church, and in the control and
moral government of the universe.

Again, on the groundless and chimerical assumption of those expositors
who view these epistles as prophetical of seven successive periods of
the destiny of the church general, the last estate would be worse than
the first,--Laodicea being the worst of all. But this is obviously
contrary to the description contained in ch. xx. 1-10, where the saints
are represented as in possession and exercise of all their purchased and
social rights. Neither does authentic history prove that the church of
Christ was more prosperous under the "ten persecutions" by the heathen
Roman emperors than in the apostolic age, as the superior condition of
the church in Smyrna to that of Ephesus would require. The very contrary
is true; and hence the groundlessness of such interpretation, however
respectable the names of its authors. The object of our Saviour in all
the instructions, counsels, warnings, rebukes and threatenings addressed
to these several churches is doubtless the real benefit of his people in
after generations;--just as his dealings with the church in Old
Testament times, "were written for our admonition and learning." (Rom.
xv. 4; 1 Cor. x. 11.) Moreover, some persons have inferred from our
Lord's treatment of these churches, a _divine warrant_ for the
existence, and an imperative Christian duty for the charitable
recognition, of all the conflicting and antagonistic organizations of
our time, popularly styled Christian churches. But as the designation,
"Christian churches," is in the apprehension of some too general, the
term "evangelical" is used by them as restrictive of the term
"Christian." Still the question will present itself,--What constitutes a
church "evangelical?" And this question is still without any definite
answer. Perhaps no two persons would include in one category the same
denominations of professing Christians. For example,--Is a community to
be considered a Christian church in which the "doctrine of Balaam" is
taught? Does the law of charity require the recognition of an
organization as a Christian church, in which a "Jezebel would be
suffered to teach, and to seduce the servants of Christ?" Is that a
Christian church which denies the supreme deity of Christ, and rejects
the seals of the covenant of grace,--the only charter of the Christian
church's existence, on earth? Or is that combination to be viewed as a
Christian church which has no regul