2 CHRIST AND ANTICHRIST OR JESUS OF NAZARETH PROVED TO BE THE MESSIAH AND THE PAPACY PROVED TO BE THE ANTICHRIST PREDICTED IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. BY THE R . SAMUEL J. CASSELS EV Late of Norfolk, Virginia. >wnyby sylyk(cid:141)mh — The wise shall understand. PHILADELPHIA: PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION. 3 CONTENTS PART 1 JESUS PROVED TO BE THE MESSIAH I R NTRODUCTORY EMARKS PREFACE CHAPTER 1 The Genealogy of Jesus CHAPTER 2 The Birth of Jesus CHAPTER 3 The Birth-place of Jesus CHAPTER 4 The Time when Jesus made his Appearance CHAPTER 5 The Testimony of Inspired Witnesses CHAPTER 6 Direct Testimony from Heaven CHAPTER 7 The Personal Testimony of Jesus 4 CHAPTER 8 The Miracles of Jesus CHAPTER 9 The Character of Jesus. CHAPTER 10 Jesus a Teacher CHAPTER 11 Jesus a Sacrifice and Priest. CHAPTER 12 Jesus a King. CHAPTER 13 The Resurrection of Jesus CHAPTER 14 The Blessings conferred on the Gentiles by Jesus PART 2 THE PAPACY PROVED TO BE ANTICHRIST I R NTRODUCTORY EMARKS CHAPTER 1 The Seat of Antichrist CHAPTER 2 The Time of Antichrist 5 CHAPTER 3 Antichrist a peculiar Power CHAPTER 4 Antichrist an Apostate from the Christian Faith CHAPTER 5 Antichrist an Idolater CHAPTER 6 Antichrist a Blasphemer CHAPTER 7 Antichrist an Innovator CHAPTER 8 Antichrist a Persecutor CHAPTER 9 Antichrist the Possessor of great Riches CHAPTER 10 Antichrist the Possessor of great Power CHAPTER 11 Antichrist distinguished for Craft and pretended Miracles CHAPTER 12 Antichrist a Reprobate CHAPTER 13 The Downfall of Antichrist NOTES 6 RECCOMENDATIONS T undersigned having examined the general plan and some of the parts HE of a new work, termed Christ and Antichrist, believe that the publication of said work would much tend to promote the cause of our common Christianity. The arguments both for the Messiahship of Jesus, and the Antichristian character of the Papacy, are strong and convincing. Much advantage, too, is derived from the fact, that these arguments are placed in a sort of parallelism with each other. No real Christian will be prepared to deny the Messiahship of Jesus. But the author shows, that the very same mode of proof will also establish the Antichristian character of the Papacy. In this way the argument against Popery is presented with great advantage. The individual and peculiar views of the author we do not pretend to endorse; nor can we express an opinion as to those parts of the volume which we have not examined. So far, however, as our examination has gone, we take great pleasure in giving our approval to the publication of this new and apparently interesting work. MOSES D. HOGE, Pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Va. S.J.P. ANDERSON, Pastor of the Presbyterian Church, Danville, Va. ROBERT BOYTE C. HOWELL, Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Nashville, Tenn. EDWARD WADSWORTH, Pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Norfolk, Va. JAMES R. GILLAND, Pastor of Fishing Creek Presbyterian Church, Chester District, South Carolina. DAVID CALDWELL, Rector of St. Paul’s Church, Norfolk, Virginia. UPTON BEALL, Rector of Christ Church, Norfolk, Virginia. 7 JAMES B. TAYLOR, Corresponding Secretary of Foreign Mission Board, Southern Baptist Convention, Richmond, Va. STEPHEN TAYLOR, Pastor of the High Street Presbyterian Church, Petersburg, Virginia. E. D. SANDERS, Pastor of the Lebanon Presbyterian Church, Prince George county, Virginia. JOHN LEYBURN, Pastor of the Presbyterian Church, Petersburg, Va. JOSEPH C. STILES, Pastor of the United Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Va. SAMUEL L. GRAHAM, D.D. Professor of Oriental Literature, Union Theological Seminary, Virginia. From an exhibit made to me of the outline of this work by the author, I am exceedingly interested in his plan, as novel and advantageous; and hope he will be able speedily to put it to press, and that it will have wide circulation. JAMES G. HAMNER, Pastor of the Fifth Presbyterian Church, Baltimore. It will give me great pleasure to see this work in print, and judging from the brief hearing I have had of its plan, as given me by its estimable author, I am prepared to hear that it will be well received by the Christian public, and extensively useful. HENRY V.D. JOHNS, Rector of Christ Church, Baltimore. G. W. MUSGRAVE, Pastor of the Third Presbyterian Church, Baltimore. Circumstances have not permitted me to examine the work Mr. C. proposes to publish, but the plan, as explained by himself, strikes me very favorably; and his general reputation affords a sufficient guarantee that it is executed with ability. I hope the work will be published and widely circulated. 8 H.A. BOARDMAN, Pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia. July 1, 1846. I take much pleasure in saying, that I have great respect for the person and understanding of the author of the fore-mentioned work. I know that he has read and thought much on the subject of which he has written, and I regret very much that I cannot have an hour’s leisure to examine the work. I can only say I shall look for the work with much interest, and hope the author may find a liberal publisher. WILLIAM S. PLUMER. Richmond, Virginia, June 24, 1846. I regret that the stay of the author of the above work in Richmond is so brief, that I cannot have time to examine more fully than I have done his manuscript. But from my impression of the plan and execution, I am inclined to think that the chief excellency of the work consists in the distinctness with which it exhibits the evidence that Jesus is the Christ, and that the Papal Church is Antichrist — in its adaptedness to the capacities of ordinary readers, in its simplicity, and in its freedom from language and expressions calculated to give offense. The author has gone “to the Law and the Testimony,” more fully than is common with writers on the Papacy; and this, after all, is the greatest recommendation of the work — for the word of God is that sword of the Spirit which must effect the conquest. I could wish to see it not only published, but very extensively circulated, and such I am inclined to think will be the fact, when its merits become known. B. GILDERSLEEVE, Editor of the Watchman and Observer, Richmond, Va. 9 PREFACE A many judicious and excellent ministers of various Christian S denominations have recommended the publication of the following work, the author sincerely hopes, that the mere circumstance that it is issued by a particular Board, will not hinder its general circulation. It is not a sectarian, but a Christian and Protestant work. Both the subjects, too, of which it treats are not only of general interest to all Christians, but of special interest to the whole church at the present time. More, probably, than at any past period, is the Church seeking the universal establishment of the kingdom of Christ on earth. Two special obstacles in the accomplishment of that result are Judaism and Antichristianity. Remove these, and how rapid and glorious would be the spread of the gospel over the whole earth! This fact is beginning to be well appreciated by Christians both in Europe and America. Hence, the recent missions to the Jews, and also, to several Papal countries. The author hopes, therefore, that he has taken his stand, not simply in the great controversy, but also in the great spirit of the age. Let then the following pages be perused, not with the belligerent feeling of religious controversy, but with the prayer of our Lord — “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 10 INTRODUCTION T history of the human race has wonderfully exhibited the craft and HE malignity of Satan, as contrasted with the power and grace of God. When the destiny of that race was suspended upon the observance of a particular precept, the great enemy, through his subtlety, effected the violation of that precept, and the consequent condemnation of the human species. But good arose out of evil. Divine grace had provided a Deliverer, and the assurance was given, that “the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head.” Soon after this, the malignity of Satan is seen, in promoting bloodshed and slaughter among mankind. Cain kills his brother, and “the earth is filled with violence.” Here again Jehovah interposes. Noah is commanded to build an ark, in which, not only himself and family were for a time to be deposited; but, in which, through this one family, all future generations were to be preserved. A flood of waters then desolates the earth, the ungodly are destroyed; but the chosen family outride the storm and are safely landed on the sunny top of Ararat. A few centuries after this awful warning, the great deceiver introduces idolatry into the world. Those created things, which God had ordained to minister to the wants of men, are themselves converted into deities. The settlers of new colonies, the inventors of useful arts, venerated ancestors, are all considered as so many gods. Nor did the evil stop here. These distant objects and revered names, must be brought nigh to the worshipper; they must approach his senses. To effect this; pictures, images, and statues were introduced; and even these received divine worship! God interposes again. Abraham is called from Ur of Chaldea, and he and his posterity are made the depositaries of the truth and promises of Jehovah. The enemy, however, pursues this chosen race. He raises up among them false prophets; he leads even Israel into idolatry! For these breaches of his covenant, God punished his people in various ways; and ultimately caused them to endure a long and afflictive captivity in a foreign land. 11 Rescued from their visible idolatry, the next device of the great apostate was to obscure and corrupt those living oracles of God, by which Israel was to be governed. The synagogue has now taken the place of the grove, and the Rabbi that of the prophet of Baal. The word of God is now the professed object of study. Learned men are raised up, and schools of biblical literature are established. But inquiries are pursued beyond the testimony of God, and tradition is made the interpreter of Scripture. Soon this tradition is exalted into an authority equal, or even superior to that of the written word; while the strange spectacle is exhibited, of a people, with the law of God in their hands, yet following “the doctrines and commandments of men.” It was at this period, the great Deliverer appeared. The doctrines of Jesus were designed to bring men back from human testimony to that which is divine. Tradition, philosophy, human teaching, all he subjected to revelation. By his death too, and priestly intercession in heaven, he abolished the pre-existing priesthood and ritual, and introduced a simple and spiritual mode of worship, adapted to all nations, and designed for universal prevalence. He abolished, in short the slavery of men and introduced the freedom of God. This new system met with special opposition from Satan. He stimulated first the Jews, and afterwards the Romans, to persecute and destroy it. Favored however by God it ultimately triumphs. Embraced at first by the people, it afterwards enters the palaces of the great, and even ascends the throne of the Caesars. This new aspect of affairs, led Satan to a different mode of attack. Unable to crush the new system, he undertakes its corruption. This was effected chiefly by the Papacy, a scheme more subtle in its conception, more extensive in its operations, and more destructive in its effects, than any ever devised for the overthrow of the truth and church of God. Already have God’s people been, in a great measure, delivered from this tyrannical power. The yoke of iron has been broken, the walls of brass have fallen down. The light of the Reformation now happily shines upon a large portion of Christendom: and millions there are, who rejoice in the truths which Popery for centuries had eclipsed, and hidden from the world. Nor is this all; we have the promise of Jehovah himself, that the
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