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THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST-666.

(To the Editor of the Penny Operative.)

SIR,-Now that Romanism is exerting all its energies to gain its lost ascendancy, anything on the subject must be productive of lively interest.

In the Apocalypse (chap. xiii., v. 18) we read, "Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six." Let us look for a moment at the names taken by the Popes, and we shall arrive at an extraordinary result.

1st name. Vicar General of God upon Earth-a name assumed by Pope Innocent III., who established the Inquisition, and originated the crusade against heretics.

2nd name. Vicar of the Son of God-a name taken by several Popes,-Clements, Martins, Bonifaces, and Juliuses, and inscribed over the doors of the Vatican.

3rd name. Paul V., God's Vicar- a name recognised by the Pope, when so addressed by Bellarmine.

4th name. Silvester Secundus-the Pope who first commenced the Crusades.

5th name. Lateinos-the Greek word for Latin, the name borne by the corrupt Western church, and the language in which her superstitious and idolatrous services are performed.

6th name. E Latine Basileia-the Greek for Latin or Italian kingdom, which is the Pope's territory, the seat of the beast.

7th name. Benediktos-the Greek name for the Pope who generalized the monastic life.

8th name. Romiith-the Hebrew word for Roman, in which Papists glory, as the distinctive name of that constitution they call a church, every soul out of which is cursed.

NUMBER COUNTED.

1.

VI C ARIVS GENERA L IS D EI IN TERRIS 51 100 00150 00 00 00 50 10 500 01 10 000010 666

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THE SCRIPTURES.

GOD hath appointed good means to lead men to knowledge: he hath caused the Scriptures to be written for our learning; without the knowledge whereof neither can kings bear rule, neither subjects obey and live in order as they should. Wherefore Joshua was commanded not to lay aside the volume of the law at any time, night or day; the prophet David made it his continual study; the wisest governors of Israel would not enterprise any matter of weight till they had turned the leaves of this book, thence to take advice for their better direction. This most precious jewel is to be preferred before all treasure. If thou be hungry, it is meat to satisfy thee; if thou be thirsty, it is

drink to refresh thee; if thou be sick, it is a present remedy; if thou be weak, it is a staff to lean unto; if thine enemy assault thee, it is a sword to fight withal; if thou be in darkness, it is a lantern to guide thy feet; if thou be doubtful of the way, it is a bright shining star to direct thee; if thou be in displeasure with God, it is the message of reconciliation; if thou study to save thy soul, receive the word ingrafted, for that is able to do it. It is the word of life: whoso loveth salvation will love this word-love to read it-love to hear it; and such as will neither read nor hear it, Christ saith plainly they are not of God. For the spouse gladly heareth the voice of the bridegroom; and " my sheep, hear my voice," saith the Prince of pastors.-Archbishop Sandys.

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ELIZABETH was indirectly requested at her coronation to countenance a translation, the Bible being presented to her in her procession, which she accepted with great appearance of gratitude and veneration; and the bishops were soon afterwards appointed to prepare a translation.

In 1560 the whole Bible, in quarto, was printed at Geneva, by Rowland Harte; some of the English refugees continuing in that city solely for this purpose.

An act of parliament was passed in England for a translation of the Bible into Welch, of which the New Testament was printed in 1567; the whole Bible appeared in 1588. In 1568 Archbishop Parker's English translation appeared: this is called the Bishop's Bible.

The Roman Catholic Rhemish Testament was published in 1582. Their Douay Old Testament appeared in two quarto volumes, the former in 1609, and the other in 1610.

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The designs of Satan are of an opposite character. He maketh war with God and his people, who constitute his church. Love is a stranger to him : hatred, wrath, malice, bitterness, and falsehood, are his great distinguishing marks. His throne is evil his kingdom darkness-and his end eternal perdition.

Being without God, who is the author and giver of strength, he is of himself powerless and weak. Having been conquered, cast down, and subdued, he cannot thwart or overthrow the divine and gracious intentions of God: but to effect his object, and carry out his devices, he seeks an agency for that purpose, the best adapted for the end, and that the most sure of success. This is observed in the first effort he made for the overthrow of God's truth in the minds of our first parents. Had he fully manifested himself and his designs to them, they would have been better prepared to resist him and his temptation: but he chose the agency of the serpent to deceive the woman, and the agency of the woman to deceive the man; and the sequel shews with what success.

If history is traced, from that period up to the present time, it will be seen that there always was an agency actively employed for the frustration of God's work and man's temporal and eternal salvation.

The patriarch Job felt this sorely. The agents who were employed to overthrow his faith in God, were not his enemies, but his friends, and his wife, who frequently required him to "curse God and die," so that Satan might triumph.

"Israel was tempted in the desert, and overthrown in the wilderness," for yielding to the agency employed against themselves and their faith in God's truth: false prophets rose in Israel, and agents, like Jereboam, who caused them to sin.

The agency employed against our great Redeemer himself, was frequent and of long duration. Satan tried all the strength he could command to obtain the obedience of Jesus to his desires on the mount and on the temple, and was completely discomfited. Having failed himself, he henceforth employed agents to perform his purposes.

The Nazarenes sought his death, together with the Jews, but they failed in their purpose, until all things were accomplished which were written of Jesus. The agency of Satan seemed for a time to prevail in the death of Christ; but by the overruling providence of God, the very triumph of Satan and his agents was turned as a sword to their own destruction, and a means of eternal salvation to those that obey the truth.

Since the personal ministry of the great Redeemer on earth, Satan's agency has still been employed for the purposes he has in view, and so often failed to accomplish. It will be our wisdom-if we feel an interest in his work of salvation,—his one perfect satisfaction for sin, and his glorious triumph over the agency of Satan by his death,-his resurrection from the grave, for the justification of those who believe in him, and the gift of his spirit for the sanctification of his people who are his body-to ascertain clearly what have been, and are now, the agencies he has, and does now employ, and who are his agents that he employs for the overthrow of the truth of God, as revealed in the sacred scriptures, and by his spirit to the hearts of his people.

After the death of Jesus, his resurrection, and ascension into heaven, the apostles faithfully preached his gospel to all people; experiencing the fulfilment of the promise of Christ, that he would not leave them, but remain with them, and all faithful preachers of his word, unto the ends of the world (and to none other); working with them, giving them power, and confirming their faithful preaching with signs and wonders; so that the church (or believers in Jesus) multiplied daily. Against this church and people, every agency was at work that Satan could devise.

The agency of persecution was employed to a fearful extent: the believers were worried like wild beasts; their lives were sacrificed to the fury of the agents who carried out this agency: driven from their homes, they worshipped God with a pure conscience in caves and in the desert; but notwithstanding every agency of evil, and the multitude of agents so employed, the number of believers increased, and God's truth rapidly spread, wherever the church by persecution had been driven. The blood of the martyrs proved the seed of the church.

These agents were often the Pharisees, Sadducees, priests, and people; and more frequently the Apostles themselves: hence the reproof of the Saviour to Peter, whom he called Satan, with a desire that the secret The adversary of the truth of God, having and invisible designer should get behind found that all the efforts of his agents were him, as that which savoured not of the unavailing, ceased the agency of outward things of God. The work of the death of violence, and now employed an agency and Christ was left for an Apostle-the Judas! agents of a different form and character.

Having tried outward force, he now had recourse to corrupting the simplicity of the gospel of Christ,-by introducing paganism into christianity, rites and ceremonies, instead of the preached Gospel,-by stirring up a spirit of pride among the clergy and ministers, instigating them to exalt and lift up themselves, the sacraments and observances of the sanctuary, to the eclipsing from the sinner's view the Saviour of the world; well knowing that if the simplicity of the gospel could be mystified, the people's hearts would then be divided, and so God robbed of his worship, and the sinner of his salvation.

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Against this agency and those agents, the apostles, in their writings, forewarned the church; the mystery of iniquity, as they called it, then beginning to develope itself, and the workers of iniquity, as they termed the agents, were even at that time lying in wait to deceive; who should bring in damnable errors and doctrines of devils. Agents were very easily found in the church even to personate the Saviour, the Holy Ghost (as Montanus), and true prophets. The clergy was exalted in the place of God: they were called his vicars, or substitutes, vicegerents, patriarchs, &c. &c.; and indeed as though they were a superior class of men, to whom homage and obedience were due, kings honoured them by bowing the head-the people sang hosannas to them, and their seat in the church was called the lofty throne-their orders multiplied-ascetics were venerated as the elect of the elect of God-monasticism was introduced, and passed as a life of merit and virtue-pilgrimages to a distance were undertaken to ensure eternal salvation, and superstition increased, while piety decreased the use of lamps, incense, images, pictures, divers washings of the hands and face, and reliques were very early brought into the church, and continued to multiply rather than decrease, appearing to have the sanction of antiquity. The clergy being proud, the people superstitious, and the practice of most of them being contrary to the letter and spirit of the gospel, clearly indicates that their preaching was in accordance with their living; and their writings being in accordance with their preaching and practice, could not and are not a safe or sure guide to those seeking the truth of God.

As this corrupting agency, and agents of corrupt minds, was rapidly gaining strength in the church, so agents were being prepared in the Eastern and Western churches, to aspire to and assume the office of universal head of the church, or universal bishop.

The first agent for the supremacy was John, Patriarch (as was called) of Constantinople, Bishop of the Eastern or Greek church. His assumption was denounced by Gregory, the Bishop of the Western or Romish church, as the forerunner or agent of Antichrist,

This subject having been once mooted, the successor of Gregory of the Roman church sought to gratify his ambition and pride by taking to himself the title denounced by his predecessor Gregory; and by the aid of the murderer, Emperor Phocas, obtained the supremacy, and was declared by Rome as head of the church and universal bishop. From this time it is manifest that the church of Rome did virtually cast off her allegiance to Christ, the Head of the church (Col. i. 18), the universal Shepherd and Bishop of souls (1 Peter, ii. 25), by giving her bishop (now called Pope or Holy Father) the pre-eminence.

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Satan's agency and agents having been successful at this period in establishing a system, from the christian church, diametrically opposed to christianity; having the form or appearance of a branch of Christ's church-being only in reality a synagogue of Satan, a refuge of lies, and destined to be the abode of every unclean thing, having now a head of its own, it cast off Christ ;having now oral tradition of its own, it throws aside as a useless thing the written revelation of God;-having now merits of its own, it has no need of the merits of Christ;- having a sacrifice of its own, it rejects the one perfect sacrifice of Christ having many mediators of its own, it refuses to seek the one only Mediator between God and man, Christ Jesus ;-having a clergy who it declares can absolve from sin, it needs not the sanctification and pardon by the Spirit of God;-having an imaginary place for souls of its own, it declares its independence of the mansions in the kingdom of Christ;-and having the Mother of the Creator as its patroness, it refuses to receive the entire sanction, presence, and guidance of God, the Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier of his people. Hence we now perceive the establishment of an opposing system to the church of God. Popery against the truth- falsehood and a lying system of divination, against the eternal word and revelation of God. The one the mystery of iniquity, and the other the church of the Redeemer which he has purchased with his own blood.

(To be continued.)

CORRESPONDENCE.

Sunday's Well, Cork. Nov. 23rd, 1842. SIR,-As a constant reader of your little Magazine, I take the liberty of sending a few lines on what appears to me a subject of importance. I perceived in the number for November that a "Protestant Conference" is recommended to be held by the Branch Society. As a member of our Operative Association here, I had the honour of proposing a similar plan here a short time before I saw it in your paper. My object in writing now is to mention that the following question has been discussed and is not yet concluded:-" Which is it better to seek, the withdrawal of the grant from the College of Maynooth, or an investigation into its doctrines and operations ?" And as petitions to Parliament will shortly be proposed on the Maynooth Grant, I think so important a question might be discussed at some Conferences at your side of the water, previous to the adoption of petitions on the subject. For my own part, I am for a petition for the withdrawal, considering that the oaths taken by Protestant M.P.'s, and the language used in the Articles and Homilies of the Church, which are part of the "law of the land," justify us to say nothing of God's word-in demanding that no state support be given to the Church of Rome.

If through the press you would start the subject, it may be taken up, and good arise from its publication.

I trust you will excuse me for this communication, and believe me,

Your obedient Servant,
And a Member of the Cork
Protestant Operative Association,
EDWARD HARPER.

The Editor of the
Penny Protestant Operative.

Nice, Piedmont,
Dec. 2nd, 1842.

To the Editor of the Penny Operative. Mr. Editor,-I do not know whether you have received news of the miracle performed at Nice lately; it was copied into two or three Paris newspapers-it is something as follows. The daughter of the present Governor of Nice, Madlle. de Maistre by name, went into a convent in Turin, where the bad treatment and hard work she had to undergo as an expiation of her sins, brought on a sort of disease in her knee (rheumatic I suppose), which contracted it till her heel was embeded in her thigh and she could not unbend

it (query might not such a contraction of muscles be the effect of kneeling for a long time on a marble floor?) Her sufferings were so great that she left the convent and the adjoining space, as report goes (I never returned home to Nice, where her cries filled heard them). The best medical advice was called in, but to no effect; homoeopathy was tried to a great extent and no ease procured; the knee began to swell, at last one of her dear friends, a German governess, I think, recommended a neuvaine to some saint who is just canonised (and report states that a piece of his shirt was brought to her, and she rolled it up and swallowed it); however as soon as the neuvaine was ended the goVerness came and ordered her to rise and walk, on which she rose and walked, and was restored to the use of her limb completely as ever. Such is the story.

I heard lately of the fate of a Bible which had been smuggled into Nice. A lady on leaving Nice gave a French Bible to her femme-de-chambre. The femme-de-cham

bre went to the landlady of a lodging house next door, and told her she had a Bible, but that she must burn it, as she had no desire to go to prison for it. "Well," said the landlady, "let me have a look at it first."then they burned it. Perhaps the ashes of She did so, and read a great part of it, and that Bible may rise up to do a more effectual work than it ever did while it was whole

and unhurt. She does not forget that she has burnt the word of God. Perhaps she may be induced to treat the next that comes in her way differently, should God in his long-suffering let her have another opportunity of reading one.

The government punish both giver and receiver of Bibles, but most severely the receiver. Observe how cunning their policy. Let us pray for this poor benighted people, chained down to ignorance by the iron arm of bigotry, backed by despotic power: God can cause His light to shine here as well as elsewhere, perhaps his time is already nearly Let us pray Him to hasten it.

come.

I remain, Mr. Editor,
Most truly yours,

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