away the sins of the world, the bridegroom, he that testifieth, he that
came down from heaven, the Son of God_, &c. _Justin Martyr_, who within
thirty years after _John_'s death became a _Christian_, writes expresly
that _a certain man among the _Christians_ whose name was _John_, one of
the twelve Apostles of _Christ_, in the Revelation which was shewed him,
prophesied that those who believed in _Christ_ should live a thousand years
at _Jerusalem__. And a few lines before he saith: _But I, and as many as
are _Christians_, in all things right in their opinions, believe both that
there shall be a resurrection of the flesh, and a thousand years life at
_Jerusalem_ built, adorned and enlarged_. Which is as much as to say, that
all true _Christians_ in that early age received this Prophecy: for in all
ages, as many as believed the thousand years, received the _Apocalypse_ as
the foundation of their opinion: and I do not know one instance to the
contrary. _Papias_ Bishop of _Hierapolis_, a man of the Apostolic age, and
one of _John_'s own disciples, did not only teach the doctrine of the
thousand years, but also [37] asserted the _Apocalypse_ as written by
divine inspiration. _Melito_, who flourished next after _Justin_, [38]
wrote a commentary upon this Prophecy; and he, being Bishop of _Sardis_ one
of the seven Churches, could neither be ignorant of their tradition about
it, nor impose upon them. _Irenaeus_, who was contemporary with _Melito_,
wrote much upon it, and said, that _the number 666 was in all the antient
and approved copies; and that he had it also confirmed to him by those who
had seen _John_ face to face_, meaning no doubt his master _Polycarp_ for
one. At the same time [39] _Theophilus_ Bishop of _Antioch_ asserted it,
and so did _Tertullian_, _Clemens Alexandrinus_, and _Origen_ soon after;
and their contemporary _Hippolytus_ the Martyr, Metropolitan of the
_Arabians_, [40] wrote a commentary upon it. All these were antient men,
flourishing within a hundred and twenty years after _John_'s death, and of
greatest note in the Churches of those times. Soon after did _Victorinus
Pictaviensis_ write another commentary upon it; and he lived in the time of
_Dioclesian_. This may surely suffice to shew how the _Apocalypse_ was
received and studied in the first ages: and I do not indeed find any other
book of the New Testament so strongly attested, or commented upon so early
as this. The Prophecy said: _Blessed is he tha