4. OF THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE PRI MITIVE CHURCH LAST POWER. CONCERNING THAT Q. WHAT were the expectations of the primitive Christian church, relative to that LAST UNIVERSAL TYRANNY? A. Several of the fathers of the first ages have declared very distinctly their own expectations, and the expectations of the apostolical age, concerning that FINAL POWER; which they believed to be A PERSONAL POWER*, possessed by AN INDIVIDUAL, to whom they all agreed in assigning the appellation of ANTI S. Chrysost. in Danielem, Tom. VI. p. 238. Homil. iii. in 2 Thess. c. ii. Tom. XI. p. 525. THE FRENCH EMPIRE. THE FRENCH EMPIRE. CHRIST. But the order of his succession, and the character of his person and actions, will perhaps be most strikingly collected from the writings of St. Jerom, and St. John Chrysostom. Q. How is the order of his succession described? A. It is thus distinctly described by St. Chrysostom": « When the ROMAN IMPERIAL SUPREMACY (says he) shall " be finally abolished, then THAT POWER "will be come. When THAT SUPREMACY shall be dissolved, then will HE obtrude « himself into the vacancy of EMPIRE, " and will endeavour to usurp to HIMSELF * Η ΑΡΧΗ Η ΡΩΜΑΙΚΗ όταν αρθή εκ μέσω, τοτε ΕΚΕΙΝΟΣ (ΑΝΤΙΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ) ήξει.—όταν ΑΥΤΗ καταλυθη, επιθησεται ΤΗ, ΑΝΑΡΧΙΑ,, και την των ανθρώπων, και την τα θες επιχειρήσει άρπασαι αρχην. ώσπερ γαρ αἱ προ τετε κατελύθησαν βασιλειαι, οἷον ἡ Μηδων ύπο των ΒΑΒΥΛΩΝΙΩΝ, ἡ ΒΑΒΥΛΩΝΙΩΝ ὑπο ΗΕΡΣΩΝ, ἡ ΠΕΡΣΩΝ ύπο ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΩΝ, ἡ ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΩΝ ὑπο ΡΩΜΑΙΩΝ· έτω και 'ΑΥΤΗ ύπο ΤΟΥ ΑΝΤΙΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ, κάκεινος ὑπὸ ΤΟΥ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ, και εκετι καθέξει. Homil. iv. in 2 Thess. c. ii. T. XI. p. 550. "all power in things appertaining both "to men and to GoD*. But, as the "empires which were before HIS time "were each dissolved; that of the Medes. "by the BABYLONIANS, that of the Ba"bylonians by the PERSIANS, that of the "Persians by the MACEDONIANS, and "that of the Macedonians by the RoMANS, so also shall the empire of the "Romans be dissolved by ANTICHRIST; but HE HIMSELF by CHRIST." 66 Q. And how are his personal character and actions described ? A. St. Jerom has collected various traditions respecting him, which had multiplied early in the church. Different opinions seem to have prevailed concerning his origin; a point which appeared to embarrass them; but there was no difference of opinion whatever respecting " Of *See THE NAPOLEON CODE, L. i. Tit. vi. Divorce." Compare Matth. v. 32. xix. 6. Mark, x. 2-12. THE FRENCH EMPIRE. THE FRENCH EMPIRE. his qualities, and personal character. Among those traditions, the following passages appear entitled to our most particular consideration. "I will declare, (says that learned "Father,) what all ecclesiastical writers "have concurred to deliver; namely, that "in the conclusion of the world, at the 66 period when THE KINGDOM of the Ro"MANS is about to be extinguished, the "Roman world will be divided among "ten* (i. e. a plurality of) kings; that an "eleventh (i. e. a last) will then arise, of "little celebrity, but who will subdue. "three of those kings; and they being "overcome, the remainder will bow their "necks to the victorious sovereign†.— “All this ANTICHRIST will accomplish "Quid si numero isto denario UNIVERSITAS REGUM "significata est, post quos ILLE venturus est? That de "cimal number," says St. Augustine, may denote the "whole body of sovereigns, after whom HE is to arise." De Civ. Dei. l. xx. c. 23. §. 1. In Daniel, cap. vii.. "in the end of the world; who will "spring from a small nation*, and will be "so low and unesteemed, that the regal 66 dignity will not be assigned to him, "but he will obtain the sovereignty by "artifice and fraud. The arms of the "Roman people, engaged against him; "will be broken.-He will enter into "the richest cities, and will perform "what neither his father, nor his father's “father, ever performed †.—He will dis"tribute large gifts to those whom he "shall deceive; he will divide out the "earth to his army; and those whom he "could not subdue by force, he will THE FRENCH EMPIRE. "A MODICA GENTE." Jerom subjoins, as his own conjecture, “ id est, de populo Judæorum ;—that is, from "the Jewish people ;" a conjecture readily adopted by the early Christians, in an age in which the unbelieving Jews were beheld with a sentiment of general abhorrence. And in the same manner, the Christians of the Reformation adopted readily the conjecture, which ascribed that prophecy to the Church of Rome. |