September, 1866._ Mr. James Biden[280] has favored me with some of his
publications. He is a rival of Dr. Thorn; a prophet by name-right and
crest-right. He is of royal descent through the De Biduns. He is the
_watchman_ of Ezekiel: God has told him so. He is the author of _The True
Church_, a phrase which seems to have a book-meaning and a mission-meaning.
He shall speak for himself:

"A crest of the Bidens has significance. It is a lion rampant between
wings--wings in Scripture denote the flight of time. Thus the beasts or
living creatures of the Revelations have each six wings, intimating a
condition of mankind up to and towards the close of six thousand years of
Bible teaching. The two wings of the crest would thus intimate power
towards the expiration of 2000 years, as time is marked in the history of
Great Britain.

{161}

"In a recent publication, _The Pestilence, Why Inflicted_, are given many
reasons why the writer thinks himself to be the appointed watchman foretold
by Ezekiel, chapters iii. and xxxiii. Among the reasons are many prophecies
fulfilled in him. Of these it is now needful to note two as bearing
especially on the subject of the reign of Darius.

"1.--In Daniel it is said, 'Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about
threescore and two years old.'--Daniel v. 31.

"When 'Belshazzar' the king of the Chaldeans is found wanting, Darius takes
the kingdom. It is not given him by the popular voice; he asserts his
right, and this is not denied. He takes it when about sixty-two years of
age. The language of Daniel is prophetic, and Darius has in another an
antitype. The writer was born July 18th, 1803; and the claim was asserted
at the close of 1865, when he was about sixty-two years of age.

"The claims which have been asserted demand a settled faith, and which
could only be reached through a long course of divine teaching."

When I was a little boy at school, one of my school-fellows took it into
his head to set up a lottery of marbles: the thing took, and he made a
stony profit. Soon, one after another, every boy had his lottery, and it
was, "I won't put into yours unless you put into mine." This knocked up the
scheme. It will be the same with the prophets. Dr. Thorn, Mr. Biden, Mrs.
Cottle,[281] etc. will grow imitators, until we are all pointed out in the
Bible: but A will not admit B's claim unless B admits his. For myself, as
elsewhere shown, I am the first Beast in the Revelations.

Every