was propagated over the world by floods of secret agents, called propagandists (propagators), who were furnished with ample funds for their purpose. Their dependence was on poisoning the sentiments of mankind, obtaining the management of the means of education, of governments, and of armies, to promote their designs. They managed the revolution in France, in 1789, and their numerous armies took the field. A military empire soon arose, and floods of terror poured forth with a velocity which seemed like a flood indeed from the mouth of the infernal dragon. It was designed and calculated to revolutionize the world, overturning all true religion and morality, and all virtuous civil government. Its professed object was to render the human race happy, by freeing them from all restraints upon their lusts and passions. But the real object of this horrid scheme was cautiously concealed from their candidates, and men in the lower orders of their system; and it was gradually revealed to candidates for the higher degrees, as it was found they could endure it without alarm.

This execrable scheme of Voltaire, under the express design of showing that "one man could overturn the Christian religion," took effect in old Catholic countries like fire touched to a trail of powder. Their noted watchwords were, "Crush the wretch !"-meaning Christ: "Strike deep, but hide the hand!" "The world must be bound by invisible hands!" The development of this system is to be found in the following works: viz. "Proofs of a Conspiracy," by Doctor John Robison, Professor of Natural Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh; in the Abbé Barruel's "Memoirs of the French Revolution;" and in Doctor Payson's "Modern Antichrist." These horrid floods Satan found means to roll over Christendom. Lodges of illuminees were planted throughout the civilized world; grasping and polluting the means of education, and labouring by sly intrigue to fill with men of their own order, all places of trust and of interest. these movements of the dragon, the United States of America were by no means overlooked. So fair a seat of Zion was the first object of Satan, though his plot commenced in old lands. This is learned in our text and context, where the woman, in her distant retreat is represented as the great object of Satan's rage. This scheme was formed in the hot-bed of papal corruption; or

In

in the infidelity resulting from it. The flood must there be first collected, and thence poured forth over Europe, and over the Atlantic. As masonry had been its successful cover in old lands; it was still depended on as its successful vehicle through the world. This system of wickedness slyly planted itself by the side of speculative masonry, with a view to lead its members, through degrees before unknown, under the notion of finding exalted wisdom. Masons of high repute saw and deplored the fact, that their order was capable of such a horrid use; and they sounded the alarm and fled from it, as we find in the aforenamed European authors. Lodges of illuminees were early planted in our states, as has appeared from ample evidence, though they were cautious to conceal the name. President Dwight, in 1798, wrote thus: "Illuminism exists in our country. And the impious mockery of the sacrament described by Robison has been acted here." He again says, speaking of the rise of this order; "Under these circumstances were founded the societies of Illuminism. They of course spread with a rapidity, which nothing but fact could have induced any sober mind to believe. Before the year 1786, they were established in great numbers, through Germany, Sweden, Prussia, Poland, Austria, Holland, France, Switzerland, Italy, England, Scotland, and America." In all these places (adds Dr. Dwight) was taught the grand sweeping principle of corruption, "that the goodness of the end sanctifies the means." This writer said he received his information from a principal officer of the American masons. A letter was intercepted from a lodge of illuminism in Virginia, to a lodge of the same order in New-York, in which were emblems of carnage and death, and things unknown to the grades of masonry which had previously existed in this country. This letter was from the lodge Wisdom, which was a branch of the Grand Orient of Paris, and was the 2260th descendant from that parent stock. This great number then of lodges of their order, must have been planted at least in the twelve afore-noted different nations. And in this letter it appeared that there were many lodges of this order in our United States. A mason of high standing at the south, in a letter to President Dwight, dated March 3d, 1800, says, "The lodge in Portsmouth, to which you allude, called the French lodge, was con

sidered by me as under the modern term of masonry” (illuminism). In another letter to the same, he says, That you had good grounds to suspect the designs of the lodge at Portsmouth (Vir.) I have no reason to doubt. Their work was to effect the plans of France in this country." A member of that lodge was heard to boast that he belonged to a lodge in Europe in which the French revolution of 1789 was planned. A gentleman of the first respectability, who had been grand master of all the lodges in the state in which he lived, informed me, upon reading my Dissertation on the Prophecies, that while he was thus a grand master, a bundle of papers from the eastern continent came by a natural mistake into his hands. That in it were masonic emblems, masonic language, and things apparently of great design, but all perfectly above his comprehension. This was before he had heard of illuminism. He knew not what to make of it; and said, when Illuminism was disclosed by Robison and Barruel, he was fully prepared to believe the account. And his influence with his masonic brethren in the state where he lived was so great, that when they began to express resentment at the disclosures of these things, he hushed them to peace,-telling them the disclosures were true, and they ought to know it. In a printed oration delivered before the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of New-York, Feb. 1801, by their grand chaplain, Rev. John Earnst, is the following warning: "The deep designs of masons, called the illuminati, who have almost inundated Europe, and are fast gaining ground in America, have clearly demonstrated the abuse which untiled masonic lodges have met with, and how they, when not guarded, can be revolutionized and moulded at pleasure." Happy, had such warning been taken! A man of name, who with his wife was a professor of religion, informed me that their son had occasion to reside some years in one of the middle states, and he returned a gross infidel. He told them he had learned this in a society there instituted from France; and assured them that such societies abounded in our nation, and soon a gospel minister would not be supported. If any of them existed, they would be objects of scorn. The Christian religion (he said) was all an imposition, and soon would be no more. Gertanner, in his Memoirs of the

French Revolution, said, that the propagators of the French masonry were (in 1791) fifty thousand; and that their funds were vast; at that time, six millions of dollars. These men were sent over the civilized world, and liberally dispersed in America. It was a maxim in their code, that "it is better to defer fifty years, than to fail of success by too much precipitancy." Such notices should not be misimproved by the friends of religion and of liberty. Robespierre declared that revolutionary designs were the object of the diplomatic mission of Genet to this country. His haste and imprudence to effect these designs, soon, by the faithfulness of Washington, occasioned his recall.

He however took up his residence in this country, and no doubt learned that greater caution was needful in this nation. In an intercepted letter of the noted French Fauchet, this object of French Illuminism in our land was fully exposed. The insurrection in the west of Pennsylvania was occasioned by it; to suppress which, required an army of 15,000 men, and a million of dollars,-precious fruits of the infidel system planted in our country. Even Washington himself was denounced by this hateful foreign influence, and was declared to be an enemy to his country! That best of men, noticing this base treatment in a letter to a friend, said, that their abuse of him was in "such indecent terms as could scarcely be applied to a Nero, or to a notorious defaulter." In another letter to a friend, he said, "They (the French) have been deceived in their calculations on the powerful support from their party here; though it is doubtful still, whether that party, which has been a curse to this country, may not be able to continue their delusions." He said again, in a letter, "That those self-created societies which have spread themselves over this nation, have been labouring incessantly to sow the seeds of distrust, jealousy, and discontent,-hoping thereby to effect some revolution in our government,-is not unknown to you. they have been the fomenters of the western insurrection, admits of no doubt." When this father of his country retired from the presidential chair, he was most shamefully denounced and insulted by this same hateful influence; and the friends of the nation were called upon to keep a jubilee on the occasion. The language thus boldly used T

That

against this best of men and father of his country, was abusive, cruel, and false. No wonder, then, that that great and good man, in his farewell address, warned his beloved nation as follows: "Beware of all secret combinations, under whatever plausible character."

Such were the floods which flowed from the mouth of the infernal serpent, and which rolled even over the Atlantic to America. On the old continent, these floods were vastly terrible, as is shown in lectures on chapter xvii., to which the reader is referred. The floods of horror there rolled mountains high; rolling in seas of blood, and revolutions; rolling for a quarter of a century; and plunging ten millions of the human race, as has been calculated from high intelligence,* in premature death. The French armies, which swelled these floods, were vast, most successful, and terrible. Zion trembled for her ark, and said, "These be the days of vengeance!" An army of 400,000 men (as has been shown) were finally seen moving, with the most powerful preparations, into the north of Europe, with a design to sweep away the last barriers against a universal military despotism. But this was overruled to bring things to a kind of crisis for the time then present, in favour of Zion, and of liberty.

Ver. 16. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

The church's necessity is God's opportunity. When the floods of dangers seem about to overwhelm the cause of Zion, God interposes, like the earth's opening her mouth, and burying every enemy; as in the case of Korah and his company. When they seemed about to destroy all the order and peace of Israel, the earth under their feet clave asunder; and they went down alive into the pit; which closed again upon them. This was an emblem of God's protection of his cause. And though but one exactly such a case ever occurred, yet multitudes of events have occurred in a measure similar,-like the destruction of Haman, which set at liberty the Jews from the effects of his vile decree. God often causes some providential event to occur, to confound the enemies of Zion, and to protect

* President Dwight.