Earlier text: General ArticlesAncient Tahpanhes.
By E. J. Bryant
To LOVERS of Bible history, a singular and interesting ruin has recently been discovered in Egypt, no less a place than the ruins of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, where the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brick-kiln [or as the Revised Version has it, “hide them in mortar in the brick-work”], which is at the entry of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah; and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.” Jer. 43 : 8-10. An Egyptian explorer, Mr. Flinders Petrie by name, traveling in the northwestern delta of the Nile, came to several mounds, of which the largest of the group, being covered with burned brick, and apparently of huge dimensions, was known by the Arabs as El Kasr el Bint el Yahudi, which means, the castle of the Jew’s daughter. When Zedekiah was a prisoner in Babylon, the chief men who had charge in Jerusalem, being much afraid that Nebuchadrezzar would again return and destroy and kill them, asked permission of the king of Egypt to go down and dwell in his country. Pharaoh appointed them the royal stronghold, or palace of Tahpanhes, and there accordingly went the chief captains of the forces, taking with them the king’s daughters and the remnant of Judah, amongst whom likewise was the prophet Jeremiah, who, by the express command of the Lord, had strongly protested against the proceeding, but without avail. After much labor and repeated trenching, Mr. Petrie found an area of brick-work 100x60 feet facing the eastern entrance of this ancient palace, and as this readily answers the brick-work spoken of in the above-quoted verse, what more probable than that Nebuchadrezzar spread his royal pavilion on that very spot, indeed, Egyptian inscriptions identifying it as the place where he had spread his royal pavilion. What is more sure and abiding than the word of the Lord; and as another and another confirmation of the word of our God is revealed, our faith and hope should grow brighter and clearer, and may we be able to realize more and more that all these things are for our edification upon whom the ends of the world have come. Cheerfulness and Discontent
A CHEERFUL nature illumines all objects with sunlight, while a discontented disposition makes itself miserable everywhere. Scripture versus National Reform.
By A. H. Will
THE Christian Statesman of Feb. 11, 1886, contains some "fundamental principles" which it seeks to promulgate. Among others, under the heading, "The Kingly Office of Jesus Christ," we find the following: "The word of prophecy indicates that the final and decisive struggle which shall issue in the subjugation of the world to Christ is to turn on the claims of his kingly office." In proof of this proposition the writer cites Dan. 7; Rev. 11: 15-17; 19: 11-16; and from these texts draws conclusions which differ as widely from the teaching of the word of God, as the darkest night differs from the clearest day. We think none will deny that the passages of Scripture cited above teach that the world will finally be brought under subjection to Christ, and that he will be "King of kings and Lord of lords." But as to the manner in which this will be accomplished, there is a wide difference of opinion. The National Reform advocates, of which the Christian Statesman is the chief organ, teach that our country will be brought under subjection to Christ, by placing the name of God in our Constitution, and by amending it, so as "to place all Christian laws, institutions, and usages, on an undeniable legal basis in the fundamental law of the land." Of course it is understood that these Christian laws, institutions, and usages must be in harmony with the will of this National Reform Party; and behold, thus it is done, and Christ rules according to the dictum of the National Reformers! Grand consummation of earthly glory this will be! and woe unto them who dare to "keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus," and so disobey this dragonic alliance of Church and State. The seventh chapter of Daniel contains no evidence that any nation of mortal beings will ever willingly acknowledge Christ as its king. True, it does state that the time will come when "all dominions shall serve and obey him," but from verses 13 and 14, we learn that this dominion is given him by the Ancient of Days—by him who is from everlasting to everlasting. Ps. 90: 2. This is in harmony with the second chapter (verse 44), where it is stated that the God of Heaven will set up this kingdom of Christ. Verse 45 shows clearly that this kingdom will be set up without any human agencies; for it will be set up without hands. God says he will set it up himself. It will never be done by the erring hands of the National Reform Party. Besides this, the "dominions" that serve and obey him are composed of the saints who will have been made immortal that they may "possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever." Rev. 11: 15-17 contains no statement whatever, as to how this kingdom of Christ will be established, but verse 18, which the Christian Statesman has undoubtedly overlooked, contains a statement which is fatal to this National Reform theory. We read: "And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged." Compare Rev. 1: 7; Matt. 24: 30; 25: 31-34; Rom. 2: 12, 16. The nations are angry when the kingdoms of this world are brought under subjection to Christ, and the wrath of God will be poured out upon them. Just think of the wrath of God being poured out on a nation that loves and obeys Christ! Absurd! With their mouth (or constitution) the nations may profess to love and obey Christ, but the hearts of the people and rulers will be far from him, for when all rule and authority are given him he will "break them with a rod of iron," and "dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." Ps. 2: 9. In Rev. 19: 14, 15, we are informed what Christ will do as King of kings. How the Christian Statesman can quote this as being in harmony with its National Reform theory, is beyond comprehension by any mind not initiated in the mysteries of National Reform. The text reads thus: "And the armies which were in Heaven followed him [Christ] upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; and he treadeth the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." By the armies in Heaven the nations are brought under subjection to Christ, saith the Lord, not by the help of the fallible human army of National Reform. This King of kings will smite the nations and break them in pieces, so that they will become like the chaff of the summer threshing floor. Dan. 2: 35. The 19th verse, which is not included in the reference of the Christian Statesman, reads thus: "And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army." Thus we see that when he comes whose right the dominion of the earth is, the nations of the earth, instead of crying, "Lo this is our God, we have waited for him and he will save us," will array their armies against him, and will be utterly consumed. Verses 20, 21. In view of these things the prophet says: "Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your hands be made strong; for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth." Isa. 28: 22. It is clearly and unmistakably revealed by these and many other passages of Scripture, that the National Reform theory is unscriptural, and so has no foundation other than in the imagination of the self-styled National Reformers. In view of these facts we ask the Christian Statesman in its own words, Do you "know how to read" the Bible? "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that they prophecy unto you; they make you vain." Jer. 23: 16. And why?—Because "they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord." Ibid. And now when we abide by the word of God, and refuse to accept the unscriptural deductions of National Reform, the Statesman accuses us of being in "voluntary darkness or willful infidelity." We leave it to the reader to judge who is most deserving of this accusation. If one intends to follow anything it is obvious that something or somebody must lead. Suppose that in case of war there was no leader, no one to show the troops where to march, what confusion, what demoralization there would be. Instead, the eyes of every man are fixed upon the one who directs them where to go, and in silence they follow him even unto death. It is the same with our spiritual warfare. When Joshua assembled the tribes at Shechem, he reminded them of the goodness of God to them and to their fathers. He said unto them that they had come to a place where it was necessary for them to choose whom they would serve. That is just the place to which every man and woman must come, to decide whom they will follow. The sheep hear the Shepherd's voice and they follow him. Who is on the Lord's side? What if instead of a banner there is a cross to carry, do not they who carry the cross wear the crown? As the gladiator flushed with victory in the arena, was crowned amid the acclamations of thousands, so they who carry the cross, not hesitatingly, not vauntingly, but simply upon the shoulders as they follow Christ, will be crowned before the assembled multitudes of Heaven. Is it not worth striving for? With such a Leader, waiting with superhuman patience to lead us; standing with loving arms outstretched, as an earthly father asks a child to come to him to be cared for and protected and loved; saying to us, Only follow me and all will be right,—is it not easy to follow where He leads, knowing that He doeth all things well? "I know not the way I am going,
But well do I know my Guide—
With a childlike trust I give my hand
To the mighty Friend at my side.
The only thing that I say to him
As he takes it is, 'Hold it fast,
Suffer me not to lose my way,
And bring me home at the last.'"
—Christian at Work. LIKE A PRESSED FLOWER.
By Virginia B. Harrison
How soon, within the book of Time,
Life's latest hour
Will lay my memory—as we press
Some curious flower. Then, on th' enfolding page, I would
God's hand divine
Might note: Though erring oft, this still
Was child of mine. —Virginia B. Harrison, in the Independent. A Silent God and a Sinning World.
"Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence." Ps. 50:3. GOD is silent—man is saying, No God. This is the character of the age. God is graciously gathering, by the Holy Spirit, out of every nation, kindred, and tongue—from high and low, rich and poor. But the characteristic feature of the age is apostasy working, 2 Thess. 2:7, the devil ruling, Eph. 2:2; 1 John 5:19, war and bloodshed spreading everywhere—those who love the Lord Jesus despised, and sharing his rejection and scorn—hated and persecuted by the terrible usurper in ten thousand forms. Utterly vain are men's dreams of peace apart from the mind and revelation of God—vain the Christian's hope, however beautiful, pious, and benevolent it may seem, if God has not held it out in his Word as his true hope. Oh, for the simplicity of the child to receive the truth and to walk in the mind of God, to be filled with his Spirit, watch his dealings, and thus ever be aiming at his glory in the carrying out of his plans, and not carried away by our fancies!—Sel. Truth Unchangeable.
By Methodist Recorder
TRUTH is unchangeable. It never varies. A thing cannot be true to-day and false to-morrow. What is true at one time is always true. There is no progress in truth. Our perceptions of truth may become clearer and fuller, but the truth itself never changes—never varies. If two and two make four to-day, they will not make six to-morrow, or next week. If it is impossible for two parallel lines to meet to-day, it will always be impossible for them to meet. So with every other truth, whether it be mathematical, moral, or religious. Truth never accommodates itself to the advanced thought of any age. Men may differ about the truth, they may change their relation to the truth, they may suppose that they have outgrown the truth, but, although this may affect them, it does not affect the truth. It is unchangeable and eternal. There are a great many unsettled things in the world, and things undergoing constant change. But truth is fixed and eternal, and never varies. Our great object should be to know and conform ourselves to the truth. The best way to keep good acts in memory is to refresh them with new ones. God’s Promise and Our Good Works
By Mathew Henry
WHATEVER good we do, we must look upon it as the performance of God's promise to us rather than the performance of our promise to him. The more we do for God the more we are indebted to him; for our sufficiency is of him, and not of ourselves. "AND it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator." There is probably no man living who can fully comprehend this passage. We know that when God came down upon Mount Sinai, he was accompanied by ten thousands of his saints (holy ones), Deut. 33:2, and that they must have had some part to act in that great event; but what part they acted, no man can tell. The details of all that was done within that dense cloud which veiled Sinai's top from human gaze, have never been revealed to man. A parallel to this passage in Galatians is found, however, in Stephen's address to the Jewish Sanhedrim:— "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost; as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers; who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it." Acts 7: 51-53. Those wicked men were uncircumcised in heart because they had not kept the law of God. See Rom. 2:25-29. They had violated the law which forbids murder, although they had received it "by the disposition of angels." To the same effect the apostle writes to the Hebrews:— "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" Heb. 2:1-3. As we said before, it is useless to conjecture on these passages. Just what part the angels acted in connection with the proclaiming of the law, we cannot tell; we only know that in each of the above texts the statement that is made concerning the angels is made to emphasize the guilt of those who should violate the law, or should reject the gospel, which has reference to the law. With this we must leave this expression,—"it was ordained by angels,"—the only really difficult passage in the chapter. "In the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one." Verse 20. The expression, "but God is one," indicates that God is one of two parties between whom there is a mediator in whose hand the law was ordained. Now when we read that "there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:5), the conclusion seems irresistible that the "mediator" in whose hand the law was ordained, or disposed, was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. If to any one this conclusion seems unnatural, let him remember that the Son is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person, and that by him the worlds were made. Heb. 1:1-3. "For by him were all things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist." Col. 1:16, 17. He is one with the Father (John 10:30), and therefore is worthy to be called God, and to be worshiped as God. John 1:1. "Without him was not anything made that was made." It would be expected therefore that the active work of proclaiming the law to men should also be performed by the Son. Whatever is done by the Son is the same as if done by the Father. It will be profitable right here to note how inseparably the law and the gospel are united, and how impossible it is to separate, in any transaction, the Father and the Son. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:1); but it was the Son "by whom he made the worlds." Heb. 1:2. God formed the earth to be inhabited (Isa. 45:18), and therefore man was made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27); but before man was made, God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Gen. 1:26. This has unmistakable reference to Him who is "before all things," and by whom all things were created. Col. 1:16, 17. Man fell, and thereby lost all hope of immortality, for which he was created. Then Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15); but "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself." 2 Cor. 5:19. "It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us" (Rom. 8:34); but he is not alone in his love, neither does he have to move a heart hardened against man; "for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. And when God spoke the law from Sinai, he said, "I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage" (Ex. 20:2); but we know that an angel, in whom was the name of the Lord was with the people, whom they were to obey (Ex. 23:20, 21), and who spoke to Moses in the Mount Sinai, when he received the lively oracles to give unto us. Acts 7:38. Moreover we are plainly told that it was Christ who was with them in the wilderness, supplying both literal and spiritual food and water. 1 Cor. 10:1-4. Thus in everything that concerns man, we see oneness of thought and action between the Father and the Son. It is not true that "the Jewish age," so-called, was the administration of stern justice by the Father, and that "the Christian age" is the administration of tender mercy by the Son. If the life of one man had spanned the entire interval between creation and the present time, he could say, "Goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life." There is no change of government between the fall of man and the restoration of all things. As it was the great love of God to the fallen world which moved him to give his only begotten Son for their redemption, we are not surprised to learn that when Christ's ambassadors pray to men, "Be ye reconciled to God," it is God himself beseeching sinners to accept his pardon. Even so when we learn that Christ was with the church in the wilderness, that he was upon Mount Sinai, and that it was in his hand that the law was ordained, we are not surprised to hear him say, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." "Is the law then against the promises of God?" Gal. 3:21. That it is not was shown by the 18th verse. It is directly in harmony with the promise, because by it men are enabled to see and forsake their sins, so that they may receive the promise. So the apostle says: "God forbid; for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law." Righteousness would have been by the law if such a thing had been possible. If by any means men could have received life without the death of Christ, we may be sure that that means would have been adopted. God is infinite; his love is infinite; therefore it was at an infinite sacrifice that God gave up his Son to die that the world through him might have life. But there was no other way, for the law once violated could not by any possibility give life. It was ordained to life, but sin caused it to be unto death. "But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." Gal. 3:22. Blessed conclusion! "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1 Tim. 1:15. Therefore, since all are concluded under sin, he came to save all. The provision is ample enough for all, but only those who believe can be made partakers. Unfortunately, too many will not acknowledge the authority of God's law, and will not confess themselves to be sinners, and therefore the "promise by faith of Jesus Christ" cannot be given to them; for we are taught by verse 22, that it is necessary for men to be "concluded under sin," in order that they may be sharers in the promise by faith. This again shows how the law works in harmony with the promise. W. Satan as a Deceiver.
By W.
IN our last article we showed from the admissions of Spiritualists themselves that the testimony of the spirits is not to be depended on; and that, since they are lying spirits, they must be, as the Bible says, spirits of devils. We know indeed that the spirits that communicate to men, and work wonders, are spirits of devils, because the devils and the angels of God are the only spirits there are. But none of these are the spirits of dead men. Angels, whether good or bad, are an order of beings entirely distinct from men. The Bible declares that "the dead know not anything;" but angels were never men, and men never become angels. If it is asked how we know that these spirits of which we speak are not good angels, we reply, that they are lying spirits. They deny the Bible, and the divinity of Christ. A sure test is this: "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isa. 8:20. Then the question arises, "If Spiritualism is of the devil, how is it that men are often healed of disease, and helped in various ways by it?" People will go to clairvoyant physicians, and will patronize the "mind cure," thinking that if they are benefited thereby to any degree, there can be nothing wrong in it. Say they, "The devil wouldn't do people good, would he?" Right here is where thousands will be swept into Spiritualism in spite of themselves. Notice these texts: "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles." Rev. 16:13, 14. "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast," etc. Rev. 19:20. Also in Rev. 13:13, 14 we read of the power called "the false prophet," that "he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do." These texts show that the devil performs his wonders solely for the purpose of deception. To deceive means to impose upon; to delude; to ensnare by artifice. We are deceived only by false503 pretenses. The gambler deceives the unwary by pretending to be his friend. Very often a man who is a thief at heart deceives a whole community, so that they trust him as an honest man. He will be very kind to them; he may do them great favors until he can gain their confidence and their property. If the libertine should always appear in his true character, he could never seduce the innocent. But he appears as a virtuous man; he talks of virtue and religion; he appears as the embodiment of virtuous sentiment, until he gains the full confidence of his intended victim. Thus he practices those seductive arts that show him to be an apt pupil of his master the devil. Indeed, any one who has lived long in this world need not be told that the worst of men often dissemble and appear to be the best friends of those whom they would ruin. If this is so with men, should we be surprised that Satan, the arch deceiver, should do likewise? He is the originator of deception and deceptive arts; and wicked men and seducers are only attempting what he can do to perfection. Paul says that he appears as an angel of light. Now it would be useless for Satan to appear as an angel of light unless he acted as one. Thus we are to understand that, so far as possible, he throws aside, or rather conceals, his devilish character, and appears as a friend. Let it be borne in mind, then, that when the Bible says that the devil will work miracles to deceive those that dwell on the earth, it virtually tells us that he will do things to gain our confidence and good-will. But just as the seducer has selfish ends in view when he does good acts, so Satan has an object of his own to serve in all his deceptions, and that is the ruin of mankind. And this should answer those who say, "Well, suppose the devil is behind this clairvoyant healing and mind cure, if we are helped isn't it all right?" We answer, no. Just as we would not receive favors from a villain who had ends of his own to serve by offering them to us, so we ought not to accept favors at the hands of the devil. We do not care to be under obligations to him, for we are sure that for everything he gives he will exact more than tenfold in return. By means of his pretended good services, he is now fastening the chains of error around thousands. Remember, he "deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do." Then the question has been asked, "Why does God permit the devils to lay their invisible snares for the souls of men? Why does he allow them to be so deceived?" He does not allow them to lay invisible snares. His word sheds the clearest light upon them, so that none need be deceived. "We are not ignorant of Satan's devices," if we take heed to the lamp of God's word. But, unfortunately, people will not heed the warning. The Bible is full of admonitions, but these will do no good unless heeded. Says the wise man: "If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. . . . Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path." Prov. 2:3-9. But instead of so doing, men hate (true) knowledge, and do not choose the fear of the Lord; therefore, they eat of the fruit of their own way, and are filled with their own devices. Indeed, the Bible plainly declares that no man is ever led away by the deceptions of Satan unless he first rejects truth. Paul says that Satan works "with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." 2 Thess. 2:9, 10. To those who are thinking of "trying" the spirits by personal inspection, we would say, Beware. Trust the description that you find in God's word, and go not into their assemblies. God's word is a better guide than human sense. Keep as far away from danger as possible; keep off the devil's ground; in short, keep in Christ, where alone there is safety.
W. Restoration of the Papacy.
By Editor
LAST week we showed that the National Reform movement, if successful, would be the union of Church and State in this Government. And we showed that in the union of all churches and organizations in favor of the Sunday, and its enforcement by law, lies the assurance of the success of the National Reform movement. This movement being carried forward by Protestants, when it succeeds, being the formation of the union of Church and State, it will be a likeness to the Papacy, an image to the beast. It is true that its advocates deny that it has the slightest tendency toward a union of Church and State; and argue that it is merely for the recognition and establishment by law of the Christian religion, of Christianity in the abstract, with no reference whatever to any particular church, and that, consequently, it cannot be a union of Church and State. But that is all that Constantine did. He simply made the Christian religion, Christianity in the abstract, the religion of the Empire. And that has been always viewed as the union of Church and State. But whatever it was, either in theory or in fact, there is one thing about it which admits of no shadow of dispute, that is, out of it grew the Papacy. And when this nation, following in the steps of Constantine, makes Christianity the religion of the State, out of such action will grow the living image of the Papacy—the image of the beast. This result is just as certain as that "like causes produce like effects." History does repeat itself, and that it is going to do so in this matter we deem just as certain as that two and two make four. This brings us then to the question, Will there not be persecution? Assuredly there will be. In the very nature of the case that must be the inevitable result. When the question as to what constitutes Christianity becomes a matter of judicial decision instead of conscientious conviction, such decisions to be of any force at all must be respected. And if there should be any who decline to accept a Christianity that is thus made to order, the decision of the court must be enforced. Of course in the idea of the court, and of the majority, such enforcement would not be persecution, oh no,—it would only be punishment for contempt of court. Now Sunday being the one question upon which all classes unite, that can be wielded by the National Reform leaders; Sunday being the one question upon which turns the whole Constitutional Amendment movement,—when Sunday becomes the national sabbath, and laws are enacted for the enforcement of its observance upon all, without exception, as the Christian sabbath, then to refuse to keep it is to disobey the law; and therefore, if the law, or the amendment, is to be of any effect at all such dissidents must be compelled to keep it. Because this having been constitutionally declared to be a Christian nation, and Sunday being the Christian sabbath—the great badge of our national profession—for a person to refuse to keep it is to deny Christianity, and so to place himself beyond the protection of the Government. Not only beyond its protection, but subject to its severest displeasure; because as it is, and will be, held that all the judgments that come upon the Nation are because of the desecration of Sunday, whoever refuses to observe it thereby becomes doubly guilty—guilty not only of violating the law but of bringing disaster and perhaps death upon the innocent, and therefore how can punishment be too severe? Especially so when the disobedience is persisted in in spite of penalties; lighter penalties will be laughed at, heavier ones will be defied, and if the Nation is to maintain its position there will be nothing left for it to do but to rid itself of such persons. It will not matter in the least that in defense of their conduct they cite the plain letter of the law of God, and of the Constitution itself, that, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God;" the State, at the dictation of the Christian Church, will have declared that Sunday is the sabbath; this declaration must stand, the State cannot yield to a few seventh-day fanatics, and the preservation of the State will be held to depend upon its riddance of them. Of course such action would not, on the part of the State, be considered persecution, but only punishment for violation of the law, and for obstinate rebellion. Again, the purpose of the Religious Amendment is to declare that God is Sovereign. Then when the amendment has been made, the argument will be this: 1. God is now Constitutionally Sovereign. 2. "The keeping of the sabbath is an acknowledgment of the sovereign rights of God over us." 3. Sunday is declared by national law to be the sabbath. 4. Conclusion, whoever refuses to keep Sunday denies the sovereignty of God. That is the inevitable conclusion. There can be no other from the premises. And these are the premises which even now are maintained by the Religious Amendment Party. But, when God shall have been Constitutionally declared to be the Sovereign of this Government, to deny and refuse to submit to this sovereignty as defined by the law will be treason. Then if the State is to maintain its position, what is there left for it to do but to impose the penalty which attaches to treason? There can be no other alternative. This is exactly the length to which the Nation will be driven just as sure as it adopts the Religious Amendment to the Constitution; and the adoption of the amendment we consider is as sure as that this is a nation. This last step, like all the others, would not be considered by the authorities as persecution, it would be but the punishment of treason. But all such argument in justification of such actions, is well named by Robert Baird in his "Religion in America," when he calls it a "miserable excuse." Here are his words:— "The rulers of Massachusetts put the Quakers to death, and banished the 'Antinomians' and 'Anabaptists,' not because of their religious tenets but because of their violations of the civil laws. This is the justification which they pleaded, and it was the best they could make. Miserable excuse! But just so it is; wherever there is a union of Church and State, heresy and heretical practices are apt to become violations of the civil code, and are punished no longer as errors in religion, but infractions of the laws of the land. So the defenders of the Inquisition have always spoken and written in justification of that awful and most iniquitous tribunal."—P. 69. To arrive at treason by the course which we have marked would not be the first instance in America. Two hundred and forty years ago, in New England, Christianity, in the garb of Congregationalism, was the religion of the land, and says Bancroft:— "Since a particular form of worship had become a part of the civil establishment, irreligion was now to be punished as a civil offense. The State was a model of Christ's kingdom [the very thing which the National Reformers declare that this Government shall now be made by the Religious Amendment] on earth; treason against the civil Government was treason against Christ. . . . The creation of a national uncompromising church led the Congregationalists of Massachusetts to the indulgence of the passions which had disgraced their English persecutors; and Laud was justified by the men whom he had wronged."—History of the United States, chap. 10, under 1651, July 20. But, although the "miserable excuse" may be made, that such punishments are only for infractions of the civil law, the fact remains that all such conduct on the part of the State is persecution; and for the very good reason that the State has no business8 to have any such civil laws; the State has no right to make religion a part of the civil law. But all these evils always have followed, and they always will follow, such an illicit union. Gibbon's words are fitting advice to-day to those men who seek for the Religious Amendment to the Constitution:— "It is incumbent on the authors of persecution previously to reflect whether they are determined to support it in the last extreme. They excite the flame which they strive to extinguish; and it soon becomes necessary to chastise the contumacy, as well as the crime, of the offender. The fine which he is unable or unwilling to discharge, exposes his person to the severity of the law; and his contempt of lighter penalties suggests the use and propriety of capital punishment."—Decline and Fall, chap. 37, par. 35. That the authors of persecution will support it in the last extreme is a foregone conclusion, because none but religious bigots ever attempt it, and they are always ready to go to any length that circumstances may demand, in support of whatever degree of power it may be with which they succeed in clothing themselves. Now what connection with the Papacy or its restoration has this Religious Amendment and its outcome? Just this, the Sunday institution, the protection of which is the main object of the amendment, is the institution par excellence of the Papacy, it rests solely on the authority of the Papacy. No man can present any authority of Scripture for the observance of Sunday; and all attempt to do so is only a perversion of Scripture. The keeping of Sunday by Protestants, "is an homage they pay in spite of themselves to the authority of the Catholic Church;" so says "the Church" and Protestants cannot deny it. Therefore when American Protestantism, and its allied powers, by national enactment enforce upon all the observance of Sunday, it enforces the observance of a papal institution, and compels men to honor and obey the Papacy. And so he "causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." The cruel culmination to which we have traced the working of the Religious Amendment, when it shall have been carried, is the inevitable logic of the question; and the justness of our deduction is confirmed by the prophecy which we are discussing. "And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." Rev. 13:15. The course which we have outlined in this article is the one which will be pursued in the working of the Religious Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Very few people believe it. But it is the truth if nobody at all believes it. Events themselves will confirm what we here have shown, or else the events of all history have been enacted in vain and no lesson can be drawn from what has been. We have yet more to say upon this subject.