Star. — London, England, 1808-06-10 00:00:00

TO IHF. EDITOR OF THE STAR. ON THE PROPHECIES. No. IX. THF. SPZOND TRUMPET. The second Angel sounded, and as it were a great moun tain, Lrning with fre, was cart into the sea ; and the - third Bart of the became Mood : and the thi:d part of the creatures srli h were in the sea, and had life, died ; and the third ft.rrt of the shies were destroyed. (Rev. viii. 8,9.) We have already seen that, in prophetic language, 4i a trovntain" signifies a kingdom or empire; and "fee" a sword—strife, contention and war o. In the Apocalypse (vii. 15.) " waters" are put for "peoples, an , l ;milt:tusks, and nation: and tongues;" and we know that :he Fathering together cf waters is called seas (Gen. i. 10.) " - The sea" then, applied to multitudes, means an assembinge of various nations into one coriamu nity ; and, by an obvious analogy, the living creatures, in such a sea, represent those cello are in possession of role, power and authority—political life ; and shire, the political intercommunication between the Govern nient and its distant dependenciest. if:noun/aim is the political fabric of rule and dominion—the sea the mats of the people ; and as waters poured into the sea be come a part of it, so strange nations, when poured into a sea are melted in the common mass, and can no more be separated. Such being the different significatiorts of the figures employed in this trumpet, we may be assured that any interpretation which does not embrace them, or only embraces them partially, cannot be the true sense of the prophecy. A great Empire, in a state of com bustion, consuming and wasting itself with internal war, is here given as a prey to various "peoples, and multitudes, and nations and tongues ;" the scene of action is filled with bloodshed ; the government which formerly existed is destroyed through all its members ; and this embraces a portion of the nations and tongues so extensive as to be called " a third part." As the events which fulfilled this part of. the pro phecy carnot be comprised within the limits of one Numbeie I shall for convenience divide the detail into two sections : the first will enable the reader to form some idea of the intestine fire by which the Empire alluded to in this Trumpet was consumed and wasted —the second, of the consequences which resulted to those by whom the different departments of the go vernment were filled. § 1. Of the Great Mountain; the Fire in its &scuds ; and the sea into which it was cast. We know from the sealed book [Daniel] that after the Grecian there was to be but one other great em pire, within the proper scene of Daniel's visions ; , namely, that of the descendants of Chittim (Dan. xi. 30, 31). It was also foretold in the same book that this empire should be divided into ten kingdoms, but in such a dark manlier that the imp.rt of the expres sions might be considered as in some measure sealed up. This trumpet explains the nature of the events Which led to this change in the Roman empire, by destroying the power of the former rulers. It may truly be said that those intestine commo ti,ns, which at length exhausted and destroyed the strength of the state, to such a degree as to occasion the complete overthrow of the Imperial head, had their commencement in the breach of peace which took place between those, who had combined against - THE Loxo and his Mess:am—the Jews and the Romans. To describe the miseries that were brought - upon A very extensive part of the Empire by this war, is not here neeemery. The particulars may be found in va rious historical relations. From this time rebellions in the distant provinces became frequent; disputes for the succession taught the army that the sove reignty was at their disposal ; Emperors were op posed to Emperors, and armies to armies. The removal of the scat of Empire to Constantinople hastened the fall of Imperial Rome, and the dis contents occasioned by this change were heightened by those of religion. " Christianity had long been waking progress in the empire. It now ascended the throne of the C.ssens. As the Christians had for merly goer. persecuted, they, in their turn, became persecutors a ee;est the ancient worship: the punishment of death was &nor:need against the sacrifices formerly or dained Ity law . ; the altar of Victory was overturned, the Cron,: was eN:ilted in its stead, and displayed in place of that triumphant eagle, under which the world Lad been ccnit:t.e , :c.i. The mist dreadful hates and ar.'rnr• sties aro , e. The Pagans accused the Christians ntifcrtunes freeel, that the remains of Paganism alone had drewn down the wrath of OnNIPOTENCE. Both par ties ware more occupied about their religious disputes than the common safety; and, to complete the mise ries of this unhappy people, the Christians became di %ideal among themselves: new sects sprung up; new disputes took place ; new jealousies and antipathies raged ; and the same punishments were denounced heretics and pagans. An universal bigotry debased the minds of n:en. In a grand assembly of the provinces it was proposed, that as there arc three persons in the Trinity, they ought to have three ezr perers. Sieges were raised, and cities lost, for the sake • Sk!e the 1 1.-..sTrumpt. t 'l•„,. EgyviAns, ace Tiling to Pix - r A *co, feigted the Moon to Le ca-1 - I , a :Itrvl:gh I,er circuit in Ih. p. (p lio tios; lib . alv. c. i proptiety a this hicruglyphical cornbioation is apparent, when tve recoil , ct that with them *lvo Moon symbolised the tel:t c,t; *wry region. of a bit of rotten wood, or withered bone, which was supposed to have belonged to some saint or martyr. The effeminacy of the age mingled itself with this infatuation.; and Generals, more weak than humane, sat down to mourn the calamities of war, when they should have led their troops to battle." To give a full detail of these internal feuds, wars, and rebellions, by which the empire was set in a state of combustion, and many barbarous nations invited to share in the common spoil, destroying the power of those who filled the different public offices through out this great empire, would be to transcribe a great part of the Roman history. A brief outline, and brief it must necessarily be, considering the length of the period and variety of circumstances to be embra ced, may, however, be here useful, save time in our progress, and prevent the necessity of referring the reader to voluminous works which he may not have at hand when these strictures meet his eye. In the course of fifty years following the mur der of ALEXANDER SEVERUS (A. D. 235) more than fifty Caesars are enumerated, who, with that title, either lawful or usurped, made their appearance, to contend for the imperial diadem, were proclaimed, dethroned, and murdered by their own soldiers. — Weakened by its dissensions, unweildy from its mag nitude, corrupted and effeminated by the wealth ac quired by its conquests, and governed by weak princes—or rather having only the semblance of a government, the distant provinces grew turbulent, and panted for emancipation. In the mean time the Goths, originally inhabitants of Scandinavia (at present Sweden and Norway) call ed by the ancients the nursery of nations, began to make irruptions into the empire. PRISCUS, believed to be a brother of the Emperor Deems, joined these barba rians, and in attempting to usurp the Empire, lost his own life. Deems, led into an ambush by his own Ge neral Gu.Lvs, was killed by the Goths. GALLUS, who aspired to the purple, was killed by his own sot. diers. ENIILIAN his rival fell in the same manner, while marching against another competitor VALERIAN. The barbarians on all sides poured upon theprovinces, weakened by these civil wars. VALERIAN'S Generals gained some victories over them in Gaul and 11 - lyria ; but swarms of Scythians invaded Asia Minor, and took Trebizond, Chalcedon, Nice, and Nicome dia, while the Persians under SaPott gained impor tant conquests, and even pillaged Antioch. VALE. RIAN, by his own imprudence, fell into the hands of SAPOR, by whom he was treated as a slave till his death. He was succeeded by his son GALLIENCSI whose whole reign was nothing but a continuation of ravages by the barbarians and insurrections of the sol diers. When informed that the Egyptians had revolt ed, he replied with indifference" Very well, cannot we live without the linen of Egypt ?" and being told that Gaul was likewise lost " Is the Republic lost," said he, " because we can have no more stuffs of Arras ?" During his reign, a crowd of rebels assumed the title of Emperors, and occasioned much bloodshed. TRE ariaars reckons thirty of them : CREVIER reduces the number to eighteen. POSTIII;MCS, who was one of them, deserves to be distinguished from the rest : he reigned seven years in Gaul, with credit to himself; he repulsed the Germans, and, according to custom, was murdered by his soldiers. CLaunitTs H. retrieved the Roman affairs a little, but he only reigned three years. Under AURELIAN and his successors, TACITCS and Pr-onus, the two latter of whom, as usual, were murdered, the condi tion of the Empire was still farther improved ; but the barbarians had found their way into it, and war, almost incessant, was necessary to repel them. In the year 284, DIOCLETIAN came to the throne. The Empire being pressed on all sides, he sought an assistant for its defence, and in 286 fixed upon MAXI MIAN for his colleague; a Pannonian of obscure birth, ferocious, but a good soldier. The empire still remain ed one body, but it had now two heads—a system, which was afterwards productive of the most pernicious effects. In the mean time it had its advantages : MAXIMIAN drove out of Gaul those formidable Ger mans, who were incessantly renewing their incur. sions ; and DIOCLETIAN was equally successful against the Persians and barbarous nations in the East. To guard against new dangers, Droctrruat resolved to name two CTsars, who should each command an army, with the right of succession to the empire ; and CONSTANTIi'SCHLmtus and GALtRICS were appointed. In :305 DiocterrAx and his colleague abdicated the Empire. They were succeeded by CONSTANTIUS and GALERIUS, the former of whom died the following year at York, having previously named his son Cox- STANTINE successor to his dominions. This Prince was immediately proclaimed by the army, and the Ro. Iman Empire was again doomed to' the horrors of civil war. G A LERIus, dreading CONSTANTINE, reused him the title of Emperor, which he conferred on &VERO& In the mean time the city of Rome proclaimed MAXEN. TICS, the son of MAXIMIAN, Emperor ; who, incapa ble of supporting himself by his own strength, invited his father to resume the sovereignty. MAXIM] AN em braced the proposal, after having in vain solicited thocr.ETIAN to adopt the same conduct. SEVERUS, betrayed by Lis army, was in a short time obliged to open his veins. MAXIMIAN dreading GALERII:S, re tired into Gaul and united CONSTANTINE to his in terest by giving him his daughter in marriage. GA. LEntussoon followed. MAXENTIVS seduced part of • Russet's Modern Europe, Letter I. his troops, but GALEIeWS escaped. hiAxianAN roads this i prextext for attempting to depose his own son; but filing, fled from Rome, and again returned to CONITANTINE, whom he tried, but without success, to engage in the war. He then joined GALF.RIGS orals-died with him soon after, and again joined CON• STANTINE. • At length, attempting the life of Col:= srAterms, he was forced to strangle himself. GALE.. ItICS died in the following year, and MAxixteix and LICIN7US divided betwem them the provinces he had possessed. MAXMTIUSI in the mean time, sought the destruc- 1 tion of CONsTANTiNa, under pretence of revenging his father's death, while CONSTANTINE meditated his ruin, under colour of freeing Rome from the oppres sion of a tyrant, who was universally execrated. MAX. ENTIUS had made many enemies lsy persecuting the Christians, who were now numerous in the Empire. CONSTANTINE resolved to turn this to his own benefit, avowed himself a favourer of the Christians, and fixed the monogram of Thus CHRIST on the Labanan, which became the principal standard of the Romans. In a short time he passed the Alps, bore down every thing before him, and encamped within two miles of Rome. MAXENTIOS at length ventured to give him battle, was defeated and slain. Rome gladly received her deliverer ; the Senate dedicated temples to him, and Africa even appointed Priests to pay divine ho- nours to his family After this victory, which happened in the year 312, CONSTANTINE and his colleague LICINIUS immedi ately secured to the Christians the power of living according to their own laws and institutions ; a pri vilege which was confirmed by an edict drawn up at Milan, in the following year. In the mean time - MANINIIAN, who reigned in Asia, was forming plans for dethroning Limit's and CONSTANTINE. LICINILS marched against him, who, being defeated, destroyed himself by poison. The Empire had now only two masters, and had some reason to expect a cessation from the intestine wars with which it was wasted, for LICINIUS was married to CONSTANTINE'S sister. Consanginuity is no barrier against the encroachments of ambition. — In 314 , the two Princes quarrelled, a battle ensued, and Lteritus was defeated. This was followed by a treaty of partition, by which LICINICS was obliged to cede to the conqueror, Greece, Macedonia, Panno nia, Dardania, Dacia, all Illyria, and Mzsia Prima. In order to fix the Empire in his own family, CON STANTINE gave the title of Czsar to his three sons, CRISPUS, CONSTANTINE and CONSTANTIUS, then infants. Peace continued for a few years, and he bad time to apply himself to the affairs of Christianity. To please the enlightened Clergy of the age, the Papias Poppzan law against celibacy was repeated, and the privilege of Vestals, to make bequests by will, before they were of age, was granted to persons of both sexes .a.ho con secrated themselves to evangelical virginity—as if the rava ges of war had not been a sufficient drain on the po pulation and strength of the empire, without the aid of edicts subversive of the first law of nature. In 321-, the war was renewed between the two Em perors. LICINIUS, defeated in different battles, was reduced to the necessity of throwing himself at the victor's feet. Ile obtained a promise of his life, but was soon after strangled! Having now no rival, CONSTANTINE gave impor tance to the wrangles of sophists, by dignifying them with the nature of affairs of state. Sophisms and he resies followed ; Councils were called to settle these ecclesiastical disputes, penal laws succeeded, and Christians persecuted Christians ! Having returned to Rome, after a long absence, CONSTANTINE rendered himself odious to the citizens, by ordering his son Calsros to be put to death, at the instigation of- his step-mother, without trial ; and by executing afterwards, on a bare accusation, the Em press herself. Several persons of rank also perished without any known reason, and among others the younger Deimos, a boy of twelve years of age. A placard was affixed to the gates of the Emperor's pa-, lace describing him as a second NEMO ; every mouth was filled with reproaches and curses ; such was the rage of the populace, that they even dared openly to insult him, and he left Rome in disgust.—Behold, in the execrable crimes of CONSTANTINE the Great*, the true origin of the new capital of the Rowan empire, the building of which accelerated its ruin. Bvzasi. num rose into a magnificent city, received the name of Constantinopk, and to its grandeur were sacrificed the strength and interests of the empire. To people it, a law was passed, by which the landholders in Asia were deprived of the natural right of disposing of their. estates, even by will, unless they had a house in that city. Privileges of every kind, corn, wine and oil, were lavished on the inhabitants. The Alexan drian fleet, which used to furnish Rome. with corn, was destined to supply the new city ; 80,000 mea sures of wheat were daily distributed among the peo ple, and in a short time the Asiatic fleets were also employed in furnishing the necessary supply. Rome lost many of its principal citizens, its riches, lustre, power, though more than ever necessary to enable it to withstand the invasion of the barbarians. By an • I ought not to pass over in silence the many attempts, which have been made to palliate the crimes of Constantine. In a note to his ifitise Sow/nu, pp. 30-3 s, Dr. VALPY has defended his character in a plausible manner.. Yet he has the candot.r to ac knowledge some of his faults' Such was," says he, " the influ ence of Christianity in a Prince, who, thiugh he was oftema prey to the passions which assailed him, was at his death universally regretted, and dignified with the title of Restorer of his country." - WP ucessive multiplication of (Egan:its I.:prawns-me Ir,+, infamous, imposts were rendered. recess - ,:r7. T, crown the folly of this reign. the troops desir e d guarding the frontiers wero withdrawn and placed L I garrison in the cities, a rnoasuro according to MONTFACIcIEV, u produced LNVO evils ; th. 2 rernev2l% the barrier Which restrai.l:d so runly nafr:ns ; the effeminacy of tli soldiers, who now frequentei the cities and theatres." Stich was the internal fire with which tl:e mountain was wasting and consuming itself at the time of CONSTANTINE, fill ig the third p.n.: of !Le nations composing the Roman empire, with deschtion and bloodshed. The consequences that might be ex. petted followed—lts fall w,:s accelerated, and it gradually became a prey to the varicus natiens by which it was invaded. 3LIC: S. in fo ra PC hi C( b: tt rr tl DILL) At Dumfries, Miu Emily liephurn, eldest daughter a the late Provost Hepburn. After a long and painful illness, Mary, second daughter ci James Piggott Ince, Esq. of Upper Park-street, Path. HUM WATER AT LONDON ERIDGK TO-MORRow. Morning 13 minutes after 4 Afternoon ..••• ..... CHING'S PATENT WORM LOZENGES. TO Parents, Guardians, and others who hare the c r. of Children, ttts valuable medicine canrot be to ~t roce:e recommended. Worms are a disease tcw children escape. Ili,: destroy the apietite,we - .1.7en the organ.; of digest ion, pnylUre riitA In the stomach and bowl le, d...ptive the 1 otl of h. nouti;ar.e , .t, occasion emaciatio❑ and paleness, step the pmgreA of . .:rowth.a: , l are the cause of the m.) , 1 al:toning eonvu.sions, witi.:h too terminate in death. Nor are their elfutts less sever•: nA grown pen• sores; by ulceratinv the stomach biwel , , Otte are often iLe cause of lingering wh:eli pruve fatal at the patient to the mot 4 ee rnriarit g tits f.f :tguny .tnd distroi, 13 childhood, every disease with which a child is - incted is also high ly exasperated l.y them. The certainty and b.tlet . y ueih 1.4 their prevention and cure, by the ....hove mcdicine, is so fl!ily csc:llk!i to the satisfaction of the Publ.... be the testimoi:y of the itst and most leading characters of the Nol•ihty, and of others of hi-1t re s?ectabiliay,who have witnessedits remarkable effects in thoircuret f.uniliss, that it is only nece•ss.try to observe. this is the p . .riod s.f the season when such a medit i.t. ueltlit to be given to cithdren and other:, to prevent any attack of this cm - plaint. S:)Id hohsaleand retail, at Chb.,g and Buth'eNNo. Corner of rate; nosier-row; iltii..:Jurgh and , end r,st ail, by most country ventler.,,ln boxes, at s. 9,!. an 1.7, 4'l WE; ;~ . . • • • voltr" - •• '• pier"' ,141.• . • 4 1 ..1 001 taiel % 14 ' ; 1 . I~ deei 4 4441 NV • .1 sp par ism 111 be tteei DR. FREEMAN'S GU'L SALIi T'HE value -t this luitaliit le Me.iicir: ;.ss rf 1 - long proved, that nothire;. of the prefeat day can heat a competition with it in all the different Iht =0: ;certain Dreer, which it efr•du; fly cures and eradicates from tl.e It lit, evi>ll..st exciting the painful feelings And expo!ure that attra! , nivatiou, without debilitating the conitianinn in any degree, or ev-u re quiring confinement from bullrefs, or re-Ark-bun in tlet. Tc radical virtues , of thrfe ineftimable Drops have proved the 'it to public approbation for more than thirty y.:ars In all th:.ek• hility both fexe4, they prove a never fsi,ing rcliontive, Vx• then ejm debility is nroduced by ten free uf-! of mercury, Writ ',Anhwei, or the rireas of a warm climate in travellers, ant 4 .thn't goi 1g abroad. They cannot be rceotninectled too ittr.N.y to thofe who will receive a fee. fpcedy, and complete cure in :01 e:1 flubborn Gleeti,, and every vveaknefr that aCetfts the Madder and organs of urine By its efficacy many w Arco have he .rat rco then, who for years had been de:nivel! of that happiLefs Sold whole rale and retail at Mr. Ps:river, No. 4, Cheap fide. err. ncr of Paternolter rsw, and retaft by 'detain, Porantotith; Went; Portfea ; Wills and Rogers, Plymouth, Peck, 1101; Celwell, l't h. lin; Baxter, and Macdonald, Glafow ; Barter, smith and Man. delta!), Edioburgh , and by toeft country medicine vcodess, hottles at 2 pd. r'elt. ev;th ample eirea,;,, I zucri.k . .it , s 12 ES l'O it A FIVE TOUT H W. DER, here sffered to the ufc of the Puhiic at 13rge, was fa the circle of Dr. P. 1-I. Dimidale's particular acquaintance, and the Nobility and Gentry, his path-nts Ls virtues juftly pr &r -ed ;but a certain delicacy prevented him front puhltely an-otmciftg this preparation. Mr. butler h c.anc into pofft,Mon of the original recipe, and he begs to alture thole 2 illided with decayed or am five teeth and gums, that they may rely on i'. eff.:cicy ;..nd reale wive qua:ity—a truism of which any one may be conyi::ccd,bl l fair and candid trial of one hos. Of the properties of this Toot-' Powder. it. &whist property is jun. fulfitlent to clear away dote dell ructive particles of acid which generally adhere to the gums, and in the intesttices of the teeth witlicut injuring the rut race of either, healing forenefs in the former, and rrumoting a new tna• mei of pearly whiteners, where it bas been idured nr eurrocieti en the latter. It has a pleafant and agreeable odour audio withal Is perfedly innocent, that it may be eaten without njnry. Theie dtßittguifhtng charaderillics of its ranative cads and ruperierity, have procured it the unboun approbatinn of the Quten. the Princcffcs, the Emorfs of It tali, the Ducheirec of Yolk, Bedford, Gordon. Leeds, kutland,and molt of the Englifh and foreign tin Unity, many of whom recommend it with admiration, as a necrf• fary appendage to :be trilet, anti indeed they do but common iuf tice herein, finer it imparts a &nine.", and beautiful rednefs to the gums,to the breath the molt dclydable fweetnefs and. if ufed con. Randy as direded, will render the teeth firm and white, anti pie ! vhnt the tooth•ach from returning to thare who have been liaidc to its molt baneful effcds. Prepared and fold wholerale and *tall by Mr. Butler, No. 4, Cheapfide, corner of Paternofter-row, London, and of moil enun try Medicine Venders and Perfumers, in boxes at as. 9d. each. Of whom may be had, Butler's improved Silver!wired Tooth. Bredhea . Trice s. each. IMPORTANT DIiCOVERY. SIN, tha fo HA 4044. • THE Advantage the Public Insist always derive from regtharly educated professional men sli: - eeting almost exclusively their studies to one species of malady, was never mote clearly demonstrated than by the unexampled success which his attended the administration of their new remedy, and the (-twin!- Binary cures it has performed. For a long series of years, Me t. CUR ate, and CO. Surgeons, formerly in his Majesty's service, tsar made the Venereal Disease the particular object of their invest . gatinn, and are happy in having discovered a medicine sty,rier:3 mercury in the core of that complaint; it is sufficient to observt that the vtlr - tt of this remedy are diain„!trically opposite to tha , ; of mercury, for though it completely eradicate s Van . vestige the v;rus, in its most confirmed stages, yet it dues not in theta: injure the constitution ; on the contrary, it renovates the systeO in all its natural functions, promotes appetite, and facilitates C.fs gest;nn : thus instead of reducing a stroiz and vigorous cons:it...- Sion to the frightful condition that mercury does, it not ottly pr,- serves that constitution in its primitive state, hut re.,tures a weak and debilitated one to its natural strength and vigour. ;:t.r•b-t. , less instances are on recent record of the superior of the medicine, its inherent and speciilc virtues acting p:rpent correciive to bodily debility, whetlitr proceeding Irons iCC , ! of conjugal or illicit pleasure, or :rem the more Msitlimi,, thou,:it not less destructive, indulgence of incautious youth of Iva , tes in a certain pernicious habit. Amidst the meldnehuly eati-ty 01 disorders which are the come l!LIVI:CC of this solitary vice, tlivrent none more afflicting thati that distressing state of debility and de ['whitey which prevent; nr embit;ers the matrimonial state ; unhappy sufferer broods over hi, eth.fmnune. a-hamed to seek re lief, until he is reduced to sue!, a -tate of we as to r. nett life oppressive. To such persons it must be a consoling. rent: Lion to know, that they may now, by a stew infallible nmd. treatment, be restored to that greatest cif all human blei:.int, $ strong, mardy and vigoreusconstitution. In all eases of debility. deficiency, front whatever cause ark . % as well as in every. species of v. nereal.inf Trion,- Messrs. Cent and Cos may be con:uhci by patients of either sox w i t h tte greatest secrecy and honour, at their house, No. 107, Hatn - v , Garden. Patients in the country describing the pattii,lthirs their camplaints, by letter post paid, enclosing a Dank note, nil have the necessary medicine and advice sent to rny part of itt kingdom. • • No. 107, Hatton Qardon. WI 1 101 I lail - - - 1.0N1.)ON : Printed and publi.hed by LEVEL KENT, of c-s terbury Place, Lambeth) at the STA it-OrFic t, No. t, Cary;• street, Published also 1t the ST .I i YICF, TtlITl I