Church, except the outward symbols of Christianity, and the name of a religion which no longer had its power.

This worldly-crowned Church continued to swell and spread herself in pride and ambition, loading her services with empty forms and showy ceremonies, substituting these for the spirit of religion, which had departed from her.

The eye of prophecy follows this Church, and warns the world at different periods of her apostacy, by the symbolic language of the three following seals, against being deceived by her false and spurious pretensions to the character of the true Church of Christ. We are not to suppose that this apostacy left the world without the presence of the true religion. Although the life and power of it had departed from the visible and worldly Church, there was yet a remnant, a little faithful band, who clung to the faith, and maintained the doctrines of their Lord. Their numbers were few, and they seldom came under the notice of the world. They were far away from the pomp and pride, the gaze and the flattery of the great. They were literally the Church in the wilderness ; and there we leave them, and shall not behold them again in the visions of prophecy for a thousand years, but still they are with the use of the simple bow, fulfilling by slow and difficult steps the destiny assigned to the white horse power,— they are going on conquering and to conquer.

The visions of the Apocalypse, perhaps in no instance, and certainly not in either of those of the four horses, are intended to represent an event which just occurs, and then ceases. But they are intended to announce the rise of important principles, or influences, which will be found running through a long course of the Church's history, or distinguishing eras of the world's political history.

THE SECOND SEAL.

3. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

4. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

The color of the horse in the second seal is in conformity with the turbulence, contentions, and bloodshed which disgraced the Church for several successive centuries; a color denoting an angry and sanguinary state of things.

Her exaltation to national supremacy was followed by theological disputes, as violent in their character as the subjects of them were endless in their variety.

There are three peculiarities described under the second seal.

First, Taking peace from the earth;

Secondly,-Killing one another; and

Thirdly, A great sword is given to him that sat upon the horse.

In this, as in the other seals, where the horse is the symbol, the people are to be considered as represented by the horse. The ecclesiastical power was represented by him that sat upon the horse: the change from the white to the red horse, implies the first decided step which the Church has taken in her apostacy. From the state of gospel purity and peace, she has fallen to the warlike and sanguinary temper expressed by the color of the horse.

There is nothing of a political nature in this symbol. That the peace of the world should be disturbed and destroyed by the civil commotions and political revolutions which were of such frequent occurrence, was a matter of no astonishment. Wars and rumors of wars were the employment and excite

ment in which and for which government seemed to exist. But to correct and subdue those angry passions and compose the turbulent spirits of men, was the work which the Christian Church was to perform, in the world. But this seal develops the amazing fact, that instead of these works of peace and good will amongst men, the Church has so far fallen from her faith and steadfastness, that she is actually engaged in taking peace from the earth! She has thrown off the meek and quiet spirit of the gospel, and has entered into fierce and angry conflict, thereby destroying the peace of the earth. This state of disorder marked the character of the worldly Church for near three hundred years after the crown was given to her. The history of that period can afford no pleasure to the lovers of religious peace and harmony, and the rehearsal of its events would be both tedious and disgusting. They are eloquently, and no doubt correctly, described by Gibbon, and are portrayed with more or less reprobation by the historians of the Church.

The seat of ecclesiastic and civil power was at this time at Constantinople, and it is said that the Emperor Theodosius found it more difficult to restrain his spiritual than his temporal subjects.

Theological feuds rent the Church in every direction. Sects and parties were arrayed against each other, and when argument failed the sword was often unsheathed to enforce or defend the heresy. "Every wind," says Gibbon, "scattered "around the Empire the leaves of controversy, and the voice "of the combatants on a sonorous theatre, re-echoed in the "cells of Palestine and Egypt."

One instance of the manner in which those sectarian controversies were conducted will be sufficient to show, that the temper and spirit of the Church at that time was truly represented by the red horse; and that the fruits of her religion, instead of being righteousness and peace, were tumult and confusion; taking peace from the earth.

"The first council of Ephesus was convened A.D. 431 to

"consider and decide upon the disputed points respectively "maintained by Nestorius, a Syrian bishop, and Cyril, a dignitary of equal order at Alexandria.

“The rival Primates appeared with retinues of ecclesiastic "and military abettors.

"Nestorius was followed by a band of sturdy slaves armed "and ready for every service of injury or defence. But his "adversary Cyril was more powerful in the weapons both of "the flesh and the spirit. A crowd of peasants, the slaves "of the Church, was poured into the city to support with "blows and clamors a metaphysical argument. The fleet, "which had transported Cyril from Alexandria, was laden "with the riches of Egypt; and he disembarked a numerous "body of mariners, slaves and fanatics, enlisted with blind "obedience under the banner of St. Mark. The council was "hastily convened by Cyril, whose imposing retinue awed "his adversaries whilst it increased his numbers. Nestorius "in vain protested against the premature proceeding of Cyril, and urged delay, as he looked for support from the "Eastern bishops then on their way to the Council. Cyril "would listen to no proposals for delay although requested "in the name of the Emperor, by his imperial minister, who was driven with outrage and insult from the Council! The "sentence of condemnation was proclaimed against Nesto'rius, and was celebrated by the illuminations, the songs, "and the tumult of the night.

แ

Shortly after the discussion, the Eastern bishops ar"rived. The unjust and hasty proceedings of Cyril were 'represented to them by the imperial minister. With equal "haste and violence the Eastern bishops degraded Cyril and "Memnon from their episcopal honors, and described the "Alexandrian primate as a monster, born and educated for "the destruction of the Church. The vigilance of Memnon "defeated the purpose of the Council in the appointment of

a more worthy shepherd, by causing all the churches to be "shut against them, and a strong garrison to be thrown into

"the cathedral. The troops under the command of Candi"dian, the imperial minister, advanced to the assault; the outguards were routed and put to the sword, but the place was impregnable: the besiegers retired; their retreat was pursued by a vigorous sally: they lost their horses, and many of the soldiers were dangerously wounded with clubs "and stones. Ephesus was defiled with rage and clamor, "with sedition and blood: the rival synods darted anathemas and excommunications from their spiritual engines; "and the court of Theodosius was perplexed by the adverse "and contradictory narratives of the Syrian and Egyptian "factions. The Emperor employed every means to soothe "and quiet the belligerent ecclesiastics, but without success. "The patience of the meek Theodosius was provoked, and he "dissolved in anger this episcopal tumult. 'God is my wit"'ness,' said the pious prince, that I am not the author of "this confusion. His providence will discern and punish the "guilty. Return to your provinces, and may your private "virtues repair the mischief and scandal of your meeting.'

No picture designed to represent the taking of peace from the earth could more fully effect that object, than the representation of this first Council of Ephesus does. And the sequel of it is as remarkable as the proceedings of the council were. The Emperor, whose word would have filled the world with battle, shocked by the disorderly conduct of those ecclesiastics, solemnly protests before God that he is innocent of the tumult and confusion produced by the council.

I have taken this account of the first Council of Ephesus from Gibbon, with as much abbreviation as is consistent with a clear exposition of the leading facts. I have no reference at all to the merits of the matter in controversy; my only object is, to show that the way they conducted their theological controversies in that day was in perfect accordance with the words of the prophet, taking peace from the earth.

The stubborn and intractable spirit of the primates, their scornful rejection of the terms proposed by the Emperor for