3 K 22, 22

7.

THE LYING SPIRIT IN THE FALSE PRIESTHOOD. The spirit said: I will go deceive, and shalt prevail : forth and be a lying spirit in go out, and do so. - Now the mouth of all his prophets. therefore behold the Lord And the Lord said: Thou hath put a spirit of lying in shalt deceive him, and shalt the mouth of all thy prophets, prevail: go forth and do so.* and the Lord hath spoken 3 K 22, 23 Now therefore behold the evil against thee.

22

Lord hath given a lying THE PRIESTS WHO COULD NOT
spirit in the mouth of all thy
prophets that are here.

FIND THEIR PEDIGREE.

64

And of the Priests, the 2 E 7,632 P 18, 20- There came forth a spirit, children of Habia, the chiland stood before the Lord, dren of Accos, the children and said: I will deceive him. of Berzellai, who took a wife And the Lord said to him: of the daughters of Berzellai By what means wilt thou the Galaadite, and he was deceive him? And he called by their name.answered: I will go out, and These sought their writing be a lying spirit in the mouth in the record, and found it of all his prophets. And the not: and they were cast out Lord said: Thou shalt of the Priesthood.

Jg 17, 1-4

8. THE HISTORY OF MICHAS.

IS MADE WITH IT.

1. MICHAS STEALS HIS mother: and she took two
MOTHER'S MONEY. AN IDOL hundred pieces of silver and
gave them to the silversmith,
There was at that time a to make of them a graven
man of mount Ephraim and a molten god, which
whose name was Michas, was in the house of Michas.
Who said to his mother:

The eleven hundred pieces of 2. MICHAS
silver, which thou hadst put TEMPLE
aside for thyself, and con- CONSECRATES

BUILDS A

FOR THE IDOL ;

ONE OF HIS

AND

cerning which thou didst SONS TO BE HIS PRIEST.
swear in my hearing, behold MAKES VESTMENTS FOR HIM.
I have, and they are with And he separated also Jg 17, 5-6
me. And she said to him: therein a little temple for
Blessed be my son by the the god, and made an ephod,
Lord. So he restored them and theraphim, that is to
to his mother, who said to say, a priestly garment, and
him I have consecrated and idols: and he filled the
vowed this silver to the Lord, hand of one of his sons, and
that my son may receive it he became his priest. - In
at my hand, and make a those days there was no
graven and a molten god, so King in Israel, but every one
now I deliver it to thee.- did that which seemed right
And he restored them to his to himself.

This was not a command; but a permission; for God never ordains
lies, though He often permits the lying spirit to deceive those who lov
not the truth. See 2 Th 2, 10.

Mt 24, 24

Mk 13, 22

Mt 24, 24

Ba 6, 50
Dt 32, 21

Os 8,6

Os 8, 7

Ba6, 41

A drought upon her waters, Je 50, 38 and they shall be dried up:

false because it is a land of idols,
and they glory in monstrous

There shall arise false things. christs and false prophets,

The Spirit brought me and shall show great signs near the inner gate, where and wonders, insomuch as to was set the idol of jealousy deceive, if possible, even the to provoke to jealousy.

elect.

Ez 8, 3

I will show it to be iniquity,

Ez 21, 27

iniquity, iniquity.

Thou hast set up altars of

Je 11, 13

confusion.

Thou hast forgotten Me,

Je 13, 25

They are false things. They have provoked Me with that which was no god, and have angered me with their vanities: and I will and hast trusted in falsehood. provoke them with that The creatures of God are W 14, 11 which is no people, and will turned to an abomination, vex them with a foolish and a temptation to the souls nation. of men, and a snare to the Itself is the invention of feet of the unwise. Israel. Their land is full of idols: The bud shall yield no they have adored the work meal; and if it should yield, of their own hands which strangers shall eat it. their own fingers have made.

Their gods themselves have no sense.

Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me.

Is 2, 8

They have wandered from Ez 44, 10
Me after their idols.

Daniel said: I adore the Da 14, 24
Lord my God: for He is the
Living God: but that is no

Thou shalt not make to
thyself a graven thing, nor living god.

Ex 20, 3

Dt 5, 8-9

the likeness of any things Ephraim feedeth on the
that are in heaven above, or wind.
that are in the earth beneath, The anathema is in the
or that abide in the waters midst of thee, O Israel.
under the earth.-Thou shalt
not adore them, and thou
shalt not serve them.

Behold you are of nothing, and your work of that which hath no being.

Altars are become unto Os 8, 11 him to sin.

The nations have drunk of Je 51, 7

Cursed be the man that her wine, and therefore they maketh a graven thing, and have staggered.

shall put it in a secret place: The idol that is made by W14,6 and all the people shall hands, is cursed, as well

because he made it; and it digged to themselves cisterns,
because, being frail, it is broken cisterns, that can hold
called a god.

no water.

Je 5, 7

Je 2, 10-13 Pass over to the Isles of How can I be merciful to Cethim, and see: and send thee? Thy children have into Cedar, and consider forsaken Me, and swear by dilgently and see if there them that are not gods. hath been done anything like Hear ye thee this, O Os 5, 1-2 this.-If a nation hath priests, and hearken, O ye changed their gods, and in- House of Israel, and give deed they are not gods: but ear, O House of the King: My people have changed for there is ajudgment against their glory into an idol.-Be you, because you have been astonished, O ye Heavens, a snare to them whom you at this, and, ye gates thereof, should have watched over, be very desolate, saith the and a net spread upon Lord.-For My people have Thabor.-And you have done two evils. They have turned aside victims into the forsaken Me, the Fountain depth: and I am the Teacher of Living Water, and have of them all.

Te 32, 34

Ez 7, 13

Ba 6, 18

Je7, 30

Da 9,27

Ba 6, 26

Ma 1, 7

10. THE FALSE CHRISTS IN THE TEMPLES OF
CHRIST. DIVINE HONOURS AND RITES PAID

TO THEM.

They have set their idols He set up the abominable 1M1,57in the House, in which My idol of desolation upon the 58 Name is called upon, to Altar of God, and they built defile it. altars throughout all the They burnt sweet smelling cities of Juda round about. frankincense to all their -And they burnt incense. The Lord is a jealous God and a Revenger.

idols.

They light candles to them,
and in great number, of They shall offer victims,
which they cannot see one. and the Lord will not re-
They have set their abomi-ceive them.
nations in the House in The floor and the wine-
which My Name is called press shall not feed them,
upon, to pollute it.
and the wine shall deceive
them.

The Victim and the Sacrifice shall fail: and there shall be in the Temple the abomination of desolation.

Their gifts shall be set before them as to the dead.

Na 1, 2

Os 8, 13

Os 9, 2

They ate the sacrifices of Ps 105,28 the dead [the dead, viz. idols without life].

Say: Thus saith the Lord Ez 13, 18
God: Wo to them that sew

You offered polluted bread cushions under every elbow :
upon My Altars, and you and make pillows for the
say: Wherein have we pol- heads of persons of every age
luted Thee?
to catch souls: and when

Je 6, 14

Os 4,8

they caught the souls of My into shame. people, they gave life to They shall eat the sins of their souls [flattering them My people, and shall lift up with promises of the Bread of their souls to their iniquity. Life]. He shall make no account Da 11,37They healed the breach of of the God of his fathers.- 38 the daughter of My people But he shall worship the disgracefully, saying: Peace, god Maozim [the god of Peace and there was no strongholds] in His place: Peace. and a god whom his fathers Ez 13, 15 They have departed from knew not, he shall worship Me through all their idols. Babylon doted upon them. Thou didst set My oil and My sweet incense before them.

Ez 23, 16
Ez 16, 18

Os 12, 8

Ps 4, 3

Os 4, 10

Os 3, 1

Os 4, 18

Os 4, 7

Je 44, 1617

Je 49, 7

Je 51, 17

I have become rich, I have found me an idol.

with gold and silver, and
precious stones, and things
of great price.

The mockeries of the un- Eci 34, 21
just are not acceptable.

Is 46,7

Do not offer wicked gifts, Eci 35, 14
for such He will not receive.
O ye sons of men, how They bear him on their
long will you be dull of shoulders and carry him,
heart? Why do you love and set him in his place, and
vanity and seek after lying? he shall stand, and shall not
They shall eat, and shall stir out of his place. Yea,
not be filled.
when they shall cry also unto
They look to strange gods, him, he shall not hear he
and love the husks of the shall not save them from
grapes.
tribulation.

Their banquet is separ

I will sit in the Mountain Is 14, 13-
of the Covenant.-I will be 14

ated.
I will change their Glory like the Most High.

11.

THOSE WHO DISOBEY THE DIVINE VOICE OF

THE CHURCH ARE EASILY SEDUCED BY THE
FALSE CHRISTS.

As for the word which thou what he hath cast is a lie.
hast spoken to us in the If one cast a stone on high, Eci 27, 28
Name of the Lord, we will it will fall upon his own

not hearken to thee:-But head: and the deceitful
we will certainly do every stroke will wound the deceit-
word that shall proceed out ful.

of our own mouth and we He that diggeth a pit, Eci 27, 29
were filled with bread, and shall fall into it: and he

it was well with us, and we that setteth a stone for his
saw no evil.
neighbour, shall stumble
Counsel has perished from upon it: and he that layeth
her children: their wisdom a snare for another, shall
is become unprofitable.

perish in it.

Every man has become A mischievous counsel Eci 27, 30 foolish by his knowledge, for shall be rolled back upon

7

Ps 9, 1617

Ps 9, 23

Ps 24, 4

the author, and he shall not For the sin of their mouth Ps 58, 13 know from whence it com- let them be taken in their

Their foot hath been taken Let their table become as Ps 68, 23 in the very snare which they a snare before them, and a hid. The sinner hath been recompense and a stumblingcaught in the works of his block." own hands.

They are caught in the counsels which they devise.

Let them be confounded that act unjust things.

O wicked presumption, Eci 37, 3 whence camest thou to cover the earth with thy malice and deceitfulness ?

Cursed be the man that Je 17, 5

Ps 80, 12- My people heard not My trusteth in man, and mak-
Voice: and Israel hearkened eth flesh his arm.

13

Os 10, 13

W 14, 15

W 14, 16

W 14, 17

not to Me.-So I let them Saul answered: Because I1K13,11-
go according to the desires saw that the people slipt 13
of their heart: they shall from me.-Forced by neces-
walk in their own inven- sity I offered sacrifice.-And
tions.
Samuel said to Saul: Thou
You have eaten the fruit hast done foolishly.

of lying because thou hast We will magnify our Ps 11,5
trusted in thy ways, in the tongue: our lips are our
multitude of thy strong ones. own.

12. THE ORIGIN OF THE FALSE CHRISTS DRAWN

BY INFERENCE FROM THE BOOK OF WISDOM.

*

they

brought their re-
A father being afflicted semblance from afar, and
made an express image of
with bitter grief made to
the king whom they had
himself the image of his son
who was quickly taken a mind to honour: that by
away: and him who then this their diligence, they
had died as a man, he began might honour as present,
now to worship as a god, him that was absent."
and appointed him rites and
sacrifices among his ser-
vants.

*

And to the worshipping W14, 18 of these, the singular diligence also of the artificer Then in process of time, helped to set forward the wicked custom prevailing, ignorant.

this error was kept as a law,

*

and statues were worshipped For he being willing to W 14, 19
by the commandment of please him that employed
tyrants.

And those whom men could not honour in presence, because they dwelt far off,

him, laboured with all his

art to make the resemblance
in the best manner.

*

And the multitude of the W14, 20