since destroyed the peace of mankind. For these evident reasons, these outward court worshippers are rejected, and are not measured, or included, among those who worship God in simplicity and truth.

Under this imperial and papal reign of twelve hundred and sixty years, our historical records have proved that these outward court worshippers have trod down the gospel temple, and by their canons and decrees have thrown a veil over the Scriptures, so as to make them of no effect. The law proclaimed on Mt. Sinai has been desecrated by them: for they have blotted out its second command, in order to establish image worship, and they have made of the tenth two, to hide their iniquity by preserving the number. In repeating the Lord's prayer, they always omit the last clause, and will not ascribe the kingdom, power and glory to that ineffable Being to whom it is justly due. They have trampled under foot, persecuted and branded as heretics, all who durst disobey them, or search the Scriptures for true information. Thus, even in this literal sense, these outward court worshippers have trodden the holy city, or people of God, under foot, forty and two months, or twelve hundred and sixty years namely, from A. D. 303, to the end of the council of Trent, A. D. 1563.

Verse 3: "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand, two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth." I shall show, first, who

the witnesses are. Second, the time of prophesying under this filthy garment. Third what the garment is. That the law and the gospel are the two witnesses, is evident from the following proofs:

First, that the law given on Sinai is one of them from the manner in which Moses, the Jewish lawgiver, received it. See Exod. 20 and 34. When Moses encouraged Joshua and the people a short time before his death, he wrote the law, and delivered it unto the priests, the sons of Levi, who

bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and unto the elders of Israel. And Moses commanded the Levites to take this book of the law, and put it into the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against them. Moses commanded a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.-Deut. 31.

Moses also describing the majesty of God says, from his right hand went forth a fiery law for them.-Deut. 33: 2. After Moses's death, God's charge to Joshua was, this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate thereon day and night, that thou mayest observe and do according to all that is written therein. For then shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and thou shalt have good success.-Josh. 1: 8.

David says, he established a testimony in Jacob, and a law in Israel.—Ps. 18: 5. And the prophet says, remember ye the law of Moses, my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb, for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.Mal. 4: 4.

Our Savior and Redeemer had such respect for the law that he said, think not I am come to destroy the law and the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto thee, till heaven and earth pass, not one jot or tittle shall in anywise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Thus it appears that the law given on Sinai was one of the witnesses of the transgressions of the Man of Sin.

That the gospel is the other witness seems plain from the words of our Savior, when he foretold the calamities that were to afflict the Jews. He says, the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.-Matt. 34: 14.

The Redeemer, speaking of his divine mission to the Jews, says, if I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me, and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. Ye sent

unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I have a greater witness than that of John; for the works which my Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do bear witness of me.-John 5: 31-36.

We have many more proofs of this nature in the apostles' writings, particularly in the tenth chapter of the Acts. In a word, the twelve tribes of Israel received the law, and the twelve apostles received the gospel. They are the twenty-four elders, who received these divine laws as witnesses against all workers of iniquity, and to the praise and glory of those who obey them, and learn to do well.

When we consider the two tables of the moral law, they are in themselves two witnesses of God's love to mankind. The gospel enjoins our reverential awe and esteem of the Creator, and love to one another. These also are two witnesses, under the law and the gospel, and they are essentially such.

Second, the time of their prophesying under this filthy garment: As was o served before, apostacy and the opening of the bottomless pit, commenced A. D. 303, and was on the increase till the end of the council of Trent, A. D. 1563, at which time the art of printing became useful to the reformers; who having obtained the genuine copies of the Old and New Testaments, from the original Greek, had them printed in their different languages, and preserved them from further injury by the papal hierarchy. Subtract these two numbers, and there remain exactly twelve hundred and sixty years, during which time the witnesses were Iclothed with sackcloth.

Third, to be clothed in sackcloth signifies a mean or filthy covering put on, whereby the beauty and excellency of a thing so covered cannot appear. So it was when the Scriptures wore the garment of false translation and false interpretation, put upon them by the beast which arose out of the bottomless pit during the above period of twelve hundred and

sixty years their beauty was hidden during that long period.

Verse 4: "These are the two olive-branches, and the two candlesticks, standing before the God of the earth." Trees, in the language of prophecy, are figurative of the laws of God, for our instruction. They are here called two olive trees, because they yield the fruits of righteousness and peace to all who obey them. They are called two candlesticks on account of the statutes which they support, and because they hold up that light which should enlighten every man. They are standing before the God of the earth, because they stand in opposition to the errors established by a pretended vicar of God, and his adherents.

Verse 5: “ And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies; and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed." In this verse we have another description of the witnesses. It is plain that a wilful transgression of the law is sin. Therefore the wrath of God will devour his enemies. As the words are twice repeated, we may understand that the laws of God are made void when the canons of popes and councils are established in the room thereof. What can such sinners expect but the utmost severity of God's wrath, which is compared to a consuming fire.—Heb. 12: 29.

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Verse 6: "These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy and have power over · waters, to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with plagues, as often as they will." During this long reign of ignorance, superstition, and idolatry, it is plain that no spiritual comfort could flow from the witnesses. Any attempt to attain pure Christian knowledge in those days, was called heresy, and immediately suppressed by the papal authority. The history of those times gives a melancholy account of the distressed state of Europe by persecution, war, famine, and pestilential diseases; and thus, for their wilful disobedi

ence to the laws, or witnesses of God, he smote them with all plagues as oft as he pleased.

Verse 7: "And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them." The prophet has, in this verse, brought us down to the council of Trent, where the witnesses were to receive their mortal blow. Before it they were only clothed in sackcloth. I shall now show a few of those doctrines established by that memorable council, as they are in direct opposition to the law and the gospel.

First, the invocation of saints and angels was established in their seventeenth and twenty-first sessions.

Second, by the sacrament of baptism, sin is wholly plucked up by the roots.

Third, by the sacrament of confirmation, the Holy Ghost, who presides in the church, and by the hand of the bishop, gives perfection of grace.

Fourth, the church cannot err, because she is apostolic. Fifth, the Holy Ghost governs the church by no other than apostolic men.

Sixth, infidel, schismatics, heretics, particularly the two latter, stand condemned because they have fallen away from the church. These do not belong to the church more than vagabonds and renegadoes to an army. Yet they are in the power of the church, as those who may be judged by her, and condemned with anathema.

Seventh, there is one visible HEAD, or governor, who by lawful succession, possesses the chair of St. Peter, the prince of the apostles..

Eighth, God bestows his own dignity on others: he is a Priest, and he makes priests; he is a Rock, and he makes a rock; and whatever things are his, he bestows on his servants.

Ninth, the church is holy; it has the legitimate worship of sacrifice, and the saving use of the sacraments, and whoso