Whyhee and Zealand had lived in respectable families, been instructed in the rudiments of the English language, and given proof of an amiable, mild temper, and a disposition to acquire knowledge. Lewis has for some time been an exemplary member of a Baptist church. He holds to open communion.

"The health of the present pupils has been good, except that one of the Sandwich islanders has been in danger of the consumption, and one of the Cherokees is suffering under an illness of several years duration. In the first of these cases, at least a temporary relief has been obtained; and it is hoped, that caution may avert unfavourable symptoms till the young man can exchange our climate for the more congenial one of his native country.

Among the pleasing instances of liberality, which the school has experienced the year past, the donation of more than two hundred dollars from the Baron de Campagne, who resides near Zurich, in Switzerland, deserves particular notice. The venerable donor had seen some account of the five Sandwich islanders, who were first taken up, and made the beneficiaries of the Christian public in this country. He was greatly struck with their character and prospects, and was desirous of conferring upon them some proofs of his paternal regard, and of his interest in them, and in the mission to their countrymen. The disposition of the money he submitted to the principal of the school, who thought that the purchase of globes, and the foundation of a small library, containing religious books, for the use of the pupils, would be particularly useful, and would perpetuate the gift of the benevolent stranger. Such a library was commenced, and received the name of the donor.'

NEW PUBLICATIONS.

A Sermon before the Auxiliary Education Society of Young Men in Boston, January 23, 1822, on occasion of their third anniversary. By S. F. Jarvis, D. D. Rector of St. Paul's.

A Discourse before the Boston Society of the New Jerusalem. By Thomas Worcester.

Fifth Report of the Society for prevention of Pauperism in the City of New York. pp. 40.

Address at the opening of the Columbian College, in the District of Columbia, January 9, 1822. By the President, W. Staughton, D. D. pp. 32.

A Letter to the Right Reverend James Kemp, D. D. Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Maryland; and

an Address to the Congregation of St. John's Church in the City of Washington; occasioned by the appointment of a Unitarian Chaplain to Congress on Sunday, December 9, 1821. By the Rev. W. Hawley, Rector of said Church. pp. 8.

A Sermon delivered in Plymouth, December 23, 1821, on the Lord's day after the anniversary of the Landing of the Fathers. By W. B. Torrey, Pastor of the Third Church in Plymouth.

PP 24.

A Sermon at North Bridgewater, October 31, 1821, at the Ordination of the Rev. Daniel Temple and Rev. Isaac Bird as Evangelists and Missionaries to the Heathen. By the Rev. R. S. Storrs,

Pastor of the Church in Braintree. pp. 52.

Elements of Interpretation, translated from the Latin of J. A. Ernesti, and accompanied by Notes; with an Appendix containing extracts from Morus, Beck, and Keil. By Moses Stuart, Prof. Theol. Seminary, Andover. 12mo. pp. 124.

Sermons on Various Subjects, by the late Henry Kollock, D. D. 8vo. 4 vols. Charlestown.

Letter to the Members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the City of New York. By Caroline M. Thayer.

The duty of religious toleration, mutual sympathy, and fellowship amongst Christians of different denominations; a Sermon delivered at Weymouth on a peculiarly interesting and important occasion. By Jacob Norton.

Three Important Questions answered, relating to the Christian Name, Character, and Hopes. By Henry Ware, Minister of the Second Church in Boston. New York. 12mo.

pp. 24. Letters on Unitarianism; addressed to the Members of the First Presbyterian Church in the City of Baltimore. By Samuel Miller, D. D. Professor of Ecclesiastical History and Church Government in the Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church in the United States at Princeton. 8vo. pp. 312.

We understand that some notice of this work is in preparation by a gentleman in this neighbourhood.

ORDINATION.

At Canton, January 30, Mr. BENJAMIN HUNTOON. Introductory Prayer, Rev. Mr. Bailey of Medway; Sermon, Rev. Mr. Pierce of Brookline; Ordaining Prayer, Rev. Mr. Ritchie of Needham; Charge, Rev. Dr. Harris of Dorchester; Right Hand of Fellowship, Rev. Mr. Ware of Boston; Concluding Prayer, Rev. Mr. Sanger of Dover.

P. has been received.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

THE

CHRISTIAN DISCIPLE.

NEW SERIES-No. 20.

March and April, 1822.

AN ACCOUNT OF EICHHORN'S ILLUSTRATION OF THE APOCALYPSE.

I

SIR,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN DISCIPLE.

SEND you an abstract, which I had occasion to make some time ago, of Eichhorn's theory of the Apocalypse, presuming it may be interesting to some of your readers, who have not access to the original work. This theory has obtained more admirers in Germany, than any which has been proposed in modern times. Some parts of it seem to me to be liable to strong, and perhaps decisive, objections. But as every scheme with which I am acquainted, is attended with as great or greater difficulties, the faults of this seem to afford no reason why it should not have its share of attention, as well as others which have been defended with much less learning and ingenuity.

In the opinion of Eichhorn, it was not the design of the author of the Apocalypse to communicate any new predictions, but only to clothe in new and impressive language the prophecies already uttered by our Saviour,* and repeated by his Apostles,† respecting the establishment and successful propagation of the Christian Religion. To effect this purpose, Eichhorn supposes the author needed and possessed no other inspiration than that of a poetical imagination.

It seems to have been a prevalent opinion amongst the learned Jews, that no events occurred in this lower world, which were

* Matthew, viii. 31, 32. Mark, iv. 31, 32. Luke, xiii. 19. John, xii. 31. +1 Cor. xv. 22-26 and 51-54.

not first proposed for deliberation, and exhibited as in a theatre before the inhabitants of Heaven.* The Apocalypse is supposed by Eichhorn to have been planned and composed in conformity to this Jewish notion. It is accordingly pronounced by him to be a drama, or rather, a spectator's description of a dramatic exhibition. It is expressed, for the most part, by visible symbols and emblems, but is diversified and embellished by the introduction of prayers, hymns of praise, and occasional explanations of the scenes which are exhibited. In this drama, the animating predictions of our Saviour respecting the future flourishing state of his Religion, which are repeated in several parts of the New Testament, are represented as being actually accomplished, and are exhibited, by means of certain enigmatical shapes and emblems, on the theatre of Heaven.

Christianity, when first offered to the acceptance of men, met with powerful opposition. The principal obstacles in the way of its successful progress might, however, be referred to two sources-Judaism, and Polytheism or Paganism. Nor could the Christian Religion be said to have a secure and permanent footing in the world, so long as the greater part of the Jews and of the Gentiles continued to be hostile to it. A decisive victory, a complete triumph over Judaism and over Paganism must be achieved, before Christianity could be said to be firmly established, and to reign in security and independence.

The subject of the drama is, accordingly, stated to be the triumph of the Christian Religion over Judaism and Paganism; or, in other words, the abolition of the Jewish and Pagan religions, the secure establishment of Christianity in this world, and the future reign of the Messiah in Heaven.

Of these events it was the design of the author of the Apocalypse to give a scenical representation-an actual exhibition to the eye of a spectator. Now the establishment, or the decline, of a Religion, being events of an abstract and complex nature, not falling under the cognizance of the senses, they could not be represented in the manner proposed, in any other way than by means of sensible objects or symbols, which would naturally suggest them to the mind.

Such symbols it was not difficult to discover. For, as the Christian Religion is styled, throughout the New Testament, the kingdom of Jesus Christ, it was natural and convenient that Judaism and the Pagan superstition should be represented as two

*The passages adduced by Eichhora to prove the existence of this opinion may be seen in Wetstein's note upon Rev. iv. 1.

other kingdoms, which were to contend with the kingdom of Jesus Christ for the superiority. The idea of an empire, or kingdom, could scarcely be expressed by a more significant symbol than the capital city of an empire-the seat of dominion. Judaism, therefore, is symbolically represented in this poem by the city of Jerusalem, and Paganism by the city of Rome; and the decline and abolition of these Religions is exhibited, as in a theatre, by the destruction of the cities of Jerusalem and Rome. This being accomplished, the Christian Religion might reign without opposition in this world, until the heavenly kingdom of Jesus Christ should commence at his return, at the end of the world; that is, until a new seat of empire, the Heavenly Jerusalem, should be manifested.

The drama is accordingly divided into three Acts.

In the first act, the destruction of Jerusalem, emblematic of the abolition of Judaism, is represented. In the second, Rome, the symbol of Idolatry or Paganism, is overthrown. In the third, the Heavenly Jerusalem, the seat of the Messiah's kingdom, and the symbol of the happiness of a future life, is exhibited.*

The drama is not supposed to commence at the beginning of the Apocalypse. A vision is prefixed for the purpose of supplying an occasion for describing the drama; in which vision the author is commanded by Jesus Christ to send an account of what he should see to the churches of Asia. This vision occupies the place of a prologue.

* Eichhorn undertakes to give the reasons why the drama was not divided into four Acts, as the subject seemed to require; or why the kingdom of Jesus Christ in this world was not represented in a separate Act, as well as his kingdom in Heaven. There was no fourth city, in addition to the cities Jerusalem, Rome, and the New Jerusalem, which was suitable for a symbol. Consequently the author of the Apocalypse must either omit to represent the earthly kingdom of Christ, that is, the flourishing state of Christianity in this world, in a separate Act, or reject the use of cities as symbols; which he did not feel at liberty to do, because the use of the city of Jerusalem as an emblem of Judaism, and of the New or Heavenly Jerusalem, as a symbol of the happiness of a future life, was so common amongst the Jews, that nothing could serve better to guide the Jewish converts through the mysteries of his drama, than such a use of these cities. Eichhorn also observes, that if the reign of Christianity on earth, after the abolition of Paganisın, had been represented in a separate Act, the laws of the drama would have required the author to represent the corresponding weak and feeble condition of Christianity after the abolition of Judaism, in a separate Act; and then five cities would have been necessary; which were more than he could easily find. It was therefore necessary for the author to determine upon three Acts, and to manage his subject so as to give a concise description of the condition of Christianity, at the close of the first and second.