burned. The most frightful atrocities have been committed upon
the most peaceful and valuable members of society; because they
valued their soul's peace in preference to temporal advantages.
These cruelties are THY cursed deeds, O Antichrist! The hand
writing against thee is exhibited in blood-stained and indelible
characters. The Great God has decreed thy downfall and ruin--"That
wicked--whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth,"
(2 Thess 2:8). All who are found partakers in his community, must
be consumed with an everlasting destruction. No "paper-winkers" 1
can hide this truth from the enlightened regenerated mind. "O my
soul, come not thou into their secret, unto their assembly, mine
honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man.
Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it
was cruel!"

In Bunyan's time great cruelties were practised to compel
uniformity. To that absurd shrine many thousand invaluable lives
were sacrificed. Blessed be God, that happier days have dawned upon
us. Antichrist can no longer put the Christian to a cruel death.
It very rarely sends one to prison for refusing obedience to human
laws that interfere with religious worship. "My kingdom is not of
this world," said the Redeemer: and his followers dare not render
unto Caesar, or temporal governments, that which belongs exclusively
to God. Human coercion, in anything connected with religion, whether
it imposes creeds, liturgies, or modes of worship, is Antichrist:
whom to obey, is spiritual desolation, and if knowingly persevered
in, leads to death.

On the contrary, the kingdom of Christ is love, meekness, forbearance,
persuasion, conviction, and holy faith. The Christian who dares