8 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. 9 If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that 10 leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he

that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

SECTION IV.

The Spiritual Despotism of His HOLINESS OF ROME in the Two Præfectures of the Gauls and Italy.

With the mixed despotism of Cæsar arose the autocracy of the Pope, who, pretending a spiritual jurisdiction over the two Præfectures of the Gauls and Italy, endeavoured to exercise a temporal one as well. He enjoyed all the authority of the civil power in his presence, and leagued himself with it, whenever it did not thwart his own arbitrary purposes, to tyrannize over the rights and consciences of the people, so that the ministry of Christ instead of serving as a check upon its encroachments by preserving their own independence, and instead of inspiring it with the simplicity which characterised the popular institutions founded by their master, became not only useless but pernicious, imitating it in the authority" and the "dominion" by their numerous gradations of rank, breaking up the simple distinction which once existed between the pastor and the flock, viz. the minister or "servant of all," into its Gentile divisions, thus defeating one of the main designs of Christianity, the promotion of civil and religious liberty, and substituting institutions instead, which were meet

only for the gratification of pride, ambition, or covetousness. By the fire of excommunication which this power darted from the Vatican through its hierarchy, princes, kings, and emperors were deposed; and whenever the interests of the church and the state were the same, it practised, through policy, its lying craft of miracles, with the latter's consent and approbation.

11

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth and he had two horns like a lamb, 12 and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound 13 was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so

that he maketh fire come down from heaven on 14 the earth in the sight of the men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast.

SECTION V.

The Autocratical Decarchy or Heptarchy of the German CESARS OF THE ROMANS, in the Holy Roman Empire, over the Church of Christ.

The Roman Empire had not existed more than two hundred and fifty years under a Latino-Greek dynasty, than the Popes created a new line of the Emperors of the Romans in the persons of the Emperors of Germany, who for a long time, viz. till 1508, received from them the Imperial Crown, so that there were now two dynasties of Emperors, calling themselves Emperors of the

--

Romans. The first of the German Emperors was Charlemagne, created A.D. 800. He, and Charles V. possessed nearly the whole of the territories which once composed the Roman Empire; and the Emperors in their proper dominions of Germany at the head of seven or ten Electors, who in rank and title were equal to kings, presented no slight resemblance to their contemporaries the Greek Emperors of the Romans, or their successors the Monarchs of France, at the head of their septemvirate or decemvirate of the Empire properly Roman. "The emperors," says Koch, in his History of the Revolutions of Europe, "may be regarded as true monarchs, dispensing, at their pleasure, all dignities, civil and ecclesiastical-possessing very large domains in all parts of the Empire and exercising, individually, various branches of the sovereign power;-only in affairs of great importance, asking the advice or consent of the grandees. This greatness of the German emperors gave rise to a system of polity which the Popes took great care to support with all their credit and authority. According to this system, the whole of Christendom composed, as it were, a single and individual republic, of which the Pope was the spiritual head, and the Emperor the secular. The duty of the latter, as head and patron of the church, was to take cognizance that nothing should be done contrary to the general welfare of Christianity. It was his part to protect the Catholic church, to be the guardian of its preservation, to convocate its general councils, and exercise such rights as the nature of his office and the interest of Christianity seemed to demand. It was in virtue of this ideal system that the emperors enjoyed a precedency over other monarchs, with the exclusive right of electing kings; and that they had bestowed on them the title of masters of the world and sovereign of sovereigns." "The oracle of the civil law, the learned Bartolus," says Gibbon, "was a pensioner of Charles the fourth; and his school resounded with the doctrine, that the Roman Emperor was the rightful sovereign of the earth, from the rising to the setting sun. The contrary opinion was condemned, not as an error, but as an heresy, since even the gospel had pronounced, And there went forth a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.'"

14 Saying to them that dwell on the earth, that

they should make an image to the beast, which 15 had the wound by a sword, and did live. And

he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship 16 the image of the beast should be killed. And it causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right 17 hand, or in their foreheads; and that no` man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, either the name of the beast, or the number of 18 his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath

understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six.

PART II.

FROM THE FALL OF PAGANISM TO THE FALL OF THE ROMAN CHURCHES. A.D. 312-1843.

SECTION I.

The Paradisaical State of the First-fruits.

The assemblage of the just men made perfect who were sealed by the Sun of righteousness, before the invasion of the Roman Empire by the Northern Barbarians, are here represented in their intermediate state, as celebrating the manifestation of that mystery made known to all nations for the obedience of faith, the unsearchable riches of

Christ, their beloved Lord. These are they, who were not tainted with the impurities of Paganism. A. D. 312-1843.

XIV. 1.—And I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name 2 written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the 3 voice of harpers harping with their harps; and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, 4 which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb withersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits 5 unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

SECTION II.

The Republication of the Gospel by the Reformers at the Session of the Ancient of Days,

By the translation of the gospel into the vulgar tongue by Wickliffe, Luther, and other Reformers, and by the