons, (like the grain of mustard seed,) all persevered, with one consent in prayer and supplication, ver. 12—15..

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MATTHIAS ELECTED APOSTLE.

To supply the vacancy in "the glorious company of the Apostles," occasioned by the defection and death of Judas; “in those days," and probably on the ensuing Lord's day, when they were assembled together for public worship, and might expect the presence of CHRIST, virtually at least, if not visibly, according to his gracious promise, Matt. xxviii. 20, Peter stood

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