respecting the great Antichrist foretold by St. John and Daniel. p. 275. 2. The best mode of ascertaining the force of Mr. Rutter's present objection is to throw it into the form of a regular syllogism. p. 276. · (1.) It rests wholly upon the gratuitous assumption, that the Church of Rome is EXCLUSIVELY the Catholic Church of Christ. p. 276. (2.) Mr. Rutter's attempt to perplex the question by the (3.) He does not perceive that his objection recoils upon DISSERT. V. Respecting various points at issue between the Romanists and the Protestants, which bear upon the interpretation of prophecy, P. 294. THERE HERE are several points at issue between the Romanists and the Protestants, besides the proper mode of computing the 1260 days. p. 294. I. Romish objection against protestant commentators drawn from their mutual discrepancy. p. 294. 1. They differ not with regard to the great outlines of prophetic interpretation. p. 295. 2. The objection, such as it is, manifestly recoils against popish commentators. p. 298. 3. Its obvious utility to the Jews against Christians in gene ral. p. 299. 4. Were the real fact stated to the Popish laity, no argument could have been framed upon it. P. 302. II. A discussion of the character of the apocalyptic harlot, as set forth by Popish writers. p. 302. 1. Argument from history. Rome pagan was never burned with fire by the northern warriors. p. 95. 2. Argument from the Bible. The apocalyptic Babylon,' when once subverted, is never to rise again. p. 307. III. A discussion of Mr. Rutter's opinion, that an expositor, who has once acknowledged himself mistaken on any single point, is never afterwards worthy of the least credit on other points. p. 209. 1. A perfect expositor cannot reasonably be expected. p. 310. 2. As little can such an expositor be expected from the declaration of Daniel respecting the mode in which his prophecies will be interpreted. p. 312. 3. Mr. Rutter's inversion of the expository telescope. p. 314. IV. A discussion of Mr. Rutter's opinion, that the orthodoxy of the Romish Church is proved by the success of her missionaries among the pagans. p. 316. V. A discussion of Mr. Rutter's asseveration, that, if the only true Church of Christ be not the Catholic Church, it is impossible to discover any Church which answers to Daniel's description of standing for ever. p. 320. 1. In this asseveration, he falls into the old paralogism of gratuitously identifying the Romish Church and the Catholic Church. p. 321. 2. The absurdity of his attack on the Church of England, wherein he contends that she can claim no higher antiquity than the reign of Henry VIII. p. 324. VI. A discussion of Mr. Rutter's allegorical spiritualization of the two Hebrew kingdoms: wherein he makes Judah a type of the Romish Church, and Israel a type of all heretics and schismatics whether Greeks or Protestants. p. 331. 1. The consequences, which flow from Mr. Rutter's as to Judah. p. 332. system 2. The 2. The consequences, which flow from his system as to Israel. p. 336. 3. Mr. Rutter's own mode of managing his system. p. 343. 4. A statement of the genuine sense, in which we are to un derstand those Scriptures that represent Israel and Jerusalem as a joint type of the Catholic Church of (1.) The condition of ancient Israel. p. 34.5. (2.) The condition of the Christian Church, as foretold by prophecy, and as attested by history. p. 346. VII. A discussion of the golden rule of St. Vincent of Lerius, as advocated and recommended by Mr. Rutter. p. 355. 1. The real import of the protestant doctrine, that the revealed word of God is the SOLE rule of faith. p. 356. 2. The principle, on which Protestants employ a body of men to expound the Bible to the people, notwithstanding their maintenance of this doctrine. p. 359. 3. The principle, on which the Church of England requires subscription to her Articles and Homilies, notwith standing her members maintain the doctrine in question. p. 366. 4. The case of those, who refuse subscription. p. 373. DISSERT. VI. Respecting the scriptural use of the word Mystery. p. 376. SECT. I. 1 On the general use of the word Mystery in Holy Scripture. p. 376. THE idea, conveyed to the early gentile converts by the scriptural use of the word Mystery, must have been that of the ancient pagan Mysteries. p. 376. I. An account of the pagan Mysteries. p. 379. 1. The doctrine taught in them relative to the great father. p. 380. 2. The speculations of the old theologists were scenically exhibited in the shews of the Mysteries. p. 382. 3. The door of initiation. p. 382. 4. The doctrine taught in the Mysteries relative to the great mother. p. 383. 5. The endless succession of similar worlds and divine genea, logies. p. 383. 6. The mimic labours of the aspirants. p. 384. 7. Peculiar phraseology of the Mysteries. p. 385. 8. The penances undergone during initiation. p. 386. 9. The hierophant. p. 386. 10. The origination of the Mysteries. p. 387. II. Allusive use of the word Mystery in Scripture. p. 389. 1. Whence it was, that Christ came to use the term or to allude to the thing. p. 391. (1.) Passages, in which he uses the term. p. 394. (2.) Passages, in which he alludes to the thing. p. 396. 2. The use of the term, or the allusion to the thing, in the writings of St. Paul. p. 404. (1.) Passages, in which he uses the term. p. 404. (2.) Passages, in which he alludes to the thing. p. 412. p. 414. III. Opinion of the fathers, respecting the scriptural use of the word Mystery and the phraseology connected with it. p. 416. 1. Julius Firmicus. p. 416. 2. Origen. p. 417. 3. Lactantius. p. 418. 4. Tertullian. p. 418. 5. Clemens Alexandrinus. p. 419. SECT. SECT. II. On the use of the word Mystery, with a special reference to the text which speaks of the Mystery of godliness, as directly establishing the true doctrine of our Lord's nature. p. 426. A SPECIAL discussion of the text, which speaks of the Mystery of godliness. p. 426. I. The Epistle, which contains it, is addressed to Timothy the bishop of the Ephesians. p. 427. 1. Respecting the superstition which prevailed at Ephesus. p. 427. 1 2. The evidence, that there is a designed allusion to the pagan Mysteries in the first Epistle to Timothy. p. 430. (1.) Mystic tales and endless genealogies. p. 430. (4.) Their blasphemy. p. 434. (5.) The faithful discourse of a Christian hierophant. p. 437. (6.) Those which are without. p. 438. (7.) Allusions to the paganizing heresy, which then infested the Church. p. 439. II. The Mystery of godliness and its context. p. 441. 1. The house of God. p. 442. 2. The pillar and the firm foundation. p. 443, (1.) The pillar. p. 443. (2.) The firm foundation. p. 445. 3. The Mystery of godliness. p. 446. III. The particular point of doctrine, which St. Paul wished to illustrate in this text by his studied allusion to the pagan Mysteries. p. 446. |