fufficient to evidence divine forefight in the predictions to which they agree, and fufficient to determine their meaning. They can be proved, according to the most uncontested rules of interpretation, to agree really and peculiarly to the feducing Romish power, which through fo many ages governed, in religious matters, the divided weftern empire, and governs a very great part of it ftill; and the things foretold and fulfilled are beyond the reach of human fagacity and of chance.

V. To obviate objections from the things that feem moft obfcure in the predictions in view, it is proper to obferve the following things.

1. When there are expreflions in any writing, which, taken feparately, are obfcure; if these very expreffions are explained and interpreted in that very writing itself, fo as to determine their scope and meaning, fuch interpretation may be faid to remove the obfcurity, and to render the complex writing plain, clear, and convincing, to the impartial and attentive inquirer.

2. Though an interpretation fhould leave fome parts obfcure, it is very confiftent with this, that other parts may be made fo clear as to determine, in a very convincing manner, what event, or feries of events, the complex prophetic defcription relates to. Unless this is allowed, it will follow, that if any one part of a book is obfcure, no part of it can be plain and clear; and that if in any hiftorical defcription, fuppofe of any or of all the univerfal monarchies, fome parts are dark, the cleareft parts cannot determine which of the monarchies the complex defcription is meant of. If it would be abfurd to argue on fuch a principle in other cafes, it must be very unreasonable partiality to found objections on it in the prefent cafe.

VI. Let me now apply thefe remarks to the fubject of the prefent inquiry.

1. It is of particular importance to obferve as to

feveral

feveral predictions on the fubject in view, (fuch as Daniel, chap. ii. vii. & viii. and Rev. xvii.), that they evidently consist of two diftinct parts; vilion, and fubfequent interpretation; the latter of which is intended to remove, at leaft in a great meafure, the obfcurity that otherwife would be in the former; which is done in a particular manner by explaining prophetic figures and emblems. Thus the great beafts in the vifions are interpreted to fignify great kingdoms, or, in the limited but ufual fenfe of the word, univerfal empires, as in the prophetic ftyle they are exprefsly faid to fubdue and rule all nations. Different horns belonging to fuch beats are interpreted to be different leffer kingdoms of which thofe great empires have confifted, or into which at their downfall they have been divided. It is made exceedingly evident in the predictions themfelves, that any number, either of beafts or of horns, does not reprefent merely fo many individual fovereign rulers, but fo many different forts or fucceffions of fuch rulers; as is evident from what is faid of the four horns of the third or Greek empire, and the ten belonging to the fourth or Roman empire; which laft are reprefented as continuing to the time of the univerfal fpreading of the Mefliah's kingdom. Even as to that one horn of the third or Greek empire, which is called a great and notable horn between the beaft's eyes, and interpreted to be the first king, (Dan. viii. 5. & 21.), an illuftrious interpreter justly obferves, that it reprefents, not one individual, but a fucceffion of three fovereigns, preceding the divifion of that empire; namely, Alexander, and his fon, and brother. And whereas what is reprefented in Dan. viii. by four horns belonging to that empire, is reprefented in chap. vii. by four heads, this fhews, that that emblem likewife is not restricted to fo many individuals, but may re

Newton.

prefent

is

present fo many fucceffions, or fo many forts of fovereigns. Not only the names of beafts, and of heads or horns belonging to them, but alfo the names of kings, is taken for different kinds of rulers, or different fucceffions. Thus Dan. vii. 17. the four beafts are called four kings; and, y 24. the ten horns, ten kings; and chap. viii. 21. after that it is faid, that the rough goat is the king of Grecia, the king in the fingular number; the very next words fhew, that it is not an individual but a fucceffion that is meant; for it is added, the great horn the firft king. The things in the vifion in the 2d chapter, relating to the feet and toes of the image, are interpreted in the plaineft expreffions, that the fourth kingdom fhould be divided, chap. ii. 21. There would be no fmall obfcurity in one of the expreffions, relating to the duration of the eleventh horn, or the most remarkable horn of the fourth beast, viz. time, times, and an half, if no interpretation of fuch words were contained in other fcriptures treating of the fame fubject; but it is amazing in how many places, mutually throwing light on one another, interpretations of thefe words are contained; as has been evident in part already, (but will be more fo hereafter); befides that there' is a plain character given of the duration of that feducing power, as reaching from the downfall and divifion of the fourth or Roman empire down towards the times of the univerfal eftablishment of Chrift's kingdom.

As in books that treat of the most demonstrative fciences, or fciences that admit of the greatest certainty, there are peculiar terms of art that must feem obfcure to a learner, till that obfcurity is removed, by definitions; and in fuch cafes it would be abfurd to make the obfcurity that needed to be thus removed, an objection against the certainty or clearnefs of fubfequent proofs and demonftrations: fo, in the prefent cafe, feeing emblems and symbols

that

that would be otherwife of themselves obfcure, are fo exprefsly defined, and that in fuch a variety of paffages relating to the fame fubject, fuch emblems do not hinder reafonings and proofs relating to the meaning of the predictions from being clear and convincing.

One thing in the explications of emblems feems to deferve very particular attention; it is, that the interpretations annexed to the prophetic vifions, not only determine the different beafts to reprefent different great empires, but that they show, in the plainest terms, and in the most express manner, that the first represents the Babylonian empire, and the second and third the empires of the Medes and Persians, and of the Grecians. Which is one important instance how much the evidence in the 7th chapter is ftrengthened by the predictions in the 2d and the 8th, Dan. ii. 38. viii. 20. 21. When the fecond and third emblems are fo clearly declared to represent the Medo-Perfian and Greek empires, it was in a manner fuperfluous to add, that the fourth represents the Roman, this being fo evidently implied.

2. Befides the explications of emblems, various other things fhow, that the obfcurity in the predictions in view is far from being fuch as fome apprehend. How many expreffions are there, that must be understood in the moft literal meaning, and fo need no definition or explication! How clearly is it told, that the fourth empire fhould be divided, and that the chief events pointed at fhould happen after that divifion, as the ftone was to fill the earth after fmiting the image upon his feet! How clearly is it told, and how ftrongly inculcated, not only that the fourth kingdom fhould be diverse from the reft, but also that the eleventh horn fhould be diverfe from the other horns! Dan. ii. 41. 34. 35. chap. vii. 7. 23. 24. There is the like clearness in the expreffions about the crimes charged on that horn,

C c

horn, and on the reft, as inexcufably involving themselves in his guilt, and complying with his purposes.

3. It adds a great deal to the ftrength of the evidence in view, that the fame fubject, the fame feries of characters and events, is fo oft repeated in various lights, and fo much inculcated in various parallel predictions, reciprocally illuftrating and confirming one another, with a harmony like that of the four evangelifts, coinciding in fo many things, as fhew, that they all treat of the fame fubject in the main; while the additional peculiarities of each contribute to make the complex defcription to be gathered from the whole the more particular, full, and circumftantial, and confequently the proof of the true meaning the more convincing. It is a very obfervable inftance that we have of this harmony, in the different views given of the conftituent parts of the third and fourth empires, in their divided state, by four wings, heads, and horns, belonging to the third, and ten toes, and as many horns, belonging to the fourth.

4. But as it is agreeable to the rules of just reafoning in other cafes, to make ufe of facts and events otherwife known, as a key to the more obfcure parts of hiftorical defcriptions, to which prophetic ones have fo obvious and manifeft affinity, it will further confirm the greatnefs of the evidence in the predictions under confideration, if we attend to fome principal properties of the fubjects and events they treat of. Thefe are fo far from being either inconfiderable in their own nature, or uncertain and obfcure, like many traditions handed down from the fabulous ages, as they are called, by records of that character, that they are among the most important and uncontested facts, facts of the greatest notoriety in the hiftory of the world. All this may be juftly affirmed of fuch things as the four great monarchies, which no fifth one has yet, in all refpects,