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[ iii ]
THE
PARALLEL AND PIONEER, &c.
REV. CHAP XIII.
Verse 1. "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads
and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his head the name of blasphemy."
It is admitted, by all protestant commentators on the Apocalypse, that this verse is the symbolical representation
of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy. -- By the sea is meant, the Roman empire in a state of political and
religious fermentation and tumult. Such, most pre-eminently, was the situation of that empire during the
latter part of the fifth and the beginning of the sixth centuries. -- There were, during that period, the
fiercest political and religious strifes, civil dissentions and desolating wars within the borders of the Roman
empire. -- "The Goths and Vandals, the Sueves and Alani, and various other hordes of barbarians, coiled their
mighty waves successively on Italy, Spain and Gaul; they covered the most fertile provinces of the western empire,
and threw all things into confusion." -- Out of this sea, or sea-like agitation, the Apostle saw "a beast rise
up having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his head the name of blasphemy." -- By
the seven heads are meant, the seven hills upon which the city of Rome was built: in proof of which it is said, in
the 9th verse of the 17th chap. of Rev. "The seven heads are the seven mountains on which the
woman sitteth." In the same chapter it is also said, that "the ten horns are ten kingdoms." By the name of
blasphemy we are to understand, the blasphemous titles that the beast has assumed from age to age. -- Rome itself
has often been called, "the goddess of the earth, the heavenly city, the eternal city," &c. -- In the
beginning of the 6th century the Pope was proclaimed, universal Bishop, the Judge in the place of God, the
vicegerent of the Most High, the infallible Arbiter of all doubtful questions; with many other titles equally
blasphemous: and even to this day he assumes the blasphemous title of, HIS HOLINESS. Out of this sea rose up a
political and ecclesiastical combination that is, throughout the Apocalypse, alternatively spoken of as
a beast -- the whore of Babylon -- the mother of harlots -- the great city of Babylon, &c.: while in
other parts of the inspired volume it is represented as, "the mystery of iniquity, Antichrist," &c.
We would now ask: Is there nothing correspondent with the foregoing in the political and religious
signs of the present times? Rather, is there not an unprecedented tumult in the religious world,
and is not the political horizon of Christendom invested with ominous clouds? Do not all of he intelligent,
reflecting and observant among mankind, who are elevated above the influence of religious mania and detached
from political collisions, hear the first sighings or hoarse murmurs of a moral tempest that shall sweep over the
family of man as a siroc blast? Is there a civilized nation on earth which, at the present time, does not
require the congregated wisdom and utmost efforts of her best patriots to preserve her from internal, civil and
religious convulsion or from external war? -- has there, as yet, no monster risen therefrom, or is there no prospect
of such an event taking place? The history of the world admonishes us to expect, some moral and political beast
to rise up of a magnitude and ferocity proportional to the religious an civil tumultuations that may obtain in the
community of mankind. From this consideration alone we are warned, to suspect
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the embryon existence, in protestant Christendom, of political and religious beast, "fierce as ten furies,
terrible as hell:" and compared with which the Roman Catholic hierarchy, even in the days of the 7th
Gregory, was purity and harmlessness themselves.
Verse 2. "And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his
mouth as the mouth of a Lion, and the Dragon gave him his power and his seat and great authority."
In this verse we have a symbolical representation of the moral attributes or general characteristics of this
beast -- to wit,
1st. Like unto a leopard for SPOTS, for artfulness, maliciousness and quickness in the execution
of its purposes,
2d. Like unto a bear for perfidiousness and cruelty,
3d. Like unto a Lion for ambition and tyranny.
Whoever is coversant with ecclesiastical, or even general history, knows, that the Roman Catholic church has been
vividly characterized by the spots of a leopard in reference to her practical and speculative
heresies, which artfulness, maliciousness and rapidity in the execution of her purposes, stand in bold relief on
every page of her history. -- Her cruelty and perfidiousness are strikingly set forth by the feet of a bear: for
while she has professed to circle that human family in more than maternal embrace, she has prostrated and trodden
upon every political and religious immunity, privilege and right appropriated to mankind, by the law of nature and
the precepts of divine Revelation: She has not only fattened on human flesh and blood, but rioted in the
betrayment, and suppression, and degradation and mangling and murder of the truth of the gospel, and the consequent
spiritual sorrow and agony of the household of faith -- the elect of God! -- As a Lion, the reference to ambition
and tyranny, she has been the ascendant among the ambitious of earthly powers; while the mightiest of the kings and
Potentates of the world have been made, to hold the stirrups for the feet and to kiss the toe of the miscreant IMAGE
as a specimen of her tyranny. As the voice of the Lion of Numidia roars, and every beast of the forest quakes --
sinks petrified with fear to the earth or slinks dismayed to its cavern; so, the days and the ages have been, in
which the bulls and decretals and fulminas of the church of Rome have made the knees of monarchs on their thrones
knock together as Belshazzar's and the flesh tremble of the bones of their subjects, from the centres of the
circumferences of their kingdoms.
Is there no resemblance between protestant Christendom and a leopard? -- Has she no spots in her tenets, has she
no spots in her practice? Rather, are not her tenets for number comparable to the progeny of Milton's allegorical
personages of Sin and Death, and to the colors of the kaleidoscope for hue -- opposite and conflicting as the
elements of fire and water -- "a maniac's dreams, varying all shapes and mixing all extremes?" -- Can the most
inveterate opponent of the Roman Catholic hierarchy say worse of her than, that she has denied every prominent or
fundamental truth of the gospel? -- Who can, who dare say less in reference to the speculative heresy of Protestant
Christendom? The existence of even hundreds of religious sects and fraternities in christendom,
among whom and by whom every prominent truth of the gospel, as well as subordinate truth, are denied over and over
again, is an answer to the last question:--every fundamental constituent of the doctrine of the everlasting gospel
-- from that of the ineffably blessed mystery of a triplicity of UNDERIVED personal existence in the
one all-glorious Nature or Essence, down to that of the resurrection of the human body are, trampled
under foot in Protestant
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Christendom, as swine are wont to tread pearl under their feet: i.e. in consummate ignorance of their
value, and in pursuit of some filthy food to assuage their ever ravening appetite upon.
The multitudinous societies existing in protestant Christendom furnish a specimen of the innumerable little
beasts that will ultimately be spawned upon the earth to perplex and plague, worry and devour the inhabitants
thereof. If, anaconda-like, the cannot devour a carcase at a gulp, yet, like the locusts in Egypt, they are, in
the aggregate, not less ravenous and destructive; for not only have they made havoc of every truth of the gospel,
but perverted its holy ordinances to the most loathsome deformities; making them a mere membrane or webb to catch
silly men and women with, and to cover the garnish living sepulchres! As to practical heresies in protestant
Christendom we would ask: what is the import of the declaration of this, that the other church, respectively, of
one religious denomination, who vaunts with one breath of its having added to its members to the number of
two hundred a year; and, upon inquiry to that effect being made, has to acknowledge with its next breath, that it
has discarded about the same number -- and for what? Because, as the dog returns to his vomit and the sow to her
wallowing in the mire, these religious Reubenites have returned to the beggarly elements of the world! What is the
import of the churches of another religious denomination (and the one who esteems herself the
superlative among protestant denominations) resolving themselves into anti-intemperate, alias abstinent
societies, to preserve their ministers and members from drunkenness? To waive, however, all attempt at detail,
and in general terms we would ask; have not speculative heresies, and acts of crime of every grade, including
homicide, infanticide, suicide, robbery, burglary, adultery, fornication and drunkenness increased in a terrific
ratio even in the United States of American within the last twenty or five and twenty years? If so, what are we
to estimate intelligence or honesty of that swarming generation of teachers and preachers
at, who have been for years past making, and who continue to make, the vallies ring and the mountains echo
with their predictions and their promises that the "latter day glory" is dawning upon us -- that we are already
radiant with the roseate blush of the millennial more, and that, in a few more years at most, the human race,
beneath their all-transforming hands, will be moulded to angel holiness, and the earth invested with the
glories of Paradise!
The other characteristics of Protestant Christendom, as detailed in the attributes of the leopard, the bear and
the Lion, are most fully and forcibly identified with and developed in, the construction and operations of that
religious MACHINERY which is now approximating to "high pressure" movement within the limits of the civilized
world, and which the inventors and improvers thereof conceive is patented in heaven; but which we, from the results
of its past operation, & the nature of the fire that now peoples it, and the color of the smoke it leaves behind,
are disposed to believe is patented on the opposite side of the "great gulph." -- In our analysis of the
remainder of the chapter before us, we shall have occasion to bring into view and to make application to protestant
Christendom of the other attributes of the Leopard, the bear and the Lion: and, therefore, shall for the present
only notice the mouth of the lion, as applicable to and generally descriptive of the religious world:
not only, then, is protestant Christendom introducing her traditions, old wive's fable, filthy dreams, invention,
experiments, enterprises and combinations as a standard of judgment, as respects both person and
thing appertaining to the ostensible church of Christ -- not only do many professors believe and
assert, that more good is done by Sabbath schools than by an evangelical ministry (of which ministry, by the bye,
they comprehend as much as a beetle understands of the classical import of the pass of Thermopylae) more souls
saved by tracts than by the bible, &c.; but the roar of her congregated
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anathematisers against those who will not bow submissive and sub-servant to her STANDARD is, as terrifying
to the multitude of professors and non-professors, as are the fulminas of the Papal See to all those who are
within the pale of its ghostly jurisdiction.
It is added in the conclusion of the verse, that "the dragon gave the beast his power, and his seat and great
authority." -- The dragon is a symbolical representation of the heathen and earthly minded men -- As the gospel
became corrupted and the more offensive truths suppressed in the church of Rome and other contemporary churches,
and as a human tradition, inventions enterprises & combinations were multiplied and superseded, the gospel as
a standard of judgment, and gave rise to offices of title, honor, emolument and "little brief authority,"
so did the heathen and earthly minded men become professors. As the church of Rome excelled all others in
these labors of love, so did she realize the greatest increase of members. The heathen and early minded men, in
return for her charitable accommodations of the truth and pious efforts to allure them into the
church, gave her their political influence and much of their gold and silver.*
How much of power and authority earthly minded men in our day give to protestant Christendom, let the Excellencies,
Honorables, Esquires. &c. that stand as prefixes to the names of the far landed patrons and leading officers of
the American Bible society; as well as those of all other societies of modern origin I Christendom, even down to
auxiliary tract societies, testify. The five hundreds, two hundreds, one hundred and fifty, thirty, &c. dollar
contributions, which these earthly minded men make to these societies to be constituted Directors, managers and
members for life, present an item of the financial power and consequent authority which the Dragon gives to the
younger and smaller beasts. -- How far our pious missionaries make the heathen subservient to the advancement of
the power and authority of the beast, by kindly taking upon themselves to dispose of the Indians' furs on our
north-western frontier, or by directing their labors and disposing of their income, together with those
of the Creeks, the Choctaws, the Cherokees and other tribes or fragments of tribes of aborigines in our own country,
we say not: enough, no doubt, is accomplished in that way, to keep up the generous ardour which
has heretofore prompted them to adventure among these tribes and tongues with loads of tracts and trousers,
flattery and flannel. -- What a terrific drawback their Lord's treasury will be subject to, should that
headstrong president of ours send these Indians into the wilds west of the Mississippi River:--what lamentation
there will then be! Ramah's was music to it! Indeed, in anticipation, it makes their pious hearts weep tears of
blood; and rouses them to every noble effort, to bring forward the women and the children of the country in
threatening array against the United States in Congress assembled, if they dare to legislate the removal of these
Indians -- alias, this item from the treasury of their Lord!
Verse 3. "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the
world wondered after the beast."
To understand the import of this verse it is only necessary to remark, that in the reign of Constantine the great,
the seat of government of the Roman empire was removed, from the city of Rome to Byzantium on the Bosphorus. --
To the city of Byzantium Constantine removed his court, and there followed him a
* The scriptures declare -- "The love of money is the root of all evil." -- Query -- If protestant Christendom is
given to much prayer to be delivered from the evil? Rather, she considers money to be the root, trunk,
branches, foliage and fruit of salvation:--But, if the love of money be the root of all evil, how full is she of
evil?
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great portion of the leading political and religious characters of Rome, as well as a multitude of the common
citizens. -- Under these circumstances an invasion took place of the western empire, by the northern barbarians
under their celebrated leader Genseric, by whom the city of Rome was assaulted, captured, sacked and, apparently,
unto death. -- But to the astonishment of all who were at this time contemporary with her, she, phoenix like,
rose from her ashes to renewed and even superior splendor to what she possessed before her desolation. -- The
leading circumstances by which this resuscitation of the city of Rome was effected, are to be found in the
establishment of missionary enterprise by the Bishop and ecclesiastical authorities of Rome. -- Missionaries
were sent forth among the various tribes, nations and hordes of barbarians residing in countries adjacent to the
Roman empire, and they succeeded in proselyting numerous of the kinds, rulers and leaders to, what was then called,
the christian faith. -- The kings, rulers and leaders being converted, their people, as a matter of civil
obligation, became professors or christians too. -- Nothing could be more simple than was the modus operandi by
which the missionaries of the church of Rome mad proselytes and converted the heathen. They had only to tell the
heathen, the history of Christ's life upon earth, get them to believe the one fact -- to wit, "That Jesus
Christ is the son of God," and submit to baptism, and they were then christians in the fullest sense of the
word. *
As a specimen of their converts we remark, that when some of these missionaries had given a history of Christ's
life to Clovis, king of the Franks, and asked him if he did not believe, the one fact, to wit -- "that
Jesus is the Christ," the barbarian answered, "yes, I believe it; and had I been there, with my valiant
Franks, I would have revenged his death." -- The kings, rulers, &c. having been thus made christians,
converted and saved by the wonder working missionaries of the church of Rome, and being fully convinced,
in their own belief of the one fact and being baptized, they, as a mater of course, for such vast
spiritual benefits, poured into the ecclesiastical coffers of the Roman church their gold and their silver, and
gave her liberally of personal and real estate, while thousands of their subjects became citizens of Rome, and
thus once more elevated her to pre-eminent opulence and population. †
Verse 4. "And they worshipped the dragon that gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying,
Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?"
By "worshipped" is here meant, that the multitude of professors bestowed great praise upon, and
wafted far and near, on the breath of popular applause,
* This is the modus operandi of the renowned Alex. Campbell in reference to making christians! -- The legion of
Devils in went into the Gadarenes' swine bleived the one fact -- and they were IMMERSED in the sea! Ergo,
they were christians!
† It is thus with hundreds or thousands whom Alexander Campbell, through his writings, and
inexpressible Bishops, make christians: They are astonished at finding themselves christians --
They had supposed themselves as far from that character as Dives is from Lazarus. But the magic influence
of Campbell's pen, or the fac similie tongue of his Bishops, can make them christians (to use their own
peculiar language) "as fast as nailer heads nails." -- Then the astonished, grateful converts think,
that the least that they can do in return for such vast spiritual benefits is, to buy a whole set of their Papa's
traditions, debates, prayers and hymns: compared with which, they conceive, that the Alexandrian Library
was mere school boy books.
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The names of the leading political and religious rulers and authorities in pagan Rome, and throughout the then
civilized world, who gave their voice and influence in support of the half pagan, half christian system of religion
that the beast of Rome rose clothed with into power and great authority. -- These characters were extolled as being
high minded, liberal and zealous servants of the Most High God, and exemplary believers in Christ. -- Posts of
honor, offices of distinction, and places of profit were bestowed upon such persons. These things attracted
attention, and allured thousands of the leading character of the age, to make profession of the christian
religion. * -- This made it necessary to form, what was called, religious societies all over the empire, to meet the
expectations and to gratify the vanity of those who sought the distinctions, honors and emoluments of office. -- Hence,
the titles of arch-deacon, arch-presbyter, arch-bishop, metropolitan and patriarch, with a whole host of inferior
officers, such as acolytes, readers, catechists, &c. &c. -- Is there nothing similar in protestant christendom in our
day? Rather, are not the inventions and combinations that new obtain among her churches for multiplying proselytes and
making converts, and for giving pomp and éclat to the religious enterprises of the times, without a parallel in
the annals of the world! Are not all orders and ranks of mankind, from majesties on their thrones to the sooty chimney
sweep, from the Machiavelian statesman to the credulous child and idiot, brought into a direct or indirect connexion
with the subserviency to the religious EXPERIMENTS of protestant christendom in this generation? Do not mankind
of all grades, characters and conditions worship these little beasts? Do they not admire, praise, and extol to
the skies, their professed zeal for the salvation of ALL MEN? and approve and laud that CHARITY, as an expression
of high minded liberality, by which these religious denominations suppress the truth of the gospel, and garble,
pervert and corrupt the doctrine of GRACE? Do they not shout acclamation to those little beasts as they multiply
ostensible religious and benevolent institutions, and form combinations that the world can associate with
and be a party in the operations of? -- Hence, Bible, Missionary, Tract, Sabbath school, Dorcas, Magdalene,
Anti-intemperate, &c. &c. societies, are all institutions in which the world, and every thing pharisaic and
heretical among professors, can be employed, honored and applauded! From these multifarious, and even multiplying
institutions, office and title, honor and emolument, power and influence are dispensed adequate to gratity, in some
measure, the pride and vanity of all classes of mankind, from Royalty itself to the femee de chamber: and
thus stimulate the multitude of mankind to a co-operation with them, by the excitement and gratification of their
ambition and their avarice. -- From these protestant beasts, and their appendages, we have bishops, and arch-bishops,
prebends and arch-prebends, deacons and arch-deacons, doctors of divinity, masters and bachelors of arts, presidents
and vice-presidents, presidentesses and vice prsidentesses, directors and directoresses, male and female
treasurers, secretaries, managers, teachers, readers, catachists, &c. &c. -- Thus are all the societies
alluded to not only caterers to the baser passions of our common nature, but are so many media of introducing into the
ostensible church, and of putting it in the power of earthly minded men and women to create and perpetuate a
ministry which has about as much of the faith of Gold's elect, or the essential doctrine of the gospel in it,
as there is nutriment in the shriveled paps of an Egyptian mummy. -- Take, for instance, the Sabbath school societies:
what studied efforts are made to proselyte the teachers to the religious denomination that their schools,
respectively, may be under patronage of: and, as far as this succeeds, how zealously do the teachers co-operate with
those religious denominations, or little beasts, to proselyte or convert
* "Where the carcase is, there will the eagles gathered together."
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the scholars! The very negroes of their schools are tormented into a profession of religion: and then a flaming bulletin
is, through the medium of the press, issued forth to proclaim, the glorious revival or conversion that has taken place. *
-- In short, if the Roman Catholic church was a theological or religious beast and monster, from the principles and
practices by which she rose into existence, extended her influence, and perpetuated her power; then are the
protestant churches of our day but smaller beasts of the same genius and species. -- We also learn from this
verse, that there were an almost universal exclamation and vociferation, on the part of the professors in the
church of Rome, if, "who is like unto the beat? who is able to make war with him?" How striking a parallel do the
protestant churches furnish out at the present time! All these denominations, with all the various societies which they
form, including especially, the whole host of superior and inferior officers, thereof, lift up their united voices and
thunder, from the pulpit and the press, from hotels and from ball rooms, from taverns and from theatres, "who is like
unto these beasts? who is able to make war with them?" -- Were there ever such pious and philanthropic, wise and mighty
efforts made to save all men? Never -- never! Who can resist our efforts? What power can defeat our
enterprises? The moral† energies of the WORLD are rising up and congregating in our behalf, and we shall
triumph gloriously! O how deep and broad is this spirit of vaunting at the present day -- how intensely are these little
beasts worshipped -- how loftily do they inquire, Who is like unto us, who is able to make war with us? -- Thus
the scriptures are fulfilling; for it is written: "This KNOW also, that in the LAST DAYS, perilous times
(to all who know and maintain the faith of God's elect) shall come. For men shall be lovers of themselves,
proud, covetous (of fame, office, title, pelf) boasters, traitors HEADY, high minded, &c. having a form of
godliness, but denying the power (God's power) thereof: from such turn away." -- 2 Tim. iii, 1 to 5.
Verse 5. "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things, and blasphemies: and power was given unto him
to continue forty and two months."
We learn from this verse, that the church of Rome was encouraged to boast and speak great swelling words about her
devices and doings, wisdom, zeal and power, from the success that she had met with in making proselytes and rising into
earthly grandeur and honor. -- What a month, in this respect, has protestant Christendom! To say nothing about the
Utopian perfection of general government which the political magicians of the age promise us, OR our
posterity -- to say nothing about our ermined worthies promise of us justice through their
simplifications and refinements of the elements of law, by which, ere long, the streams of equity
will flow, through all the ramifications of the social compact, pure and clear as that river spoken of in the last
chapter of Apocalypse: To say nothing of what our Universities, Colleges, Academies, and leaders among the deliciae
literatae promise of intellectual elevation to the family of man, and that the time is at hand when one universal "feast
of reason and
* How ineffably absurd it is for parents to suffer their children to go to Sabbath schools to be taught religious
things by mere children, or by adults who know no more of the meaning of the gospel than they do of Egyptian
hieroglyphics:--Besides, there is not a Bible society, Tract society, Missionary society, or one of their auxiliaries,
as there is not a Sabbath School in the world, that would receive the truths of the gospel in the love of them; while
the most, if not all of them, hate the doctrine of SOVEREIGN GRACE to detestation!
==> We have tried them far and near! We know them!
† Alias -- monied energies -- which all Iscariots deem much the best moral leper.
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flow of soul" shall be its daily portion: while intellect shall like vestal fire, consume and forever dissipate
the gross elements of the animal economy of man: To say nothing of these modest promises of diffident
boastings, or of those of the medical faculty who are, about to render the human body more invulnerable to disease
than Achilles' to Trojan arms; * we shall confine our attention to the boastings of the religious community in protestant
Christendom: What mouths, in this respect, have the little Beasts! What great things they speak! "Attempt great
things, expect great things" exclaim the Baptists: our increase has been 40,000 members within the last year,
shout the Methodists: Put me upon such a circuit, says one convert maker, and I WILL make you
returns of 250 members in a year: and I, says another, will make you returns of 300 members in a year, if you will
put me upon the same circuit. -- I can make 50 christians in a day bellows out a Campbellite or Christian
Baptist bishop: and I, says another of the same fanaticism, Reubenite fraternity of Bishops, I can make christians
as fast as a nailer can head nails: I have baptized 500 within the last year cries a loathsome free will baptist
teacher: I wout stay among you, mutters a jesutical Fullerite Baptist minister, (albeit, all and every one of them
are the very drippings of jesuitism) unless you have a revival: I have always been used to having
revivals wherever I have gone -- vem, vidi, vici -- I came, I saw, I conquered. -- Let us send for Mr. Ludlow and
Mr. Finney, exclaim the General Assembly Presbyterian church, and have another revival of religion. † -- In short, in
almost every one of the protestant churches, proselitism and convert making are reduced to a mere mechanical business;
and they are accounted bunglers in the ministry who cannot and monsters of cruelty to the soulds of men who will
not make revivals! -- The presses groan with volumes of their vauntings, in the form of memoirs and biography of their
more active and monied principals and patrons, histories of their revivals, their devices and
their doings: The Bible, the Tract, the Missionary, the Sabbath school
* Messeiurs -- The political magicians -- the ermined worthies -- the delicaie literatae -- the medical faculty,
&c. throughout the United States. We know much, very much that is worthy of being written to your exaltation:
but space forbids in this communication. One thing we would whisper in your ear -- that is -- that nine-tenths of
your are drunk -- drunk with the wine of the whore of Babylon: The spirit of ARMINIANISM inflates you with an idea, that
by the connexion with herself you will not only produce a race of men of angel size and form, but turn the present
generation into "new creatures." This spirit speaks and vaunts through all protestant churches more or less. -- You will
find in the end, that you or she cannot alter times or laws or seasons: That she is a Delila and you have been fools.
† In reference to the General Assembly Presbyterian, and Fullerite Baptist ministers and missionaries it may, in a very
general way, by remarked: That, in city, town, village or neighborhood, they make their official debut in a flaming
effort to produce a revival. -- The proselytes and converts of these two revivals furnish the ways and
the means (with some occasional contributions from the missionary funds) for the hopeful pair to establish themselves
as a family: Contingencies admonish them, that they cannot long be content "with food and raiment" for simply
two: The ways and means, therefore, must be increased: to increase ways and means, there must be an
increase of members to their respective churches, and to that end another revival must be made! and
SO ON: this, at least may be called natural religion, and natural revivals!
It is really loathsome to the mind every "Israelite indeed" to witness, with what foxiness the Fullerite ministers
crawl through street, lane and ally of city, town and village to seek and find out the pharisaic, the credulous and
attic SOFT for the purpose of alluring them into a profession under their pastoral charge, and
thus get themselves an increase of stipend, and themselves and churches popular notoriety.
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and anti societies, respectively, vaunt and boast of what they have done or what they are going to do! As if
theirs was the prerogative to say to the tempest tossed ocean, "thus far shalt thou come and no farther, and
here shall thy proud waves be staid:" as if theirs was prerogative to "make, the wickedness of the wicked to
praise themselves, and the residue of their wrath to restrain:" in a work, and as before observed, the pulpit
and the court-house, the tavern and hotel, the theatre and the ball room are alike rendered the sounding boards of
their achievements and their fame! In the science of boasting they out Herod, Herod and fling Roman
Catholic church itself into obscurity. -- The "blasphemies spoken in this very are found in the Arianism, Sabelianism,
Socinianism, &c. that obtain in protestant christendom at this time. * -- This beast is to have existence forty and two
months, or twelve hundred and sixty years! Let that be marked!
Verse 6. "And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them
that dwell in heaven."
And is there no blasphemy against God in protestant christendom? If blasphemy against God is, some indignity offered
unto him, verily, protestant christendom is full of it! Human traditions, "old wives' fables, filthy dreams,"
inventions, enterprises and combinations, have already been made to supersede the gospel of God as a standard of
judgment, both as respects christian profession nad ministerial character! Is there no blasphemy against the
name of God in protestant christendom? His name is, Jehovah! -- the self-existing, self-subsisting Nature or Essence.
-- His name is, Jehovah Aleim -- the self-existing, self-subsisting Nature or Essence in plurality of personal
existence! So that, not only are Sabellians, Arians, &c. blaspheming his name, but all who proclaim the
nature of either of the persons in the Divine Existence derived, or either of their personal subsistence
derived. † The God revealed in the bible is, not less Jehovah -- Self-existing, Self-subsisting, in PERSONAL
existence, than he is, Jehovah -- self-existing, self-subsisting in nature or Essence! -- Not only are God
and his name represented as being blasphemed, but also, "his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven." -- By his
tabernacle we are to understand, the
* A a specimen -- In Boston, out of 49 churches, 19 are Arian and Socinian: And Boston exhibits at least a creditable
sample of New-England theology: Judging from the missionaries and ministers which that section of country so
liberally send to these western wilds, and we might as well look for a Leviathan in a mud puddle as an able
evengelical minister from New-England. We do not say that they have none such ministers, but if they have them, they
keep them like jealous Spaniards do their wives -- sacked!
† The doctrine of eternal generation, as applied to that modal distinction or person in the Divine
Existence denominated "The Logos;" or of derivation to either the Logos or Spirit, and which notions are held by great
body of Trinitarians, is but the last drippings of the Arian gall: In the Liturgy of the Church of England it is thus
expressed: "O god the Son proceeding from the Father, &c.: O God the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and
the Son, &c." In this language is conveyed the idea of One-prime-original, and two derived and subordinate personal
existences in the divine Nature or Essence. There is no such a God revealed in the Scriptures! Concerning the Father
it is, JEHOVAH -- Self-Existent -- Self-Subsistent in nature and in personal existence! (Zech. xiii. 6.) Of the
Spirit or Holy Ghost it is, JEHOVAH -- Self-Existent, Self-Subsistent, in Nature and in personal existence!
Isaiah vi. 8, 9, 10, Acts xxviii. 26, 27.
Out of hundred of passages of scripture which testify that the Logos is underived or ungenerated in his personal
existence as one of the modal distinctions of the Devine Being, we shall here cite out one or two: -- Micah v. 2, 3.
"But thou Bethlehem
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church in her mutations and wanderings in this world, from the earliest period of her existence, to the present time,
and which wanderings will continue, until that period shall have arrived, when she shall be established on the tops
of the mountains, and become the beauty of the whole earth: The church will then cease to be a moving tabernacle and
become an established glorious temple. -- The beast is said to blaspheme or offer indignity to this tabernacle! And
does not protestant christendom in our day blaspheme or offer indignity to the tabernacle of God: For instance -- is
there a church established upon the simple principles of gospel order, maintaining and proclaiming the doctrine of
SOVEREIGN GRACE (such churches are, "like angel visits -- few and far between!") in all its fulness and purity, and
confining herself, unyieldingly, to God's appointed means of salvation? How is such a church a blasphemed! how insolently
do those little beasts proclaim, that the doctrine which she promulges, the order which she observes and the
principles that she acts upon, will never do any good -- never save sinners or advance the cause of the Redeemer. --
Thus is such a church spoken of and reproached, and the slow moving finger of scorn is pointed at her as,
bigotted, illiberal and ignorant of the sings of the times. --
Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet of thee shall come forth unto me that is to be a
ruler of Israel; and his GOINGS FORTH? have been mem Cadem mimi Oolem, from eternity days everlasting." While,
in this language, we have represented, the local and temporal origin of Messiah's humanity, the Hebrew language is
strained to the utmost it will hear to assert his distinct eternal existence in Deity. -- Numerous attempt have been
made by different writers to make this passage say; "the distinct Hypostatical existence of the Messiah in the Divine
Nature was begotten;" but it steadfastly remains unyielding; for the word ve mutzatin is plural: and could be
wrestled or wrong into the meaning of generating or begetting, when applied for that purpose to his divine existence,
would express it often begotten, which would be downright absurdity.
In the 22d Psalm there is a prophetical representation of Christ in his sufferings, and that suffer called (verse 20.)
Ihidethi; "My UNITED One." -- Yod, my, and ihideth from ihed to unite or make one: -- united with
mankind in human nature, so as both natures, the divine and human, to be but one complex person namely, "The Christ of
God." -- Luke ix. 20.
The generating or begetting of the humanity, of Christ is every where in the Scriptures ascribed to God: "And the angle
answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:
therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall (first future tense) be called the Son of God."
(Luke i. 35.) -- The fact of his humanity being begotten is announced by the Angel to Joseph -- Matth. i. 20
"Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is (gennethen) begotten in her, is of the Holy Ghost."
-- Thus is Christ the Son of God by EXTRA-ordinary generation a real man was produced in a preternatural way: and
in this EXTRA-ordinary generation, hypostatically united to one of the medal distinctions or subsistencies of the
Divine Existence: hence the appellative Ihidethi -- "My united one." -- Thus the scriptures demonstrate him to be
human as well as invincibly prove him to be divine: What then is predicated of him as a human being, as generated,
begotten, humbled, growing in knowledge, &c, can never be applied to his distinct personal existence in the Divine
Nature! -- If God the Father by any act eitehr immanent or prophoric, generated one modal distinction or personal
existence, he can generate another and another, &c. or he has ceased to be what he once was in power! if so -- he has
ceased to be God! -- More anon!
§ ACTIVE PROCEEDINGS, is, unquestionably, the sense of mutzaim in all its variety of application; whether to the
springing of fountains, to vegetation, to the rising of the sun, to the working of intelligent agents, or to any other
of the motions of mind or matter.
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The same blasphemies are spoken of those who dwell in heaven -- that is, of those who really enjoy heavenly places in
Christ Jesus -- who have a conversation in heaven -- who seek those things that are above; who study to glorify
god, & to realize that honor which is from him:--those who despise to be found mattering one man, threatening another,
appealing to the vanity of a third and self interest of all, for the purpose of making proselytes to any religious party
or sect. -- Those who are thus Israelites indeed -- who are thus exalted to heaven in moral integrity and
evangelical fidelity to the church, to the gospel, the doctrine and the ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ;
and who shrink away from the vain pomp, profession and popularity which these little beasts are compassing sea
and land to augment and perpetuate to themselves: these character, we say, are spoken of, by those little beasts,
in the language of ribaldry and false accusation, and denounced as being, benighted, illiberal, uncharitable monsters
and enemies of the God of Bible, Missionary, Tract, Sabbath school, &c. &c. societies. -- Thus they blaspheme the
tabernacle of God and them that dwell in heaven: though if it were not for that tabernacle and they that dwell
in heaven, every vestige of the TRUTH of the gospel of Christ would, ere this time, have been obliterated and
buried in oblivion beneath the rubbish of their traditions, inventions and combinations. -- Hence, that tabernacle
is said to be "the pillar and the ground of the truth;" and those who dwell in the heaven to be, "the salt of
the earth," the only true light there is in the world. -- Power, it is said was given to him to continue to blaspheme
against God and his name, and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven, for forty and two months,
or twelve hundred and sixty years.
Verse 7-8. "And it was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: And power was given to him
over ALL kindreds and tongues and nations! And ALL that dwell upon the earth SHALL worship him, whose names
are not written in the book of life, of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
In these two verses it is emphatically declared: 1st. That the beast should have power to make war with
the saints and overcome them! 2d. That power was given him over ALL kindreds, and tongues and nations: 3d. That ALL
whose names are not written in the book of life shall worship this beast; and, in the conclusion of the
6th verse, it is declared, that power was given to the beast to continue forty and two months or 1260 years. -- In other
words: "It was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them for and during he period of 1260 years:
And power was given him over ALL kindreds, and tongues, and nations for and during 1260 years! And ALL that dwell upon
the earth shall worship the beast, whose names are not written in the book of life, for and during the period of
1260 years. -- Without presuming to say, at what particilar period of time this 1260 years commenced, it is admitted by
all protestant churches, that said 1260 years have not yet terminated: consequently, the beast continues to have power
to make war with the saints and to overcome them: he continues to have power over all kindreds and tongues and nations:
and all that dwell upon the earth continue to worship him, excepting those "whose names are written in the Lamb's book of
life."
From the foregoing positions it indisputedly follows, that ALL protestant christendom are of those whose names are
written in the book of life -- the elect -- the saints of the most high God, OR the Beast has power in and is worshipped
by protestant christendom! but no one is prepared to say, that the vast majority of men and women in protestant
christendom give any evidence, in life or in death, of their being born of God or the subjects of spiritual life, (which
is the import of the names of men being written in the Lamb's book of life) which is
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admitting, in so many words, that he beast is worshipped by the vast majority in protestant christendom. -- Here
it will be proper to notice what constitutes the power or influence of the beast, and what the essential worshipping of
him. -- If we were to describe Revolutionary France, during the reign of a Robespierre, Danton or Mara, we would, with
propriety, say, that a political beast or monster reigned. -- By which we would mean, that a jacobinical spirit had
corrupted every fundamental principle of sound political economy, polluted the fountains of justice, and disorganized
and degraded the whole social compact of the nation; while those who are the agents, instruments and approvers of this
order of things, we would justly style, the worshippers of this political beast or monster. -- Moreover, wherever we
might see or hear of a similar spirit of jacobinical government, we would, necessarily, speak of it as a beast or monster, and of those who give it existence, or who approved and promoted its influence as worshippers thereof. -- Apply this case to the subject before us, and we have an illustration given of the religious beast, both as respects his power and the import of worshipping him. The leading characteristics of the power and the influence of this beast are, a corrupting of the gospel for the sake of multiplying proselytes and of making converts; and of incorporating all classes of mankind with the ostensible church, by some inventions of its own, for the purpose of making an imposing appearance as to numbers, and for creating a revenue for those in ecclesiastical authority; as well as, by its inventions, enterprises and combinations, to create offices of honor, emoluments, title and "little brief authority," for those who are subordinates in its service and worship. -- If these things make up and make out, essentially, the power and worshipping of the beast; then is his
presence seen and felt, then is he devoutly and largely and almost universally worshipped in protestant christendom at
this time, OR, he never was worshipped and he never had an existence!
If, then, from the family likeness we have exhibited as subsisting between the old beast and the young ones --
The mother of harlots and her daughters, we have indubitable evidence, that the protestant churches are the young
beasts -- the hopeful daughters; who may blame us for developing that likeness. -- We say it then again,
and say it most emphatically, that all the prominent features of the beast are clearly visible in protestant christendom,
and will continue to be found there in bolder and bolder relief, until the expiration of the 1260 years -- OR,
the scriptures will not be fulfilled!
It is also said in these verses: "And it was given unto him (the beast) to make war with the saints and to overcome
them."
The leading truths of the gospel were opposed even in the days of the Apostles, by multitudes professing to e disciples
of Christ. -- This opposition became organized and gigantic bodies in the churches of Rome, Alexandria, Jerusalem,
Constantinople and Antioch. This opposition has continued to prevail ever since, and to triumph in general
suppression of the leading truths of the gospel throughout ostensible christendom. -- In the days of
Luther, Calvin and other contemporary Reformers, those leading truths were, for a short period, once more brought
to light and proclaimed in the hearing of myriads. This was, however, but a temporary resuscitation of those truths --
an earnest of what God could and would do in after ages, when his truth should lie buried, as it
were, ten thousand fathoms deep, beneath the traditions, old wives fables, inventions, &c. of protestant
christendom. -- Immediately after the Reformation we find, Arianism, Socinianism, pelagianism, Arminianism and numerous
other corruptions of the gospel to obtain in the protestant churches; until NOW there are more numerous heresies,
contrariant and conflicting notions, in what is called protestant christendom, than ever there were in the Catholic
Church. -- the Mother of harlots!
How far this multiplication of heresies is to extend is not for us to say. It
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already solicits for the religious world the appellative of "Christendom in confusion:" It already exhibits more
sects and fraternities than there are saints in the Romish calender, or suits of clothes for my Lady of Loretto. --
Under such circumstances an infallible head or Universal Bishop must be created for protestant christendom, or
the hubbub of jarring sects will make earth an image of hell. -- To proceed, however, in our illustration of the
conclusion of the 8th verse. -- As the Roman Catholic church has done, so is protestant christendom doing. She is
corrupting, perverting and suppressing the truths of the gospel; she is introducing her traditions, inventions,
experiments and combinations in the place of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ: and in this way is she making war with
the saints; and in this way demonstrates, that she is as truly Beast -- "Mystery of iniquity, Antichrist and Abominations
of the whole earth" as ever the Catholic church was. The saints opposed this Beast -- this mystery of iniquity,
&c. as it grew and worked in Catholic christendom, and they must oppose it as it grows and works in protestant
christendom, or elsewhere, and forever: The every pulsation of their souls is stern unyielding and undying protestation
against, and opposition to this mystery of iniquity: The God of their faith and their fidelity, has constituted
them kings and priests unto himself by the imposition of this own Almighty hand, and their power as kings will be wielded
in defence of his gospel; while, if necessary, they will offer themselves, in character, property and person upon the
alter of the truth as it is in Christ -- the faith once delivered to the saints -- the faith of God's elect! And soon,
very soon will they have to offer themselves thus in sacrifice in protestant christendom, as they have in ages
past in Catholic christendom. -- Ere we leave this verse we again remark, that all who, in protestant christendom,
corrupt, pervert or suppress the truth of the gospel, upon the popular doctrine of prudence, experience or
policy; or, who introduce human traditions, inventions, enterprises and combinations as a standard of judgment,
SUPERSEDING the gospel, THEY are the BEAST; soul, body and spirit -- bone, sinew and marrow. While all
who approve, abet and support that doctrine, those traditions, inventions, &c. in protestant christendom,
they are worshippers of the beast as much as ever Catholics were under Leo X, when Jon Tetzel sold indulgences
that would extend to one "Who had defloured the mother of God" -- and ALL too, for the treasury of the
Lord! O hell! how like heaven canst though appear! No marvel, saith the scriptures, for Satan himself can
appear as an angel of light! *
Verse 9. "If any man have an ear let him hear."
Ears, we know, men have and yet they hear not, eyes they have and yet see not hearts they have but they understand not!
There are, however, but few of the multitude of professors that are at present likely to hear and to
listen to such truths as the foregoing. -- But the time is coming when they must hear them in judgments,
* Here, for instance, is a professed Baptist minister travelling from Athens in Ohio, to Washington in Pennsylvania
to make a Presbyterian minister a life member of the Tract Society of the New-York! Now, this famous Baptist preacher
could not, perhaps, and most likely, as a Baptist minister, realize 50 dollars a year -- but as a tract society agent
he gets from four to five hundred dollars per annum! -- O, what stimuli there is in 4 or 500 dollars per annum!
Again -- In a certain town an old fox of a Presbyterian minister is, by a young hedge-hog of a minister, of the
same faith and order PRICKED our of his nest; and, as an alternative, (necessitas non habet legem)
becomes a zealous abstinent society agent: -- for which he gets 600 dollars per annum! O, who can wonder that his holy
zeal prompts him to doubly, trebly and quadruply damn all who do not join his abstinent societies! SUCH are a SPECIMEN
of the Tract and Abstinent Societies' Agents throught the United States! They are of the same religious species
as was Judas Iscariot, who sold Jesus Christ himself for the benefit of the Lord's treasure! -- Multum in parvo.
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terrible as the groan of expiring nature. -- At present they cannot hear the truth, but HEAP up to themselves teachers
(bible agents, tract, Sabbath school, missionary, anti-abstinent, &c. agents) having itching ears -- (ears, so far and
so deeply the subjects of the cacoethes, that Satan himself will, ultimately, be tormented in scratching them) and which
teachers prophecy smooth things; and cry, peace, peace, when the world is rocking on the brink of destruction! They will
not believe, that their SOCIETIES are nothing better than the synagogues of Satan, where the blackest infidelity
to the truth of the gospel, and treason against the glorious kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, are brooding and
operating to the consummation of "The Mystery of iniquity" in the prostration of the gospel, as far or farther than ever
the law of Moses was made void or prostrated, by the traditions and inventions of the Scribes and Pharisees of old. --
It is these who have circumcised ears -- whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life -- the elect of God, whom
it is not possible to deceive, by any false gospel, specious devices or fashionable religious and
benevolent enterprises and combinations; -- it is only those, we say, who are the salt of the earth, and the light of
the world, who will hear and gladly receive the word of truth; or who know "the signs of the times." -- Hence,
it is written, "Blessed is he that readeth (in the spirit of understanding thereof) and they that hear
the words of this prophecy, and keep in remembrance those things which are written therein, for the time is at
hand."* That is, the time was then at hand in which the prophecy of this book was to begin to have a
fulfillment: it has been fulfilling ever since! -- There are many of God's people who begin to hear these truths, &c.
to give heed to them as to a light that shineth in a dark place: And every day there will be more and more of them
convinced, that these things are faithful and true: and at last be astonished at their past ignorance or insensibility
to these things, while their hearts will burn within them, in holy indignation against those little beasts, by
whose dissimulation and artful practices they had been led astray.
Verse 10. "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: He that killeth with the sword must by killed
with the sword: Here is the patience and faith of the saints."
In the verse now before us we have an epitomized history of all religious establishments, teachers, theological
Adventurers and professors, who pervert and suppress the truths of the gospel, and who introduce human traditions and
inventions as a standard of judgment in the place of the gospel. All who do so are leaders of others into
captivity to delusions and refuges of lies, at the same time they themselves are led into captivity by the Father of
devices and lies: Thus, deeper and deeper, they mutually sink, until at least the blind leaders and blind
followers alike fall into the gulph of perdition. -- This is exemplified more and less, in every religious sect,
denomination and fraternity of the present day, -- deluded and led captive, as they are by myriads of corruptions of
the gospel, human traditions and inventions, and "lo heres and lo theres" in reference to the kingdom of Christ. --
These very denominations whose professed faith embraces a general Calvinistic interpretation of the gospel, are crowded
with open Arminian or pseudo-calvanistic ministers! In the end, there is do doubt, every one of these religious
denominations will become, "the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and
hateful bird:" and in this way they will be annihilated as sects, midst the throes of internal conflict, and by those
judgments of God which are detailed in the 16th chapter of Revelations. Until the termination of the 1260 years this
scene and series of captivity will not be consummated! It will then begin to decline and fall.
* Rev. i. 3.
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It is also said, "he that killeth with the sword, shall be killed with the sword." This clause, we conceive, has
reference to the Ottoman empire, whose religion was established at the point of the sword; and which empire shall, ere
long, no doubt, be blotted from the map of Europe as a nation, and that too by the sword of a foreign conquerer. -- There
has been much declamation against Mahomed, as a false prophet and ruthless tyrant, propogating and establishing his
religion by the sword. -- Well, imposter and tyrant as he was, he was innocence itself compared with those who, as
worshippers of the beast, corrupt, pervert and suppress the truth of the gospel, and resort to every species and variety
of theological jugglery, in the hallowed name of Jesus, to form new protestant sect or to get proselytes to an
old one. -- As a proof of this, the judgment that is to come upon the Ottoman empire is merely the ordinary calamities
of war, and the dispersion of the Mahometans as a nation: While seven bowls of the wrath of God Almighty -- or seven
extraordinary and supernatural scenes and series of judgment are to be visited upon the beast, and all who worship him,
or who have his mark on their foreheads or in their right hands: -- In short -- upon the old beast and the young ones --
the Mother of harlots and the daughters -- the great city of Babylon and the and the smaller ones -- the Catholic and the
Protestant churches! They shall all drink of the wine of the fierceness of God Almighty's wrath, and that without
mixture -- for they are worthy.
This verse ends by saying, "Here is the patience and faith of the saints." -- That is, when the beast, in former ages,
was corrupting the gospel, for the sake of accommodating it to the minds and feelings of carnal professors and an
ungodly world, and thereby obtaining large accessions of numbers and revenue; and when multiplying device upon device,
and adding, what they called, religious enterprise and combination of religious enterprise and combination, *
for the purpose of multiplying proselytes and making converts; and when they appeared on the flood tide of successful
experiment for the salvation of all men, and when, intoxicated with their apparent triumphs they were vaunting
and shouting acclimation to the works of their own hands; as, we say, under these circumstances, the saints of
the Most High God, patiently endured all the obloquy and abuse that were poured upon them, because they would not become
a party of these unfruitful works of darkness; and as their faith clave to the truth of the gospel, and to the
promulgation of that truth as God's appointed means of salvation to his church and people; and as
they would neither receive the traditions of men for the truth of the gospel, or their inventions for the ordinances of
the gospel, or give up one jot or tittle of the truth of the gospel; so now the patience of and faith of
the saints have an equally severe and fiery trial. -- They cannot, will not, dare not sanction other means of
salvation than those which God hath appointed and established in the ministry of Christ and his Apostles; and they
must abhor, denounce and oppose every attempt to corrupt the gospel, or to suppress "the faith once delivered
to the saints." -- Here they take their stand: and while the myriads of professors are, with trumpet
tongue, pleading for innovation after innovation and corruption after corruption, suppression after suppression OF
the truth of the gospel, and that upon the doctrine of expedience, prudence and policy, and denominating
the whole, christian CHARITY; † the saints with unintimidated front and lion heart respond, heaven and earth
shall pass away ere we will surrender one jot or tittle of the doctrine of
This doctrine of combination, in the name of the gospel and church of God, ever has been and ever will be a moral
Upas -- it is plague, pestilence and famine to the political and social order of mankind, as it is in direct opposition
to what the scriptures represent and circumstance of God's people to be in this world, i.e. "the salt of the earth" --
as salt SCATTERED not combined!
† Charity! Charity is a plant of heavenly growth, and is kept green and flourishing
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God our Saviour or ere we will give unto those devices and doings in his name, for which he has given us neither example
or precept in his word, an which he hath m|no shape required at our hands. -- For assuming this attitude, & acting
upon this principle of fidelity to the truth of the gospel, the interests of the church and declarative glory of the
captain of their salvation, they have been and they will be treated with contempt, hated and scorned and trodden under
foot. -- In all this the patience and the faith of the saints are severely tried and imposingly manifested as standing,
in "the power of God and not in the wisdom of men."
Verse 11. "And I behold another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he
spake as a dragon."
The appearance of this best is in immediate connexion with an extended influence of the first. -- The first beast, or
ecclesiastical authorities at Rome, had succeeded in corrupting the gospel, both as respects doctrine and practice, to
an infamous extent, when this second beast made its appearance. Here we may take occasion to remark, that not only had
the church of Rome corrupted, perverted and suppressed the truths of the gospel, and superseded that gospel as a
standard of judgment, by her traditions, inventions, enterprises and combinations, but the churches of
Constantinople, Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch had also been for ages corrupting and suppressing the truths of the
gospel, and multiplying their traditions and inventions for the purpose of making proselytes and converts. -- These five
gigantic overgrown churches had been, for many generations, the heated, the hateful and the hating rivals of each other,
respectively exciting their members to a high degree of ambitious effort and noble daring to gain the ascendency over
the others, &a schooling those members &a their adherents to believe, that any degree of corruption given to the gospel,
or any carnal devices or expedients resorted to for the obtainment of the prize, were all lawful, and that the
end sanctified the means. -- Earthly minded men had got into "the high places and seats of authority" in the OSTENIBLE
church, they had monopolized the offices, honors and revenue thereof. -- Under these circumstances the second
beast made its appearance. The first beast is said to have risen up out of the sea -- the import of which we
noticed in the commencement of this lecture. -- The second beast is said to rise up out of the earth. By which we are to
understand, the multitude of earthly minded men that then, in general, composed and governed the ostensible church. --
This figurative term is often made use of in the scriptures to denote the inhabitants of this world and unrenewed men:
as, for instance -- "And the whole earth was of one language and one speech. Gen xi. 1: -- O earth, earth, earth,
hear the word of the Lord." The churches of Rome, Constantinople, &c. had become filled with earthly minded
professors, they had possessed themselves of all its honors, emoluments & authority; while christiantiy
was the established religion of the most of the nations civilized world; and a profession of religion, in some one
of the churches, had become a hereditary and settled occurrence among all classes of mankind. -- Thus,
judging from the universality of profession made, and the christian religion appeared to be fixed as the poles,
immovable as the earth. -- Therefore, this second beast is represented to have risen up out of the earth. -- This second
beast is a symbolical representation of generations of missionaries that the Bishop and ecclesiastical authorities of
Rome created, and sent forth through the world of an especial, pious and charitable mission. -- The churches
with the dews of the truth of the gospel: while all false interpretations of the gospel do but poison and deform
it: But the charity of which these myriads of professors boast is, like the thorns and thistles of the wild
forest, which does but spread a shade for the hissing serpents of slander against the truth, or shower its mock beauties
upon the deadly asp of heresy.
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of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, &c. had not only been for ages corrupting the truth of the gospel and multiplying
their traditions, inventions and combinations for the salvations of all men; but were jealous of each other as
a sultan of his harem, and respectively putting forth their most ingenious devices and efforts to become the ascendant.
These lordly religious establishments had only obtained, an almost universal religious control over the
minds of men, and a sweeping influence in the political affairs of the different nations of the earth; they had not
only realized immense revenues, by the pious donations of kinds and princes, the rich and the noble of the earth,
but they had acted broadly the principle of COMBINATION. Combination of professors was to constitute the lever, and
combination of professors' gold and silver was to constitute the fulcrum upon and by which all men were
to be raised, from sin and hell to grace and glory. -- The missionaries represented by the second beast, and sent out by
the church of Rome, were designed to give the finishing stroke to the principal of religious combination -- to
illustrate it practically in all its full-orbed glory, in all its ineffably delectable fruits of righteousness! --
That beast is represented as having two horns; by which, we conceive, is meant, the civil and ecclesiastical
authority and power which were now more or less bleaded together in the church of Rome, and in or by which these
missionaries went forth to convert the members of other churches to a profession in the church of Rome. -- These
two horns appeared as the horns of a lamb -- upright and harmless -- so the civil and ecclesiastical power and
authority of the church of Rome appeared upright and harmless in the persons and designs of these missionaries. No
selfishness, no guile,, no sinister views were suspected to be in them -- they were, to appearance and in profession,
"Israelites indeed." -- They spake as a dragon or crocodile. -- That is, they not only speak of and in the name
of the gospel of Christ as mere natural men speak of it -- as a code of ethics, and terms and conditions
of salvation -- but they professed to deplore all the DIVISIONS which existed in the church of Christ, and to
weep for the salvation of all mankind. Thus, crocodile like, they passed themselves off as tender infants
of simplicity, innocence, and sensibility. The women in particular, were enchanted with them as visitants, and
though them angels of light, and listened to their good words and fair speech, and received their billings and cooings,
as irrefragable evidence that they were the Lord's missionaries, and that they were devoutly engaged in labors of love
for the salvation of all men! * Is there nothing correspondent with all this in protestant Christendom? No five
or more lordly, gigantic religious establishments, corrupting the gospel, multiplying ad infinitum their
traditions, inventions, &c. for, ostensibly, the salvation of all men? Are not these religious
denominations jealous of each other as Othello of his wife? Are they not reaching after sectarian control over the minds
of all men, by fabricating and extending, what they call, religious and philanthropic schemes which shall enlist the
fleshly sympathies and earthly passions of mankind into their service, and for the enlargement of their religious
borders? Are they not realizing large revenues in the form of pious donations from kings and princes, the rich
and the noble of the earth? Are they not, instead of offering absolution for the money of the poorer classes of mankind,
threatening them with double, treble, &c. degrees of damnation if they do not give to their Lord's treasury --
thus improving upon the iniquity of their MOTHER by adding insolence to their pious frauds? Are
they not attempting to obtain political influence in our State and National Legislatures, by getting into the halls of
legislation communicants of their churches,
* The ladies became, in the end, so much attached to these missionaries on account of their pious labors, that
when their holy mission was effected, female influence converted them into family and private Confessors.
20
and communicants only -- by attempting to make the Congress of the United States legislate for the due observance
of the Sabbath* -- by attempting to get the "Sabbath school union" incorporated -- by attempting to get an act of
incorporation passed for their states' temperate societies, &c.? have they not been for years past inculcating, through
all possible media, the doctrine of COMBINATION; as THAT on which was to be suspended the salvation of
all men! Have they not been for many years filled with earthly minded men, to whom they have assigned, the "high
places and seats of authority" in their synagogues? And did not these missionary, Bible, tract, Sabbath school, &c.
societies originate with earthly minded men, or consummate errorists in the Baptist,† Presbyterian, Episcopalian, &c.
churches of England? Has there no two lamb-like horned beast made its appearance in Protestant Christendom? Well, say
it has but ONE (ecclesiastical power) as yet; but the other (civil power) is growing, and is upon the point of protruding
from its young head. So that the time is not far distant, when our Tract, Missionary, Bible, Sabbath school,
abstinent &c. Agents, mendicants and missionaries will have the civil power to sustain them in their noble
rivalry of labors of the Roman Catholic church. In the absence of that power, or while their second horn is
growing, they find a substitute, in some degree, in FEMALE INFLUENCE -- they act, in this respect, upon the French adage,
which says: "The will of woman is the will of God." ‡
This beast, in protestant christendom, is also speaking as a dragon or crocodile. -- As a dragon -- or as earthly minded
men, these Agents, mendicants, missionaries &c. speak of the gospel as a code of ethics or terms, conditions
and OFFERS of salvation to all men. Even to those for whom Jesus Christ is neither an atonement or a
righteousnes or an intercessor! O heavens! what incongruity and ineffably contemptible absurdity do men -- and those whom
we hope "the things that accompany salvation" -- reduce themselves when they preach and talk about the gospel as a body
of body of terms and conditions and OFFERS of salvation, to those who die impenitent; and for whom, no
atonement was ever made, no righteousness ever wrought out, and no intercessions ever offered by him who only is,
"Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption" to all the heirs of salvation! -- How feelingly do our Tract,
Bible, missionary, &c. agents, tools and factotums descant upon the and deprecate the divisions in the society or in the
interests of the religious world! O, exclaim they, O, that we were ONE combined solid phalanx! -- O that
our hearts were knit together, as Jonathan and David's in an all-devouring great desire for the salvation to the
ends of the earth, and pluck, as brands from the eternal burnings, myriads of sinners that most, in the event of our not
visiting them, die the death that never dies. O, that we were thus combined -- that we were but one denomination
-- that we had but one ministry (made up of Sabellian, Arian, Sociniam,
* Query: -- If a certain Presbyterian Caiaphas in the transmontane "City of brotherly love" would think his
Lord's Sabbath profaned, if a hundred mail stages were to thunder up to his meeting house on a Sabbath evening with
4 or 500 bearers, all softened with the Tuscan grape and who would bleed freely? i.e. give largely, into his
Israelite hands, of gold and silver for his Lord's treasury!
† As for instance -- Andrew Fuller: who, in his "gospel worthy of all acceptation" is as jesuitical and deep and broad
a heretic as ever was idolized by the genius of Arminianism! -- Carey and Marsham were the intimates of
A. Fuller -- they, we may presume, are giving the Bengalese and other eastern nations versions of Fuller's gospel.
‡ How mortifying to every real friend of the sex it must be, to witness them, the mere crows and
cheese in the hands of these foxes.
21
Pelagian, Armenian, Fullerite &c. doctrine, speculation and notion) what is feast of fat things should we not
have, and what a flow of soul when surrounding our Lord's table, in the fellowship of saints, the
unity of the spirit and the bonds of peace!
The crocodilism of protestant christendom is more fully developed, in the professions of her leading and most
influential religious and philanthropic projectors and experimentalists; who hold themselves up to the eye of
the world as being Howards in benevolence and very models in self-denial, and who are, from the pulpit and the press,
pouring forth volumes of encomiums upon the merit and blessedness of denying ourselves of every artificial want
for the sake of the Lord's treasury, when they, themselves, as ministers or leaders are receiving
and expending, to the amount of two to five or six thousand dollars a year; one-half to three-fourths of which is
expended in supplying their, their wives and their children's ARTIFICIAL wants. This crocodilism is farther manifested,
in their weeping for the salvation of all men, and at the same time doing all that they can to suppress that
ministry which only God will own and bless, to the salvation of his elect: -- in praying the Lord of the harvest to
send forth faithful laborers, * & when such appear, hunting them down as Spanish blood hounds were wont to hunt
down the Japanese: In sending forth missionaries to the civilized and uncivilized inhabitants of the earth, who, they
know, at best, to preach a wretchedly corrupt Arminian gospel: In weeping to send the Bible to foreign lands, and at
the same time spending their lives at home in corrupting, perverting and suppressing; hating & abhorring its most
gloriously prominent truths: In professing to be full of love and kindness to those Christians who are friends to the
religious traditions and inventions of men, at the same time manifesting the rage of a Julian and the guile of a jesuit
against all who faithfully maintain or boldly preach, "the faith of God's elect:" In making the pulpit a puppet show,
in the exhibition of some of their Indian converts or Hindoo stone idols therein, and with tear streaming eyes and
sepulchral groan, telling of all the native rudeness of the one, and gross superstition of the other; while they
themselves are absolutely generating more than Indian ferocity in the breasts of different sectarists, and leading
protestant christendom to bow down and worship the works of their own hands, in the form of hundreds of different and
professedly religious inventions and combinations: In professing
* Even every little squad of boys and girls that can form themselves into a Tract, Sunday school, &c. society, assume
the prerogative of telling the Lord, "that the harvest is great and the laborers are few:" When it never was the
prerogative of any being on earth, legitimately, to make any such assertion but the Lord Jesus Christ; who, and who
only, knew his sheep and where they were: Hence: he tells the Apostle "I have much people in this city." § [Corinth.]
-- But where ministers must get a living in City, town or neighborhood, they must impress the minds of the
people with an idea, that there is much people of the Lord's among them; and give them, if necessary, to understand that
they are all interested in the great salvation if they only choose to be so. -- Hence the broad and
unblushing front and face of miscreant Arminianism is seen upon the ministry of all the missionary Presbyterian and
Fullerite Baptist preachers; they must live in this, that, or the other city, town or neighborhood of their
choice, their interest or their popularity; and they must persuade the communities respectively that much or all
of them are the Lord's people: though in fact there is perhaps not a soul among the whole of their congregations that is
of God's people: Thus they lie, and thus they live & and thus they die, that they all
may be damned who pleasure in such unrighteousness. In the larger cities in protestant christendom this scene and series
of blasphemous pretension to the Divine prerogatives, and Jesuitical doing is most detestably and broadly exemplified.
§ "The foundation of the Lord standeth sure, having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his."
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to circulate the bible without note or comment when, in fact, and in the form of Tracts, magazines, religious newspapers,
&c. they are sending forth and inundating the religious world with the most voluminous and discordant commentary with
it, that human ingenuity can devise or human agency operate! * In the perusal of these religious publications or this
voluminous and discordant commentary, professors generally have every remnant of time taken up, and are as ignorant of
the bible as if it did not exist: This is the bible becoming an obsolete book and the word of God made void by the
traditions and inventions of men, or the two witnesses (Law and Gospel) mangled and slain, and will ultimately be cast
out into the streets of infidelity and pharisaic godliness and trodden under foot for the space of time appointed. Yet
protestant Christendom weeps for the salvation of all men, and vaunts herself as the vicegerent God! -- But a thousand
volumes would not contain the expression of the crocodilism: -- the foregoing may serve as a specimen:
Verse 12 to 14. "And he exerciseth all the powers of the first Beast before him, and causet the earth and them which
dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly would was healed. -- And he doeth great wonders, so that he
maketh fire come down from heaven in the sight of men. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by those miracles
which he hath power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an
image to the beast, which had the wound by the sword and did live."
From these verses we learn: - That the first beast had great power, so that he performed great wonders, which, at last,
appeared as miracles; and, perhaps, by the permission of God, & through Satanic agency, he did make fire come down
from heaven, or from the air. Satan himself is spoken of as "the prince of the power of the air," and in this case it
may be presumed, that he wrought miracles, through the instrumentality of the Roman Catholic clergy, as he had done
through the magicians of Egypt in the days of Moses and Aaron. In justice to the subject we ought to observe, that by
the science and art of man an appearance of fire; as coming down from heaven, might have been produced. In proof thereof,
it is but a few months ago since the Catholic clergy in the city of Rome produced the appearance of fire coming down from
heaven, and solicited the Pope to report the incident, formally and officially, as a mighty sign of the Catholic church's
continued power to work miracles. -- The Pope, however, deemed it proper to consult with men of science at Rome, as to
the possibility of producing such an appearance up on the principles of human science. -- He was informed, that it could
be done upon those principles; and consequently declined proclaiming the occurrence as a miracle. -- To the foregoing
we may add, the numerously reported miracles of Prince Hohenloe. Two or three of those miracles took place in the
Metropolis of the United States. -- One of them, we distinctly recollect, was the supposed instantaneous restoration
of a nun to perfect health and wonted strength, form the last sate of a pulmonary, or some other extremely emaciating
and severe chronic disease. -- Indeed, the whole scene and series of modera operations in what is called
protestant Christendom, are peculiarly calculated to reduce the human mind to that state of confusion and distraction,
and consequently imbecility, which is, and which ever has been
* On no individual, under the canopy of heaven, does this reflection fall with greater force than on the
Buffaloe Bishop -- "The prince of theological visionaries" -- alias, Alexander Campbell. This will be made
manifest in the sequal. -- Never, perhaps, since God breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life, has there appeared
an ecclesiastical Adventurer, who has more broadly or unblushingly invalidated his own avowed system than has A. C.
23
A consideration with those whom, in brief, we will call, political and religious magicians; and which serves them as a
fulcrum on which they can operate the severs of their political and religious experiments to the production of an
endless variety of modifications and phases upon the exterior of human society, without ever effecting any change in the
essential attributes of mankind, or in the material circumstances of their life; and, from the production of which
modifications and phases, they style themselves, and are, in a multitude of instances, wafted around the world on the
breath of popular applause, as REFORMERS and SAVIOURS, and their devices and doings estimated as, "mighty signs and
wonders." -- The Roman Catholic church has seen with an experienced eye, the protestant christendom
has been, for many years past, rapidly advancing to that state of mental confusion and religious credibility,
which have ever been most conspicuous to her religious theatricals, pious frauds, and ecclesiastical jugglery. --
She has ventured upon a few experiments among her hopeful daughters, but perceives that the soil is not yet
sufficiently mellow for the reception of her procreative seed. -- But we not only learn from the verses
now under notice, that the first beast has had great power and performed great wonders, but that the second beast
assumed the same power and performed the same wonders. -- While then, this second beast, or these generations of
convert making missionaries, were exercising their power and doing their wonders, they were teaching and causing
all they could of the professors of the other churches in the then christendom, to worship the first Beast
whose deadly wound was healed; while all their power was exerted and all their wonders displayed, for the purpose of
getting the religious world to make an image to the beast who had the wound by a sword and did not live."
-- In all this we learn, that the Church of Rome, after having compassed sea and land to make proselytes, and after
having added to her numbers, her revenue, her pomp and power far beyond any contemporary religious denomination,
and thus becoming the ascendant of the churches; her pious bowels begin to yearn over the religious
world on account of its divisions and subdivisions, together with the collisions of difference churches and the
clashing of interests among ecclesiastical leaders, and the hubbub confusion of doctrine, speculation and opinion
prevailing among professors. -- An IMAGE -- or Pope, as Universal Bishop, and the church or Rome as the Mother of all
christians, became a desideration; and promised fair to make and secure, "one Lord, one faith and one
baptism" among the holy tribes. -- To this end, this second beast, or these convert making missionaries were
led to address the people, in every part of the then christian world, in reference to the all-important subject
of union among believers: SO MUCH had been done in salvation by SO MUCH union and combination
among the saints, so much more could be effected by so much more COMBINATION. -- O yes, if the
dear brethren, sweet and precious sisters of the churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, Jerusalem and Antioch, and a
hundred other comparatively small churches or sects would only avail themselves of the opportunity of being all united,
presented by the door of universal companion now opened in the church of Rome, then they might safely
calculate upon being able to carry salvation to every family on earth! or eve as purgatory. -- That this was the will
of heaven was manifest, from the unequalled number of communicants that flowed into the Catholic church, from
her vast and increasing treasury, from her commanding influence with the great and noble of the earth: Add to which,
no teacher were like her teachers, no Bishop like unto her BISHOP: he was, evidently, God's favourite,
God's power, God's vicegerent and interpreter, infallible Arbiter of all doubtful questions -- the most
disinterested, most upright, most talented, most learned, most holy and most every thing great and glorious,
that had or ever has been seen on the face of the earth under the name of a Bishop. * Such in brief, were the object,
the nature
* the Buffaloe Bishop -- alias, Alexander Campbell, always excepted!
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and incident characterizing, this last prominent and august missionary enterprise of the Church of Rome ere she become
the ostensible Catholic church, alias, "The Mother of Harlots."
In the farther application of the subject of protestant Christendom, we may remark: What wonders or apparent
miracles she is performing! What exquisite symmetry and order is political government reduced to in principle
and operation within her limits -- ‘tis the symphony of the skes -- the music of the spheres! How simple and how
beauteous have the principles of jurisprudence become in protestant Christendom, and how happily divested of all
gratuitous delay or vexatious, troublesome and onerous legal obstruction in their practical application! How
largely and almost universally are mankind becoming the exalted, purified sons and daughters of philosophy and
science, through the might influences exerted over public mind by and through our Mammoth Universities, splendid colleges
and literary halls; and how releived from professional drones and devouring locusts which those and kindred
institutions were wont, in generations past, to infest the community of mankind with! add to which, what vast efforts
and appropriate expenditures are making to give the mass of population a mediocrity of education & intelligence
rather than to make & perpetuate a scattered & scattering generation of literary aristocrats! What a flood
of patriotism is tumultuating the bosoms of our rulers, and prompting them to construe State and United States'
constitutions into authority for projecting any extent and variety of scheme and internal improvement, and for taxing
the people to any amount deemed necessary to accomplish such improvement. While the friends, favorites, partizans
and pimps of those Rulers can be well provided for, in the possession and enjoyment of the innumerous offices
connected with such international works: and thus the social amities and private virtues of our rulers can be
gratified as well as their amor patriae. -- O happy world! O Golden Age! well may you rise in loftiest conception of
yourself as the ascendant of all generations, in wisdom as in virtue; in greatness and in glory.
Happily the religious community in protestant christendom, drinks deep into the same spirit of generous ardor
for the spiritual improvement of mankind, as the former party does for their temporal weal: and HAPPILY,
the religious community's schemes quadrate in magnitude and variety, with those of our political rulers; nor can there
be any doubt as to the existence of an auspicious and growing individuality or object and unity of
action! -- What wonders then, yea, what miracles are not protestant churches doing! here is the Baptist Church
in Great Britain and in America rising above the vulgar truths of their original Confession of faith, * and
congregating under the black banner of Fullerism, they march through the earth, thundering, in Vatican fury,
double, treble, quadruple and ad infinitum degrees of damnation upon all who hear, or who could hear the gospel, if
they do not exercise a SAVING faith in Jesus Christ; as well as upon all those who having any means (i.e. gold
and silver) do not aid the Lord in sending it to those who have it not! † This made her professors -- this made
her missionaries! The Presbyterian church, by the same potent instrumentality, has wrought correspondent wonder. What
do we, exclaims the Episcopal Church of Great Britain, standing idle all the day long? Behold, the whole world is likely
to run after these dissenters and their religious projects!
* The Baptist Confession of Faith will compare to advantage with any thing that has ever been written as a simplified
and solid digest of the doctrine of GRACE; or general interpretation of the everlasting gospel. It stands as yet
a moment of what the Baptists once were. Alas! how fallen!
† From this doctrine -- FALSE AS HELL -- originated the MULTITUDE of modern professors -- missionaries,
Bible, Tract, Sabbath school, &c. societies!
25
We must have a "British Bible Society" formed. That Society was formed! -- What wonder -- what miracles she not
already performed! Collected about 360,000 dollars per year for twenty-five years past -- printed bibles by steam engine
wrought presses, and circulated 4,000,000 of Bibles and Testaments at an average cost of one dollar and fifty cents; or,
two dollars for a copy of the Bible and one dollar for the New Testament alone, while the American Bible Society
states, the cost price of the common bible at 40 cents and a new Testament at 22 cents! O what
wonders, what miracles are here displayed. Correspondent with these wonders are those which the American Bible
Society is performing. * What wonders are the Tract Societies doing! Their tracts -- "sweet little heralds" --
DELECTABLE COCATRICE EGGS. -- Their tracts, like the fabled genii of yore, are flying with the velocity of sunbeams
and penetrating alik (through the key holes if necessary) the dormitory of some fashionable belle, or the gloomy,
foetid cen of some malefactor, and imparting salvation to their souls instanter: or, in the language of many of the
tract-mongers themselves, "they (the tracts) do more good and save more souls than the bible." -- Again -- What wonders
are the Sabbath schools performing! -- teaching myriads of children, who are never known to commit sin
AFTER they leave the all-transforming hands of their school teachers! Abstinent societies formed, and multiplying over
the whole country, when at one blow and instanter, inflict destruction on the hydra headed monster intemperance. †
Here is one religious denomination making 100,000 christians in a year! Another, making revivals wherever and
whenever they choose so to do, or can operate by and through the instrumentality of their potent missionaries or
ministers! another, whose Bishops, individually, can make 50 christians in a day, at least; and, when they set
themselves seriously to the business and have "a mind to work," they can make, "as fast as a nailer heads nails." ‡
Genius of Catholicism! hide thy diminished head: What wonders, what miracle doing have you to compare with these things
in protestant Christendom! And, know, thou once vaunted spirit, that a thousandth part is not here told! Nothing
short of all, and the undivided operations of all the presses in protestant Christendom itself, could publish and
proclaim her wondrous doings and miracles: and even then we might weep that there were no more presses to sound
her pride! -- shade of Caligula! thou once illustrious emperor of Rome -- thou and thou only canst stand forth
an appropriate personification of our wonder working age. -- Thou went forth leading thine invincible legions to
the overthrow of the Germans and Britons; and when as thou advanced in thy terrible majesty, thine ambition glowed and
soared above the mere conquest of pigmy man; and, therefore, thou didst adventurously seek a conflict with the elements
of Nature; and heroically advance against the watery world, and drew up thy potent army in the very face, and on the
trembling borders of old ocean's thundering cloud-capped waves and foaming
* We shall notice the Bible and other religious institutions of protestant Christendom more fully in the next
lecture!
† How many kinds of intemperance are there? No intemperance in eating to excess -- in guzzling, daily, bottles of wine
or quarts of strong beer, or of cider racked until 6 or 8 barrels are boiled down to one! No intemperance in the
dress of our pious missionaries, or of our dignified ecclesiastical leaders, or in that of their cara sposas or their
precious offspring? The very pettiest of their missionaries will bow a la mode his wife's bonnet with dollar
ribbon. No INTEMPERANCE in selling the last cow of a poor man to pay the Parson's tythe! in klling ourselves
in literary pursuits -- in professing great zeal for the Tract, Missionary, Temperance, &c. &c. societies when our
subsistence is dependent upon them? We shall, in subsequent pages, if space permit, show that the religious
world is reeling with intemperance -- or, drunk with the wine of the whore of Babylon.
‡ So vaunt the "christian" or Campbellite Bishops.
26
surf; and there, in consummate skill, dispose thine engines, warlike machines and embattled host; and cause thy
surge-deafening trumpets to sound, and the signals to wave for the appalling conflict; and as though didst triumph
gloriously, and reduce the hitherto lawless billows to the slumber of the grave: and as thou didst load thy soldiers
with curious SHELLS, many pearl and other precious spoils of the conquered ocean; and as they appropriate
army did congratulate each other upon the unparalleled event, and sing the song of victory; so hast thou embodied and
personified the unheard of doings, moral, political and religious achievements of protestant christendom
in this age of ages!
Verse 15. "And he (the two horned beast) had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the
Beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed."
The zealous missionaries of the church of Rome, symbolically represented by the "second beast," it appears, not
only succeeded in making an image to the beast, but that that image, or universal Bishop, should
have life, or authority through life, to speak and dictate upon all religious subjects, and hitherto controverted points
in theology, with undisputed authority: His dictum was to be the ultima thule of judgement or of opinion; while all who
presumed to differ with or dissent from his dieta were to be killed. -- Killed in the first place in their reputations
-- charge with being enemies to the God of mission, moral, religious and philanthropic inventions, enterprises,
experiments, and combinations that were abroad in christendom, under the patronage of the great and
good, wisest and best of mankind, for the purpose of giving peace and unity to the church
and salvation to all men. -- Such disapprovers were to be denounced, as leagued with Atheists, Diests and Pagans
to oppose the great and glorious work of the Lord. -- In the event of this kind of assault upon and immolation of their
character not effecting a termination of their opposition to, or avowed disapprobation of the traditions and
inventions, &c. of the church of Rome, their lives were then to be forfeited. The image or Pope had power
to enact and execute laws to that effect.
And is there nothing resembling the foregoing in our times? Alas! protestant christendom is full of it. -- It is the
very front and face of religious signs of the times. -- That the gospel is corrupted in the present age to an awful
degree, the unprecedented number of religious denominations, sects and fraternities in protestant christendom, furnish
irrefragable evidence of. -- The man who will dare to denounce those corruptions, and expose the false signs and "lying
wonders" of the times, is sure to be killed: * His character will be stabbed, mangled quartered & hung upon the
gibbets of infamy. -- To preach the everlasting gospel, in all its glorious truths, and according to the Calvinistic
or Lutheran general interpretation thereof, & to live according to its holy precepts, is, in these
* The author has been seen much, very much of human life and character, and he may with unqualified truth, declare,
that of all classes of mankind within the limits of Christendom, the Presbyterian and Fullerite Baptist
missionaries, Tract, &c. mongers, agents, tools and factotums are the most gratuitous, jesuitical and unwearied
falsifiers and slanderers: -- They are, for the most part, the mere floating offal or scum of society, gathered up by
the Presbyterian and Fullerite Baptist churches when about sixteen, eighteen or twenty years of age: -- their feelings
vulgar; their manners and habits fixed; they pass through the theological mill, come and live and move as mere puppets
and tools in the hands of those who made them & who can unmake them; & who will unmake them
unless they submit to be their lick-heels at all times, and Iscariots when necessary! which, by the bye, is almost
unintermittingly.
27
days no standard for a man's character as an Evangelist or Pastor. -- It is not "what think you of Christ" and of his
gospel, that is made the test of christian or ministerial character; but, what think ye of our missionary,
our Tract, our Bible, our Sabbath school, &c. societies, that is made the test of religious
character. Hence, Bible societies and their auxiliaries; Missionary, Tract, Sabbath school, abstinent societies,
together with their auxiliaries, have such a degree of authoritative LIFE given to them that they can all, with
impunity, speak and promulgate the vilest and most gratuitous slanders, and kill or mangle the reputation of all
who will not fall down and worship them. -- In this way, the most loathsome drunkards, veriest knaves and consummate
liars, are in a few hours, converted into censors morum, and assume to themselves the right of trampling upon the
character of the most upright and useful of the members of society. * Nay even the pettiest of boys and girls become
invested with the insolence of a Wolsey and fulmina of the Papal See, and can hurl denunciation upon the head of
virtuous old age itself.
Verse 16. "And he causeth all both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right
hand, or on their forheads."
The ambition of religious sects has led them, at all times, to esteem nothing done as long as any thing remained to be
done: "Attempt great thing, expect great things" was no less the talismanic motto of Catholic christendom in ancient
times, than it is of Protestant christendom in the present age and generation. -- In the verse before us we have an
instance of it presented in reference to the Church of Rome. -- Although she had, almost miraculously, recovered from
a deadly wound, though she had, by a train of apparently fortuitous events, been enabled to contend with the other
religious Establishments of the age, and finally to raise the ascendant; yet she was not satisfied: her envy
and ambition secretly pined for an eccleslastical control over the whole world; and she was bent upon making, if
possible and by any means, every man, woman and child a proselyte to or member of her body. -- Her previous
success, in religious EXPERIMENT and enterprise, had filled her with insane confidence of her being, the favorite
of heaven, and the only true church upon the earth. It is natural for men, as individuals and societies, to esteem
themselves the favorites of heaven, when particularly successful in their projects, enterprises and experiments, to
whatever grade of human interests those projects, &c. ostensibly refer, or however infernal the motives that
originate or the means and instrumentalities which operate them. In reference to what is called, the church,
the scriptures are not, and have not been, referred to as a standard of judgment, but the pride and vanity of
sectarianism, or the wind of popular applause. -- The churches of Rome, Constantinople, &c. all knew this to be the
case, and therefore respectively struggled the more intensely for the attainment of that degree of ascendency which
would turn the current of popular opinion and confidence in its favor. -- The Church of Rome succeeded in this trial
of pious effort: She rose the ascendant and the other churches as rapidly fell. -- The same gigantic struggle
is now going on among the leading protestant denominations or churches: They are nearly well balanced at present --
their scales are in equilibrio -- each as panting with "the pleasures of hope" that some master stroke of its
own peculiar policy, or some fortuitous event will determine the balances in its
* These are not fancy sketches: The writer is known hundreds of instances of the kind: and they are multiplying every
day: Yes, we pledge our solemn word, that we have known these societies to own for their active members, those
whom they knew to be among the most dastardly and vile of liars and blackguard calumniators! O tempora! O mores!
28
favor -- that it will rise the ascendant and the others "dissolve like the baseless fabric of a vision." * -- To
proceed: -- By the mark in their right hand or on their foreheads is meant, an open or literal or secret or virtual
connexion with the beast. -- It is customary with the Romans to have their slaves' foreheads branded with the names of
their masters; as it was also customary to have the soldier's right hands branded with the names of the legions to which
they belonged, or of the general under whom they served: hence the emblems in the verse last cited; and from
which we learn, that it is made the indispensible duty of all men, small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to
make a profession of religion in the Church of Rome, or secretly to acknowledge her to be the only true and Apostolic
church. -- Here it is worthy of remark and of special notice; that the church of Rome began her attempts at universal
domination by taking the children, and the ignorant men and maid servants under her ghostly jurisdiction. -- There were
teachers and catechists and Acolytes, &c. appointed to watch over and train up those children and servants in, what was
said to be, the fear and admonition of the Lord, and for the security of their souls' salvation. -- But it was only for
the purpose of making and perpetuating them members or proselytes of the church of Rome. -- Indeed, all the teachings,
all the institutions of that age were only devised and used to get members to some one or other of the
christian churches; though they were all, professedly, for the salvation of souls. -- The whole was a perfectly
organized system of operations, for the purpose of schooling, frightening or alluring girls and boys, maid servants
and men servants, and all classes of the community into a connexion with some one of the churches. As before intimated,
they had their sabbath schools, tracts or traditions, lectures, children's prayers, hymns, male and female teachers, &c.
as we have now; and they all resulted in making worshippers of the beast of Catholic Christendom, as they do now in
protestant christendom.
Verse 17. "And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of
his name."
Here we have the climax of ecclesiastical imposition and tyranny exemplified. -- To prevent all opposition to her
self exaltation and universal dominion, the Church of Rome assailed the characters and lives of all opposers or
neutrals, and lastly their temporal interests! Mens characters, lives and temporal interests are every thing to them
in this world: some men would prefer to lose their character and temporal interests rather than their lives; while
others would prefer to losing temporal interests and life rather than their characters: But a considerable portion would
rather lose their lives and characters than their temporal interests. -- The Roman Catholic Church determined to
sacrifice men's characters, lives and temporal interests rather than fail in her pious efforts to make men
proselytes and converts. -- Every thing was to be done that human ingenuity and COMBINATIONS under Satanic influence
could do, to prevent those from getting a temporal subsistence who opposed or who would not abet the ambitious designs
of the Church of Rome. -- Politicians, lawyers, physicians, merchants,
* The efforts which the Baptist Church has made, and is making, to establish "State conventions," and out of State
conventions and "United States Conventions," is a specimen of this ambitious project. -- There never was one of these
Conventions that could bear to hear or to have the truth preached to them; &a they have never sent out (knowing him
to be such) a missionary or minister that was better than a compound of loathsome Arminian and pseudo-calvinistic
doctrine. -- It is questionable whether there is even a Baptist association in the U. States all of whose churches are
sound; for the most part the majority of the churches of different associations are Fullerite and therefore the
associations are but synagogues of Satan.
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manufacturers, mechanics and all of every class of mankind, who would not worship the best, were to be opposed in all
their lawful and industrious efforts to procure a subsistence for themselves and families; while their very failure,
from the diabolical combinations against them, were to be trumpeted forth as evidence of their indolence or
worthlessness. -- This was the ratio ultima, or last logic, of the church of Rome -- it was FEELINGLY
argumentative, and powerfully convincing with vast multitudes: -- it converted them when every other pious
effort and combination had failed. -- This sort of persecution raged most fiercely against every man who struggled to
preach the everlasting gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in all its essential truths, in contradistinction to the Arian,
Socinian, Pelagian and Arminian corruptions and perversions which the Church of Rome, and other the other four leading
churches, had given to it. -- It is well worthy of notice, that while every minister and every missionary (so called)
in the service of the churches of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Jerusalem and Antioch, were well provided for, by
having their regular salaries paid to or continued collections taken up fro them; those ministers who would not
prostitute themselves to the sectarian use of either of the religious denominations, but who fearlessly and
faithfully preached the gospel which these sects were perpetually corrupting; such ministers were deemed unworthy of
their pulpits, denounced by their pious communicants and popular assemblies, denied every tittle of contribution
and left to labor for their own support; and even in that effort to support themselves and families every obstacle
was thrown in their way, and every expedient resorted to for the purpose of baffling them in their attempts to gain a
subsistence, that fiend-like malice could devise or human combinations operate.
In all this is there no resemblance to the present religious times in protestant christendom? Rather: is there
a political aspirant, lawyer, physician, merchant, farmer, manufacturer, mechanic, printer, bookseller or any artizan
of any description in protestant christendom who does not begin to feel, or who has not felt, that it is
important to his temporal interests and to his character and influence, to make a open profession of religion in some
one of the leading christian denominations, or at least to appear friendly to one or the other of those churches,
by co-operating with them in some one or more of their religious inventions, enterprises, experiments or
combinations? Is there not enterprise upon enterprise and combination upon combination, from "State Conventions" of the
Baptist Church, * (so called) "General Assembly" of the Presbyterian Church, "General Conference" of the
Methodist Church, &c. down to Sabbath school operations for the purpose of causing all, both small and great,
rich and poor, free and bond, black and white, receive the mark of one of these protestant and smaller beasts on their
foreheads or in their right hands? And is not every consideration, refering to personal character i this life and to
temporal interests, urged and pressed upon the attention of small and great, rich and poor, and all mankind in
christendom, to superinduce them to become professors! Are there not thousands of ostensible religious
and benevolent societies, official dignity, "little brief authority," &c. to captivate the attention, interest the pride
and gratify the vanity of all classes of society, from the mighty and noble, down to young masters and misses yet in
their leading strings? †
* If these State Conventions succeed in their operations they will crush and annihilate an evangelical ministry: We
know their leaders and their tools on the east and on the west of the mountains and we know and have felt them
to be -- even the most upright of them -- "sharper than a thorn hedge" -- the most jesuitical haters of the doctrine of
grace.
† If this degree of insolent assumption over the feelings, character and temporal interests of mankind marks protestant
christendom in this early stage of their "pious frauds," what may we not expect of high and iron-handed imposition
upon our
30
As respects, what is called, the ministry in protestant christendom we find that all its posts of honor, offices
of distinction and places of salary are; for the most part, parcelled out to those who are the most active in
and subservient to the promotion of those devices and combinations, that are deemed the best calculated to exalt
and push forward to ascendency the particular sect to which they belong. -- A man who spurns to be used to such a
purpose, but who, as a minister, is determined to know nothing but Christ and him crucified, and the preaching of his
gospel as the only means of salvation; such a man is considered an idiot or misanthrope. -- Again: We find
ontinued collections taken up and continued contributions made, to support the missionaries that these little
beasts make and send forth in the name of Jesus Christ, and, ostensibly, to preach his gospel; though,
theologically, ignorant as Marcus, and heretical as Simon magus himself. -- If they can only lead an Indian convert
through the country, and read an address in behalf of his race from the pulpit; or exhibit a Hindoo stone idol & narrate
the history thereof; or do any thing to give more popular eclat, and contribute to the revenue of the sect to which
they belong, verily, they are well taken care of. -- But let a hundred old fashioned, sound, able Calvinistic ministers
go to and fro in the earth, simply in the name of Jesus Christ and his gospel * -- and what then? Are there any
collection for them? -- any contributions to them? NO, not a cent! They may, if possible blend in their ministry, the
intellect of a Newton, the learning of a Scaliger, the imagination of a Milton, the argumentative powers of a Paul and
eloquence of an Apollos; but still the Lord's treasury in protestant christendom acknowledges no obligation to them:
They are hunted more and less by every one of these little beasts, and all the religious fungus fraternities,
which these little beasts are generating in swarms from moon to moon: and which fungus fraternities are
known, in part, under the name of "Christians" -- "Bible Christians" -- "Holy brethren" -- "Christian Baptists" --
"Free-will Baptists;" &c., all of who, bodies and excressences, unite as one indivisible mass to oppose
a purely Calvinistic ministry, and to defame or starve it out of existence. -- In short, the annals of the world do not
afford a record of such deep, broad, varied, artful and plausible appeal to the pride, vanity, pharisaism and
self-interest of mankind, in the name of the kingdom and of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, on the one hand;
or of hostile attitude to the truth of the gospel of Christ, and all the instumentalities that lead to the
promulgation of that truth on the other hand; as are now exhibiting in Protestant Christendom; or by the Daughters
of "The Mother of Harlots."
We are aware, that it is the prerogative of any and every one to call in question, the correctness of the general
portraiture of Protestant Christendom which we have sketched in the foregoing pages. But time, we fully believe will
make
children? The author has a number of children, but rather than see them live to be schooled or hunted
down to such ineffable surveillance to theological jugglers the dew damps of death glistening on their foreheads would
be pearls in his sight, and his rattle sounding in their throats would be music to his ears.
There are many individuals in cities, town, villages and neighborhoods who feel this thraldom as an incubus upon their
political, religious and social rights, and have a fearful apprehension of its more onerous operation on their children:
But in a general way, if some event or instrumentality in Providence gives them a momentary relief, by sternly rebuking
the fell and accursed spirit of tyranny, they at the idea of combining to resist its renewed assaults, lest they
sacrifice something of an inglorious ease or an item of their paltry temporal possessions: They inhale a few times and
the atmosphere of wonted liberty, and then like dastards crouch and lie down to have themselves double ironed. --
Hundreds of instances of this kind have we seen.
* Not in the name of Presbyterian, Baptist, Episcopalian or any other sect -- Nor in the name of Bible, Missionary,
Tract, &c. &c. society.
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manifest to all, that the hundredth part of her abominations have not been told; and that ere long each and all
of the protestant churches will be found to be "The habitation of Devils, the hold of every foul spirit, and the cages
of every complaint of the multitude of professors, in reference to the portraiture we have here drawn of
protestant christendom, we would emphatically challenge all who profess themselves to be sound, pure Calvinistic
preachers to do as we have done in the case: to wit -- Go forth to and fro in the world and preach the everlasting
gospel, according to the Lutheran and Calvinistic GENERAL interpretation thereof; irrespective of any and every
sectarian interest, and all the inventories, enterprises, experiments, societies and combinations of protestant
christendom: Do this -- thus act out of the commission of Jesus Christ -- thus make FULL PROOF of the ministry;
and you will then be intelligent and competent judges in the case! * -- Yes, when you, individually, shall have
travelled 40,000 miles in the ministry, without scrip or purse, and preached some two or three thousand sermons of a
purely Calvanistic or gospel character, without ever deigning to stoop as a tool to any sect, or to tolerate the
traditions, and flatter the inventions, enterprises, experiments, "companies" and combinations of the religious
world, you will feel unutterable conviction, that we have but partially and faintly delineated the corruptions
of the gospel, the sectarian jealousies and rivalry, and the dastardly and almost universal combinations that exist and
operate in protestant christendom against THE TRUTH of the gospel -- the doctrine of sovereign, reigning,
discriminating, unfrustrable and triumphant grace! -- Until, Sirs, you have done this, or something approximating
to this, as professed Calvinistic ministers, your scepticism is but a disgraceful reflection upon your intelligence,
and honesty, and unequivocal evidence that you have the mark of the beast in your right hand. †
In the conclusion of our first lecture we simply add: If the Parallel which we have briefly sketched as subsisting
between the Roman Catholic Church, as the old beast, and the protestant churches of the young ones, be
just and true, then, never did "the Mystery of iniquity" work with more subtlety or to greater extent than it does in
christendom at this time: never did Antichrist stalk forth through the earth with more unblushing effrontery and
desolating influence, and never did the religious world approximate so near to or advance so far in those
circumstances that make up and make out the blasphemy, of converting the church of God into a house of merchandise and
a den of thieves; the gospel into the polical engine and an affair of commercial SPECULATION -- In view of which
we may say, these are, emphatically, the days of "lying wonders" -- the days in which the mystery of iniquity
works with all power, and signs, and all deceiveableness or unrighteousness: the last days, in which perilous times shall
come, in which men shall be lovers of themselves, proud, boasters, covetous, having
* What would a Dr. Ely, Milnor, Sharpe, Rev. Brantly, Bishop Campbell, &c. be, under such circumstances or in such a
case? As the Lord liveth they would sink into comparative nihility in the estimation of nearly, if not all, who now
extol them: they would not in mere nature's moral energy and intellectual power sustain the incidental shock of
opposition, privation and slander a month or perhaps a week -- As the Lord liveth they would not realize one cent where
they now only by virtually occupying the ground of Arminianism, or filtering down the gospel to the insignificancy and
absolute nothingness that Bishop Campbell does that enables him to become popular and "to get gain."
† What a pity it is that our E-y-s, Bee-h-rs, Mil-rs, Br-nt-lys, Sh-p-s and numerous others of those splendid
ecclesiastical luminaries on the eastern side of the mountains do not indulge the country more largely with their
presence: Whoever should see them might and would admire; but all who know the truth and
heard them, could only feel, disgust or pity.
32
a form of Godliness but denying the power (God's as the power) thereof: the days in which the gospel of God
our Saviour will be as effectualy made void by traditions, inventions, enterprises and combinations of men as ever
the law of Moses was made void by traditions and inventions of the Jews; and thus the two witnesses (law and
gospel) will be slain: and thus the final commentary made out upon the WISDOM and the depravity of the
heart and life of man, by which the everlasting gospel itself becomes the instrument of making mankind two fold more the
children of the Devil as respects their principles and actions, and the earth an image of profoundest hell. -- At THAT
period it will be found, that the government of the wicked of this world, * as well as of the church, is upon the
shoulders of the Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace; and not upon
the shoulders of Michiavelian Statesmen, Mammoth Universities, splendid Colleges, Literary Halls, theological Seminaries,
Bible, Missionary, Tract, Sabbath school, Dorcas, Magdalene, anti-abstinent anti-corset, anti-masonic societies, or
any other device, invention, enterprise or combination of mans'. † -- No -- as well may we conceive and talk, of an
infant of a day old, grappling successfully with the foaming billows of Norway, where Leviathan himself is shivered and
driven as a feather before the tempest blast, as to conceive or talk of man controlling the fathomless and ever
tumultuating ocean of human depravity. -- HE whose right it is to reign -- to guide the whirlwind and direct the storm
-- will, ere long, speak peace to the tumult of the wicked, in judgments terrible as the groan of expiring nature; and
at the same time send forth his angels or raise up and send forth his own missionaries to gather together
his elect from the four winds of heaven: and as some of our readers may live to see these things in a measure come to
pass, we now say, that they will find these missionaries as different in principle, character and theology, from those
of the present day, as there was difference between the moral majesty of Paul and the low cunning and avarice of Judas
Iscariot. ‡ -- Amen.
* The lofty arrogance with which the wisdom of this world in this century assumes to itself the prerogative of
controling its wickedness; and the same arrogance with which the religious world prophecies and promises
salvation to all men whenever it can work, proclaims the approaching exemplification of the genius of Arminianism
in all its fulness and fearfulness of delusions and refuges of lies: -- The hydra headed monster shall, ere long, under
the influence of disappointment, confusion and shame, turn upon and peacemeal rend itself!
† There never has been a project of man since the fall, whether it relates to the science or political government,
civilization or religion that has done the human race any good; though in the wisdom of God their projects have been
made subservient to the accomplishment of his own purposes. Tens of thousands are engaged in persuading the
mass of mankind to believe the contrary, because tens of thousands are dependant on the mass of mankind
thus believing for their artificial distinctions and superiority of circumstances in life!
‡ We have been, a hundred times told, asked for, "better means of salvation." We answer -- we make none nor adopt any
that hath not a "thus saith the Lord" for them, either in example or precept! -- If protestant christendom want
better means, as she calls them, she will have to wait till Satan grows wiser. To those who are professed
Calvinistic ministers and asking such a question, we say, once for all, go ye (don't send others -- your mere
automatons -- to hear who preach, is virtually, to give a God speed to all that is false and imbecile in theology) but,
go ye into and through the country and preach the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Aye, do
that and once in a generation afford an item of evidence that the integrity of the Israelite and the fidelity of
the Apostles have not entirely abandoned the breast of ministers. -- This will be a better as it is the only
means of gathering together the church of God. It will also do a thousand times more benefit to the world, than all
your inventions and combinations! -- Do that and overwhelm angels, men and Devils with astonishment at
the climax of miracles.!
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