has been left to thofe fons of atheism and confufion, the French philofophifts, to form fuch a monstrous republic; and, in order to answer their wicked pur. pofes, to inftitute "two horns," or executive departments in their two fupreme Committees of Safety. And it has been left to them, in the course of divine Providence, to give to the world, by this groffeft of all political abfurdities, an inconteftable proof of prophecy, which they blasphemously deny.

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Ver. 11. continued." And the beaft had "two horns like a lamb," &c.

The reader will here remark, that it is not faid, that these horns were to be "the horns," or the real horns of a lamb, which are inoffenfive, and ufed only when it is injured; but that they fhould be like, that is, in appearance and pretence only, the horns of a lamb. They were to be, according to the literal fenfe of the metaphorical expreffion, horns, with a falfe appearance at firft in their inftitution, but not intended to carry that inoffenfive appearance into effect. A more accurate figure to meet the fecret defign of the appointment, and the after-conduct of the two Committees, could not have been devised by human ingenuity. For Robefpierre, that demon of anarchy and mifchief, perfuaded that he could more eafily arrive at the fummit of defpotism, in two Committees of his own creatures, than in a legislative body, confifting of upwards of a thousand members, got that measure effected. The pretence was, that the commonwealth was in danger; and therefore these extraordinary guardians were vefted with abfolute power, legiflative, as well as executive, to remove that danger. The other fupreme powers of. the state were thus fufpended, and indeed deftroyed; and thus, in firict verification of the prophecy, "the "beaft," or the republic, had "two horns," or two

Committees

Committees, by which alone it was governed. And thefe two Committees, whether we confider their names, Committees of Safety, or the profeffed but false design of their inftitution, the care of the common weal, were "like the horns of a lamb."

Ver. 11. continued-" And he (the beaft) Spake as a dragon."

Here we are told that the beaft with "two horns" shall throw off his lamblike appearance, the care and fafety of the nation, and affume the real nature of a dragon; a beaft, which, from all antiquity, has been conceived to be the moft cruel, ferocious, and powerful of all animals. A wonderful change from the appearance of perfect innocence, to the reality of every thing cruel and destructive! a change therefore not to be expected: yet this very fact ftands clearly fulfilled by the republic, in its two-horned ftate. No fooner had this change been effected, than all the privileges of the people by the former conftitution, even thofe of liberty, equality, and fovereignty, were taken from them, never more to be poffeffed; and all the qualities conceived to exift in the "dragon" were fubftituted, and enforced,

To conform this prophetic refemblance of the French republic to a "dragon," we muft confider the nature and qualities afcribed to that animal. The idea entertained of it from remote antiquity, is that of "a ferpent, of a prodigious size, of a monstrous fhape, fuperior in ftrength to all other beafts, and as having two wings." 1. Republican France has fhown her refemblance to a ferpent, in her cunning, numerous frauds, and fair prouifes of conferring on the people the rights of liberty, equality, and fovereignty; none of which has the fuffered them to enjoy. 2. She is a republic of prodigious fize, greater by far than any other ever yet known upon

4

the

the earth. All the ancient as well as modern democracies or republics, have confifted only of a few affociated people; but the people of France are more numerous than thofe of any other ftate in the world, the Chinese only excepted. 3. She is a republic, monftrous in the form of her conftitution, which has been established on principles unnatural, and fubverfive of the end of civil fociety; contrary to those of all political inftitutions hitherto known. Indeed, her form is as monftrous as that of a man with his head where his feet, and his feet where his head fhould be; for her fovereign power is placed in the people, who are to be governed by it. And lastly, The is a republic accurately defcribed by "a beaft "with two wings;" a figure to denote the impetuo fity and rapidity of her actions, both civil and military. In like manner, Daniel foretels the exploits of Alexander, the hero and founder of the Grecian empire, by a leopard with four wings *, to prefigure the extent and rapidity of his conquefts. St. John alfo, in the book I am treating oft, defcribes pagan and imperial Rome by the type of a great red dragon, to point out its bloody and rapid perfecutions of the church of Chrift. So here the fame prophet prefigures the power typified under the fimilitude of a beaft, by the fame winged animal; and with which the actions and exploits of the republic, correfpond with wonderful accuracy. They have been fudden, impe tuous, and rapid in the greateft degree. The dethronement of the monarch, the abolition of all the titles, and rights of the ancient nobility, the exile and extirpation of the clergy, the depreffion of all religion, the establishment of atheism, &c. &c. &c. in the civil line, were all done, as it were, on the fpur of the occafion; and in the military career, the conqueft of Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, and many of the cities of Germany; whofe ftrong fortifications had often repelled the attempts of the most powerful

* Chap. vii. 6.

+ Chap. xii. 3.

monarchs

monarchs of France, but which now, like the walls of Jericho, fell before her, without affault: to which are to be added her rapid flights over thofe immense mountains the Pyrenees into Spain, and over the Alps into the heart of Italy, dictating laws, dethroning princes, overthrowing ftates, and carrying rapine, havoc, and deftruction in her train, wherever the winged her defolating way.

But to defcend from thefe general marks to a more particular meaning of the text: the beaft is faid to "speak as a dragon," to denote that the laws and decrees of the power foretold, would be fuch, as we might fuppofe would be decreed and carried into execution, by that moft fierce, cruel, powerful, and deftructive of all animals; or, in other words, that they would be laws and decrees more arbitrary and fubverfive of the juft rights of mankind, than those of any ftate ever before known in the world. As the language of a man is known by his words, fo the language of a ftate, or body politic, is only known by its laws, decrees, or public orders. By them alone it fpeaks, and proclaims its will to the people, and communicates its views refpecting foreign nations. We are thus naturally led to look · for the language of a "dragon" in the laws and public orders of fome Civil Power; and if we cannot find it in the decrees and orders of the republic of France, we confefs that any application of the text there must be erroneous. However, we have just before taken a fummary view of a few of them, now well known to the world. By them we remember The has destroyed one of the greatest monarchies upon the earth; annihilated its ancient nobility, and robbed them of their rights; banished or maffacred its numerous clergy, and feized upon their immenfe revenues; and fuppreffed the national religion, and indeed all religion whatever, and established an impious

impious fyftem of atheifm in its ftead. By them fuch of her own people as would not appear in the field of battle, to compel the reft of mankind to embrace her blafphemous liberty, have been destroyed. All who would not, upon demand, give up their gold, filver, and any other profitable medium of their labour and induftry, for paper of no value; all whom he thought proper to ftigmatize with the name of Fanatics, or Moderates (meaning thofe who dared to differ in opinion from her either in religion or politics); and all who would not unite in compelling mankind to embrace the wild and iniquitous plan of atheistical liberty and equality, were the objects of her draconic decrees. Nor has the acted lefs dragon-like in the execution of them; for incalculable numbers of innocent men, women, and even infants unborn, have been deftroyed by her dreadful inftruments of death, the guillotine, French baths, the cannon, and mufket: and in fhort, that no doubt might exift of her being the true prototype of the dragon," fhe has fworn eternal hatred to kings, and by a moft favage and murderous decree, ordered her generals to give no quarter to the vanquished, though fupplicating for mercy *.

"

Ver. 12." And he (the beaft of the earth) "exercifeth all the powers of the first beaft "(Papal Rome) before him, and caufeth the "earth, and them which dwell therein, to worship the first beaft, whofe deadly wound "was healed" (or pagan and imperial Rome).

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At the firft view, this verfe, like many other parts of the prophecies, before the events intended to fulfil and explain them came to pafs, feems rather obfcure; but fince the rife of the French re

* This was written at the period of that decree.