Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1866 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER I. WHETHEE BABYLON IN THE APOCALYPSE IS THE CITY OP EOME. The subject of our Inquiry is;-- "Whether the Prophecies in the Apocalypse1, or Revelation of St. John, respecting Babylon, concern Rome as she now is ? This Question divides itself into two parts; First; Do these prophecies concern the City in which the Bishop of Rome holds his See ? Secondly; Do they concern that City in her spiritual as well as her temporal character; that is, do they concern her as a Chubch, as well as a City ? and as exercising power, not merely at Rome and in Italy, but in many other. countries, and over many other nations, of the world ? Let us begin with the consideration of the former of these two questions, Do these prophecies concern the City Op Rome ? 1. First, these Apocalyptic prophecies, which describe the Woman who is called Babylon, and is seated on the Beast with seven heads and ten horns, do not concern the older, literal, Assyrian, Babylon. The 1 Chapters ziii. xiv. xvi. xvii. xviii. xix. B inscription on the Woman's forehead is Mystery *; indicating a spiritual meaning. This word had been used by St. John's brother Apostle St. Paul, in his description of the Mystery of Iniquity, opposed to the Mystery of Godliness': and St. John adopts the word from St. Paul, and appears to apply it to the same object as that which had been pourtrayed by that Apostle *. Again, the Babylon of the Apocalypse is described as a City existing and reigning in St. John's age5; but the literal, or Assyrian, Babylon had long ceased to be a reigning city when St. John wrote. Therefore the Babylon of the Apocalypse cannot be the literal or Assyrian Babylon. 2. What, then, is the City of which St. John speaks ? It is called by him a Gbeat City e, and it is one...