ditions of the Fathers, and against the celebrated decree of the Council of Trent, it endeavours, with all its power, and by every means to translate, or rather to corrupt, the Holy Scriptures into the vulgar tongues of all nations, which gives just reason to fear that in all other translations the same thing may happen, which has happened with regard to those already known, namely, that we may there find a bad interpretation, and instead of the Gospel of Christ, the Gospel of Man, or, what is worse, the Gospel of the Devil.' The Pope then exhorts them to warn their flocks from this fatal pasture.' The Papacy is therefore as much opposed to the circulation of the scriptures in the vulgar tongue as ever. In 1825, the Pope published a Bull for the usual Jubilee. Among the inducements held out therein to persuade persons to go to Rome, was that of beholding the cradle of Christ! Can any man of reflection, it has been truly asked, admit that the Pope himself believes that the cradle of Christ is to be seen at Rome? And if not, what is the Pope? From this same Bull it appears that the Pope is, if we may use the expression, as Popish as ever; that he still usurps the prerogative of Almighty God in granting remission of sins. During this year of Jubilee, we mercifully in the Lord grant and impart the most plenary and complete indulgence, remission, and pardon of all their sins to all the faithful in Christ, &c. provided that they shall have poured forth pious prayers to God for the exaltation of the Holy Church, the extirpation of heresies, &c.' L The present Pope, Gregory XVI. is as Popish as any of his predecessors. Witness his encyclical letter to all Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops and Bishops, dated from Rome, MDCCCXXXII. in which he calls the Virgin Mary the most holy Virgin Mary, who alone destroys all heresies, and is our greatest confidence, yea, is the whole ground of our hope. Surely, if she has the power of destroying all heresies, here is a heresy for her to destroy-namely, the commanding Romish Bishops to lift up their eyes and hands to her,' and the styling her our greatest confidence, and the whole ground of our hope.' But the Pope shall not always practise.' The period allotted to him, which is 1260 years, expires A.D. 1987. That year will behold the downfall of the Papacy. We have not only the word of God in support of our prediction, but that word is confirmed by an oath. The question was asked in the hearing of Daniel,-" How long shall it be to the end of these wonders ?" And we are told that Daniel "heard. the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by Him that liveth for ever, that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished." (chap. xii. 7.) Nothing can be more solemn than this language.. We have language› equally solemn and to the same effect in Revelation, (chap. x. 5-7.) "And the Angel, which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth, lifted up his hand to heaven and sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven and the things that therein are, and the earth and the things that therein are, and the sea and the things which are therein, That there should be time no longer, (or rather, that there should be delay no longer): but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel; when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. The year 1987 will be a most eventful year. In that year the mystery of God will be finished. In that year the words of God will have been fulfilled. In that year the time, times and a half, the forty and two months, will terminate. In that year the seventh angel will begin to sound. In that year the seventh angel will pour out his vial into the air. This is closely connected with the downfall of the Papacy." And the seventh Angel poured out his vial into the air: and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from And there were voices, the throne, saying, It is done. and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts; and the cities of the nations fell and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great." From this passage we learn that there will be "a great" convulsion in the ecclesiastical and political world, "such as has not been since men were upon the earth, so mighty" a convulsion "and so great." "The great city" Rome will be " divided into three parts." The Church and State of Rome will be rent into three divisions. "And the cities of the nations fell." All the cities of Europe will fall from their allegiance to Rome. And Rome itself, which is called "great Babylon for its idolatry and tyranny, shall come "in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath." Roman Catholics will find out that this " cup of wine" is no less real because it is figurative. The entire change which will take place is described in strong figurative language: "and every island fled away, and the mountains were not found." It is probable that this "mighty" convulsion will be accompanied with a "mighty earthquake" literally. As the destruction of Jerusalem was preceded by famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes," so will be the destruction of Rome. This earthquake will be attended with a grievous " hail, every stone about the weight of a talent; and men" will "blaspheme God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof" will be "exceeding great." As the vials of wrath began with a plague of hail, so they will close with a plague of hail. We are told by St. John that the first angel "went and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the Beast, and upon them which worshipped his Image." No kingdom in Europe has had the mark of the Beast impressed upon it more prominently than the horn of France. Not only has the King of France been called 'the Pope's first-born,' or the Pope's eldest son,' account of the assistance which France gave the Pope in the Eighth century, enabling him to pluck up three horns by the roots: but in later times, by the most cruel persecution of Protestants, and above all by the massacre of St. Bartholomew's day, the kingdom of France has shewn that she glories in "the name and mark of the Beast :”—(ROMAN +.) - She has shewn also that she "worships" the Council of Trent, "the Image" made to the Pope, by putting into effect its anathemas against Heretics. On Sunday, July 13, 1788, the first Angel poured out his vial upon France. About nine o'clock in the morning, without any eclipse, a dreadful darkness suddenly overspread several parts of France. It was the prelude of such a tempest as is unexampled in the temperate climates of Europe. Wind, rain, hail and thunder, seemed to contend in impetuosity; but the hail was the greatest instrument of ruin. Instead of the rich prospects of an early autumn, the face of nature in the space of an hour presented the dreary aspect of universal winter. The soil was converted into a morass, the standing corn beaten into the quagmire, the vines broken to pieces, the fruit trees demolished, and unmelted hail lay in heaps like rocks |