bishop of Rome as PRIMATE, and as the last tribunal of appeal from the other bishops. A decree from the Emperor Valentinian III. acknowledged the same thing in A. D. 445. In A. D. 534, Justinian, the Greek emperor, passed an edict constituting the bishop of Rome head of all the churches. Another event occurred in 439, from which its rise might be dated. In 606 a similar circumstance occurred; and the last period has been the one from which commentators have usually dated its rise. But another edict came forth in 755. I think there are more probabilities for one of these periods than for another; and I trust God will give me and the reader power to have our eyes upon the whole field, every part of it, till the Savior may come; but to fix with certainty upon which point to reckon is perhaps impossible. for common Christians; nay, perhaps for any one, unless especially endowed by the Holy Spirit. This God may give to some one, or more; it is probable he may-perhaps has; but from mere reasoning, doubt, I think, must remain. Similar difficulties surround several of the prophecies of the Old Testament-the "seventy years captivity"-the sojourn of the Israelites of 400 or 430 years. And from these I deduce the general lawnot universal-that we may determine, within a given circle, an event must come; but the exact period can only be known when it is fulfilled. We may know it is nigh us, even at

our doors, but the exact period lies hidden from us.

From all that has been said in the above, I conclude the true ground for the church to occupy upon the all-absorbing point is, that the event is at hand, even at our doors; but from the law above stated, it will be difficult, and probably impossible, to fix upon the exact period when it will arrive. I think we have already, considering the state of chronology-the fallibility of man— -more than entered the circle where probabilities of the event strengthen. The shadows of eternity are about us-the church from her chaotic state has struck soundings, and soon the waters will have assuaged, and she will go forth into a new world. Looking upon the whole field, I judge the world has not assurance of an hour's safety. Although the church need "not be in darkness, that that day should overtake her unawares," yet as a snare, and as the breaking of a thunderbolt from heaven, will it come upon all the world. What a motive to the church of God to labor for the salvation of souls! What a motive to a minister of Jesus! What a motive to the perishing sinner! Up, sinner, in the name of the Lord, for he will assuredly destroy this place. The Lord have mercy upon thee, and give to us each a shelter in that terrible day! In my next I hope to give some evidence that the event is nigh at hand.

Portland, Me., Jan., 1842.

G. F. COX.

[No.. VII.]

I PROPOSE, in the present article, to throw out some indications that the millennium, with all its heavenly glory, is at hand, even at our doors.

1. I think it indicated, and rendered at least probable, by an ancient tradition of the church in conjunction with the chronology of the Bible; or that the last may be made to harmonize with such an idea. The tradition is, that at the close of six thousand years from the creation of the world, the great or endless sabbath of God's people would commence. The tradition is so common, I need not refer to authority. It was built upon the fact, that God was six days in creating the world, but RESTED on the sabbath, and upon the supposition that his work in creation was an epitome of his work in providence, or the moral world; and that a day stood for a thousand years. And it is a little remarkable that St. Paul, when speaking of the future rest of the people of God, in his epistle to the Hebrews, uses the term sabbath: "there remaineth, therefore, a SABBATH to the people of God."

Chronology, I know, has been deemed uncertain-and it is conceded that difficulties exist of no ordinary character-but take what is known, and which we have inspira

See Note at the end of the chapter.

tion for, and astronomical calculations, and then the event is shadowed out as nighnigh enough to startle both the church and the world, as though on its last verge. In that view of the case, I am writing not only upon the sixth day of the week, in the world's history, but I write near its evening; when its sun, enlarging as it declines, is just above its last horizon.

The following chronology has, without doubt, its difficulties, but I have less objection to it than to any other.

time Noah left the ark, 1656 1 27 1656

From the beginning of

Solomon's reign to the

captivity of Jehoiakim, 411

From Jehoiakim's captivity, third year of

3 3558

his reign, to Belshazzar's death,

Now, by the undoubted canon of Ptolemy, and the famous era of Nabonassar, which commenced B. C. 747, the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus is fixed in the Julian period 4256.* And the present year, 1842, is in the Julian period 6555. The next year, of course, will be the Julian period 6556, which will make just 2300 years to have passed since Artaxerxes. Add these two sums together, that we have given, namely, 3700 to Artaxerxes, and 2300 since, and we have 6000 years since the creation. If this be true, we are, indeed, upon the eve of the great sabbath. But, says an objector, are you sure that chronology is right? But what if it is not right? Can you tell which way the error lies? And if not, you gain nothing, whereas my point is gained. If there is anything in the type of creation, the great sabbath is near-even at our doors-if not as near as this calculation would make it appear; and if wrong, it is as likely to expire this week, or this year, as it is a century to come.

* See Furguson's Astronomy, and Ency. Amer.