Northolt Jany 15th
41
My dear Talbot
I am heartily glad to hear that only time is wanting, since that want time will needs supply. I confess that the [special character] did very probably bear the sound of ch – I think as in our chair, chain, & so on – and hence it was little more than a strong aspirate, and easily was modified into that office, in the lapse of time. Besides the identity of its place with H in the Latin alphabet is circumstantial evidence in its favour –
As to apocalyptical queries I am at least glad that you do not see any gap in the latter at present – You must refer to spiritual matters in eccl. history, for the woes – The whole of the book I beleive [sic] must be spiritually interpreted. As to the faithful Martyr” &c – I should suppose it to be “wherein thou wast the witness of me, the Faithful who was slain &c – In Chap 1. 5. It is, “[Greek text]”, and in XIX. 11. The Messiah, is “[Greek text]” – And the language of the book would seem to restrict this appellation to him – Thus the construction would have the same solecism, as used before, of the first & third persons mingled when speaking of the Lord –
As to Pergamos &c – you must consider that the whole book being figurative, nothing bears its mere prosaic name. Thus – the Dragon is Satan – He sits on the “many waters” – They are the “peoples & Tongues” &c of the great city – “Wherein our Lord was crucified” – But that city is “Sodom & Egypt” spiritually – It is the perverse & corrupt Church of “the nations” – But why Pergamos? – Because all these names of the Asiatic churches, are merely used as enigmatical of the successive states of the church – Bede seems to have had no notion of any other interpretation We are now living in “Philadelphia” – compare the addresses to the churches, with the seals and you will see their identity – Pergamos is “Aix” the very strong hold of the city, for on the chronological periods it is seen to be the period of greatest predominance of that power that was to come.
There is not bad evidence that no church had been established at Thyatyra when St John [illegible] – However I do not abandon the literal sense but take it conjointly – Will you send me again the paper of Isaiah XXXVI, as I have no other copy – Jeremiah seems to present an amazing instance of the same sort of sacred drama if I may so call it. Horsley has observed that in several passages of Isaiah the Father & the son are introduced as speaking by turns – and answering one another – What a reflection does it afford as to the over ruling providence of God if these names, of real people, & records of real facts have been so ordered as to bear also their interior sense.
Yours always very truly
E. Murray