holds, in one of his Visions, an Epha, or Measure, and a Woman seated in it *. An Angel points to the Woman, and says, “This is Lawlessness," 'ANOMIA. Such is the word in the Septuagint. Thus speaking, he presses her down in the Epha, and places a mass of lead on her mouth. Then two women appear, who have the spirit in their wings, and they take up the woman in the Epha, and carry her away. The Prophet asks whither they are taking her. The Angel replies, to Babylon. What, now, is the meaning of this Vision? It is spiritual. The Epha is a measure, the symbol of equity. With this measure, well filled and running over, the Woman ought to have dealt out the spiritual food, the bread of life, to God's people t; but she is not Equity, but Lawlessness, and the Epha is not full, but empty she neglects her duty, and she is punished by the instrument with which she has sinned, the Epha: it is empty, and she is placed in it, and her mouth is stopped with lead. That is, the faithless Church is silenced, and removed from her place, and made desolate :-carried to Babylon; or, as the Septuagint expresses it, a house is built for her in Babylon ‡. *Zech. v. 5. The reader will perceive some points of resemblance between this Vision and the Third Seal. See above, p. 181-186. + Zech. v. 11. Observe, the Woman is called Lawlessness. This word, "Lawlessness," is a prophetical word *, which connects the predictions of Zechariah and St. Paul together, in the same manner as the words Abomination and Mystery connect those of Daniel, St. Paul, and St. John. Our Lord, in the same prophecy as that in which He speaks of the setting up of the Abomination of Desolation, speaks also of the overflowing of Lawlessness t. Thus And St. Paul, in the prophecy before mentioned, calls the power, which claims adoration, by the same name. He entitles it the Mystery of Lawlessness. And he designates its head, the Lawless one. the Apostle adopts the language of Zechariah, as made ready for him in the Greek Version. He identifies the Mystery of Lawlessness with the Woman described as Lawlessness by that Prophet. And now turn to St. John: he also adopts the Prophet's imagery and language. The Woman whose name is Lawlessness, as described by Zechariah, is carried in the Epha to Babylon, and placed there. The Woman in the Apocalypse is Babylon. III. Another question then arises; Has not the Church of Rome, by suppressing God's Word, instead of dispensing it, identified herself with the Woman in the empty Epha, the Woman whose mouth is stopped with lead, whose name is Lawlessness, and whose * See above, 'Aropía. Matth. xxiv. 12. house is Babylon; and has she not thus, also, identified herself, in another respect, with the Mystery of Lawlessness, as pourtrayed by St. Paul, and with Babylon, as described by St. John, which will be cast into the sea like a millstone*, never to rise again? The same Prophet, Zechariah, uses a remarkable expression in another place, Woe to the IDOL † Shepherd! that is, to the Pastor, who claims adoration for himself. Woe to the idol Shepherd, that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened §. Such is the voice from heaven to the idol Shepherd and such is the woe denounced on him who boasts himself to be the UNIVERSAL SHEPHERD ||, and sits, as an IDOL **, on the Altar in the Temple of God; and is worshipped in the place of God. *Rev. xviii. 21. The word is used for a vain thing, an idol, in Lev. xix. 4. 1 Chron. xvi. 26. Psalm xcvi. 5. xcvii. 7. Isaiah ii. 8. 18. 20, and elsewhere. Zech. xi. 17. § Zech. xi. 17. || Petrus Asilus de Tyrann. Antichristi (ap. Wolf. Lectiones, ii. 824) says, Papa sibi soli sumi Pastoris nomen, ideo fit ut impleatur prophetia Zachariæ de Pastore stulto, quem B. Hieronymus Antichristum in extremis diebus comparentem et Christi gladio succumbentem vel succubiturum interpretatur. ** Heidegger, Myst. Bab. ii. p. 546. Ceremonia quâ Papa in altari Templi D. Petri sedens a Cardinalibus cernuis adoratur divinum cultum apertissimè redolet. Cum Papam sic in altari consistentem adorant quid aliud quàm Deum seu idolum suum (Zech. xi. 17) ibi divino cultu prosequuntur? We pause here, and sum up what has been said. Either the claims of the Church of Rome are just; or they are not. If they are, she is infallible, and indefectible. She is the Mother and Mistress of all Christian Churches. Her Pontiff is the Universal Pastor; the Centre of Unity; the Father of the Faithful; the Supreme Head, and Spiritual Judge, of Christendom. And it is the duty of all to obey him. Now, we hold in our hand the Apocalypse of St. John; the Revelation of Jesus Christ*; the Voice of the Spirit to the Churches†; the prophetic history of the Church from the Apostolic age even to the Day of Doom. In it St. John places us at Rome: he points to its seven hills: he shows us the City enthroned upon them he retains us there while he reveals to us its future history, even to its total extinction, which he describes t. I. If, now, Christ had instituted a spiritual supremacy, and fixed an Infallible Authority any where, it may reasonably be supposed that St. John, in revealing the future History of the Church, and in providing guidance and comfort for her, under all her trials which he predicts, would not have failed to notice such supremacy and authority. * Rev. i. 1. † Rev. ii. 7. 11. 17, &c. Rev. xviii. 1—24. II. If Christ had settled that Pre-eminence at Rome, St. John, when speaking specially and copiously of her, and tracing her history, even to the day when she will be burnt with fire, and her smoke ascend to heaven, could not have omitted to mention it. III. If St. John's awful description of the doom and desolation of the Harlot applies to the Heathen City of Rome; and if the Church of Rome is what she herself affirms-the true Spouse of Christ, the Mother of all Churches-assuredly St. John would have taken great care that no reasonable man should ever be able to impute to the Christian Church of Rome what he intended for the Heathen City of Rome. And all these observations have greater force, when we remember that this book is the Voice of the Holy Spirit to the Church. Now what is the fact? I. Not a word does St. John say of the existence of any Supreme Visible Head of the Church. II. Not a word does he say of the Church of Rome being the centre of Unity-the Arbitress of Faiththe Mother and Mistress of Churches. Not a word does he speak in her praise. Indeed her advocates say that he does not mention her at all*! How unaccountable is all this, if, as they affirm, Christ has instituted such a Supremacy; and if He has placed it at Rome. See above, p. 366, note. |