. There
has been a consistent unity of spirit and of characteristic, and a
persistent devilishness marking the wickedness in the world throughout
the ages.

It has been as though there were an unseen spirit power tirelessly at
work _behind_ all the varied manifestations of evil. The dominant
characteristic always has been blasphemy of God. It has controlled
thrones and royal power, and has had unlimited gold at its command. And
it has always been an enemy, subtle or open, cunning or violent, of God
and His people.

That system or genius of evil is represented in the Old Testament as
finding expression in one great political power after another, but
chiefly in the power of Babylon. Babylon stands typically in these older
pages, not merely for the great empire of the Euphrates, but for the
unseen spirit of evil lying behind that power, and making use of it to
carry through its own foul purposes.

But that unseen evil spirit power has found more than one agency to
dominate and use. Babylon long since passed off the stage as a political
factor. But the power of evil has not ceased. It is distressing to note
another great organization behind and through which the power of evil
has worked. What is the system that has, for the past sixteen
centuries, been supported by the various great civil governments?

There is only one answer. It is the organization known as "the Christian
Church." And the term Church must be taken here in its fullest, broadest
meaning. Its great main stem historically is the Roman Catholic Church.
The first great split-off was the Greek Orthodox Church. The Church of
England was a later break-off. These, with the various government-ally
supported Churches, and those free of such support, and various ancient
primitive bodies,--these all together make up the organization known as
"the Church."

The two symbolical characteristics of this woman and the two dominant
characteristics of this historical Church are the same. The Church has
been and is supported almost wholly by the civil governments, and used
by them in furthering their policies. And it has been active in
persecuting to death the people of God who would not yield to its
domination. It has been marked by intolerance of all not yielding to its
wishes, and especially of the Jew. That intolerance has been carried not
only to the extreme of blood, but a riot of bloodshed. This is utterly
heart-breaking to realize and to repeat.

The woman is sa