The Revelation of John. By P. W. Grant. (Hodder and
Stoughton.) —Mr. Grant has made a very laborious attempt to expound the Apocalypse. It is quite impossible to examine his exegesis in detail ; but we may say that the key of it is the theory that the evil power in the book is to be found in the Church of Rome. This has always been an attractive notion to some minds, and it certainly explains some things, and is supported by some coin- cidences, if we may so call them ; but we cannot see that it suits the actual facts if they are regarded, not by the controversalist, but by the historian. In some respects, Rome has been so bene- ficent a power, and has had so many saintly sons and daughters, that it is monstrous to see in her the Beast, the False Prophet, and the rest of the Apocalyptic symbols of evil. It must be understood that this is but a crude way of stating Mr. Grant's results; but it is clear that in his system of interpretation, Rome has a very important place.
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