This gentleman must not be confounded with the Rev. John Hamilton Thom[370]

(no relation), at or near the same {227} time and until recently, of Renshaw Street Chapel, Liverpool who was one of the minority in the Liverpool controversy when, nearly thirty years ago, _three_ heretical Unitarian schooners exchanged shotted sermons with _thirteen_ Orthodox ships of the line, and put up their challengers' dander--an American corruption of _d--d anger_--to such an extent, by quiet and respectful argument, that those opponents actually addressed a printed intercession to the Almighty for the Unitarian triad, as for "Jews, Turks, Infidels, and Heretics." So much for the distinction, which both gentlemen would thank me for making very clear: I take it quite for granted that a guesser at 666 would feel horrified at being taken for a Unitarian, and that a Unitarian would feel queerified at being taken for a guesser at 666. Mr. David Thom's book is _The Number and Names of the Apocalyptic Beasts_, Part I, 1848, 8vo.: I think the second part was never published. I give the Greek and Latin solutions, omitting the Hebrew: as usual, all the Greek letters are numeral, but only M D C L X V I of the Latin. I do not give either the decipherers or their reasons: I have not room for this; nor would I, if I could, bias my reader for one rather than another.

D. F. Julia.n.u.s Caesar Atheus (or Aug.[371]); Diocles Augustus; Ludovicus; Silvester Secundus; Linus Secundus; {228} Vicarius Filii Dei; Doctor et Rex Latinus; Paulo V. Vice-Deo; Vicarius Generalis Dei in Terris; Ipse Catholicae Ecclesiae Visibile Caput; Dux Cleri; Una, Vera, Catholica, Infallibilis Ecclesia; Auctoritas politica ecclesiasticaque Papalis (Latina will also do); Lutherus Ductor Gregis; Calvinus tristis fidei interpres; Dic Lux ; Ludvvic; Will. Laud; [Greek: Lateinos];[372] [Greek: he latine basileia]; [Greek: ekklesia italika]; [Greek: euanthas]; [Greek: teitan]; [Greek: arnoume]; [Greek: lampetis]; [Greek: ho niketes]; [Greek: kakos hodegos]; [Greek: alethes blaberos]; [Greek: palai baskanos]; [Greek: amnos adikos]; [Greek: antemos]; [Greek: genserikos]; [Greek: euinas]; [Greek: Benediktos]; [Greek: Bonibazios g. papa x. e. e. e. a.], meaning Boniface III. Pope 68th, bishop of bishops the first! [Greek: oulpios]; [Greek: dios eimi he heras]; [Greek: he missa he papike]; [Greek: loutherana]; [Greek: saxoneios]; [Greek: Bezza ant.i.theos] (Beza); [Greek: he alazoneia biou]; [Greek: Maometis]; [Greek: Maometes b.]; [Greek: theos eimi epi gaies]; [Greek: iapetos]; [Greek: papeiskos]; [Greek: dioklasianos]; [Greek: cheina]; [Greek: braski]; [Greek: Ion Paune]; [Greek: koupoks]; (cowpox, [Greek: s] being the _vau_; certainly the {229} vaccinated have the mark of the Beast); [Greek: Bonneparte]; [Greek: N. Boneparte]; [Greek: euporia]; [Greek: paradosis]; [Greek: to megatherion].

All sects fasten this number on their opponents. It is found in _Martin Lauter_, affirmed to be the true way of writing the name, by carrying numbers through the Roman Alphabet. Some Jews, according to Mr. Thorn, found it in [Hebrew: JSHW NTSRJ] _Jesus of Nazareth_. I find on inquiry that this satire was actually put forth by some medieval rabbis, but that it is not idiomatic: it represents quite fairly "Jesus Nazarene," but the Hebrew wants an article quite as much as the English wants "the."

Mr. David Thom's own solution hits hard at all sides: he finds a 666 for both beasts; [Greek: he phren] (the mind) for the first, and [Greek: ekklesiai sarkikai] (fleshly churches) for the second. A solution which embodies all mental philosophy in one beast and all dogmatic theology in the other, is very tempting: for in these are the two great supports of Antichrist. It will not, however, mislead me, who have known the true explanation a long time. The three sixes indicate that any two of the three subdivisions, Roman, Greek, and Protestant, are, in corruption of Christianity, six of one and half a dozen of the other: the distinctions of units, tens, hundreds, are nothing but the old way (1 Samuel xviii. 7, and Concordance at _ten_, _hundred_, _thousand_) of symbolizing differences of number in the subdivisions.

It may be good to know that, even in speculations on 666, there are different degrees of unreason. All the diviners, when they get a colleague or an opponent, at once proceed to reckon him up: but some do it in play and some in earnest. Mr. David Thom found a young gentleman of the name St.

Claire busy at the Beast number: he forthwith added the letters in [Greek: st klaire] and found 666: this was good fun. But my spiritual tutelary, when he found that he could not make a beast of me, except by changing [Hebrew: A] into [Hebrew: T], solemnly referred the difficulty to the Almighty: this was poor earnest. {230}

I am glad I did not notice, in time to insert it in the _Athenaeum_, a very remarkable paradoxer brought forward by Mr. Thom, his friend Mr.

Wapshare[373]: it is a little too strong for the general public. In the _Athenaeum_ they would have seen and read it: but this book will be avoided by the weaker brethren. It is as follows:

"G.o.d, the Elohim, was six days in creating all things, and having made MAN he entered into his rest. He is no more seen as a Creator, as Elohim, but as Jehovah, the _Lord_ of the Sabbath, and the Spirit of life in MAN, which Spirit worketh _sin in the flesh_; for the Spirit of Love, in all flesh, is l.u.s.t, or the spirit of a beast, So Rom. vii. And which Spirit is _crucified_ in the flesh. He then, as Jehovah--as the power of the Law, _in_ and _over_ all flesh, John viii. 44--increases that which he has made as the Elohim, and his power shall last for 6 days, or 6 periods of time, computed at a millennium of years; and at the end of which six days, he who is the Spirit of all flesh shall manifest himself as the Holy Spirit of Almighty Love, and of all truth; and so shall the Church have her Sabbath of Rest--all contention being at an end. This is, as well as I may now express it, my solution of the mystery in Hebrew, and in Greek, and also in Latin, IHS. For he that was lifted up _is_ King of the Jews, and is the Lord of all Life, working in us, both to will and to do; as is manifest in the Jews--they slaying him that his blood might be _good_ for the healing of the nations, of all people and tongues. As the Father of all _natural_ flesh, he is the Spirit of l.u.s.t, as in all _beasts_; as the Father, or King of the Jews, he is the Devil, as he himself witnesseth in John viii., already referred to. As lifted up, he is transformed into the Spirit of Love, a light to the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel.... For there is but ONE G.o.d, ONE Lord, ONE Spirit, ONE body, etc. and he who was Satan, the Spirit of life in that body, is, in {231} Christ crucified, seen in the Spirit that is in all, and through all and over all, G.o.d blessed for ever."

All this seems well meant, and Mr. Thom prints it as convinced of its piety, and "p.r.o.nounces no opinion." Mystics of all sorts! see what you may come to, or what may come to you! I have inserted the above for your good.

There is nothing in this world so steady as some of the paradoxers. They are like the spiders who go on spinning after they have web enough to catch all the flies in the neighborhood, if the flies would but come. They are like the wild bees who go on making honey which they never can eat, proving _sic vos non vobis_ to be a physical necessity of their own contriving. But n.o.body robs their hives: no, unlike the bees, they go about offering their ware to any who will take it as a gift. I had just written the last sentence (Oct. 30, 1866, 8.45 A.M.) when in comes the second note received this morning from Dr. Thorn: at 1.30 P.M. came in a third. These arise out of the above account of the Rev. D. Thom, published Oct. 27: three notes had arrived before.

For curiosity I give one day's allowance, supposing these to be all: more may arrive before night.

29th Oct. 1866.

"Dear Sir,--

In re [swastika].[374]

"So that 'Zaphnath Paaneah' may be after all the revealer of the 'Northern Tau' [Greek: Phaneroo]--To make manifest, shew, or explain; and this may satisfy the House of Joseph in Amos 5^c. While Belteshazzar = 666 may be also satisfactory to the House of David, and so we may have Zech. 10^c.

6^v. in operation when Ezekiel 37^c. 16^v. has been realised;--but there, what is the use of writing, it is all Coptic {232} to a man who has not [swastika], The Thau of the North, the double Vahu [Hebrew: WqamatsW].

Look at Jeremiah 3^c. 8^v. and then to Psalm 83 for 'hidden ones' [Hebrew: TSshevaPWdageshNsegolY YshevaHWqamatsH]--The Zephoni Jehovah, and say whether they have any connection with the Zephon _Thau_. The Hammer of Thor of Jeremiah 23^c. 29^v. as I gave you in No. 3 of my present edition.

Yours truly

LE CHEVALIER AU CIN."

_By Greek Power._

C = 20 H = 8 E = 5 V = 6 A = 1 L = 30 I = 10 E = 5 R = 100

A = 1 U = 400

C = 20 I = 10 N = 50 ---- 666

There will be thousands of Morgans who will be among the wise and prudent of Hosea 14^c. 9^v. when the Seventh Angel sounds, let me number _that One_ by Greek, Rev. 17^c. 1^v: {233}

S = 200 E = 5 V = 6 E = 5 N = 50 T = 300 H = 8

A = 1 N = 50 G = 6 E = 5 L = 30 ---- 666

V and G = 12 ought to be equal to one Gammadion or ^3[swastika]3 4 = 12, what say you?

London, October 29, 1866.

"Dear Sir,--

In re [swastika] versus [maltese cross].

However pretentious the X or [maltese cross] may be, and it is peculiarly so just now in this land; after all it is only made of two Roman V's--and so is only = [ one inverted](10)--and therefore is not the perfect number 12 of Revel^n, but is the mark of the G.o.ddess _Decima_!

Yours truly

WM. THORN."

Had the _one_ who sent forth a pastoral (Romish) the other day, remained amongst the faithful expectants, see how he would have numbered, whereas he sold himself for the privilege of signing

[maltese cross] HENRY E. MANNING.[375]

{234}

_By English Key._

H = 8 E = 5 N = 40 R = 80 Y = 140

E = 5 D = 4 W = 120 A = 1 R = 80 D = 4

M = 30 A = 1 N = 40 N = 40 I = 9 N = 40 G = 7 [swastika] = 12 ---- 666

Can you now understand the difference between [swastika] and [maltese cross] or X? Look to my challenge.

Cutting from newspaper:--

ITALY.

Rome (_via_ Ma.r.s.eilles), October

Mr. Gladstone has paid a visit to the Pope.

_By Greek Power._

G = 6 L = 30 A = 1 D = 4 S = 200 T = 300 O = 70 N = 50 E = 5 ---- 666

And what then [swastika]?

{235}

In other letters _John Stuart Mill_ is 666 if the _a_ be left out; _Chasuble_ is perfect. _John Brighte_[376] is a _fait accompli_; and I am asked whether intellect can account for the final e. Very easily: this Beast is not the M. P., but another person who spells his name differently.

But if John Sturt Mill and John Brighte choose so to write themselves, they may.