hireling Bishops, who, as country bagpipes, could not speak, but as breath was put into them.'

6. "An image," or idol, is a nullity; and yet it imposes upon the worshipper the guilt of idolatry. The same may be said of the Council of Trent. Mr. Mendham has excellently observed that this assembly, as to the ends for which it was professedly called, was a perfect nullity: it was a nullity, however, as an idol is a nullity, yet imposing upon the worshipper the guilt of idolatry.'

Con

7. "An image" requires worship to be paid, not only to itself, but to the prince who sets it up. tempt of the image is contempt of the prince. Worship of the image is worship of the prince. Contempt or worship of the image implies contempt or worship of the prince, who sets it up, and contempt of, or acquiescence in, his religion. This is accurately exemplified in the history of the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar the King, had set up. The decree, of which proclamation was made by an herald, was this: "To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image, that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up. And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace." But the charge brought against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, was contempt of the king and his gods, as well as of the golden image. "These men, O king, have not regarded thee, they

serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up ? It was true. They were determined neither to serve his gods, nor to worship his golden image. "Be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.'

In like manner those who worship "the IMAGE," worship" the BEAST; in other words, those who worship the COUNCIL OF TRENT worship the POPE.

They worship the BEAST and his IMAGE." The Council directs its worshippers to worship the Pope; to promise true obedience to him, as 'Successor to St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles and Vicar of Jesus Christ.'

For these reasons the Council of Trent is represented by St. John as an Image made to the Pope. And the second of these reasons excludes every other Council.

CHAPTER II.

THE POPE'S LEGATES AND THE JESUITS CONTRIVE TO MAKE THE COUNCIL OF TRENT AN IMAGE TO THE POPE. SPEECH OF LAYNEZ, THE GENERAL OF THE JESUITS, TO THE ASSEMBLED PRELATES.

66 SAYING TO THEM THAT DWELL ON THE EARTH, THAT THEY SHOULD MAKE AN IMAGE ΤΟ THE BEAST WHICH HAD THE WOUND BY A SWORD AND DID LIVE."-Verse 14.

By the phrase "those who dwell on the earth" we understand the Popish Prelates assembled from all parts of Europe. It is well known that the Council of Trent professes to be an Ecumenical or General Council. It was said that a general Council was assembled at Trent by the Pope for the settling of religion and removing of controversies and that all nations from all parts, England alone excepted, were there assembled. At Trent the world, or " they who dwelt on the earth," were called together and no sooner was the meeting convened, than the order was given to make an Image to the Beast.

By the artifices of the Pope's Legates-by the

clause proponentibus legatis-by the servility of the indigent Italian Bishops-by the powerful assistance given to the Pope by the Jesuits-it came to pass that the Council decreed just what the Pope pleased; and became, as St. John had prophesied it would become, an Image to the Beast. The following extract from a letter of the Bishop of Five Churches to the Emperor Maximilian will throw light upon the proceedings of the Council.

'What good could be done in that Council, in which the Votes were not weighed, but numbered? If goodness of the cause, if reason had been the weapons to fight withal, though we were but few, we had vanquished a great army of our enemies. But seeing that number only came into the field, in which we were far inferior to them, though our cause were good, we could not possibly prevail. The Pope had an hundred for one, and in case those had not been enough, he could have created a thousand more to have helped at a need. We daily saw hungry and needy Bishops come to Trent, youths for the most part, which did but begin to have beards, given over to luxury and riot, hired only to give their voice as the Pope pleased. They were both unlearned and simple, yet fit for their purpose in regard of their impudent boldness. When these were added to the Pope's old flatterers, iniquity triumphed, and it was impossible to determine of any thing but as they pleased, who thought it to be the highest point of their religion to maintain the authority and luxury of the Pope. There was a grave and learned man, who

was not able to endure so great an indignity: he was presently traduced as being no good Catholic, and was terrified, threatened and persecuted, that he might approve things against his will. In sum, matters were brought to that pass by the iniquity of those who came thither fitted and prepared, that the Council seemed to consist not of Bishops, but of disguised maskers, not of men, but of Images, such as Dædalus made, that moved by nerves which were none of their own. They were hireling Bishops, who as country bagpipes, could not speak but as breath was put into them. The Holy Ghost had nothing to do in this assembly; all the counsels there given proceeded from human policy, and tended only to maintain the Pope's immoderate and shameful domination. Answers were expected from thence, as from the oracles of Delphos and Dodona. The Holy Spirit, which, as they boast, doth govern their counsels, was sent from thence in a postilion's cloak-bag, which, in case of any inundations, could not come thither (a thing most ridiculous!) until the waters were assuaged. So it came to pass that the Spirit was not upon the waters, as it is in Genesis, but by the water's side. O monstrous extraordinary madness! Nothing could be ratified, which the Bishops (as if they had been the common people) did decree, unless the Pope made himself the author of it.'

To this we will add the testimony of the French Ambassadors, Lansac and Pibrac. The former writes thus to the King of France:

'We have not as yet proposed the Articles of