might it be said, she had made the nations drunk with the wrath of her fornication.

Verse 9: "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,"

Verse 10: "The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:"

Verse 11: "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."

In these three verses, we may observe, First, the Eastern or Asiatic church condemning the Western or papal, for its apostacy, which, as was observed before, happened about A. D. 590, and ended 603. The two churches openly

anathematized each other.

Second, the unhappy and restless situation of those who yielded to the doctrines of popery, they being ignorant of the Scriptures of truth, which afford true consolation and comfort to the soul.

About this time the papal reign commenced; but from the poor materials which this dark age affords, it is difficult to determine the exact point of time. If the separation took place between the churches in A. D. 536, I am of opinion that it is the true beginning of it. But it appears that Gregory's power was very great, as he claimed the right of investiture over the bishops; which made him more stout than his fellows.-Dan. 7:20. He is also considered as the first who instituted the litanies to the virgin Mary, wherein she is styled the mother of God, the mother of our Creator, the queen of heaven. Thus, from the great power which Greg

ory claimed, I would infer that the foundation was laid for him; and that the papal reign began shortly before he became pontiff.

In the particulars of this criminal act of robbing our heavenly king Christ Jesus, of his royal prerogative, I have no desire to enlarge; I am more anxious to express my conviction of the turpitude of this outrage on liberty and justice, wherewith our prophet, priest, and king, the root and the offspring of David, has made us free. For this crime, but one apology can be offered. Abaddon seized the reins, when, 4 had he let them slip, they would have fallen into other hands. He enslaved mankind at a moment, when, had he spared them, prelacy would have found another tyrant to sting and torment them.-See Rev. 9: 10, 11. Admitting

the truth of the plea, what is it but the reasoning of the highwayman, who robs and murders the traveller because the booty was about to be seized by another hand, or because another dagger was ready to do the bloody deed. I am aware that the indignation with which I regard this crime of Apollyon, will find a response in few breasts; for to the multitude, a throne is a temptation which no virtue can be expected to withstand. But moral truth is immovable amidst the sophistry, ridicule, and abject reasonings of men; and the time will come when it will find a meet voice to give it utterance.-See Rev. 19: 17, 18.

Of all crimes against society, usurpation is the blackest. He who lifts a parricidal hand against his country's rights and freedom - who plants his foot on the necks of two hundred and thirty millions of his fellow creatures who con

centrates in his single hand the power of a mighty empire, and who wields its power, squanders its treasures, and pours forth its blood like water, to make other nations slaves, and the world his prey this man, as he unites all crimes in his sanguinary career, so he should be set apart by the human race, for their unmingled and unmeasured abhorrence, and

should wear on his guilty head a mark as opprobrious as that which the first murderer wore. We cannot think with patience of one man fastening chains on a whole people, and subjecting millions to his single will; of whole regions overshadowed by the tyranny of a frail being like ourselves. In anguish of spirit we exclaim, How long will an abject world kiss the foot which tramples it: how long shall crime find shelter in its very aggravations and excess: it has long enough wrung from the laborer his hard earnings, by sending locusts to devour it: see Rev. 9: 3-11; long enough squandered a nation's wealth on its parasites and minions; long enough warred against the freedom of the mind, and arrested the progress of truth; it has filled dungeons enough with the brave and good, and shed enough of the blood of patriots, prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth; let its end come, it cannot come too soon! See Rev. 18: 24.

Verse 12: "Here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." Now is come the time for the severest trials that they ever experienced. Prelacy was conceived under the heathen emperors; it had its birth and pupilage under the Christian emperors; it arrived at manhood amidst the disorders attendant on the dissolution of the western empire; it is now seated on the throne of the Cæsars, with a pope or king over them, who is the angel or governing power of the bottomless pit.-See Rev. 9: 10, 11. Apollyon and his six hundred and sixty-six bishops, are now beginning their imperial spiritual reign of twelve hundred and sixty years. Abaddon is now seated in the pretended chair of St. Peter, holding out indulgencies and pardons in one hand, and fire and faggots in the other. The pope being the head, and the cardinals, bishops, and legates, the body, a tremendous tail of priests, monks, and friars, completing the beast, this hideous monster is now preparing to try the

patience and perseverance of the saints; and to ensnare those who endeavor to keep the commandments of God, and who have the faith of Jesus.

But the scene now changes; the long looked for day of deliverance at length arrives. Prelacy, with all its sinful offsprings, becomes extinct; in consequence of which, the saints, both living and dead, are considered as in an extasy of joy on the happy occasion. The prophet's words are remarkable: "Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her." Rev. 18: 20. From these words it appears that omnipotent power is the cause of her annihilation. "And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great mill-stone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.”. Rev. 18: 21. It is well known that any religious liberty obtained by the protestant party, was torn from the see, or government of Rome, by violence. But the violence mentioned here, ends its existence for ever: for "the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a mill-stone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived."-Rev. 18: 22, 23.

From the prophet's dwelling so long on this subject, and mentioning the catastrophies of spirit of Babylon, I would infer, that her judgments must be of an extraordinary nature. And what confirms me in this belief, is her being charged with such an immensity of guilt by the prophet, in the last verse of the eighteenth chapter: "And in her was found the blood of the prophets, and of saints, and of all that were

slain upon the earth." Thus prelacy laid the foundation of error; popery and prelacy built up the wealthy and corrupt edifice and God, in his appointed time, destroys the whole; out of the ruins of which will arise a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.-2 Peter, 3: 13. "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for he is King of kings, and Lord of lords; and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful."-Rev. 17, 14. These unhappy regal powers made war with the Lamb, for they would not have him to reign over them. See Luke 19: 14. They must have a succession of papal and regal tyrants as universal heads of the church, in room of him whom the eternal Jehovah hath appointed. They obeyed the erroneous canons or decrees of popes and councils, in preference to the gospel of Jesus Christ. They acted by and under the authority of the destroying angel, Antichrist,-See Rev. 9: and stained Europe with the blood of the saints. In this manner, the kings of Europe have actually made war against the Lamb. But the Lamb will overcome them; he is King of kings, and Lord of lords; he is also Judge of both quick and dead, and will pronounce against them that irresistible sentence, Go, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

The prophet having already shown the various appearances of the Roman empire, from its foundation to its apostate state, now proceeds to show the various appearances of the other churches, from the Christian era to A. D. 1688.

Verse 13: "And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.' I perceive that when the prophet was either commanded to write, or not to write, a particular mark or point of time was signified when the most remarkable events recorded in