Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-12-03


people as one that they may hold the balance
of power. We flnd IL opposing our free
schools seeking tu Danish our Bible; haping
to undsrmine the foundation of education and
resSgiQn, On which our free institutions are
based, And we notice IN some of the Protest
hnt churches change toward ritualism, and
decline in cvrhglical pitty which prepares
Tie way foi the reception Of the Rumlsh doc
trine. Inc question is imminent Shall our
country bclcnththlletl Will the slavery which
ltaiy and Austria and Mexico are shaking OFF,
1t hecomcs American citizens 10 be watchful
of This foreign cncroachmcnt to guard their
lib'riics with jealous, faithful hand 1t be-
comes the church OF Christ TO labor more
earnestly for the extension of pure religion,
Knowing that true gospel piety is the strong
est barrier against Romansm. BY three great
principles should the people of this country
stand, and for thcm they should contend a.
gainst any and every fee--a free education for
all the Bible in all our institutions and the
pure religion of Jesus. These principles are
stronger than ballot or sword. The ballot
should indeed be used wisely, God grant that
the sword may never bc needed. But the
weapons of our warfare which shall conquer
every superstition, and win the land and the
world to Christ arc such as these. Before ed.
ucation, morality and religion, the man of sin
must fall.
There is another cloud rising in the East
1t may, as YET, scarce be larger than mans
hand, but 1t is big with Divine purposes. Al
most Mt the same time as the Pope attained
his temporal authority, now 1850 years ago.
the Mohammedan superstition arose in Arabia
and extended rapidly through Western Asia,
For many centuries doubtful conflict was
waged on the borders of Europe, until about
400 years ago, the old Roman power succumb-
ed before The Turks, and Constanbnople,
which had once contended with Rome for the
leadership of the Chris ian church, became
| the capital and ctn,ef of Mohamnledanism
The prophecies of the Revelation, referring to
the false prophet, seem To Indicate, thar the
decline and fall of Mohammedanism will be
nearly synchr0nous with that of Romanism
For agts past, the Russian Empire has been
ambitious to succeed the old Roman Empire
of The East, and TO make CJnstantinopp its
capital. That strong, national expectation,
I which sometimes, seems to partake almost of
the nature of prophecy, such as we in Ameri-
ca would style manifest destiny" has looked
forward TO this Empire of the East rs the Ger
tain goal of the future. Gradually and quiet
ly the Russian power has been encroaching OIL
Western and Central Asii, with view to the
final result. Not many years ago, you well
remember, direct attempt was made to
crush the feeble Turkish nation, and accom-
plsh at once the desired end. Other nations
intcricrred, in the interest Of that old war cry
of kings, "Thc balance of power" Russia
was defeated ut Scbastopol, and the strong
| hold Of Mohammedanisni was saved by the
| help of Protestant England and Rom Ia
France. But the same nation which sustein-
ed the Pope was the chief buwark of Turkey,
and the defeat Of France has not only opened
the way of Victor Emanuel to Rome, but has
removed the strongest barrier between ST.
Petersburg and Constantinople. Russia has
already announced that she will no longer
regard the treaty which was forced upon her
and has demanded its essential abroga,on
| The course that will be taken by the other
nations of Europe Is as yet uncertain. There
is cry for war, in England, Austria and Ita-
ly. There is, also, strong demand for peace,
and peace before these claims, means, victory
for Russia, and the speedy accomplishment of
her purposes. But lot tho decision of the na.
tons be what it may, the day of doom Is up,
proaching, and God is preparing. the way to
overthrow the dominion OF the false prophet
as hc has broken the power of the Pope. And
rs Turkey, threatened with dissolution so al-
| so IL Persia, the other arm of Mohammedan-
ism, and the fall of the Sultan will hasten the
submission of the Shah
There are other events, to which, wore there
time, might refer. Such especially as the
late massacre iu China, with the threats Il,
galnst foreigners, and the possibility of war
of the Christian nations against that old
heather empire. In missionary point of
view, this may prove Ofexceedmg Importance,
perhaps Of tragic interest. .I..
Wo are living, not only amid great events,
we are treadng on the threshold of greater
When history has reached such stage as
the present, IL goes not back The progress
may be, In measure, retarded, the end is
sure and 1t draweth near. We shrink, and
dict. There are dark sentences of prophecy
written of the days which usher In the end
Thus thoy read :; "Ye shall hear of wars and
rumors OF wars; nation shall rise against ma
ton, and Kingdom against kingdom, and there
shall be famincs, and pcstilences and earth
quakes In divers places" "rne wine press
was trodden without the city, and blood came
out of the wine press, even unto the horses
hidles," Out of his mouth goeth sharl
sword, that with 1t he should smite the ma
tions, and he shall rule them with rod
iron, aud he treadeth the wine press of tho
llcrceRess and wrath of Almighty God.N We
cannot open the page of the future, We wait
for Him who hreaks the seal But this we
know, the Inst seal shah yet be bsoken, the
last page Of judgment aud bitterness and
! blood shall yet be turned over, and then shall
| b. cneneG the book Of life "'rhe lord sitteth
upon the Hood" The Lord shall sit upon 1t
as King, however aeep Its waves may become,
however wide lis desclation may extend.
Even though the tops nf the pountains should
I've covered with the dep,h OF The Judgment,
God wiz provide an ark for MS people. His
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