114 THE WAY OF THE WICKED UPSIDE DOWN.

Divine Providence, in which it was seen, that the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, were rewarded every one of them with white robes of glory.

The aforesaid are specimens only, to show the devices of wicked men to counteract the purposes of God, in every age of the world; and that all such attempts to frustrate the designs of the Almighty are subject to his sovereign control. Uniformly He prohibits them by providential restraints from doing the evil intended; or permits them to act out the enmity of their hearts, that in them may be exemplified the sovereign wisdom and power by which He turns the way of the wicked upside down," and causes them to fall by their own devices, as all impenitent haters of his truth will be destroyed forever. The

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III. And last proposition to be considered in this lecture was, that combinations of earthly powers in opposition to God, to his word, religion and people, though divinely permitted to exist, are, nevertheless, held in Divine derision, as usurpers doomed to de

struction.

The object of this head of discourse is to exhibit to view well-known historical facts relating to various and extensive virtual combinations of spurious religions, promulgated by various measures, for the purpose of exploding true religion from the world; and all of which amount to a practical abolition of those Bible restraints which are so offensive to human nature as prohibitions of the sensualities of mankind.

In general, there are three different species of unsound religion existing, comprising various auxiliaries, all of which have proved themselves spurious in their nature and tendency.

The names of the above suggested spurious sys

ORIGIN OF POPERY AND MAHOMETANISM.

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tems of religion, are Popery, Mahometanism, and Infidelity. Popery is the spurious system of religion which perverts the Gospel of Jesus Christ, by substi tuting "gain for godliness," and political domination for spiritual worship and exercises of Gospel humility. Mahometanism is that spurious system of religion, the amount of which is a heterogeneous mass of compounded heathenism, corrupted Judaism, and perverted Christianity; varnished over with fable, fiction, and novelty, to please the carnal mind. And Infidelity is merely the religion of Nature; amounting to philosophical Rationalism, Atheistically illuminated.

Popery and Mahometanism commenced their career simultaneously, A.D. 606. The general reformation in the days of Constantine, was evidently mingled with no small degree of hypocrisy, which, in process of time, was productive of baneful heresies and apostasy, until the ambitious metropolitan bishops of Rome, aspiring for pre-eminence, pressed their suit to that degree, that Phocas, the murderous tyrant of a Roman Emperor, constituted Boniface III. the supreme ecclesiastical head of the Church, with sovereign and uncontrolled power to govern the church and all its subordinate bishops and officers, without responsibility to any superior ecclesiastical power.

The same year that Boniface III. was consecrated Pope of Rome, Mahomet commenced the propagation of his new-fangled religion in Arabia. Here was the origin of two great powers of Antichrist. In one hundred and fifty years from that period, Popery had attained to its full strength of civil and ecclesiastical power united. And, by the delusory perversions of the Christian religion into the vain trappings of antichristian mummeries; forms and ceremonies of massparades; litanies and worship of images protected by

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GREAT BATTLE IN FRANCE, A.D. 734.

the civil power; in process of time, the absolute antichristian monarchy of the Pope of Rome was extended over the western nations of the Roman Empire, with power to crown or dethrone kings; to constitute or subvert kingdoms; and to rule with professed infallible dominion over the consciences of all men within the grasp of its power.

Mahometanism, also, (during the same period of one hundred and fifty years after its simultaneous commencement with Popery,) by the terrors, carnage, and power of the sword, had subjected to the Christless religion of the false prophet, all Arabia, Palestine, Syria, both the Armenias, a great portion of Asia Minor, Persia, Egypt, Numidia, the States of Barbary, Portugal, Spain, part of Italy, and the islands of Sicily, Crete, and Cyprus. And had not the progress of the Mahometan invasion been checked by the loss of three hundred and fifty thousand men of the Saracen forces in one day's slaughter, by the overpowering arms of the brave and celebrated French General, Charles Martel, between Tours and Poictiers, A.D. 734, France, if not all Europe, and the world, had been forced by the power of the sword into the profession of a religion which made sport of the Holy Bible, and was designed to exterminate Christianity from the earth. But this was not permitted to be done. Their destructive invasions were limited by the Omnipotence of the Christian's God.

It is well known that Popery and Mahometanism exist, and are adhered to by millions of mankind, as prevailing systems of religion. They profess to worship God in the use of innumerable rites, forms, and ceremonies, contained in rituals, to which they adhere with bigoted tenacity. But it is also well known that both of those systems of religion are hostile to the

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COMBINED HOSTILITY TO THE BIBLE.

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Bible; hostile to Bible laws and ordinances of spiritual Christianity; and hostile to all who profess the doctrines, and adopt the creed and discipline of orthodox churches of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the fact is peculiarly remarkable, that those powers of earthly policy,-ambitious only for self-emolument and aggrandizement by the overthrow of Christianity, with all their facilities to destroy the immortal souls of men, ―are, nevertheless, under the influence of no stipulated concert, one with the other, in their antichristian movements, but are, ipso facto, dis-similar in almost every thing else, except their hatred to the Bible and to spiritual orthodox Christianity. In this respect, (like the union of Herod and Pilate,) Popery and Mahometanism have hitherto both agreed in their inflexible, untiring efforts to overthrow the religion, for which 'Christ bled to establish, and millions of martyrs have bled to enjoy; while the amount of all their united efforts has been to rid the world of Bible restraints on the sensualities of mankind.

Since the commencement of their career in the early part of the seventh century, twelve hundred and forty years have elapsed. Millions of souls doubtless have been ruined by their respective wiles of destruction. The destroyers also have perished with the victims of antichristian devices. And still, (like the grave, and other things mentioned in connection,) "They say not, It is enough;" but remain determined opposers of the Bible; opposers of the God of the Bible; haters of true godliness; and despisers of all those who seek and trust for salvation through faith in the once crucified, risen, and mediatorial Redeemer.

The Papal power, it is well known, has been greatly diminished, both in its territorial boundaries, and ecclesiastical influence, by the Protestant Reformation, and

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THE LAND OF PALESTINE NOW,

the wars of Napoleon. But the disposition, the predominant object, and the arduous, untiring exertions of Popedom have not diminished in the least degree, by any repulses hitherto experienced. The policy has evidently been changed. But the will, and the prime object, remain the same unabated. The object of both civil and ecclesiastical policy, urged on by the most unbounded ambition, is the uncontrolled domination of secular power, political supremacy, territorial extension of dominion, and ecclesiastical power over subjugated nations and subdued consciences of men, till Popery shall become, what it once was, sovereign in power, both in Church and State. The Papists are well-assured, from long experience, that the prosperity of their cause depends solely on the suppression, if not total extermination of Bible truth, and the consequent ignorance of the populace, and, indeed, of the whole body of the laity, in the spiritual things of the kingdom of God. Hence it is, that Popery is opposed to the use of the Bible in schools and families, and opposed also to orthodox Christianity.

Mahometanism still extends over a vast territory, retaining its hostility to the Bible, and to the Christian religion. The Ottoman Turks are Mahometans. A vast portion of the eastern nations of the earth is subject to their dominion. Among their present territories is the land of Palestine, the most notable portion of this globe of earth. The land of Palestine! Who can contemplate the scenes which have there transpired, and remain an unbeliever in the Christian religion?! Once it was the promised land in anticipation of enjoyment. Next it was the joyful inheritance of the distinguished tribes of Israel, in fulfilment of God's gracious covenant of promise to the ancient Patriarch, whose steadfast faith in God entitled him to the