134 ROME AND HER CHUUCIT. 



destroy the souls of men by numberless ungodly acts of rendering thera 

 religious without religion, or deluding them into a fond opinion of their 

 piety, whilst guiltv of the greatest enormities; and then, by the most 

 fatal kind of magic, making them dream of paradise on the verge of 

 perdition. It is in the latter point of light that we propose to contem- 

 plate the sorceries of this wicked enchantress ; after which we will look 

 a little, and but a little (it is a spectacle of horror !), at scenes of blood, 

 where she stalks along with infernal fury, drunk with her slaughter of 

 the Almighty's servants, and boasting of her zeal for the Almighty's 

 interests. From both, so mournful to religion and humanity, we will 

 make such reflections as may appear proper and useful on this oecasion. 

 " First, we are to contemplate the sorceries of the church of Rome, 

 or those pleasing but pernicious delusions, by which she cheats her 

 votaries into a persuasion of their safety, at the same time that she 

 leaves them " in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity ;" nay, 

 that she makes them sevenfold more the children of the devil than she 

 found them : you will comprehend my meaning better, if we take 

 things from the beginning, even as far back as the earliest notices we 

 have of the history of the universe. Now we gather from the sacred 

 records, that the Eternal, having formed innumerable hosts of glorious 

 and happy spirits to be the first and highest subjects of his government, 

 whole Ic'ions of them revolted, and became degenerate and miserable 

 beings, whose sole employment and delight was to work mischief ; and 

 accordingly Satan, the head of the revolt, found means to draw into it 

 the creature man, who had been lately called into existence, and placed 

 in a state of innocence and joy, which the other could not behold with- 

 out envy ; thus he introduced on our earth a kingdom of his own, in 

 opposition to the kingdom of Jehovah : but the Governor of the world, 

 who • loveth righteousness and hateth iniquity,' resolved to overthrow 

 his insolent adversary ; and, taking pity on the new race, of whose 

 inexperience this malicious and artful spirit had taken advantage, he 

 was "-raciously pleased to promise, that ' the seed of the woman shall 

 bruise the head of the serpent ;' he fulfils his promise. ' In the fulness 

 of time he sends forth his son, made of a woman,' with proper authority 

 and quahfications, to subdue the original apostate, reduce deluded 

 men to their duty, and restore them to their primitive felicity. The 

 Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. 

 In prosecution of this noble plan, worthy of its infinitely wise 

 and benevolent Author, our Redeemer no sooner appears on the public 

 theatre, than he openly proclaims war with the powers of darkness, 

 after having privately baffled the personal assaults of their prince. He 

 raiseth an exalted standard of truth and goodness in the name and on 

 the behalf of his Father ; he calls on his unhappy brethren of mankind 

 to return to their allegiance and follow him ; he publishes a general 

 indemnity, in the clearest terms, with the most merciful intentions and 

 conditions, on the most earnest and honourable conditions ; he actuates 

 them to accept, and deems it no way beneath his dignity to propose, 

 such a scheme of salvation as, if truly understood, and embraced cor- 

 dially, cannot fail to recover men from ignorance and corruption ; and, 

 by illuminating their minds and purifying their hearts, to make them 

 partakers of a divine nature and willing subjects of the great empire of 

 light and love. Yes, my brethren, it is the glory of the Christiaii 



