IX.

PARIS UNDER THE FIFTH VIAL.

REV. XVI. IO, II.

BEFORE proceeding with this subject, we will remark a little further with reference to the earth's helping the woman. We reverted to several particular instances of this, in our last, and hinted that, by some such interpretation, it might be expected that the cause of truth would be helped in all the future conflicts with the Papacy. We have a remarkable record of the kind now to make. The same political earthquake which swallowed up those who defended domestic Slavery among us, threw into our body politic a counteracting flood, to balance at the polls the floods with which the Papacy would seek to carry our Protestant religion away. I allude to the four million blacks, whose volume before, in point of numbers, was cast by their masters into the flood which was seeking to engulf Freedom, in the increased suffrage their slaves gave to them. And as in the case of Emancipation, no one thought of protecting the Protestant religion by this movement. It was still the rivalry of parties seeking to gain, or hold, the seats of power. Yet such has, undoubtedly, been the result. The Irish and African elements (I speak without disrespect to either) will not for many years, if ever, be ranged under the same party banners -such is the antagonism between them. Pat-“niver a bit of it”—is going to the polls to vote on the same side with Sambo. The political party which would have one, must inevitably do that which will cut it off from sympathy with the other. And this state of things must continue until Pat rises above the narrow prejudices which persuade him that he has a right to monopolize all the labor in the country, and he is taught that other races have a right to our broad land as well as the Celtic. Until then, Protestant Sambo, who

can now count about as many fingers in the political pie as Papistical Pat, will serve as a strong check upon any designs which Jesuits have upon this country, through Pat's help at the polls. Then we may confidently expect that Pat will pass his minority and conclude to set up for himself— i. e., think, act and vote for himself, and not as designing Jesuitism secretly points out.

Mark how the malice of Satan overreached itself in this instance-how Satan cast out Satan. We have seen how political and ecclesiastical despotism have been twin sisters during their joint existence; how they have supported each other; how that which has helped one has always helped the other, and how that which has hurt one has hurt the other. Satan instigated greedy despotism to plant Slavery here, so as to doom this country to the most odious form of tyranny that ever existed, and, to human view, he came near succeeding, for it dominated this country for more than a half century. But this political earthquake which swallowed up Slavery, by enfranchising its victims, struck the first great and stunning blow upon the Papacy in this country, i. e., provided Protestants take care of these forming elements of political power.

This same blind prejudice may be preparing another stunning blow upon this intriguing power, in the case of John Chinaman, who may yet become a lad of some importance, toward whom Pat is showing the same hostility which he has manifested toward the negro. At any rate, if our interpretation of this symbolism be correct, we may rest entirely assured that the earth will help the woman and her seed, and open her mouth and swallow up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth, so that neither she nor her offspring will be carried away of the flood.

We now return to notice more directly the symbolism of the fifth vial.

I call attention to my ninth remark on this, viz.: That we should not expect that it would work the entire destruction of the anti-Christian powers, those hindrances which have been in the way of Christianity. It would only greatly weaken them. They were still alive amid the darkness—they gnawed their tongues for pain, they could still blaspheme the

name of God, because of their pains and their sores, and they repented not of their deeds. The beast which has lived so long must die a hard death. Even when the spear of Saint George (to use one of their own legends as an illustration) has transfixed the heart of the dragon, his dying agonies will shake the world, cast down the stars of heaven, (thrones and empires,) and cause the earth to open her mouth and swallow up the city of the seven hills, whereon he has had his seat. He may now have received his mortal wound, and the future great struggles foreshadowed in the next vials may be his dying agonies. What they may be we cannot predict. But we may judge of their general character from what has already occurred. If former symbols foreshadow civil convulsions, we must, of course, look for something similar in the future. Neither can we tell when they will occur. But one thing we know certainly, and that is, they will work the utter destruction of all anti-Christian powers.

I now call attention to my tenth, and last, remark upon the symbolism of the fifth vial, viz.: That the calamities would not make the persons affected by them any better. In their agony they blasphemed the God of heaven, and repented not of their deeds.

I call attention to the fact that the Papacy is still blaspheming the name of God-writing its names of blasphemy upon the seven heads of the monster on which the scarlet woman is seated. Take the decree of the Ecumenical Council, at Rome, in the year of grace, 1870-a year_not to be forgotten by the Church, through eternity. THE INFALLIBILITY OF THE POPE!* much as its supporters and apologists may endeavor to gloss it over to cover its glaring impiety from Protestant eyes, much as they may endeavor to sugar-coat the pill, to make it go down smoothly into stomachs which already begin to nauseate with their absurd doses, that decree is a glaring blasphemy, hurled into the face of Deity, to support the consciously sinking cause of the Papacy. If they can make their adherents believe that the so-called Holy Father is infallible, they can easily make them do whatever, in their opinion, mav restore or strengthen *See Poem, Canto I, stanzas 142-148.

the cause of the hierarchy. Provided the two hundred millions of Roman Catholics should endorse the monstrous assumption, it would place a still frightful power in the hands of the Pope. It might restore again his pristine. control over the nations, and make kings again obedient to his nod. In the desperation of his circumstances, the experiment is worth trying. If it succeed, he can preach another crusade to restore the States of the Church to his kingdom, and millions of Roman Catholics will rush to his standards. He can lay aside his Shepherd's crook, take the sword, and lead his own armies to great achievement.

So the great lights of the hierarchy swarm to Rome, bow at the feet of the Pope, perform the highly dignified operation of kissing his toe, and, in solemn mockery, ascribe to him an attribute belonging only to Deity. Perhaps two hundred million Roman Catholics will follow the example of these great lights in what they have done. But it surpasses my own belief. Many will do it, no doubt, and, it may be, make it possible for the Papacy to preach another crusade. But it will be its expiring struggle. The mass of the Roman Catholic world, I do believe, are too sensible, long to follow such leaders. Germany, under the leadership of Dr. Dollinger, refuses to endorse it, and seems swinging away from her moorings to the Eternal City. Other peoples will follow. When the idea of an infallible Church and an infallible Pope is exploded, the power of the Papacy is hopelessly gone. The Catholic Churches will thenceforward begin to fall into line with the Protestant, and they will vie with each other in spreading the knowledge of Jesus. That the powers which have controlled that Church will foment wars, is morally certain. That many will perish in them, will be a necessary consequence, but it will be a comparatively small proportion of the two hundred millions, no doubt. The rest will join the parties of progress, when the beast is overthrown.

That the Papacy has not repented of its deeds is equally clear. None of its edicts in former times, justifying persecution, have been revoked. None of its claims to the right of penal inflictions have been abated. Not even the slaughter of St. Bartholomew's Day has ever been publicly repudiated.

That these leaders will not repent, until they are overthrown in the civil convulsions they themselves foment, is a point about which there can be no doubt.

To close up our remarks upon the symbolism of the fifth vial, let us now revert to France,* and especially to Paris. There can be no doubt that the capital of the most influential kingdom that has for ages upheld the pretensions of the Papacy, and, at its bidding, bathed the secular sword in the blood of millions to exterminate heretics, is comprehended, if not expressly pointed out, in the symbols which foreshadow the present period of history. I call attention to a hypothesis which I do not pretend to defend, because we do not yet know what the fate of Paris will be, viz., that she is the Babylon† mentioned in the 18th chapter. That

she is feeling the effect of this vial of wrath, in the midst of her darkness and madness, cannot be doubted by any who receive the interpretation of these symbols as endorsed by our best expositors.

We may remark, regarding the 17th, 18th and 19th chapters, that they are a more detailed account of what is described in the 16th, under the seven vials. They also contain the sequel of the outpouring of the seventh vial, the final destruction of all anti-Christian powers before the rider on the white horse. The 17th chapter introduces a variation of the symbols used to designate the Papal power in its different stages of development. It is an abandoned woman, seated upon a scarlet-colored beast, having seven heads and ten horns. This symbolism must certainly cover things, persons and events already noticed to some extent, but for the purpose of bringing out to a more striking view the Papal power in its last development. It would not, therefore, be straining the prophecy to suppose that the 18th chapter covers in part the identical ground which is occupied by the fifth vial. I will introduce it here:

And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

*Note 65, Canto I, stanza 102.

+ See Poem, Canto II, stanza 116.