sider the persecuting and blasphemous character of the power here brought before us— -that by it the saints of God would be destroyed, and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus shed-that all nations would be deceived and made drunk by its idolatrous practices-we see at once the necessity of the warning on the part of our Lord, and of this foreknowledge on the part of his people, that they might be enabled to avoid the danger to which they would be exposed.

Upwards of seventeen centuries have elapsed since this prophecy was given, and as it related to things "which must shortly come to pass, we may with some degree of confidence presume that whatever the "things" may be, they have now, in some measure, received their accomplishment, and are now become matters of history. With an earnest desire after truth, let us take the "light" which has been given to us, and cast its brightness upon the objects which stand in bold relief upon her pages, and endeavour to identify those which are pointed out.

1st. The Great City is one "which reigneth over the kings of the earth." Without departing (for the present) from the Scriptures, we find it recorded (Luke ii. 1,) that in (those days (A.D. 6,) there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus the Roman Emperor,) that ALL THE WORLD should be taxed." This decree would not have been given, had not the Romans possessed the power to enforce its requirements. Rome was the only city which could lay claim to the distinctive appellation given in the text. Her empire extended over nearly the whole of the known world; it had done so for centuries, and did so for centuries after the Apostle wrote. ROME was mistress of the world, in fact, was that "great city" which "reigned over the kings of the earth."

2nd. The beast has seven heads (which are said to represent seven kings,) and inasmuch as by it the city is supported and upheld, it is clear that the beast" is a symbolical representation of the executive government of the Roman empire, under seven different forms; History fully confirms this view of the matter. During a period of about 850 years from the foundation of Rome, until John received his vision, the successive heads of her government were, 1. Kings, 2. Consuls, 3. Declators, 4. Dicemvers, 5. Military Tribunes with authority. These five had fallen when John wrote, and the 6th emperor was then in existence. During the reign of these six heads, the religion of the empire was Pagan and Idolatrous. We now come to the 7th, the one which the Apostle says is not yet come," and which "was to continue a short space." This head continued for about the space of thirty years, during which time Paganism was taken away, and Christianity established as the authorised religion of the empire.

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These all obtained and exercised supreme power over the whole extent of the Roman empire. The same power is represented in the 12th chap. verse 3, under the symbol of a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads, indicating that the imperial dignity and power of the empire, until this time, rested upon the heads of the beast.

We will resume the subject next month.

D. W.

THE JEWISH RITES AND THE GOSPEL.

THE Levitical rites were the gospel in hieroglyphics, they afford an incontestible evidence of its truth, and the most complete demonstration of the coherance of revelation with its self, in all its different stages; showing that it has been the same in substance in all ages, differing only in external form in the rites of worship and in the manner of teaching.

The Jewish rites were but shadows of good things to come, which are now revealed to us by the Spirit, and which will meet their full and final accomplishment in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

FIVE EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS.

THE Scriptures record five extraordinary instances in which the laws of nature are, or shall be, set aside.

1. Enoch and Elijah were translated without tasting death. They went in their bodies into paradise, the abode of the souls of the departed saints; as a distinguishing mark of God's disapproval of their conduct.

2. Of Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, we read, that the earth clave asunder under them, and that " they went down alive into hades." In their bodies they went down alive into the abode of the souls of the wicked dead, as a distinguishing mark of God's disproval of their conduct.

3. Jesus died, and without seeing corruption, he rose and revived as the firstfruit of them that slept, and as our forerunner entered heaven in his body, transformed and glorified, a distinguishing evidence that God was well pleased in him, thither his saints shall hereafter follow him.

4. At the revelation of the Son of man, the saints who shall be alive on the earth, will, without tasting death, be transformed and glorified, and caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

5. At the coming of the Lord, Antichrist, with his false prophet, (the antitypes of Corah and his company,) will, without tasting

death, be cast alive in their bodies, into the lake of fire, Gehenna or hell, as the firstfruits and forerunners of the wicked, (Rev. xix. 29,) and as a distinguishing mark of God's displeasure against them. After the thousand years the devil and the souls and bodies of the condemned wicked, shall be cast in after them. (Rev. xx. 10, 15.)

ART THOU RELIGIOUS?

RELIGION does not consist entirely in praying and worshipping God; the holy man takes religion into all his concerns. Godliness will make good husbands and wives; good parents and children; good masters and mistresses; good tradesmen, good servants, and good subjects. It does this to the astonishment of all who observe it; and this is the best way people can take to promote the gospel, and make their neighbours like it. Thus the believer becomes a practical preacher, "holding forth the word of life." Our light must shine before men; and then, they seeing our good works will glorify our Father who is in heaven.

CAMPBELLISM AGAIN.

[Our readers will perhaps be surprized at our inserting a letter in our pages 80 teeming with groundless assertions, as the following. We have two reasons for doing so-1. B. B. considers himself misrepresented and injured. We therefore thus freely permit him to explain and defend his positions. 2. Becanse we do not fear to publish and candidly examine the assertions and arguments of our most determined opponents.-ED.]

TO THE EDITOR OF THE GOSPEL BANNER,—

Dear Sir.-If you thought me worthy of a place in the list of your distinguished correspondents," and of soliciting for a succession of articles from my lucid pen," whereby to add to the interest of your paper, you ought certainly to have shown me the courtesy, of allowing me to differ from you in opinion, without joining with any of your corespondents in making a charge upon me, of perverse and wilful misrepresentation. (1)

his

Your correspondent N. H. remarks in the first place, that " friends at Bury had pressed him to add a few remarks to your strictures on my letter." Who and what those friends may be, I have no means of ascertaining, but his objections may be considered as the type of those objections, which might be made by your friends and readers in general, and therefore they may be worthy of some little reference and examination.

I am rather surprised that N. H. should complain of my want of explicitness, for I certainly intended to be very plain and explicit, and it is evident that my being so 'very explicit," is the true cause

of the offence, which himself and friends appear to have taken. When I alluded to the "working of the system," I intended no “dark insinuation" of any kind, neither was the remark intended to apply to moral or individual character, but simply to the general teudencies and results, which have followed the introduction of Mr. Campbell's doctrines, into Great Britain. (2)

With regard to your own additional remarks, which you appended to his letter, I have to say, that when I thanked you for the insertion of my former letter, and for your own reply to it. I merely alluded to the tone and manner of your remarks. If you drew the conclusion that I was expressing my deep obligation to you, for having so triumphantly settled the question, your assumption was most unfounded and most unfortunate. Nothing could be further from my intention. (3) And when I remarked in conversation with one of your brethren, that my objections had not been answered," my meaning was understood to be, that your reply was unsatisfactory to me. For these are grave and important questions, and cannot be disposed of by a little. scribbling. either on one side or the other. The conflict between truth and error, can never be disposed of, or compromised, or accommodated; it must continue till the one is finally vanquished by the other, at the appearing and kingdom of our Lord Jesus. Even so let it be. (4)

Your brethren and friends invariably deny that their churches are established upon Mr. Campbell's authority. But I should like to be informed upon what other authority, these churches are founded. For it is evident, that if Mr. C.'s writings had never made their way to this country, no such churches would ever have arisen. (5)

It appears to me, that if anything can be considered clear and conclusive, it is this, that they are as true to him as the echo, and that they implicitly adopt every idea proceeding from him as indisputable truth. They know that the quality of his mind is immeasurably beyond their own, and they submit to him with the utmost deference. (6)

If they can reconcile this with their own consciences, in the sight of God, und if they can substitute his system "of faith and obedience," for the "faith once delivered to the saints," and if they are satisfied with the hope of the universal reign of Campbellism, instead of waiting for the "blessed hope" of the gospel, I can only say, that I will for ever protest against such a monstrous delusion. Let me assure you, that it is no pleasure to me thus to interfere in the matter. It is a painful duty. It is an imperative necessity, Truth and fidelity demand it. God calls upon all his people to bear witness for himself, and to testify their attachment according to their sphere, and according to their ability and opportunity. Mr. Camp

bell's friends say, there is no foundation for the charges which are usually brought against him, of denying certain doctrines of scripture, and they call for evidence from his own writings. Now there is some difficulty about this, for it is not usual with him, to frame his language in direct opposition to scripture testimony. He avoids all creeds, and forms of faith, and systems of doctrine, and says, that all such things are so much antiquated rubbish, which shall have no place in the churches of the so-called Reformation. But his book called the Christian System, presents abundant proof, that his system is fraught with fatal error, to those who follow it out to its legitimate conclusions and consequences.

This book is my authority for all the objections that I have to make against the system. Such a system is no part of the mind and will of God. It revives the old Pelagian heresy, and also the popish doctrine of baptismal regeneration. These are moulded and incorporated together with Christianity. I find that while a few meagre pages are devoted to the consideration of vital and fundamental doctrines, at least half of the entire work is devoted to the development of the view, which the writer takes, of a figurative institution. (7) And throughout the whole volume a system is advocated, possessing the externals of Christianity, while destitute of that spirit, and life, and power, which alone are truly valuable. In fact, it is neither law nor gospel, for Mr. Campbell has fallen between them both. (8) It would require much time and space, to enter into an elaborate refutation of the entire work, or to make quotations in detail. We can only consider the general bearings and tendencies of the whole system. The impression which an examination of the work has left upon my own mind, is to the following effect :

1st. That Mr. Campbell does not take into account the doctrine of Scripture concerning the essential depravity of human nature, in consequence of the fall of man, and that he is therefore blinded as to the true nature of the Scripture plan of redemption.

2nd. That he does not admit the scripture doctrine of divine influence and power, in the work of conversion, and that consequently, his system of religion, approximates more nearly to human science, than to that grace which bringeth salvation.

3rd. That his view of the object and design of the ordinance of Christian baptism, is subversive of the doctrine of the Atonement, and of justification by faith therein, and of the doctrines of grace, generally.

4th. That the hope which he has in view, is not the hope of the kingdom of God, or of the Prophets and Apostles, but the hope of a millennium of his own peculiar sentiments and ideas, of which he represents himself to be the forerunner. (9)