Page:Mahometanism in its relation to prophecy - or, an inquiry into the prophecies concerning antichrist, with some reference to their bearing on the events of the present day (IA mahometanisminit00philrich).pdf/278

 are the spirits of devils working signs: and they go forth unto the kings of the whole earth to gather them to battle against the great day of the Almighty God."—(ver. 16)—"And he shall gather them together into a place, which is called in Hebrew Armageddon."

Now I have no doubt whatever that this very remarkable passage of the Apocalypse refers to the very period to which Dr. Cumming and Mr. Elliot (from whom the former appears to borrow his interpretation) refer it; I have no doubt that it refers to the very period in which we ourselves are now living, and that it predicts the tremendous conflict of all nations, in which I apprehend that our own England is already unhappily embarked,—a conflict which evidently is foretold as disastrous in its issue for all the powers engaged. But I cannot agree that either Dr. Cumming or Mr. Elliot have given a satisfactory solution for the symbol of "the three unclean spirits," which St. John describes as resembling frogs issuing out of the mouths of three other symbolical personages. Dr. Cumming gravely tells us that he thinks the third of these unclean spirits issuing from "the mouth of the false Prophet" is—will the Catholic reader believe it?—Puseyism!!! Now I think even Dr. Cumming, with all his ingenuity, and all his eloquence (and no one can read his books and not perceive that he is a very eloquent and a very ingenious writer), would find it difficult to show how Dr. Pusey or how Tractarianism has fulfilled St. John's declaration, that the special work of these three un-