DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT, ss. 1 (L. S.) BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the third day of Nov ber, in the forty-third year of the independence of the United State America, Cooke and Hale, of the said district, have deposited in office the title of a Book, the right whereof they claim as proprie in the words following, to wit:-" Sketches of Universal Hist Sacred and Profane, from the Creation of the World, to the year of the Christian Era: in three parts, with an Appendix, and a C nological table of contents. By Frederick Butler, A. M. author of Catechetical Compend of General History," in conformity to the of the Congress of the United States, entitled, "An act for the couragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the t therein mentioned." R. I. INGERSOLL, Clerk of the District of Connectic A true copy of Record, examined and sealed by me, R. I. INGERSOLL, Clerk of the District of Connectic PREFACE. TO shew that one supreme, omnipotent, eternal God created the universe, that his superintending provideuce preserves and governs all things; that his wisdom regulates and controls all events; that the smallest as well as the largest are equally the objects of his care; that "not a sparrow falleth to the ground without his notice, and even the hairs of our heads are all numbered," is the great object of this work-but more particularly of the first part To accomplish this object with the most forcible demonstration, I have shewn the great designs of God in the government of men, by unfolding a succession of prophecies, by which he announced a grand succession of events, from the fall of man down to this day, and to the end of the world To enforce conviction, I have recorded a narrative of the most important events which have fulfilled these prophecies, in regular succession, from the first promise of God to Adam, down to this day, as they stand recorded by the most approved historians. In this narrative it clearly appears, that all the historians, through all ages of the world. have done no more than record the will and government of God, as predicted by his inspired prophets, hundreds and thousands of years before they were accomplished. To render the design of this narrative as clear and forcible as possible, I have not only confined it to those nations who were the immediate subjects of the prophecies, but to such parts of their history, as immediately regard the accomplishment of these great events. That part of the history of the four great empires, noticed in the great image of Nebuchadnezzar, and Daniel's four beasts, as regards their governments, laws, manners and customs, together with a sketch of the history of the other great kingdoms and empires, not immediately connected with the prophecies, I have noticed separately, by way of Appendix All prophecy was given by inspiration of God, and all ancient prophecy through the prophets of the ancient Jewish Church, which sprang from the family of Abraham, and regarded those nations only, which were connected with the Jewish history. This was all that was necessary,-both in its extent and duration-to shew that the government of God is both universal and eternal. The history of the other great nations is of importance to be known and studied, as ancient monuments of wisdom, virtue, patience, fortitude, industry, arts and arms→→ and their systems and maxims of government, have proved useful and important models to after ages; have led to the improvements of the age in which we live, and to the perfection of that well balanced system of government which we enjoy. The luxury and corruptions which followed all the great conquests; the prostration of the virtues by those very corruptions, and the general licentiousness which followed in their train, together with factions, discord, weakness and ruin, which ever closed the political scene, ought to serve as so many beacons, to guide us, and all after ages in the way of wisdom, virtue, and duty, and to guard us against the calamities of licentious ambition, which have invariably proved their ruin. The economy of the governments of the Assyrian. Chaldean, Median and Persian Monarchies, are very partially known to us-they were not only absolute monarchies, but from the rude and barbarous ages in which they were founded, we have reason to conclude their systems were very limited, and that the whole depended very much upоn the will of the king, with this exception, that the king could not change even his own will when once it became a law. The union of all these kingdoms stood upon the same basis, under the Medo-Persian Empire. This system was sufficient to protect a rising state, whilst virtue ruled, but had no powers to save a nation when sinking under licentiousness and corrupt ambi tion All the renowned wisdom of the philosophers and legislators of Greece and Rome could do no more, with all their boasted systems of liberty. They in their turn all fell a prey to licentious ambition The kingdom of Egypt, with all the boasted wisdom and virtue of her ancient institutions, fell a prey to all-conquering lust and ambition. As we trace this great subject through the two succeeding parts of this work shall find that all the kingdoms of Europe are under the same condemnation, toge with the Turkish Empire, whose broad basis stands upon the ruins of all the an states and empires. How far that true balance of power, which constitutes the basis of the English American governments, may be able to control ambition, licentiousness and co tion, and preserve the governments and liberties of the nations; remains to be t by experience. In the first part of this work I have endeavored to shew the happy and prosp state of the Jews under their theocracy, and that their wretchedness commenced their kingly government, in connection with their false religion. I have endea to illustrate the character of the Grecian and Roman Republics, and shew corrupt religion and a want of the true balance of power in the third estate i government opened the way for factions, which proved their ruin. In the second part, I have endeavoured to shew how the overbearing ambiti the Roman empire proved its own ruin, and how the distresses she had inflicted other nations recoiled back upon herself, until luxury and refinement were swall up and lost in ignorance and barbarism-also. what struggles men had to endu rise out of barbarism into a state of civil refinement, In the pursuit of this subject I have endeavoured to shew how much the happ and misery of men depend upon individual character, and have illustrated this characters of Alfred the great, contrasted with William I.-styled the conquero Edward III. contrasted with Edward IV.; Queen Elizabeth and Queen Ann, trasted with James II. and Charles I. and II. and in this way have shewn how land emerged from the Feudal system, and acquired the supremacy of the thre tates in her government-the excellency of this government I have endeavour shew, in the wonderful display of wisdom, order, happiness, peace aud prosper the American Republic. In the third part I have endeavoured to shew the character of the republics o land and of France, and to render it plain and intelligible, that republics witho balance of power in the three estates, soon become the nurseries of factions, and the licentiousness of liberty cherishes the strife of party, until some idol chief the people of their rights, and becomes their despot. I have drawn at full length the characters of Charles XII. and Bonaparte, to trate the more strikingly the worth of the character of Peter the Great of Russi Frederick the Great of Prussia, and Alexander the Great of Russia-but more i diately the true worth of Washington. It has been my first object through the whole work to shew the influence and tance of religion-to contrast the pure religion of the Jews with the idolatry o ages in which they maintained the purity of their church To contrast particu the religion of Christ and his Apostles, with the religion of the Popes and Maho and to shew that Martin Luther was the angel of the gospel for the age in whic lived, and will continue to be the angel of the gospel until the millennial day, thr the medium of the heralds of the cross in the protestant cause. As this work is designed immediately for the use of schools, instructors may themselves of the chronological table of contents to frame questions for examina instruction by lectures upon the maps, or otherwise. Wethersfield, Conn Oct. 15, 1818. SKETCHES OF UNIVERSAL HISTORY. PART FIRST, PROM THE CREATION, TO THE SUBVERSION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, 1450. CHAP. I. History-its divisions and use-from the creation to the flood -from the flood to the Building of Nineveh and Babylon. HISTORY is the great medium by which we are enabled to perpetuate the occurrence of events-and through which we may take a retrospective view of those that are past. : It may be divided into four great parts, history before the flood, termed antediluvian, history since the flood termed postdiluvian history from the flood to Christ, termed ancient, and since Christ, termed modern history. All that is written by the immediate inspiration of God, is termed sacred; such is the history of the bible: all other history comes under the general denomination of profane. It furnishes a vast field of moral and religious instruction, and is designed to amuse the imagination, improve the understanding, correct the judgment, and mend the heart by leading us up to God, as the great author, preserver and governor of all things. That which first claims our attention, in the annals of time, |