the last excuse of skepticism, and become to the believer an impressive evidence of our proximity to the end; for the acts ascribed to this symbol are but few, and while yet in mid-career, it, that is, the nation symbolized by it, is engulfed in the lake of fire of the last great day.

We may, however, notice in passing, another evidence that the government symbolized by the two-horned beast is certainly a republic. This is proved by the language used respecting the formation of the image. It does not read that this power, as an act of imperial or kingly authority, makes an image to the beast; but it says to them that dwell on the earth, that is, the people occupying the territory where it arises, that they should make an image to the beast. Appeal is made to the people, showing conclusively that the power is in their hands, But just as surely as the government symbolized is a republic, so surely it is none other than the United States of America.

We have seen that the wonder-working, satanic agencies which are to perform the foretold miracles, and prepare the people for the next step in the prophecy, the formation of the image, are already in the field, and have even now wrought out a work of vast proportions in our country; and we now hasten forward to the very important inquiry, What will constitute the image, and what steps are necessary to its formation?

The people are to be called upon to make an image to the beast, which expression doubtless involves the idea of some deferential action toward, or concessions to, that power; and the image, when made, is an image, likeness, or representation of the beast. Verse 15. The beast after which the image is modeled is the one which had a wound by a sword, and did live; that is, the papacy. From this point is seen the collusion of the two-horned beast with the leopard, or pa

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pal, beast. He does great wonders in the sight of that beast: he causes men to worship that beast; he leads them to make an image to that beast; and he causes all to receive a mark, which is the mark of that beast.

To understand what would be an image of the papacy, we must first gain some definite idea of what constitutes the papacy itself. Papal supremacy dates from the time when the decree of Justinian constituting the pope the head of the church and the corrector of heretics, was carried into effect in A. D. 538. The papacy, therefore, was a church clothed with civil power, an ecclesiastical body having authority to punish all dissenters with confiscation of goods, imprisonment, torture, and death. What would be an image of the papacy? -Another ecclesiastical establishment clothed with similar power. How could such an image be formed in this country? It is not difficult to conceive a state of things a state of things by no means impossible, and according to present prospects not even improbable — which would meet the prophecy precisely. Let the Protestant churches in our land be clothed with power to define and punish heresy, to enforce their dogmas under the pains and penalties of the civil law, and should we not have an exact representation of the papacy during the days of its supremacy?

We

It may be objected that whereas the papal church was controlled by a central head, and hence could act in harmony in all its departments in enforcing its dogmas, the Protestant church is so divided as to be unable to agree in regard to what doctrines shall be made imperative on the people. answer, There are certain points which they hold in common, and which are sufficient to form a basis of cooperation. Chief among these may be mentioned the doctrine of the "conscious state of the dead" and "the immortality of the soul," which is both the foundation and the superstructure

of Spiritualism; and also the doctrine that "the first day of the week is the Christian Sabbath."

It may be objected, again, that this view makes one of the horns of this two-horned beast, the Protestant church, finally constitute the image of the papal beast. If the reader supposes that the Protestant church constitutes one of the horns of the two-horned beast, we reply that this is a conception of his own. No such idea is here taught; and we mention this objection only because it has been actually urged as a legitimate consequence of the positions here taken. The question is also asked, If the Protestant church constitutes one horn, may not the Catholic Church constitute the other? Under the shadow of that hypothetical "if," perhaps it might. But neither the one nor the other performs such an office. In chapter IX of this work it has been shown that the two great principles-Republicanism and Protestantism - were the proper objects to be symbolized by these two lamblike horns. But there is the plainest distinction between Protestantism

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as an embodiment of the great principle of religious liberty, and the different religious bodies that have grown up under its fostering influence,― just as plain as there is between Republicanism, or civil liberty, and the different political parties which live in the enjoyment of such liberty. The supposition, therefore, that the Protestant church is the source from which is to be drawn the material out of which is to be constructed the image of the beast, involves no violation of the symbolic harmony of this prophecy.

Let us look a moment at the fitness of the material. We are not unmindful of the noble service the Protestant churches have rendered to the world, to humanity, and to religion, by introducing and defending, so far as they have, the great principles of Protestantism. But they have made

a fatal mistake in stereotyping their doctrines into creeds, and thus taking the first step backward toward the spiritual tyranny of Rome. Thus the good promise they gave of a free religion and an unfettered conscience is already broken; for if the right of private judgment is allowed by the Protestant church, why are men condemned and expelled from that church for no other crime than honestly attempting to obey the Word of God, in some particulars not in accordance with her creed? This is the beginning of denominational apostasy. Read Chas. Beecher's work, "The Bible a Sufficient Creed." "Is not the Protestant church," he asks, "apostate?" Is not the apostasy which we have reason to fear "already formed"? But apostasy in principle always leads to corruption in practise. And so Paul, in 2 Tim. 3: 1-5, sets forth the condition of the professed church of Christ in the last days. A rank growth of twenty heinous sins, with no redeeming virtues, shows that the fruits of the Spirit will be choked and rooted out by the works of the flesh. We can look nowhere else for this picture of Paul's

to be fulfilled, except to the Protestant church; for the class of which he speaks maintains a "form of godliness," or the outward services of a true Christian worship. And is not the church of our day beginning to manifest to an alarming degree the very characteristics which the apostle has specified? Fifteen clergymen of the city of Rochester, N. Y., on Sunday, Feb. 5, 1871,1 distributed a circular entitled "A Testimony," to fifteen congregations of that city. To this circular the Rochester Democrat of February 7 made reference as follows:

"The "Testimony' sets out by stating that the foregoing pastors are constrained to bear witness to what they 'conceive to be a fact of our time'; viz., that the prevailing standard of piety among the professed people of God is alarmingly low; that a tide of worldliness is setting in upon us, indicating the rapid approach of an era such as is foretold by Paul in his second letter to Timothy, in the words, 'In the last days perilous times shall come.' 2 Tim. 3:1-5. These conclusions are reached, not by comparison with former times, but by applying the tests found in the Scriptures. They instance, as proof, 'the spirit of lawlessness which prevails.' The circular then explains how this lawlessness (religious) is shown. Men have the name of religion, but they obey none of its injunctions. There is also a growing disposition to practise, in religious circles, what is agreeable to the natural inclinations, rather than the duties prescribed by the Word of God. The tendency to adopt worldly amusements, by professed Christians, is further stated in evidence."

When men "have the

This testimony is very explicit. name of religion, but obey none of its injunctions," they certainly may be said to have "a form of godliness," but to "deny the power;" and when they "practise in religious circles what is agreeable to the natural inclinations rather than

This was over forty years ago; but let none harbor the feeling that the lapse of time has changed the condition of things and enfeebled the application. The question to be kept continually in mind is, Has the spiritual condition of the churches changed in the least degree for the better, down to the present time? If not, this testimony is now just as pertinent as it was then.