to　talk　of　His　blood；　and　take　away　His　crown；　to　set　light　by　any　part　of
  His　law；　under　pretense　of　advancing　His　gospel。　Nor　indeed　can　anyone
  escape　this　charge；　who　preaches　faith　in　any　such　a　manner　as　either
  directly　or　indirectly　tends　to　set　aside　any　branch　of　obedience：　who
  preaches　Christ　so　as　to　disannul；　or　weaken　in　any　wise；　the　least　of　the
  commandments　of　God。〃Ibid。
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  To　those　who　urged　that　〃the　preaching　of　the　gospel　answers　all　the　ends　of
  the　law；〃　Wesley　replied：　〃This　we　utterly　deny。　It　does　not　answer　the　very
  first　end　of　the　law；　namely；　the　convincing　men　of　sin；　the　awakening　those
  who　are　still　asleep　on　the　brink　of　hell。〃　The　apostle　Paul　declares　that
  〃by　the　law　is　the　knowledge　of　sin；〃　〃and　not　until　man　is　convicted　of
  sin；　will　he　truly　feel　his　need　of　the　atoning　blood　of　Christ。　。　。　。　'They
  that　be　whole；'　as　our　Lord　Himself　observes；　'need　not　a　physician；　but
  they　that　are　sick。'　It　is　absurd；　therefore；　to　offer　a　physician　to　them
  that　are　whole；　or　that　at　least　imagine　themselves　so　to　be。　You　are　first
  to　convince　them　that　they　are　sick；　otherwise　they　will　not　thank　you　for
  your　labor。　It　is　equally　absurd　to　offer　Christ　to　them　whose　heart　is
  whole；　having　never　yet　been　broken。〃Ibid。；　sermon　35。
  Thus　while　preaching　the　gospel　of　the　grace　of　God；　Wesley；　like　his
  Master；　sought　to　〃magnify　the　law；　and　make　it　honorable。〃　Faithfully　did
  he　accomplish　the　work　given　him　of　God；　and　glorious　were　the　results　which
  he　was　permitted　to　behold。　At　the　close　of　his　long　life　of　more　than
  fourscore　yearsabove　half　a　century　spent　in　itinerant　ministryhis
  avowed　adherents　numbered　more　than　half　a　million　souls。　But　the　multitude
  that　through　his　labors　had　been　lifted　from　the　ruin　and　degradation　of　sin
  to　a　higher　and　a　purer　life；　and　the　number　who　by　his　teaching　had
  attained　to　a　deeper　and　richer　experience；　will　never　be　known　till　the
  whole　family　of　the　redeemed　shall　be　gathered　into　the　kingdom　of　God。　His
  life　presents　a　lesson　of　priceless　worth　to　every　Christian。　Would　that　the
  faith　and　humility；　the　untiring　zeal；　self…sacrifice；　and　devotion　of　this
  servant　of　Christ　might　be　reflected　in　the　churches　of　today！
  （265）
  Chapter　15
  The　Bible　and　the　French　Revolution
  In　the　sixteenth　century　the　Reformation；　presenting　an　open　Bible　to　the
  people；　had　sought　admission　to　all　the　countries　of　Europe。　Some　nations
  welcomed　it　with　gladness；　as　a　messenger　of　Heaven。　In　other　lands　the
  papacy　succeeded　to　a　great　extent　in　preventing　its　entrance；　and　the　light
  of　Bible　knowledge；　with　its　elevating　influences；　was　almost　wholly
  excluded。　In　one　country；　though　the　light　found　entrance；　it　was　not
  comprehended　by　the　darkness。　For　centuries；　truth　and　error　struggled　for
  the　mastery。　At　last　the　evil　triumphed；　and　the　truth　of　Heaven　was　thrust
  out。　〃This　is　the　condemnation；　that　light　is　come　into　the　world；　and　men
  loved　darkness　rather　than　light。〃　John　3：19。　The　nation　was　left　to　reap
  the　results　of　the　course　which　she　had　chosen。　The　restraint　of　God's
  Spirit　was　removed　from　a　people　that　had　despised　the　gift　of　His　grace。
  Evil　was　permitted　to　come　to　maturity。　And　all　the　world　saw　the　fruit　of
  willful　rejection　of　the　light。
  The　war　against　the　Bible；　carried　forward　for　so　many　centuries　in　France；
  culminated　in　the　scenes　of　the　Revolution。　That　terrible　outbreaking　was
  but　the　legitimate　result　of　Rome's　suppression　of　the　Scriptures。　（See
  Appendix。）　It　presented　the　most　striking　illustration　which　the　world　has
  ever　witnessed　of　the　working　out　of　the　papal　policy　an　illustration　of
  the　results　to　which　for　more　than　a　thousand
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  years　the　teaching　of　the　Roman　Church　had　been　tending。
  The　suppression　of　the　Scriptures　during　the　period　of　papal　supremacy　was
  foretold　by　the　prophets；　and　the　Revelator　points　also　to　the　terrible
  results　that　were　to　accrue　especially　to　France　from　the　domination　of　the
  〃man　of　sin。〃
  Said　the　angel　of　the　Lord：　〃The　holy　city　shall　they　tread　underfoot　forty
  and　two　months。　And　I　will　give　power　unto　My　two　witnesses；　and　they　shall
  prophesy　a　thousand　two　hundred　and　threescore　days；　clothed　in　sackcloth。　。
  。　。　And　when　they　shall　have　finished　their　testimony；　the　beast　that
  ascendeth　out　of　the　bottomless　pit　shall　make　war　against　them；　and　shall
  overcome　them；　and　kill　them。　And　their　dead　bodies　shall　lie　in　the　street
  of　the　great　city；　which　spiritually　is　called　Sodom　and　Egypt；　where　also
  our　Lord　was　crucified。　。　。　。　And　they　that　dwell　upon　the　earth　shall
  rejoice　over　them；　and　make　merry；　and　shall　send　gifts　one　to　another；
  because　these　two　prophets　tormented　them　that　dwelt　on　the　earth。　And　after
  three　days　and　a　half　the　Spirit　of　life　from　God　entered　into　them；　and
  they　stood　upon　their　feet；　and　great　fear　fell　upon　them　which　saw　them。〃
  Revelation　11：2…11。
  The　periods　here　mentioned〃forty　and　two　months；〃　and　〃a　thousand　two
  hundred　and　threescore　days〃are　the　same；　alike　representing　the　time　in
  which　the　church　of　Christ　was　to　suffer　oppression　from　Rome。　The　1260
  years　of　papal　supremacy　began　in　A。D。　538；　and　would　therefore　terminate　in
  1798。　（See　Appendix　note　for　page　54。）　At　that　time　a　French　army　entered
  Rome　and　made　the　pope　a　prisoner；　and　he　died　in　exile。　Though　a　new　pope
  was　soon　afterward　elected；　the　papal　hierarchy　has　never　since　been　able　to
  wield　the　power　which　it　before　possessed。
  The　persecution　of　the　church　did　not　continue　throughout　the　entire　period
  of　the　1260　years。　God　in　mercy　to　His　people　cut　short　the　time　of　their
  fiery　trial。　In　foretelling　the
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  〃great　tribulation〃　to　befall　the　church；　the　Saviour　said：　〃Except　those
  days　should　be　shortened；　there　should　no　flesh　be　saved：　but　for　the
  elect's　sake　those　days　shall　be　shortened。〃　Matthew　24：22。　Through　the
  influence　of　the　Reformation　the　persecution　was　brought　to　an　end　prior　to
  1798。
  Concerning　the　two　witnesses　the　prophet　declares　further：　〃These　are　the
  two　olive　trees；　and　the　two　candlesticks　standing　before　the　God　of　the
  earth。〃　〃Thy　word；〃　said　the　psalmist；　〃is　a　lamp　unto　my　feet；　and　a　light
  unto　my　path。〃　Revelation　11：4；　Psalm　119：105。　The　two　witnesses　represent
  the　Scriptures　of　the　Old　and　the　New　Testament。　Both　are　important
  testimonies　to　the　origin　and　perpetuity　of　the　law　of　God。　Both　are
  witnesses　also　to　the　plan　of　salvation。　The　types；　sacrifices；　and
  prophecies　of　the　Old　Testament　point　forward　to　a　Saviour　to　come。　The
  Gospels　and　Epistles　of　the　New　Testament　tell　of　a　Saviour　who　has　come　in
  the　exact　manner　foretold　by　type　and　prophecy。
  〃They　shall　prophecy　a　thousand　two　hundred　and　three…score　days；　clothed　in
  sackcloth。〃　During　the　greater　part　of　this　period；　God's　witnesses　remained
  in　a　state　of　obscurity。　The　papal　power　sought　to　hide　from　the　people　the
  word　of　truth；　and　set　before　them　false　witnesses　to　contradict　its
  testimony。　（See　Appendix。）　When　the　Bible　was　proscribed　by　religious　and
  secular　authority；　when　its　testimony　was　perverted；　and　every　effort　made
  that　men　and　demons　could　invent　to　turn　the　minds　of　the　people　from　it；
  when　those　who　dared　proclaim　its　sacred　truths　were　hunted；　betrayed；
  tortured；　buried　in　dungeon　cells；　martyred　for　their　faith；　or　compelled　to
  flee　to　mountain　fastnesses；　and　to　dens　and　caves　of　the　earththen　the
  faithful　witnesses　prophesied　in　sackcloth。　Yet　they　continued　their
  testimony　throughout　the　entire　period　of　1260　years。　In　the　darkest　times
  there　were　faithful　men　who　loved　God's　word　and　were　jealous　for　His　honor。
  To　these　loyal　servants　were
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  given　wisdom；　power；　and　authority　to　declare　His　truth　during　the　whole　of
  this　time。
  〃And　if　any　man　will　hurt　them；　fire　proceedeth　out　of　their　mouth；　and
  devoureth　their　enemies：　and　if　any　man　will　hurt　them；　he　must　in　this
  manner　be　killed。〃　Revelation　11：5。　Men　cannot　with　impunity　trample　upon
  the　word　of　God。　The　meaning　of　this　fearful　denunciation　is　set　forth　in
  the　closing　chapter　of　the　Revelation：　〃I　testify　unto　every　man　that
  heareth　the　words　of　the　prophecy　of　this　book；　If　any　man　shall　add　unto
  these　things；　God　shall　add　unto　him　the　plagues　that　are　written　in　this
  book：　and　if　any　man　shall　take　away　from　the　words　of　the　book　of　this
  prophecy；　God　shall　take　away　his　part　out　of　the　book　of　life；　and　out　of
  the　holy　city；　and　from　the　things　which　are　written　in　this　book。〃
  Revelation　22：18；　19。
  Such　are　the　warnings　which　God　has　given　to　guard　men　against　changing　in
  any　manner　that　which　He　has　revealed　or　commanded。　These　solemn
  denunciations　apply　to　all　who　by　their　influence　lead　men　to　regard　lightly
  the　law　of　God。　They　should　cause　those　to　fear　and　tremble　who　flippantly
  declare　it　a　matter　of　little　consequence　whether　we　obey　God's　law　or　not。
  All　who　exalt　their　own　opinions　above　divine　revelation；　all　who　would
  change　the　plain　meanin