The Rife of the Saracen Empire was in five Months, i. e. 150 Days. Since none of these Computations are noted in the Oracles, the Author of them knew nothing of the Revelations. St. John writ the more obfcurely, because he liv'd in the time of the Perfecutions; and it feems more obfcure to the Western Nations, because their Authors never use à fymbolical Expreffion, as the Eaftern do. Collections from the FATHERS, concerning the Return of the Jews, Antichrift, and the Millennium, which they borrow'd from these Oracles. W Hen I had finifh'd my Comment on thefe Prophecies, I thought it neceffary to examin the Opinions of the Fathers of the Chriftian Church, to fhew how far they agreed with the Interpretations I had given, because they made ufe of the Sibylline Oracles, to help 'em to a clearer Defcription of Antichrift, the Return of the Jews, and the last state of the World in the Millennium. And fince they us'd the Sibylline Oracles, as the best Key for the understanding the Revelations, I will here collect what they have writ on thefe Subjects, Poly Polycarp receiv'd fome (or all) Traditions Du Pin's Ecabout the Millennium: He was the Disciple clef. Hift. of St. John, and was by him ordain'd Bishop of Smyrna; after St. John's decease, an. 101, in the second of Trajan, he was Head of the Churches in Afia; he convers'd with all the Apostles, and died 167. Papias was the Disciple of St. John, and a Eufeb. Eccl. Companion of Polycarp, and a Bishop; he Hift. lib. 3. wrote five Books concerning the Explication of the Sayings of our Saviour, with this folemn Profeflion: Non pigebit nos tibi omnia que quondam à Presbyteris didicimus,& bene retinemus, recordantes exponere, cum interpretationibus fuis: neq; enim multa dicentibus, fed vera tradentibus aufcultavimus; neque his qui hominum præcepta, fed qui Domini mandata memorabant, ab ipsâ veritate fufcepta. After this Profeffion, who can disbelieve him? Do not all believe what he writes of St. Mark, That he wrote his Gospel in the order he heard it from St. Peter, and not in that order in which things were done and fpoken? And we also believe what he fays of St. Matthew, That his Gospel was writ in Hebrew. These things Eufebius himfelf believ'd, tho' he condemns Papias's Opinion about the Millennium, and for that calls him a weak Man, because he did not explain the Millennium in a myftical fenfe, as Eufebius did: But this Opinion was approv'd by Juftin Martyr, Irenaus, Tertullian, &c. and the fame is plainly declar'd in the Sibylline 1 " hylline Oracles, which Eufebius believ'd to be true Prophecies. Eufebius only differ'd from Papias in his Myftical Millennium, and by that was prejudic'd against him, or against Cerinthus, who was a little older than Papias, and had corrupted the Tradition by faying, that Paradife would abound with all Voluptuoufness, he himself being given to Luft and Gluttony. Justin Martyr Justin believ'd according to the Opinion Dialog. of the Primitive Chriftians, that the Juft, after their Refurrection, fhall remain for a thousand Years in the City of Jerufalem, where they fhall enjoy all lawful Pleafures. He writ his Apology ann. 150, whilst Prophecies continued in the Church; and he fays the Apocalypfe was writ by St. John. He must be at that time well acquainted with the Churches Tradition about it, and her Interpretation of it in that Age. The way of inftructing by Symbols and Allegories was very ancient, not only amongst the Jews, but the Eastern Philofophers, and this occafion'd the obfcure fuperftitious way of interpreting Scripture allegorically in the firft Ages of the Church. The Primitive Writers abound in Allegories, finding out Myfteries in every Word, and feldom would follow the literal fenfe: And as it is now, fo it was in those Ages; fome took the Millenninm in a literal fenfe, as fuftin, Irenaus, Tertullian, Lactantius, and the Sibyls alfo agree with a literal fense: but others thought themfelves oblig'd to fol. follow the Mode of their Times, and took ni ficut mille anni. They alfo describe the He obferves the prohibition of reading Justin's Apothe Prophetic Books of the Sibyls, and of logy, Hyftafpis, was made thro' the Malice of the Devil, to hinder Men from following their Admonitions against Idolatry; but Juftin advises all to read 'em, from whence most of the true Religion may be learnt; and he defcribes the Sibyl's Cave at Cuma. He mentions the Opinion of Plato, that the Cumaan Sibyl prophesied of many great things truly; the Gentiles, and Justin fays, the Sibyl has defcrib'd the Advent of our Saviour in exprefs words. He advises the Gentiles to believe the Sibyls, and tells 'em, that we cannot know God, but by the Revelation of his Prophets. To thefe Oracles fuftin appeals against the Gre Juftin's Ad monition to cian Idolatry, and Ariftotle mentions the old Sibyl as well as Plato, who defcrib'd the Creation and one God. Juftin fays, That he that will speak impious Blafphemies against the Most High is now ready to come, who (as Daniel says) must continue a time, and times, and half a time: but the Jews ignorantly expound this for Three hundred and fifty Years. Justin calls Antichrift Στις σίας άνθρωπG,ξαλλα λάλων against the Most High, and he shall commit av against the Christians. Thefe Collections I made out of Irenæus, concerning Antichrift. 1.A Ntichrift fhall be a Servant, and make himself a King unjustly, con trary to Law. ́ 2. As an Apoftate, he fhall be very wicked, a Manflayer, a Thief, and he fhall promote a Diabolical Apoftafie; he fhall deftroy the Gentile Idols, and fet up himself as an Idol or falfe God, that by him Men nay ferve the Devil: he is call'd the Son of Perdition, the Man of Sin, who fhall, as the Apoftle fays, extol himself above all that is call'd God, or worship'd; and he shall fit in the Temple of God at Jerufalem, fhewing himself as God: In quo adverfarius fedebit, tentans femet ipfum Chriftum oftendere. Antichrift must not appear till after the ten Kings, and he is the little Horn in Da |