2. THE FRENCH EMPIRE IS NOT A FIFTH

EMPIRE.

Q. You said, that the empires of BABYLON, PERSIA, MACEDON, and ROME, were expressly and distinctly declared by DIVINE PROPHECY to be the four LAST empires upon earth, which should ever arise. to exercise dominion in the CHURCHES of GOD; does not your present statement tend directly to contradict that declaration? and is not the newly erected EMPIRE OF FRANCE, which now exercises so despotic and unequivocal a dominion in the Christian church, a FIFTH EMPIRE?

A. No; certainly not, in that sense in which those four empires were represented in prophecy, and were also in

ΤΗΣ FRENCH

EMPIRE.

THE

FRENCH

EMPIRE.

effect, FOUR separate, and substantially distinct, BODIES of EMPIRE.

Q. How does that difference appear? A. It plainly appears, upon comparing the Prophetical Figure with the Historical Fact.

Q. Explain yourself more particularly upon this point. And first, What is the Historical Fact?

A. The HISTORICAL FACT is this; that the chief power in each of those four empires was substantially distinct from, and extraneous to, the empire which it supplanted, and had never formed any part of that empire. Thus, the Persian power had never been comprehended in the empire of Babylon, nor the Macedonian power in that of Persia, nor the Roman power in that of Macedon; but each of those powers supplanted the empire to which it succeeded, by an entry from without.

Q. And is the case different with respect to the French power?

THE

A. Yes, most essentially different. FRENCH FRANCE, OF GAUL, was the chief pro- EMPIRE. vince of the Roman empire; it was always comprehended in, and had ever constituted an integral part of, that IMPERIAL BODY. The POWER of FRANCE, therefore, which has now so suddenly risen up into supreme dominion in the Christian church, although it assumes the title of EMPIRE, can only be regarded as a prominent part, or member of the LAST BODY of EMPIRE, that of ROME, and, as it were, growing upon it, and out of it; and not as a distinct and extraneous power, as the chief powers of all the four great empires were distinct from, and extraneous to, each other.

Q. How far are we authorized to admit the distinction which you here point out?

A. Certainly as far as the same distinction is conspicuous in, and essential to, the Prophetical Figure, which was contrived for no other purpose than to foreshow and define the future fact.

THE

FRENCH
EMPIRE.

Q. What was the Prophetical Figure? A. The PROPHETICAL FIGURE represented those four empires under the symbols of four different animals, which arose in regular succession on the earth. Upon the head of the fourth and last of these, representing the fourth or Roman empire, there appeared a small or newly-budded HORN, which suddenly sprang up, the last of all, among several other ancient elongated horns, or symbols of power; and rapidly advanced itself, even during its smallness or infancy, into supreme and paramount authority: "speaking great things, wear"ing a look more stout than his fellows, "and thinking to change times and "laws." This last, new HORN, manifestly foretokened A POWER which should arise in the last age of the last empire, and which should obtain dominion over all its contemporary powers; and so far should acquire pretensions

*Daniel, vii. 8, 20, 25.

to the eminence of Empire. But yet, be-ing at the same time only a member, or integral part, of that LAST EMPIRE, it should not be represented as constituting of itself a FIFTH separate and independent Empire. Now, since a new POWER has just risen up in EUROPE, amidst the ancient surrounding powers, in this the last age of the ROMAN or last empire; that is to say, in coincidence with the final abolition of THE IMPERIAL ROMAN NAME; it is impossible not to perceive, that the relation which THIS NEW POWER bears to the ANCIENT BODY of the ROMAN EMPIRE, corresponds exactly to that which it was foreshown, in the prophetical figure, would eventually subsist, between the last empire of the earth, and the last great power of that last empire; and, consequently, that this NEW POWER cannot, consistently with the rule adopted in the prophecy, be regarded as a FIFTH empire.

THE FRENCH

EMPIRE.