because Jesus had no temporal authority whatever, and therefore
to understand them literally would exclude the claims set up for
him. The earth's being restored to a Paradisiacal state, and the
extinction of all sin, violence, and misery throughout its
circumference, Mr. Everett would interpret to signify, (by. a figure)
"the blessed events," which have occurred, and the "changes that
have taken place," since the promulgation of Christianity!! [fn20]

Mr. Everett, in support of his system of interpretation, shows us,
that the Supreme Being is frequently spoken of in the Old
Testament, as a King and as a victorious warrior; and therefore
infers, because such passages must be understood figuratively,
that the passages in the prophets which speak of the Messiah in
similar terms, must be also understood figuratively.

To this it seems to me to be a sufficient answer to observe, that
men who speak of the Deity, are obliged to employ human
language and human ideas; because:

"What can we reason but from what we know?" and therefore a
great part of such language will be necessarily figurative; but it by
no means follows from this, that the writers who are obliged to use
this figurative language when speaking of the Deity, intend to be
understood in the same sense when they apply the same
expressions to describe men and their actions. On the contrary, as
they were writing to men and for men, it is natural to presume, that
they meant to be understood in the way that such expressions are
universally understood by all men, when they relate to men and
their actions. Such a system, of interpretation as this of Mr.
Everett's, turns the Bible into a Babel of confusion: a man
proceeding upon this system, might with equal plausibility turn all
the good and prosperous kings of Israel and Judah into "Spiritual
Saviours."[fn21]

"What, says Mr. Everett, p. 63. would be thought of one, who after
making a collection of passages which ascribe these attributes of
royalty and conquest to God, such as Mr. English has made of
those which ascribe such attributes to the Messiah, should infer as
he does, that God is a just, beneficent; wise and mighty monarch
reigning on a throne in Jerusalem?"

To this I answer by asking in my turn, what should we think of one,
who after making a collection, of passages which ascribe these
attributes of royalty and conquest to God, as Mr. Everett has
done, should therefore think himself authorised to infer,