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an extent, that will do us no harm, if it is not read. Or if it should be read, as it now is by many, with minds prepared to interpret it according to our wishes, it will rather help than hinder the advancement of our cause. For, those who can be made to believe that they find there the sentiments which we wish them to embrace, will be more likely to put confidence in them, than if they had no such support. And the way to make them believe so, is first to get the other institutions under our control. Let us, therefore, according to the suggestion of the last speaker, do our utmost to fill the minds of those who have the direction of these institutions with the desire of distinction. Let us persuade them that it is of vast importance to make their institutions great, and showy, and popular. Let us induce them to court such of our friends as are men of wealth and influence, and give them a prominent place, and a considerable share in the management of their institutions. As soon as great men and rich men become necessary to them, it will be equally necessary for them to accommodate the spirit and the principles of their institutions, in a greater or less degree, to the spirit and principles of our friends. Take, for instance, the institution for preparing young men to be ambassadors of the King. In order to be a great institution, it must be catholic in its principles; that is, nothing must be considered fundamental in it but some of the mere outworks of Christianity; some of those things which our friends may admit, without any sacrifice of their allegiance to us. It must extend its patronage alike to those denominations of professed friends to Immanuel, who acknowledge those outworks, though they have nothing in their system which is inconsistent with a cordial attachment to our cause. Let them set out with this liberal plan; and we may hope, by degrees, to multiply the number of our friends who shall be patronized by them, and prepared to be efficient instruments in promoting our cause. And as they proceed in their work, we may hope to increase our influence over this institution more and more, and ultimately to bring it entirely within our control; and thus make it a powerful engine in our hands to pull down the kingdom it was originally intended to build up. Let us encourage the founding of seminaries, and the accumulation of funds, for these purposes. We shall find ways and means of getting them under our control, sooner or later, as we have already done in some distinguished instances. In a similar way, we may manage the institutions for sending forth ambassadors of the King into destitute places. If, at first, they send out some who do us an injury, we may, now and then, procure the appointment of one who is at heart friendly to our cause, and

thus pull down what it has required many others to build up. With respect to the institution for the circulation of tracts, we may hope to do much in the same way. In order to make it a great institution, and secure an extended patronage, we can readily get excluded all those points of truth which are adapted to do us the most essential injury. We can hope, also, to get inserted, in a silent noiseless way, many points of error which will have a powerful tendency to counteract those truths which remain. Many of them are such as we now cordially approve, and yet are held in high estimation. And I would advise, as a matter of great importance, that we endeavor, by all means, to multiply such narratives of religious experience, as have a fair appearance, but are really destitute of any thing but what may be experienced by those who still remain our loyal subjects. This will have an excellent effect, in leading others to trust in a similar experience, and consider themselves safe, while they are our willing captives. There is another thing I am particularly desirous to accomplish. We must try to get those who have the control of this institution, to alter the works of some of the best writers, so as to make them essentially different from what they were left by their authors. This can be done by leaving out some things, and changing others. And then they must publish the altered works with the names of the original authors. If we can get this done, we shall gain a great advantage, by securing all the credit which attaches to the authors' names, for the publications thus altered. By such means, you know, carried a little farther, we prevailed in the days when pious frauds were thought highly meritorious; and I see not why we may not do it again. With respect to the institution for the instruction of children, the same general plan should be pursued. Its principles must be catholic. All who profess a nominal subjection to the Prince Immanuel, must be brought together. This will include a vast multitude of our friends. All such must have their full share in the management of this institution. The books made use of must exclude every thing in which all such cannot agree; and every thing of a different description must be frowned upon, and put down. These are the outlines of my plan. And by pursuing it, I am persuaded we cannot fail of gaining much every way. For if any sharp-sighted friends of the Prince, our enemy, should perceive the tendency of these measures, and make opposition to their adoption, we can raise a clamor against them, as bigoted, uncharitable, and, on the whole, unfriendly to the great and benevolent work. If they cannot be overpowered and silenced in this way, we can drive them from any participation in the management of these institutions; and

then we can the more easily control them at our pleasure. If, to avoid this, they shall become silent, and go on with our friends, we can make use of their names, and their influence, and their contributions, to give countenance to those measures which we approve. By such means as these, I advise that we endeavor to corrupt and pervert these institutions, and bring them under our control, and make them efficient instruments of promoting our cause. This will be more easily attained, I am persuaded, than any project could be, which we could contrive for their destruction.

Beel. Your suggestions are all of them worthy of consideration; and probably something can be done in all the ways which have been pointed out. The state of our affairs is such, that there is enough for you all to do. And as the time for executing our schemes is not long, we must be all engaged. Great triumphs may yet be gained, if we only act worthily of ourselves, and of the cause in which we have embarked.

Ard. How subtle are the enemies which pilgrims have to encounter; and how watchful does it behoove us to be against their various arts! But, do you think they will succeed in their schemes ?

Th. I am only relating my dream; and have not yet arrived at its conclusion.

CHAPTER XXIII.

Ardent. Will you proceed, and let me hear the rest of your dream?

Thoughtful. I will. After various remarks had been made on the subject of corrupting and perverting the benevolent institutions of the present day, the Prince Beelzebub called the attention of his council to another subject, as follows:

Beelzebub. You are not ignorant that the followers of the Prince Immanuel, our great enemy, especially in the American quarter of our town, consider the present as a period highly distinguished for what they call Revivals of Religion. And you know that occurrences of this kind call for all the skill and power which we possess, in order to prevent their proving a serious injury to our cause. They have, indeed, sometimes lost us many of our subjects; and sometimes we have so far succeeded in the management of them as to turn them to our

advantage. What counsel can you give, in reference to this subject?

Spirit of Persecution. I advise that we oppose them all we can. Let us persuade men that they are nothing but fanaticism and popular frenzy; that they interrupt the ordinary concerns of life, destroy the comforts of social intercourse, break up the peace of families, and the associations of friendship, unfit people for rational pursuits and enjoyments, destroy their relish for innocent amusements and recreations, render them gloomy and morose, expose their health by attendance on night meetings, and are productive of incalculable evils in the world. These are arguments by which we may work effectually on persons of all classes; and if we exert ourselves, we can array against them the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the bond and the free, and put them down as the greatest pests to society which ever infested our dominions.

Spirit of Delusion. Not so fast, brother; not so fast. I am persuaded that these means will not prove effectual. They may answer some purpose, with some sorts of people, and under some circumstances. But I have another plan to suggest, which will answer our purpose better, in general. We have had experience enough, in revivals of religion, since the world began, to know something about their nature and effects. And we must have been poor scholars indeed, if we have not learned by this time how to counterfeit them. Let us do this. I have no objection that the last speaker should employ himself, and all his division of our hosts, in the way he has pointed out. But let others of us take a different course, and adopt another set of measures. It will not be difficult for us to play into each other's hands; so that while an individual is endeavoring to escape from one of us, he may become an easy prey to another. Let as many as are skilled in the arts of deception be employed. Let counterfeit revivals be produced. And if real revivals are attended with great and astonishing effects, let us endeavor to outdo them, by producing counterfeits which shall be attended with effects still greater and more astonishing. And wherever we discover that a real revival has begun, let us be on the ground, to intermingle the counterfeit with the true. In many cases we may find it easy to produce much more of the counterfeit than there is of the true; and in all cases we may be able to intermix much of the counterfeit. And while a part of us are thus employed, let another part be employed in persuading men that such things are beyond our power, and that all revivals are alike genuine. By this means we shall gain a double advantage: For if our object is to bring all revivals into contempt, we can accomplish it in

no other way so effectually as by producing counterfeits, which shall, for a time, have an imposing appearance, and stand high in the public estimation, but afterwards sink into contempt and come to nothing. While they last, the opinion must be made to prevail, that they are all alike good; and when those of our make come to nothing, we shall be able to persuade most men that they are all alike of no value. We tried this effectually in the last century, and our success was so great that we were not again extensively troubled by revivals, for a long period. But if we should not think it most for our interest to destroy the credit of revivals, or if we should be unable to accomplish that, we shall yet gain one important advantage, by pursuing the course I have marked out. All the subjects of a counterfeit work will be rendered more completely in our power, and our chains will be more firmly riveted on them than they were before. If they can be persuaded to retain the false hopes they have embraced, they will be certainly ours; or if they should relinquish them, the probability is that we can make them believe that all pretences to experimental religion are as false and delusive as their own have proved.

Spirit of Fanaticism. I cordially approve of the counsel that has now been given, and shall stand ready to assist in carrying this plan into execution.

Spirit of Hypocrisy. I also am highly encouraged with the prospect of success which these observations lay open, and shall gladly do what I can to aid in giving effect to the plan proposed.

Spirit of Error. A better plan was never suggested. It will give full employment to me, and to all the subordinate legions under my direction.

Spirit of Vain Glory. The execution of this plan will find some employment for me too, and for those under my command.

Sp. of Per. I cannot but approve of the plan, in general; and while the most important parts of it are intrusted to others, I think I can find some employment also, in contributing to its advancement.

Beel. I entirely approve of the counsel which has now been given; and shall, no doubt, find employment for you all in carrying it into effect. But let us enter a little more into the details. It is necessary for us to understand our several parts, to consider the instruments to be employed, and the means best adapted to accomplish our purpose. Wherever we can employ our own friends, as active instruments in the work, we can expect to direct their efforts according to our wishes. But the employment of those who are at heart the real friends of

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