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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 5

Testimony of Gibbon

Testimony of Gibbon,

"In treating of the causes which operated the rapid progress of the gospel in the first two hundred years of our era, the historian of the 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,' thus expresses himself with reference to the great subject matter of the Apocalypse. 'The ancient and popular doctrine of the Millennium,' says Gibbon, 'was intimately connected with the second coming of Christ. As the work of creation had been finished in six days, their duration, in their present state, according to a tradition which was attributed to the prophet Elijah, was fixed to six thousand years. By the same analogy it was inferred that this long period of labour and contention, which was now almost elapsed (as they supposed), would be succeeded by a joyful sabbath of a thousand years, and that Christ, with the triumphant band of the saints and the elect who had escaped death, or who had been miraculously revived, would reign upon earth until the time appointed for the last and general resurrection. So pleasing was this hope to the minds of believers that the New Jerusalem, the seat of this blissful kingdom, was quickly page 29 adorned with all the gayest colours of the imagination. A. felicity consisting only of pure and spiritual pleasure would have appeared too refined for its inhabitants, who were still supposed to possess their human nature and senses. A garden, of Eden, with the amusements of pastoral life, was no longer suited to the advanced state of society which prevailed under the Roman Empire. A city was therefore erected of gold and previous stones, and a supernatural plenty of corn and wire was bestowed on the adjacent territory, in the free enjoyment of whose spontaneous productions the happy and benevolent people was never to be restrained by any jealous laws of exclusive property. The assurance of such a millennium was carefully inculcated by a succession of fathers from Justyn Martyr and Irenaeus, who conversed with the immediate disciples of the Apostles, down to Lactantius, who was preceptor to the son of Constantino. Though it might not be universally received, it appears to have been the reigning sentiment e/f the orthodox believers; and it seems so well adapted to the desires and apprehensions of mankind that it must have contributed in a very considerable degree to the progress of the Christian faith. But when the edifice of the church was almost completed, the temporary support was kid aside. The doctrine of Christ's reign upon earth was at first treated as a profound allegory, was considered by degrees as a doubtful and useless opinion, and was at length rejected as the absurd invention of heresy and fantieism. A my sterious prophecy (the Apocalypse) which still forms a part of the sacred canon, but which was thought to favour the exptoded sentiment, has very narrowly escaped the proscription of the Church.'

"This is the impartial testimony of a man who was well acquainted with the literature of the times contemporary with, and immediately succeeding those of the Apostles, and who conceived that the propagators of Christianity were deceived, and of such low morality that they did not hesitate to invent and promulgate lies to gain their ends. This was doubtless the case with the Babel builders of what Gibbon calls `the church,' hut it is a groas calumny when insinuated against those 'servants of God' to whom the Apocalypse was 'Sent.' Gibbon's testimony, however, is important and useful in this—

"1. That it proves that the nearer we approach to the times of the Apostles, the stronger and more universal was the belief of the Apocalyptic teaching concerning the millennium, and reign of Christ and the saints upon earth.

"2. That it was well adapted to the desires and apprehensions of mankind.

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"3. That so long as it continued the reigning sentiment the faith rapidly progressed.

"4. That when the edifice erecting by the sons of Balaam and Jezebel was almost completed, the doctrine of Christ's reign began to be abandoned.

"5. That when, they had completed the Apostasy the doctrine was repudiated as heresy and fanaticism, and"

"6. That the Apocalypse itself had a narrow escape of being expelled from the canon of inspiration.

"But here we beg leave to remark that the doctrine of Messiah's reign with the saints on earth for a long stason did not originale with the Apocalypse. It is the burden of all the prophets from Moses to Malachi. Moses teaches Chat the seed of Abraham shall be a great nation; that nation with Abraham and his seed, the prophet like to him, shall possess the Holy Land for ever; that all nations shall he blessed in them, and that the whole earth shall be full of Jehovah's glory. This is the future state which Moses preached as the gospel to Israel, nor was the preaching confined to him. The pioclamation was amplified in all the prophets. The songs of Jehovah are full of it. Isaiah announced it in glowing terms., and tells us in vision that he saw the King upon his throne, who is to reign in righteousness on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem in the presence of his ancients or saints, whose death shall be swallowed up in victory.—Isaiah vi. 1–5; xxxii. 1; xxiv. 23; xxv. 8. Jeremiah testifies to the same effect, telling us that Jehovah will raise up to David a righteous branch, that this man shall be King of Israel, reigning and prospering and executing judgment and justice in the earth; that In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel and Jerusalem shall dwell safely; that He shall be for the righteousness of the nation; that then Jerusalem shall be called the throne of Jehovah; that all nations shall be concentred to it as the throne of empire, and that they shall all be enlightened and blessed in their king, who shall be called the God of the whole Earth.—Jerem. iii. 17; xxiii. 5, 6; xxxiii. 15. Isaiah liv. 5."—"Eureka," by Dr John Thomas. Vol. i. pp. 41, 42, 43.