*In several points of this article we differ from the writer, but give it publicity in this magazine as desired, that each may search the Scripture and decide for himself.*

Some time ago, in reading a valuable paper by a well-known brother in Christ, I was struck by his concluding sentence, which ran thus:" We firmly believe that the fifteen hundred sects of Christendom will yet coalesce with popery, and form the great whore of Rev. 17"; and the question was once more raised in my mind, Is this so ? Can the writer of that article, or the many brethren who have asserted the same thing for years past, give us Scripture for their thought ? or are we simply to take it for what it is worth ? My present purpose is to look and see if Scripture teaches anything definite on such an important subject.

I need not occupy space by enlarging on the details of the history of the seven churches:abler pens than mine have done that for those who desire to go into it. All intelligent Bible students agree that those seven churches were chosen to give us a complete picture of the history of the professing Church on earth, from its commencement to its close. They are evidently divided into three and four. The first three succeed each other, and do not exist together.

The last four "run on to the end," as it is usually put. The use of the words "the end," however, is too indefinite; we need to know what is meant by "the end." The fact is, the sixth, Philadelphia, only runs on to the "rapture," as we call it. The fourth continues after the rapture, up to the seventh vial; while the fifth and seventh evidently coalesce, and go on to the appearing of the Lord from heaven. This we shall see more clearly as we proceed.

I take it that the first four churches give us what we might term, and what has been termed, the ecclesiastical history. They succeed each other, and do not exist together. The fourth state, however, continues, and will do so up to a certain point still future, as stated above. It is the history of the Church as a professing system, in its outward and visible unity on earth, in contrast to Judaism and heathenism. At the commencement, the Church was a visible whole, a united body of people. There were no open and manifest divisions or sects then, such as exist at the present day, though the Spirit of sectarianism was seen working in the Corinthian assembly in Paul's day (i Cor. 3:3, 4). And even though there might have been outward divisions, they were not of such importance as to destroy the outward unity, and the candlestick still remained. The united testimony to the outward and visible unity of the Church, I take to be the candlestick; and that light and testimony were borne, and continued to be borne, until Thyatira, the fourth church, when it was disowned on account of the corruptions allowed by her in the midst. God "gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not" (chap. 2:21); and then, for the first time, He recognizes another company, addressed as, "the rest in Thyatira," as distinct from the mass (chap. 2:24). The candlestick was gone. God henceforth disowned the mass in their church position, though it still continues. Judgment on Thyatira was pronounced, though still waiting its execution (vers. 22, 23). The mass were disowned, and a remnant recognized. The candlestick was removed. No longer is it an outward and visible oneness, acknowledged by God, but a true, real and spiritual state, and the Morning Star given to the true saints as their hope in the midst of the corruption (vers. 24-28).

Now, that outward testimony to the unity of the Church is still professedly held and boasted in by Rome. She boasts of being the one true Church, and all else mere schisms. Ecclesiastically this is true, as to mere outward profession. In reality, however, she is disowned by God, and given up to the judgment which awaits her, as I have already stated.

Then chap. 17 gives us fresh light on the history of Rome-"Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots," the woman who sits on the "seven mountains," the Thyatira of chap. 2. She is here seen once more wielding the temporal and the so-called religious power. She is seen "riding the Beast" (17:3). That is, she dominates the civil power, the Beast, as she had done in the past, until the moment arrives when he throws her off; then the fall of Babylon takes place. Observe, however, this is not yet her doom, or destruction, but her fall. "She loses place of active governing, and which involves her moral degradation," as another has said. This riding the Beast is, of course, still future; but even now events may be seen gradually moving on towards its fulfilment.

I take it that this event-her fall-will take place at or about the dividing of Daniel's seventieth week; for it is only then that the Beast openly be- comes apostate. Up to that point he has been controlled by the so-called religious power-Rome; and surely it is self-evident that when he reaches that apostate stage of his career, he will refuse to be governed any longer by the so-called Church; hence her fall-she is thrown off. Then subsequently, when the seventh vial is poured out, she is destroyed (chap. 16:19), the agents for the carrying out of her destruction being the Beast that she had dominated and the ten kings, who combine to fulfil God's will (17:16, 17).

Now let me repeat this; and observe it well. The fall of Babylon the Great-papal Rome-is when the Beast throws her off-refuses her authority any longer; about the dividing of the week. The doom of Babylon is after that, and takes place under the seventh vial, shortly before the Lord appears. The Beast and his ten confederate kings destroy her. It is not a judgment executed upon her by the Lord Himself at His appearing, but previous to His appearing, and carried out by the secular power which she had previously dominated, and which God uses to carry out His will.

Now let us look at the last three churches. They do not give us the ecclesiastical history. There is no candlestick. Sardis, the fifth church, is a fresh start, though it does not date here from the start of the Reformation (that event is seen rather in the remnant in Thyatira, I should judge), but from the spiritual decline of it when it had become an organized system as opposed to the corruptions of popery. It is Protestantism, but viewed as a huge professing mass, having "a name to live, but dead" (chap. 3:3); and it is to be treated as the world when the Lord appears. Observe, not by the Beast and his confederate kings before the Lord appears, but by the Lord Himself when He appears. Thus we see that Sardis goes on beyond Thyatira, and continues till the appearing of the Lord when He comes to reign.

Philadelphia-the sixth church-is a state of soul suited to the Lord, and characterizing individuals, but not a system, or company of Christians, as contrasted with others. She is to be kept from (not in) the hour, of temptation which is coming upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth (chap. 3:10). Like Enoch, who was taken away before the flood, so all true saints will be taken away to be with the Lord (i Thess. 4:16-18), and thus kept from the judgments coming on all the world.

Laodicea is the final and awful state of so-called Protestantism. It is not the corruption of Thyatira, which, while boasting of its ecclesiastical position, is surely awaiting the execution of divine judgment; but it is the pure and unadulterated infidelity into which Protestantism lapses, with the name of Christianity still attached to it. Even now it may be seen marching rapidly on to it in the various movements of so-called Christian Socialism, Christian Science, Higher Criticism, and other such Christless efforts and effusions of the human intellect, apart from the Spirit and word of God. There is not a trace of divine life in Laodicea. The very things which denote it gold (divine righteousness), white raiment (practical righteousness), and eye salve (the Holy Spirit)- are all lacking, and they are exhorted to buy them ere it be too late. Alas, the exhortation falls on deaf ears, and she is "spewed out of His mouth "; that is, total rejection awaits her, and is seen fulfilled when the true Church is removed.

It appears to me-very clearly too-that there are two streams flowing side by side in the so-called Protestant section of the professing Church to-day. First, there is Ritualism, affecting at present a great part of the so-called Established Church, and which will eventually carry them all back into the Romish fold, and thus form part of Babylon the Great. The Catholics themselves see this, and the late Cardinal Vaughan once wrote:"The recent revival of Catholic doctrines and practices in the Church of England is very wonderful. It is a hopeful sign. It exhibits a yearning and a turning of the mind and heart toward the Catholic Church. It is a national clearing the way for something more." This is very striking, coming from such a source. All true Christians, of course, from all existing bodies will be taken out at the Lord's coming for the saints, thank God, as I have said before. Secondly, there is Rationalism, affecting every form of so-called Dissent, and all finding their level in the open infidelity of Laodicea. So that the darkness of Sardis develops into the infidelity of Laodicea.

Thus we see that Thyatira-Babylon the Great- Romanism in every form, is judged by the secular power before the Lord appears; while Protestantism is rejected as a nauseous thing in Laodicea-spewed out of the Lord's mouth; and is judged, not by the secular power, but subsequently, by the Lord Himself, when He comes from heaven, in "flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess i:7, 8); thus showing clearly, I think, that the two systems, with their judgments, and the time of their execution, as well as the executioners, are quite distinct in the Word; and that "the 1300 sects of Christendom do not coalesce with popery, and form Babylon, the great whore of Rev. 17."

If they do, then the whole of Christendom must be judged by the Beast and ten kings, and not by the Lord; for when "He appears, there is no Babylon the Great to judge; it has been destroyed. The whole system of popery is finally broken up and destroyed as a system, root and branch; and infidelity alone reigns supreme as the apostate mass outside of popery. How, then, does it receive its judgment ? Let 2 Thess. i:7-10 reply. Let Rev. 3:3 reply. While the Romish system, as such, is utterly destroyed, the individuals who may still be left will probably be identified with the apostate mass of apostate Christendom, and meet the fiery judgment from the Lord Himself when He appears in flaming fire. Wm. Easton

New Zealand