chronologers, which in any refpect differ from the above calculation; because, in all particulars in which any of them differ from it, they more or lefs contribute to bring the 2300 years to a period before the present time. I have only further to obferve, that it is well known, that the above calculation was made a confiderable time before the war brake out between the Turks and Ruffians, and am ftill of opinion, though it should fail as to a year or two, that it cannot be far from the truth.

A P

小

APPENDIX.

THE

HE Author being apprehenfive, that he may have expreffed himfelf, in the preceding effay, with fuch an appearance of pofitiveness, with respect to perfons and events, as may be offenfive to fome delicate readers; he therefore judges it neceffary again to declare, that he looks upon the whole, only in the view of probability; though, at the fame time, he frankly owns, that so many concurring probabilities, concerning the near approach of fuch glorious and interefting events, may poffibly have engaged him, upon fome occafions, to exprefs himself with lefs referve than otherwise might have been expected.

The greatest part of the criticisms were made long ago, by men of the trueft learning, and foundeft judgment; and it is hoped, that fuch as are new will be found neither unnatural, nor any wite forced. As to the authorities and hiftorical facts, these must be left to the examination of the reader.

If the author has fallen into fome mistakes, (which, it is very likely hath been the cafe, in fuch an argument); yet he expects, that the whole performance fhall not be condemned on their account; fince he is confcious, that they were neither wilful, nor defigned to ferve any private views. Truth, and truth alone, has been the object of this enquiry; how far it is attained, the decifive moments will foon declare.

Whatever fhall be the iffue of the prefent commotions in Europe, the author hath the fatisfaction to hope, that his performance can do no hurt, and

that the generous public will fhew fome regard to a well-meant defign. For, as Mr Mede long fince obferved, if a liberty is not granted, not only of thinking freely, but alfo of erring fometimes, we fhall never be capable to reach the profound depth of this myfterious revelation-But, if fome are otherwife difpofed, the author is prepared to bear with them; fince,

Totus teres atque rotundus,

mea

Virtute me involvo.

Only, before the fubject is difmiffed, it may not be improper to do the following things, which, as they are not foreign to it, fo they may ferve to throw a light upon fome of the affertions in the preceding effay; namely,

1. To remove a few prejudices, which the author finds to be entertained by fome well difpofed people, against the king of Pruffia's cha

racter.

2. To fhew that the laft war fhould be confidered as a religious one; or a war whereby the ruin of the proteftant intereft was defigned. And,

1

3. To point out fome appearances of the fall of papal government.

To begin with the king of Pruffia's character. It doth not appear, that he hath been charged with any grofs acts of vice, though, as a man, no doubt, he hath his faults. As to his religious principles, these have been fufficiently declared by his Confeffion of Faith, published fome years ago, and fully demonftrated by the beft argument of all, his fteady attachment to the proteftant intereft, and the habi

tual

tual exercise of those christian virtues, faith, patience, fortitude, temperance, and humanity; so

that,

*This is nobly expreffed both in the speech which he made to his army, immediately before the battle of Rofbach, and in the Ode which he composed foon thereafter. In the speech, he puts his troops in remembrance of the many hardships and dangers he had thered with them; declares, that he was willing prefently to lay down his life with them, and for them; and then concludes in thefe memorable words: Acquit yourfelves like men, and put your confidence in God. And, in his divine Ode, having addreffed the great Ruler of the Universe in the warmest strains of gratitude, he procee is to point out his own deplorable fitua tion before the battle, (which he does in the most moving terms); and then, in the following lines, he defcribes the heroic faith by which he was animated upon this great occasion:

But in thy clear impartial fight,

How vain is human might!

Dauntless I dare the field,

Arm'd by my cause, at once both spear and shield.

Some have imagined, that his history of the house of Brandenburg, and fome of his poems, give them reafon to question his christianity, at leaft his orthodoxy; and they even fufpect his humanity, on account of his behaviour towards the Saxons, and other states. With respect to his history of the house of Brandenburg, I don't fee, that in it he renounces chriftianity, which he pofitively calls the Pureft Source of Good. As to his orthodoxy, that is a quite different natter. He feems indeed to have had different lentiments concerning the doctrine of the Trinity from those adopted by the council of Nice, and to treat their tenets, or at least their expreffions, with fome degree of contempt; but hath not the reverend Doctor Chandler done the fame in his introduction to the Hiftory of the Inquifition? and yet, I dare say, no body ever suspected him of Deim. I do not, however, make this obfervation with any defign to justify either his, or the Doc tor's conduct; but only to thew, that a man's differing from others, in his manner of conceiving fome doctrines, or expreffing himfelt concerning them, is no infallible fign of his being a Deift.

As to the poems which have been afcr bed to him, though fome of them are excellent in their kind; yet, it is evident, that they were furreptitiously introduced to the public: And we are told he hath politively affirmed, that they are not a genuine copy of his poems, and on that account, that he had ordered them