opinion at all. But thus we venture to do-we set up

the written dicta of one Jesus of Nazareth in direct opposition to the written dicta of the Lord Bishop of London-who is our spiritual pastor and master-upon the question-who has the ascendancy as the disposer of the wealth of the world-the Everlasting God or Satan?

We have an opinion upon the point, most undoubtedly; but the question is, whether that view of the subject has the authority, the intelligence, the revelation, and word of Jesus Christ for its basis. The Giant and the Pigmy must have recourse to the same Gospel, to the same testimony.-How READEST THOU?

Who are we, indeed, that we should presume to read a lecture to our betters? Our betters? Aye, to dispute with no less a dignitary than the Lord Bishop of London? We have already intimated that it is not worth the reader's while to stop and ask this question, aware as we nevertheless are, how sadly all our readers are given to partisanship in this our day.

We have now these few words to add to the wish already expressed that the reader would put us just in that part of the category of personal demerit which but suits his own taste. These few words are, that the more silly and insignificant we are, the more easy should the work of discomfiture be. Not us, but our work, do thou, Christian reader, if so disposed, assail.

The issue of our contest is in the hands of God; we have assumed our cause in his name; to his glory we wish all our observations and efforts to tend; and our intention in contending with Mammonism is, to hasten the arrival of the happy and glorious consummation for the intelligent universe, when God shall be all in all.

M

SECTION X.

REPLIES TO THE ANIMADVERSIONS OF A REVEREND

FRIEND.

"For all I thank thee, most for the severe."

OUR little work has been submitted to the inspection of a reverend friend, for whom we entertain equal respect and affection; and he has adduced many objections against our statements and opinions. We append the following replies, for the sake of illustrating our great principle, and of showing how futile is all the opposition of man when brought into contact with the word of God. Vituperative expressions we would avoid; but our consistent allegiance to the truth, as it is in Jesus, we must maintain, and on every occasion prove ourselves faithful in our Master's sight. We feel that we are advocating his cause, and that we are supported by his dicta, and therefore we speak with the fullest confidence of the mind.

The first stricture of our censor is on the statement

REPLIES TO THE ANIMADVERSIONS, ETC. 163

advanced at p. 4 of our book-We say "That there is an Almighty Being, the Creator and Preserver of our globe, and all which it inhabits, the Author and Giver of all good, is our first position-and that there is another being, of an opposite character, who is the author and fomentor of all evil-this is the second of the primary positions, in which both parties are agreed. The question is, which of these two antagonistic beings has now got the wealth of the world at his disposal ?"

Antagonist!" exclaims our corrector.-" All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." "Thou couldst have no power against me unless it were given thee from above." "I form the light and create the darkness; I make peace and create evil: I do all these things, saith the Lord."

Antagonist of Almighty God! This is a bold and apparently an impious assumption. Natural religion revolts from it: human reason cannot grapple with it. Omnipotency thwarted in its purpose! Who presumes to advance such an incomprehensible and anomalous doctrine?

The answer is, that the Holy Bible everywhere predicates, postulates, propounds the proposition, as a certain, substantive, and solid matter of fact. The Christian answer is, that Jesus of Nazareth, in his gospel, has declared and descanted upon the fact, as one of the highest importance. HE informs us that there are, de

facto, two master spirits in our world, each seeking suit and service of all men. He tells us that one of these masters is the Infinite Jehovah, God; and that the other is Satan, in the form and character of Mammon. Men who differ as to the meaning of the word Mammon, must yet allow that our postulate, or premises, as to the antagonism in question, is thus supported by the word and revelation of Jesus Christ.

It is not for us to attempt to reconcile any of those apparent discrepancies, or contradictions in terms, which may be culled from the Bible. "Lord! I believe! help thou my unbelief! We read, in words coming from thine own mouth, that there are two masters-two master spirits-in our world. Thou hast recorded the fact it is not for dust and ashes to dissemble the truth."

The supremacy of the Lord God Almighty stands in no need of vindication from our hands; all that we have to contend for is the certainty that Mammon is in the ascendant, over our globe.

At p. 7 of our essay appears the following paragraph; "There needs but one word more to put you into full possession of the truth which it is the object of this essay to develop. That word is, MAMMON. Mammon, we submit, is Antichrist." In opposition to this statement we find adduced, 1 John, ii. 18, "Even now there are many Antichrists." And there is added the excla