Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-02-17
FIR om the Tirginian.
REVIEW

FT 0m me IWgtntQH.
REVIEW
OfGeneral alexander Smyth's explanation
of the apocalypse.
This is certainly an age OF wonders.
1t is not amongst the least ofthem that
General Alexander Smyth, of Virginia,
should suffer himselfto be led into so
eeregious a folly as to publish to the
world that the Apocalypse of ST. John
is spurious, and ought to be banished
from the sacred canon. | did not be-
lieve that Gen. A. Smyth would have
ventured his veracity on grounds so
untenable.
After the failure of Bolingbroke, a
Voltaire, and Paine, endeavoring to
deprive Christians of their last, best
hope, is it possible that Gen. Alexander
Smyth will raise his puny arm in rebel
lion against Christianity; and join this
triumvirate, in endeavoring to destroy
in detail, what they in gross, with all
their talents, could not, do? This, l
acknowledge, is placing Gen. A. Smyth
in bad company; but we kno,o a man
by the company he keeps. If Gen. A.
Smyth's hostility is as great to Chris
tianity as it is TO his political enemies,
no wonder he wishes to Danish from the
sacred canon the Apocalypse. Any
man who noV calls in question the &C.
nuineness of any part oft, must expect
to suffer loss in his reputation as d.
zine. We now proceed with our review.
The pamphlet commences, by pro-
posing the question for discussion, viz:
Whether "The Revelation of St. John
the divine, is prophetical vision OF
future events, or an artful enigmatical
relation of past events, under the form
of prophecy"
If we can establish the fact that St.
John the divine, as he is called, was the
author of the book in question, we
hope that even Gen. A. Smyth will be
convinced that it "is prophetical vi
sion of future events" and not can art
full enigmatical relation &C." 'In the
first chapter, St. John asserts the di-
vine authority of the predictions which
he is about to deliver, and describes
the first vision, in which he is COM
manded to write the things then reveal
ed to him.
"The testimonies in favor of the
book of Revelation being genuine
work of St. John the Evangelist are
very full and satisfactory. Justin Mar
tyr, who lived about sixty years after it
was written, ascribes it to that apostle /;
and so does Leneus, whose evidence is
alone sufficient upon this point; for he
was the disciple of Polycarp, who was
the disciple Of John himself And he
tells us that he had the ex-
PLANTATION of a certain passage in this
book, (Revelation,) from those who
had conversed with St. John, the au-
thor. Naturalization to the study Of the
Bible, by George Pettyman, d. d. IT. 5.
Lord Bishop Of Lincoln.
"Justin and Ireneus are followed by
Clement of Alexandria, Turtullian, D.
rigen, Cyprian, Lactantious, Euseolus,
Athanacius, and many ecclesiastical
writer's, all of whom concur in consl-
dering the Apostle John as the author
of the Revelation. Ibid.
"Mr. Lowman observes: hardly any
book has received more early, more au-
and more satisfactory attesta-
tons" -D.
otis called the Revelation ofSt. John
the divine, and the apfellation was
first given to ST.. John by Eusebius,
not to distinguish him from any other
person of the same name, but as an
honorable title. I'D.
The learned Mede, Danbuz, Sir l.
saac Newton, Lowman, Bishop Hurd,
and many other excellent commenta-
tors, testify to the genuineness Of this
book, and last, though not least, is the
Rev. and learned DR.. Scott, who says
in his commentary, sit is singular
concerning this book,
that its authenticity was very general
ly, if not universally acknowledged,
during the two first centuries-and YET
in the third century it began to be ques-
toned" Notwithstanding this, ne says
''its divine original and authority have
been fully established by the clears.
and most decisive evidence" mat
this book was written in the hrst
century, is established by the best
evidence, beyond doubt, General
Smyth to the contrary notwithstand-
inp. 1t was within A. d. ga or e5,
when St. John, its author, was in the
Isle of Patmos, in the Egean sea, in