the whole matter in question ; and whosoever shall consider the arguments of this veteran interpreter to be satisfactory in this instance, will be the less easily terrified by the attacks of others on my Apocalyptical views. The matter will become clearer hereafter as I had said l in sec. xv. of the Preface to the work under consideration. In the meantime I wish from my heart, that the Theologian of Halle in his Biblia Parenthetica, or any other subsequent commentaries, may by the grace of God be enabled to explain, in accordance with the Divine meaning, these portions of prophecy. And I wish, since so many depend on his authority, that, after considering the matter more maturely, as far as his precious hours permit, he would declare whether he ivishes to be considered by a more enlightened posterity, as the assailant or supporter of those parts of my system, which he has condemned in his Beurtheilung . I am not influenced in this matter by any spirit of ambitious contention, but by the gravity and urgency of the matter. He will deserve as well of the Church by writing a single sentence, as a volume on this ques tion. I shall feel no shame at the triumph of truth. In con clusion, I will put forward a thing, which alone will be sufficient to decide the matter : his too eager interpretation of the half- hour,2 for a millennary period (firmly established in its proper place), has plainly introduced the whole system, of which the Theologian of Halle is so strenuous a defender. If that inter pretation falls to the ground, this system will yield to truth.
The opinions, which others have expressed with regard to my commentary on this book, are exceedingly various. With some, I shall scarcely be able to redeem, by my other labours, the blame which they consider me to have incurred by my prophetical re searches. Some are said to be dissatisfied with my calculations: they seek, forsooth, mathematical prae-excellence* and soar far above our humble path : for we are satisfied with the rudiments
1 " A greater degree of knowledge awaits posterity. To them much that is now made little account of will serve for a foundation on which to build more ; much that is now current will no longer pass ; and many proofs that to most men seem not sufficient now, will then be more than enough." — Loc. cit. Robertson's Translation. — (I. B.)
2 See Rev. viii. I (I. B.)
3 In the original, — " Sublimitatem videlicet mathematical!! quserunt." — (I. B.)