will be the greatest space that we can consistently allow to it. But, in the space of twenty or thirty natural days, it is physically impossible, that the kings of the whole Roman world should be formed into a grand confederacy and should march with their armies from Europe into Palestine.

4. The point is finally decided by the accurate and unambiguous specification of the time, about which the latter 1260 days are described as commencing.

The ten-horned wild-beast of Daniel is plainly, as all commentators allow, the Roman Empire. Hence the circumstance of his putting forth ten horns must, agreeably both to the analogy of prophecy and to the explanation of the interpreting angel, denote the rising up of ten kingdoms within the limits of that Empire'. Now the gradual rise of a little horn is described as synchronising with the rise of the ten larger horns or kingdoms. But these ten larger kingdoms arose, as it is well known, in the fifth and sixth centuries, when the Roman Empire was falling asunder in consequence of the attacks of the northern nations. Therefore the little horn, which is represented as springing up

1

Compare Dan. viii. 8. and see Dan. vii, 24.

2 The Romish expositor, Bp. Walmesley, himself allows, that the germination of the ten horns from the head of the Roman beast can only mean the springing up of the ten Gothic kingdoms within the limits of the Roman Empire during the fifth and sixth centuries. Gen. Hist. p. 120.

by stealth behind the ten larger horns, must have been gradually rising in the course of the fifth and sixth centuries; its attainment to complete maturity being somewhat later than that of the other horns. Into the hand of the little horn, thus gradually springing up during that period, the saints, we are told, are delivered for the space of three times and a half or 1260 days: and the dominion, which it exercises over the saints, plainly synchronises with the dominion and influence of whatsoever nature, which it is described as exercising from the very first over its fellows. Therefore the 1260 days cannot have commenced much later than the close of the sixth century, when both the ten larger horns and the synchronical little horn had now started into existence.

Such being the case, even if we should not be able quite positively to fix the precise era of their commencement, we may be absolutely sure that they must have commenced many ages ago. But, if they cannot have commenced much later than the close of the sixth century, and if they be no more than 1260 natural days; then they must likewise have expired many ages ago, that is to

Of this interpretation, now at length admitted by a Romish expositor, the consequence is obvious.

Whatever Power the little horn may symbolise, that Power must have been gradually springing up in the course of the fifth and sixth centuries: because, as the Fathers rightly judged from the very reason of the case, the ten horns and the eleventh little horn are plainly contemporaries.

say, they must have expired not much later than the close of the sixth century: for, if they be natural days, their whole duration will amount to no more than three natural years and a half; whence their expiration must almost immediately have followed their commencement. And, if they have thus expired many ages ago; then the events, which are represented as synchronising with their termination, must long since have occurred. But those events have not even yet occurred: much less therefore (what is quite sufficient for my present purpose) did any such events occur 1260 natural days after the epoch about which the three times and a half must have commenced. Hence it follows, since the three times and a half or the 1260 days must have commenced many ages ago, and since the events which are said to characterise their termination did not occur at the close of 1260 natural days after any supposable point of their commencement: hence, I say, it follows, that the days in question cannot be natural days. But, if they be not natural days; then they must be prophetic days, or years either natural or artificial.

II. The argument has hitherto been conducted chiefly with reference to the Romanists; who, for obvious reasons, maintain, that the latter three times and a half are no more than three literal years and a half1: for Protestant expositors are

Cornel. a Lapid. in loc. Bossuet's Avertism. p. 357. Rutter's Key, p. 306. Walmesley's Gener. Hist. of the Christ.

sufficiently agreed, that they must be years of years; or, in other words, they are sufficiently agreed, that the three times and a half, the 42 months, and the 1260 days, must alike be equivalent to 1260 years.

But here a second question arises. Though it may be abundantly plain, that, in the prophetic style, days mean years; it still may be thought a matter of doubt, what kind of years they mean: whether natural solar years, or artificial years of only 360 days respectively.

The former of these opinions is adopted by Mr. Mede, Sir Isaac Newton, Bishop Newton, and various other commentators on Daniel and the Re

Church, chap. xi. p. 348, 349. Yet so strong is the force of truth, that Bp. Walmesley, even in the identical Work wherein he maintains the 1260 days to be only 1260 natural days, asserts the five months or the 150 days of the apocalyptic locusts to be, not 150 natural days, but 150 natural years; justifying such a mode of exposition, by the ruled case of Daniel's 70 weeks or 490 days, and by the attestation of Ezekiel that in the language of prophecy a day is appointed for a year. Gen. Hist, chap. viii. p. 187, 188. Thus, with marvellous inconsistency, does this Romish commentator, purely to serve the purpose of his own Church, make Daniel and St. John adopt two entirely different modes of reckoning. The apocalyptic 5 months or 150 days are 150 natural years: because Bp. Walmesley inclines to identify the infernal locusts with the satanic Protestants. But the 1260 days of Daniel and St. John are no more than 1260 natural days: because a calculation of them, framed on the Bishop's own calculation of the 150 days and the 490 days, would doubtless be fatal to the cause of Popery.

velation: the latter is preferred by Mr. Fleming and Mr. Marshall and Bishop Lloyd.

1. In favour of the latter opinion, it is argued in manner following.

Since each great prophetic year contains, not 365 years, but only 360 years, as is manifest from the circumstance of three such years and a half containing 1260 prophetic days; the years, which those prophetic days represent, ought to be computed after a similar manner: in which case, the 1260 years, being years consisting of only 360 natural days each, are in reality no more than 1242 solar years, and ought to be estimated as such in all calculations that are made respecting them3.

'Mede's Works, book iii. chap. 10. Sir I. Newton's Observ. on Daniel and the Apoc. p. 114, 305. Bp. Newton's Dissert. on the Proph. diss. xxvi. § III.

2

* Fleming's Apoc. Key, p. 20-22. Marshall's Treatise on the Seventy Weeks, part. ii. chap. 3, 4. p. 198-252.

In absolute strictness, as I have already observed, 1260 years of 360 days each are nearly equivalent to 1241 solar years and 324 days; being 40 days short of 1242 solar years. Mr. Marshall adduces various other arguments to prove, that each prophetic day is equivalent to a year of 360 days: but they appear to me only to shew, that such a mode of reckoning, corrected however by various intercalations, has been employed by several nations of antiquity. I have so fully discussed this point elsewhere, that I do not conceive it necessary, on the present occasion, to enter into the topic more largely than I have done in the text. See Dissert. on Daniel's Seventy Weeks, chap. i. § II. p. 7-48.