treating of the material or moral world, the agents of the dragon have
been exceedingly successful. Metaphysicians and geologists have
constructed systems which would exclude the Almighty from the heavens
and the earth. But however active and zealous these laborers in the
service of the dragon, they do not reach the popular ear but in part.
Those sons of Belial who devise false systems of religion under the name
of Christianity, have been still more pernicious to the nations, and
dangerous to the church. If the church of Rome cannot prevail with kings
as before, to execute her cruel sentences of death upon heretics, she is
not less active in disseminating her idolatrous and superstitious dogmas
among the nations. By freemasonry, odd-fellowship, temperance
associations, and a countless number of affiliated societies,--the
offshoots of popery and infidelity, the dragon still assails the woman.
Reason, toleration, humanity, charity and liberality are terms which
have been selected and abused by the servants of the devil "to deceive
the hearts of the simple." These are alike the watchwords of the
spiritual seducer and the political agitator. What dogma or heresy so
absurd,--what conduct so immoral, as not to find patronage in the
journals of the day? or not to find tolerance or protection under the
fostering wings of church or state? What is impiously called "free
love," as well as avowed infidelity and polygamy, are patronized by
constituted authorities in Christendom. When taking a survey of the
errors and systems of error, hostile to the honor of Messiah and the
free grace of his gospel, how few can be found in the different nations
of the earth, who "overcame by the blood of the Lamb!" The religions
established by the nations of the world are all more or less tainted
with the errors, and disfigured by the ceremonies of the church of Rome.
Surely we have before our eyes a constant fulfilment of the prophecy
under consideration. To all outward appearance the woman is in the
wilderness. She is in fact so obscure that some of her sons begin to