cases, therefore, he is unworthy of confidence; and there is no third course as an alternative. Whether natives or naturalized citizens, all Papists are sworn bondmen, virtually or actually, the voluntary slaves of the triple crowned Italian pontifical despot. The actual image and representative of "the Beast," to every Romanist, is his God upon earth; and every popish priest is his deputy, to whom is supposed to be delegated all the papal wisdom, infallibility, and power, for every purpose, when they are called into requisition. This is the Papist's oracular doctrine. The church must be obeyed in all things. To keep no faith with heretics, and to molest, injure, or to destroy all Protestants, is the first, second, third, last, and only lesson which he ever learns. A sincere Papist is also disqualified from holding any office of honour, emolument, trust, or power, under a Protestant government, because there is no obligation which can bind him. The pope, who in his estimation is the same as his God upon earth, by the agency of his confessor, absolves him from all obligation, and permits him to take any oath, and make any contract, according to "the rules of the church." But the Roman pontiff has decided and enacted, that all oaths required of his servants, by Protestants, are unlawful and void; and, therefore, according to this canon, false swearing is not sin; because "the pope can annul and cancel every possible obligation arising from an oath." This is the inextricable dilemma. A Papist either sincerely adheres to the doctrines of Babylon, or not. If he does hold them, he cannot be credited upon his oath. If he rejects them, he cannot be believed upon his asseveration. Therefore, a Romanist, all whose principles are totally incompatible with civil and religious liberty, and the stability of every Protestant government-who is the sworn bigoted and ferocious slave of a foreign potentate and inexorably remorseless tyrant-and who also possesses a dispensation to cancel all the most solemn contracts which can possibly be made, even though ratified by repeated oaths; by his own avowed professions, cannot safely be admitted to enjoy a station of power in any country which is not subject to the popedom. This is a woful indictment of malignity and wickedness, charged upon the antichristian system of Rome. Yet there is no conceivable additional turpitude of which that "Mother of Harlots" has not been guilty. In the midst of all the exposures of her corruptions and cruelty, and all the vigorous assaults which have been made upon the walls and towers of that "Babylon the Great," where she has so long and so direfully reigned; "she still sits a queen, and says, I shall see no sorrow." And were it not for the infallible certainty of revealed truth, and the perfect demonstration which history furnishes, that so much of the Apocalyptic period, the one thousand two hundred and sixty years, has revolved; we might almost despair of any truly permanent melioration in the state of mankind. We hear the heathen Romans rage at the loss of their ancient predominance. We witness the nominal Protestant people imagining vain things, respecting popery; admitting the utmost incredulity concerning the true character of "the man of sin;" and even avowing their conviction that "the working of satan" is the chief portion of "the mystery of godliness." We know that the kings of the earth stand up against the progress of Christian truth. And we also, alas! realize that rulers, even in America, confederate "against the Lord, and against his Christ;" but all this antichristian conspiracy will be entirely defeated. "The Lord, he who sitteth in the heavens, has them in derision. He will break them as with a rod of iron; and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." This prospective wondrous consummation of sacred prophecy fills every Christian's heart with rapture. Notwithstanding all antichristian opposition; the craft and cruelty of "the Beast," the sorceries and pollutions of the "Mother of Harlots," and the impiety and despotism of " Babylon the Great," shall be exterminated. That wicked, lawless one, the son of perdition, who has so long deluged the earth with idolatry, impurity, wretchedness, blood, and crimes, "the Lord will consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and destroy with the brightness of his coming;" and will take "the Beast and the false prophet," the pope, the cardinals, the prelates, the priests, and the whole hierarchy of monks, friars, nuns, and Dominican and Jesuit, ecclesiastics, "head and tail," and cast them alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!” |