Church. From the time even that Satan was forced to retreat from the Roman Empire into Perfia, the Christian Religion made rapid progrefs in all the provinces of that Empire, and ftretched gradually into many countries beyond them; till at laft its growth became ftupendous, and the Church fhone, like a bright Sun, over the moft part of the known world. Let it be here also observed, that, notwithstanding the imprisonment of Satan, prince of the bad Angels, we must not conclude that all the Devil's power was then fuperfeded. Many of his chief fubjects were probably fhut up with him, but many alfo, though of inferior power, were permitted to remain on earth to tempt mankind and to exercise their virtue.

St. John proceeds,

V. 4. And I faw feats: and they fat upon them, and judgment was given unto them, and the fouls of them that were beheaded for the teftimony of Jefus, and for the word of God, and who had not adored the Beaft, nor his image, nor received his character on their foreheads, or in their hands, and they lived and reigned with Chrift a thousand years.

V. 5. The rest of the dead lived not*, till the thoufand years were finifbed. This is the firft refurrection. St. John fees feats given to the fouls of those who had been beheaded or fuffered martyrdom for the tef timony they had given to Jefus and to his holy Religion, and for the word of God, or for the obfervance of the Law of God. Seats are alfo given to those, who had not adored the beast, nor his image, that is, who had not given into Idolatry or Herefy, fee page 43: likewife to thofe, who had not received the beafts character on their foreheads or in their hands, that is, who did not bear any particular mark or office appertaining to Idolaters or Heretics, nor ufed any contrivance to make themselves pass for fuch. For it muft be observed that, in the heat of perfecution, many Chriftians,

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*In the Greek text, revived not.

Christians, to shelter themselves, would bafely buy from the Heathen Magiftrates certificates of their having facrificed to idols, when they had not done it; others would eat of the meats that had been offered to idols: others delivered up the holy Scriptures, &c. St. John fees the fouls of all the abovementioned faithful and courageous Chriftians feated in dignity, and allowed power of judging; which means that they fit as judges with Chrift by a participation of his power which he gracioufly communicates to them, according to his promife: To him that fhall overcome, I will give to fit with me in my throne, Apoc. iii. 21. And they lived and reigned with Chrift a thousand years, that is, their fouls immediately on leaving their bodies were admitted to heavenly blifs, and reign with Chrift for a thousand years, or for that period of time which is counted from their departure out of this world to the general judgment, when their bodies will be reunited to them. And this admiffion of their fouls into glory without their bodies is called the firft Refurrection. But the fouls of the others, who were guilty of any of the above-named crimes, lived not the life of the beforementioned happy fouls, but were condemned to hellflames, which is the firft death. Nor will they revive or recover life, till the thousand years be finished at the general Refurrection, when they will indeed be drawn for a moment out of the infernal pit and be reunited to their bodies, but to be replunged together into eternal damnation, which is the fecond death. In like manner, when at the laft day the bodies of the just are made partners with their fouls in blifs, that may be termed the second refurrection.

-We fee here inculcated that known maxim of the Chriftian religion; that the fouls of the juft who die in the Lord, enter into heavenly glory, though their bodies do not participate of it till after the general refurrection: and the fame holds with regard to the punishment of the fouls of the wicked.

V. 6. Bleffed and holy is he that hath part in the first refurrection. In thefe the fecond death hath no power: but they shall be priests of God and of Chrift: and fall reign with him a thousand years.

Here all thofe are pronounced bleffed and holy, who have part in the first refurrection, or whose fouls are admitted to bliss after their decease, because in them the fecond death hath no power, that is, because they are in no danger of damnation or fecond death at the laft judgment. Their fouls from the moment of their admiffion into heaven become priests of God and of Chrift, by being impowered to offer before the throne of God and Chrift their pure facrifices of homage, praise and thanksgiving, and will reign with him, God and Chrift, for a thousand years, that is, as St. Austin fays, "for all the years to the end of the world," De Civit. xx. 7.; at which time their bodies will be joined with them in the fame beatitude.

From the above paffages of the Apocalypfe mifunderstood, fome ancients inferred that the Saints will rife again to life a thousand years before the reft of mankind, and in their souls and bodies will reign with Chrift upon earth during that space of time in the enjoyment of all lawful fenfual pleafures. This opinion is called the Millenarian Syftem; which, instead of having any foundation in the prefent text, is refuted by it. For St. John here fpeaks of the happiness of the Souls only, of those who were beheaded, &c. without hinting the leaft at the ftate of their bodies. Whence it appears, that by the firfl Refurrection the Apoftle understands the glory of Heaven, into which the juft enter after their death, and which they will enjoy for a thousand years, that is, during the whole courfe of time to the general Refurrection. Befides, the notion of two refurrections of the flesh, or of body and foul, is fully difproved by our Saviour's words: The hour cometh, wherein all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of

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the

the Son of God, and they that have done good things, fhall come forth unto the refurrection of life; but they that have done evil, unto the refurrection of judgment, John. v. 28, 29. Here Chrift expreffes very clearly but one general Refurrection of the Good and the Wicked together. Hence it is no wonder, that the Millenarian opinion fell early into difrepute, and has been long exploded. But as fome moderns have endeavoured to revive it, it may be worth while to read the following brief account of its original rife, progrefs, and decline, in the learned D. Calmet's Comment on this chapter of the Apocalypfe.

"The fyftem of the Millenarians owes it's origin "to the Jews. They expected to reign a thousand years with the Meffiah on earth, as appears from "the fourth book of Efdras, and from the works of "fome of their most famous Rabbins, as Maimoni"des and Manaffe-Ben-Ifrael. But he that gave "the greatest credit to that opinion, was Papias, a difciple of St. John the Evangelist and companion "of St. Polycarp. He pretended to have received "the Millenarian doctrine from the Apoftles and their difciples. Upon this affertion it was adopted by St. Irenæus, St. Juftin Martyr, Tertullian, Victorinus, Lactantius, and feveral others; while it was on the other hand impugned by others from "the first ages of the Church. And certainly what "Eufebius remarks of the character of Papias, ought' "to be fufficient to difcredit his authority. He was "a man of very moderate understanding, who for "want of comprehending what he heard from the Apostles, took literally what was faid in a mystical "fenfe. St. Dionyfius of Alexandria in the third century exprefly refuted one Nepos, who had composed a book in defence of the Millenarian "opinion. And Caius, a Prieft of the Church of "Rome in the second century, calls it a fable in. "vented by Cerinthus. Origen alfo rejects it in

" feveral

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"several places of his works.-In fine, we may "conclude with a very able man, M. du Pin, Differt. fur les Millenaires, who has fully difcuf"fed the question, that the Millenarian fentiment " is contrary to the Gospel, to the doctrine of St. Paul, and is not at all founded in the Apocalypfe." To conclude this part of our present hiftory; the Reader may remark, that the events, which took their rife in the first age of the Church, have been here carried on in a continued feries, because connected, far beyond the period of that age, which terminates about the year 320. And in general it must be observed, that the tranfactions relating to the Church are not confined within the compass of that age which gives them birth and which they serve to characterize, but continue and extend into the fubfequent ages.

CHA P. IV.

The Hiftory of the Second Age of the Chriftian Church. The Opening of the Second Seal.

APOC. Chap. VI. v. 3. And when he had opened the Second Seal, I heard, fays St. John, the fecond living creature, faying: come, and fee:

V. 4. And there went out another horse, that was red: and to him that fat thereon, it was given that he fhould take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another, and a great fword was given to him.

Here is announced the Herefy of Arianifm, the rife of which opens the Second Age of the Church, about the year 320.

;

He who fits on the horse is the Herefiarch Arius and his horfe is red, or according to the Greek expreffion, of a fiery colour, agreeing with the character of Herefy, which always kindles a flame of difcord and violence. To him, the Rider, it was given that he should take peace from the earth, and that they fbould kill one another. Conftantine the Great had

procured