The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-08-08
AMERICAN FIRE CHURCH.
"The Benst OF the Revelations ''-Sermon by
the Rev. Charles 3. Smyih.

"Tbe Benst OF the Revelations ''-Sermon by
the Rev. Charles g. Smyth.
An interesting sermon was preached yesterday,
by the Rev. c. b. Smytn. at the American Free
Church, Masonic Hall. There was a large assem-
bage and the remarks Of the reverend gentleman
were listened to with devout attention. After the
preliminary services Mr.. Spyth took his text from
Revelations, xiv, and 10:"lf any man worship the
beast and his image, and receive his mark In his
forehead in his hand the same shall drink OF the
wine OF the wrath OF God, which is poured out
without mixture into the cup OF his Indignation"
He said :-Ever since the dawn OF Christianity there
have been two great antagonlstic principles IN ope-
ration in the world-the one that Of civil and rell-
gous liberty; the other that of despotlsm and ntole
rance. Christ was The embed iment OF the former;
u perverted human nature OF the other. The latter
has been al work IN the Church since the day when
the people or certain village OF the Samaritans,
having refused TO receive Christ the apostles James
and John, addressing him, inquired, 'Shall
we call down Dire from heaven and consume
them ~ But Christ rebuked them, saying,
eye know not what manner OF spirit We are Of"
In tue book or Revelation we ind these two prin-
cipies me aph9rlcaiy repIeseh!eI oy Two women
The one clothed with the sun, the moon under her
1eeL and crown OF twelve stars upon her head; the
other person OF Ill, repute, seated upona
SCARLET COLORED BEAST,
and upon many waters. These became manifest at
period future 10 that in which the writer Of the
The political power through which the woman on
the scarlet colored beast eXers her influence Is
Roman tor so 1t Is expressly declared when of this
woman the apostle says, xviii, 1S "The woman
which thou est is that great city which regneth
over the kings of the earth;" and we know from
history that when he wrote Rome was the dominant
city of the world.
And seeing that the city OF Rome ruled the world
at that time the events which are mnutely de-
scribed In Revelation are properly understood
10 take place. for the most part within the geograph-
heal limit OF what was then the Roman empire, or
all Europe except Ireand), together with part Of
Asia and Africa Some persons entertain the opinion
That This beast Is the
CHURCH OF ROME,
but that conceive to be a mistake, because the
Church had existence before this domination,
ana had separate existence also IRON the beast
with the seven heads, from which this sprung. Ic
involves the Church Of Rome in so far and SO long
only az that Church Is combined with the
temporal power of the Roman DOMINION; and the
principle OF union between Church and State herein
represented. OF which this beast with two horns Is a
symbol, may more or less affect other churches as
wen as the Church OF Rome, although the latter is
more Immediately concerned Now this anomaly,
this m0nstr0sity this hybrid which Is the result OF
the adulterous connection between Church and
State, may De considered To have had its incipency
when
CONSTANTINE THE GREAT
decreed the establishment Of Christianity as thing
compulsory throughout the Roman empire although
II ana not reach Its height and full development
cept slowly by several stages And as each of the
preceding forms OF Roman domination had It's limit
and passed away 80 tnis Is not TO last forever: its
days are numbered, and the time Is approaching
when II TOO VIII cease. And The limit set to each OF
Its stages rake 1t, is the twelve hundred and sixty
o %,
the same period as the forly-twO months, chapter
x., 2; Xiii, 6; and the "time, times and half time"
In chapter Xu A. which interpreted prophetically,
day for year, means ,260 years, and each year
be ny prophetic ana not Julian, and therefore con-
histng OF 800, and not OF 365 days, the period Is
really equal 10 1,242 years.
The speaker then proceeded by tracing the differ
ent Walls through the history OF the nations OF
Europe TIL the French revolution, which took place
near the close OF the last century, which he said
completed the pouring out OF the fourth and made
way Tor the nth. This Tell upon the seat OF the
winch more Immediately relate TO the Roman See
and was exhausted in a. ID. 1S4S, when the Roman
revolution took place and the Pope lost several of
his tstaIes and great changes wrought III
other OF The Papal countries Of Europe.