A new witness for God

Front matter

Brigham Y

Brigham Young University

Harold B. I vee Library

Preface

Three quarters of a century have passed away since Joseph Smith first declared that he had received a revelation from God. From that revelation and others that followed there has sprung into existence what men call a new religion — “Mormonism;" and a new church, the institution commonly known as the "Mormon Church," the proper name of which, however, is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Though it may seem a small matter, the reader should know that "Mormonism” is not a new religion. Those who accept it do not so regard it; it makes no such pretentions. The institution commonly called the "Mormon Church," is not a new church; it makes no such pretensions, as will be seen by its very name — the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This of itself discloses what "The Mormon Church" claims to be — the Church of Jesus Christ; and to distinguish it from the Church of Jesus Christ that existed in former days, the phrase "of Latter-day Saints " is added. "Mormonism," I repeat, is not a new religion; it is the Old Religion, the Everlasting Gospel, restored again to the earth through the revelations received by Joseph Smith.

At a glance the reader will observe that these claims in behalf of "Mormonism" pre-suppose the destruction of the primitive Christian Church, a complete apos-

PREFACE.

tasy from the Christian religion: and hence, from the standpoint of a believer, “Mormonism” is the Gospel of Jesus Christ restored; and the institution which grows out of it — the church — is the Church of Jesus Christ re¬ established among men.

During the three quarters of a century that have elapsed since the first revelation was announced by Joseph Smith, the world has been flooded with ail man¬ ner of rumors concerning the origin of “Mormonism," its doctrines, its organization, its purposes, its history. Books enough to make a respectable library, as to size, have been written on these subjects, but the books, in the main, are the works of avowed enemies, or of sensa¬ tional writers who chose “Mormonism” for a subject because in it they supposed they had a theme that would be agreeable to their own vicious tastes and perverted talents, and give satisfactory returns in money for their labor. This latter class of writers have not only written without regard to truth, but without shame. They are ghouls who have preyed upon the misfortunes of an un¬ popular people solely for the money or notoriety they could make out of the enterprise.

That I may not be thought to overstate the unreli¬ ability of anti-Mormon literature, I make an excerpt from a book written by Mr. Phil. Robinson, called Sinners and Saints .* Mr. Robinson came to Utah in 1882 as a special correspondent of The New York World, and stayed in Utah some five or six months, making “Mormonism" and

PREFACE.

the Latter-day Saints a special study. On the untrust¬ worthiness of the literature in question, he says:

“Whence have the public derived their opinions about Mormonism? From anti-Mormons only. I have ran¬ sacked the literature of the subject, and yet I really could not tell anyone where to go for an impartial book about Mormonism later in date than Burton’s ‘City of the Saints,’ published in 1862. * * * But put Burton

on one side, and I think I can defy any one to name another book about the Mormons worthy of honest re¬ spect. From that truly awful book, ‘The History of the Saints,’ published by one Bennett (even an anti-Mormon has styled him ‘ the greatest rascal that ever came to the West,’) in 1842, down to Stenhouse’s in 1873, there is not to my knowledge a single Gentile work before the public that is not utterly unreliable from its distortion of facts. Yet it is from these books— for there are no others —that the American public has acquired nearly all its ideas about the people of Utah.”

It may be asked why have not the Saints themselves written books refuting the misrepresentations of their detractors, and giving correct information about them¬ selves and their religion. To that inquiry there are several answers. One is that they have made the at¬ tempt. Perhaps not on a sufficiently extensive scale. They may not have appreciated fully the importance of doing so; but chiefly the reason they have not published more books in their own defense, and have not been more solicitous about refuting slanders published against

PREFACE.

them, is because of the utter impossibility of getting a hearing. The people to whom they appealed were hope¬ lessly prejudiced against them. Their case was prejudged and they themselves condemned before a hearing could be had. These were the disadvantages under which they labored; and how serious such disadvantages are, only those know who have felt the cruel tyranny of prejudice.

Now, however, there seems to be a change in the tide of their affairs. Prejudice has somewhat subsided. There is in various quarters indications of a willingness to hear what accredited representatives of the “Mormon” faith mayQiave to say in its behalf. It is this circum¬ stance that has induced the author to present for the consideration of his fellow-men this work, which is written, however, not with a view of defending the character of the Latter-day Saints, but to set forth the message that “Mormonism” has to proclaim to the world, and point out the evidences of divine inspiration in him through whom that message was delivered.

The author has chosen for his work the title, “A New Witness for God," because that is the relation Joseph Smith, the great modern prophet, sustains to this generation; and it is the author’s purpose to prove, first, that the world stands in need of such a witness; and, second, that Joseph Smith is that witness.

The subject is treated under four Theses.

I

7 he world needs a New Witness for God.

PREFACE.

II

The Church of Christ was destroyed; there has been an apostasy from the Christian religion so complete and universal as to ?nake necessary a New Dispensation of the Gospel ;

III

The Scriptures declare that the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the last days — in the hour of God' s judgment — will be restored to the earth by a re-opening of the heavens , and giving a New Dispensation thereof to the children of men.

IV

Joseph Smith is the New Witness for God; a prophet divinely authorized to preach the Gospel and re-establish the Church of Jesus Christ on earth.

How well the writer has succeeded in sustaining these propositions, the reader will judge for himself; he only asks that his treatment of the subjects be considered with candor.

To guard against error or inaccuracy in doctrine the writer applied to the First Presidency of the Church for a committee of brethren well known for their soundness in the faith, and broad knowledge of the doctrines of the Church, to hear read the manuscript of this book. Whereupon Elder Franklin D. Richards, one of the Twelve Apostles of the New Dispensation, and Church Historian; Elder George Reynolds, one of the author’s fellow-Presidents in the First Council of the Seventies; and Elder John Jaques,

PREFACE.

Assistant Church Historian, were appointed as such com¬ mittee; and to these brethren, for their patient labor in reading the manuscript, and for their suggestions and corrections, the writer is under lasting obligations.

The Author.

Contents

THESIS I.

The World Needs a New Witness for God. CHAPTER I.

PAGE.

CHAPTER VII. Catholic Arguments — Protestant Admissions . 119

THESIS III.

THE SCRIPTURES DECLARE THAT THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE LAST DAYS — IN THE HOUR OF GOD’S JUDGMENT — WILL BE RESTORED TO THE EARTH BY A RE-OPENING OF THE HEAVENS, AND GIVING A NEW DISPENSATION THEREOF TO THE CHIL¬ DREN OF MEN.

Chapter VIII

The Necessity of a New Revelation — The Argu¬ ments of Modern Christians Against it Con¬ sidered .... 131

Chapter IX

Prophetic History of the Church — The Restoration of the Gospel by an Angel

CONTENTS.

THESIS IV-

JOSEPH SMITH IS THE NEW WITNESS FOR GOD; A PROPHET DIVINELY AUTHORIZED TO TEACH THE GOSPEL, AND RE-ESTABLISH THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST ON EARTH.

CHAPTER XIV. Fitness in the Development of the New Dispen¬ sation .... 217

’ CHAPTER XV.

The Evidence of Scriptural and Perfect Doctrine 224 CHAPTER XVI.

CHAPTER XVII.

The testimony of Toil and Suffering — Exertion and

Danger — A Christian Argument Applied 237

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XVIII.

The Testimony of Miracles — The Evidence of Fulfilled Promises

[By |m error Chapter XIX. was numbered XX., heiice the apparent omission.]

1 CHAPTER XX.

CHAPTER XXI.

The Evidence of Prophecy — Continued

CHAPTER XXII.

The Evidence of Prophecy- -Continued

CHAPTER XXIII.

The Evidence of Prophecy — Concluded

CHAPTER XXIV.

The Church Founded by Joseph Smith, a Monu¬ ment to his Inspiration

CHAPTER XXV.

Testimony of the Inspiration and Divine Calling of Joseph Smith Derived from the Compre¬ hensiveness of the Work he Introduced

CHAPTER XXVI.

Testimony of the Inspiration and Divine Calling of Joseph Smith Derived from the Compre¬ hensiveness of the Work he Introduced — Con¬ tinued ....

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXVII.

Evidence of Inspiration Derived from the Wisdom in the Plan Proposed for the Betterment of the Temporal Condition of Mankind . 39G

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Evidence of Divine Inspiration in Joseph Smith Derived from the Prophet’s Teaching in Re¬ gard to the Extent of the Universe, Man’s Place in it, and his Doctrine Respecting the Gods .... 410-

CHAPTER XXIX.

Evidence of Divine Inspiration in Joseph Smith Derived from the Prophet’s Teaching in Re¬ gard to the Extent of the Universe, Man’s Place in it, and his Doctrines Respecting the Gods — Continued . . . 430

CHAPTER XXX.

Evidence of Divine Inspiration in Joseph Smith Derived from the Prophet’s Teaching in Re¬ gard to the Extent of the Universe, Man’s Place in it, and his Doctrine Respecting the Gods — Concluded . . . 454

CHAPTER XXXI.

The Testimony of the Martyrdom — Conclusion . 477

THESIS I

THE WORLD NEEDS A NEW WITNESS FOR GOD.

Chapter 1

The very title of this book may give offense. “A- New Witness for God!” will exclaim both ministry and laity of Christendom; ‘‘are not the Old Witnesses suffi¬ cient? Has not their testimony withstood the assaults of unbelievers, atheists and agnostics alike for nineteen centuries? What need have we for a New Witness? Every weapon that hostile criticism could suggest, has been brought to bear against the tower of our faith based on the testimony of the Old Witnesses; and it stands more victorious now than ever, foursquare to all the winds that blow.* The testimony of the Old Witnesses has outlived the ridicule of Voltaire, the solemn sneers of Gibbon, the satire of Bolingbroke, the ribaldry of Paine; just as it will outlive the insidious assaults of the German myth¬ ical school, and the rationalistic school of critics, which are now much in vogue. Such the confident boast of orthodox Christians.

‘‘Meanwhile, every diocesan conference rings with the wail over ‘infidel opinions.’ It grows notoriously more and more difficult to get educated men to take any interest in the services or doctrines of the church; * * * literature and the periodical press are

becoming either more indifferent, or more hostile to the

* Such is the language, slightly paraphrased, which Mrs. Hum¬ phrey Ward puts in the mouth of the orthodox Ronalds in her dialogue entitled The New Reformation (See Agnosticism and Chris¬ tianity— Hurnbolt Library Series, page 151] ; and it accurately states the claims of the orthodox Christian.

A NEW WITNESS FOR GOD.

accepted Christianit}' year by year; the upper strata of the working class, upon whom the future of that class depends, either stand coldly aloof from all the Christian sects, or throw themselves into secularism. Passionate appeals are made to all sections of Christians, to close their ranks, not against each other, but against the ‘skepticism rampant’ among the cultivated class and the religious indifference of the democracy.”*

In the face of these facts, notwithstanding the confi¬ dent boasts of orthodox Christians about the invulner¬ ableness of the testimony of the Old Witnesses, it will be well for us to look a little more closely into the achieve¬ ments of Christianity, Catholic as well as Protestant, and see if they are as satisfactory when measured by actual results, as they are claimed to be in the fervid rhetoric of the orthodox special pleader.

What is distinctly and commonly recognized as the Christian religion, was founded some nineteen centuries agof, by the personal ministry of Jesus Christ, and those whom he chose as Apostles. For about three centuries it had a hard struggle for existence. The persecutions waged against it, first by the Jews, from whose religious faith it may be said to have sprung; and second, from

* “ Agnosticism and Christianity,” p. 1 51. The passage is para¬ phrased.

1 1 thus carefully qualify the statement for the reason that I believe the Christian religion — that is, the Gospel, has a much earlier existence than the birth of Christ. Messiah is spoken of in Scripture as “ the lamb slain from the foundation of the world,” from which expression in connection with many other evidences — too numerous to mention here (see the Author’s work “The Gospel,” ch. xxxii.)— I get the idea that the plan of man’s redemption through the atone¬ ment of Jesus Christ is at least as old as the foundation of the world. It was revealed to Adam, and the Patriarchs, to Abraham, to Moses, and to some of the prophets ; and finally through the earthly ministry of the Son of God himself ; but it is an error to suppose that it came into existence first through the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth on earth.

THE NECESSITY OF A NEW WITNESS.

the pagans, then in possession of all secular power, well-nigh overcame it. The “beast” made war upon the saints and “ prevailed against them.” Then Constantine, the friend of Christianity, succeeded to the imperial throne of Rome, and external persecution ceased. Chris¬ tian ministers were invited to the court of the emperor and loaded with wealth and honors. Magnificent churches were erected, and the hitherto despised religion became the favorite protege of the imperial government. From a precarious and wretched existence, the Christian church was suddenly raised to a position of magnificence and power. Nor was it long in playing the part of the camel which, being permitted by the kind indulgence of its master to put its head within the tent during a violent storm, next protruded its shoulders, then its whole body, and turning about kicked out its master.* So did the Christian ecclesiastical power with the civil power. That is to say, that which was at first granted to the church as a privilege was soon demanded as aright; and what was at first received by grace, was at the last taken by force. On the ruins of pagan Rome, rose papal Rome, and while the latter power did not abolish secular government, it did make it subservient to ecclesiasticism. From the chair of St. Peter, the Roman pontiffs ruled the world absolutely. Kings and emperors obeyed them, and all stood in awe before the throne of the triplecrowned successor of St. Peter.

Finally, through the mutual jealousy and ambition of the bishops of Rome and Constantinople, a contro¬ versy arose which, in the ninth century, resulted in a great and lasting division of Christendom into two great ecclesiastical bodies; viz., the Greek Catholic or Eastern

* ZEsop’s Fables.

A NEW WITNESS FOR GOD.

Church, and the Roman Catholic or Western Church. In the Western Church the secular or civil power con¬ tinued to be regarded as subordinate to ecclesiastical authority, a sort of convenient instrument to execute the decrees of the church. Hence Roman Catholic Chris¬ tianity drew to itself all that prestige in the propagation of its doctrines which comes from the authority and support of the state; and though the power of the state was held to be subordinate to that of the church, no one who has read our Christian annals can help being struck with the importance of the civil power as a factor in the propagation of Roman Catholic Christianity. The bar¬ barous peoples who came in contact with the Christian nations, were often compelled to accept the so-called Christian religion as one of the terms of capitulation; and the fear of the sword often eked out the arguments of the priests, and was generally much more effective.

I think it proper that the above statement should be emphasized by the following' proofs:

“In the year 772, A. D., Charlemagne, king of the Franks, undertook to tame, and to withdraw from idol¬ atry, the extensive nation of the Saxons, who occupied a large portion of Germany, and were almost perpetually at war with the Franks, respecting their boundaries and other things; for he hoped that if their minds could be¬ come imbued with the Christian doctrines, they would gradually lay aside their ferocity, and learn to yield sub¬ mission to the empire of the Franks. The first attack upon their heathenism produced little effect, being made not with the force of arms, but by some bishops and monks whom the victor had left for that purpose among the vanquished nation. But much better success at¬ tended the subsequent wars which Charlemagne under¬ took, in the years 775, 776, and 780, A D., against that

THE NECESSITY OF A NEW WITNESS.

heroic people, so fond of liberty, and so impatient, es¬ pecially of sacerdotal domination. For in these assaults, not only rewards, but also the sword and punishments were so successfully applied upon those adhering to the superstition of their ancestors, that they reluctantly ceased from resistance, and allowed the doctors whom Charles employed to administer to them Christian baptism. W idekind and Albion, indeed, who were two of the most valient Saxon chiefs, renewed their former insurrections; and attempted to prostrate again by violence and war, that Christianity which had been set up by violence. But the martial courage, and the liberality of Charles at length brought them, in the year 785, solemnly to de¬ clare that they were Christians, and would continue to be so. * * * The Huns inhabiting Pannonia,

were treated the same way as the Saxons; for Charles so exhausted and humbled them by successive wars, as to compel them to prefer becoming Christians to being slaves. ”*

In Denmark, during the tenth century, “the Christian cause had to struggle with great difficulties and adversi¬ ties, under King Gorman, although the queen was a pro¬ fessed Christian. But Harald, surnamed Blatand, the son of Gorman, having been vanquished by Otto the Great, about the middle of the century, made a profession of Christianity in the year 949, and was baptized. * * * Perhaps Harald, who had his birth and

education from a Christian mother, Tyra, was not greatly averse from the Christian religion; and yet it is clear that in the present transaction he yielded rather to the demands of his conqueror, than to his own inclinations.

* Mosheim’s Ecclesiastical Institutes, book iii., cent, viii., part i., chap. i. (Murdock’s translation always quoted.)

A NEW WITNESS FOR GOD.

For Otto, being satisfied that the Danes would never cease to harass their neighbors with wars and rapine, if they retained the martial religion of their fathers, made it a condition of the peace with Harald that he and his people should become Christians.”*

“Waldemar I., King of Denmark, obtained very great fame by the many wars he undertook against the pagan nations, the Slavs, the Wends, the Vandals, and others. He fought not only for the interests of his sub¬ jects, but likewise for the extension of Christianity; and wherever he was successful, he demolished the temples and images of the gods, the altars and groves, and com¬ manded the Christian worship to be set up. * * *

The Fins who infested Sweden with frequent inroads, were attacked by Eric IX., King of Sweden, called St. Eric, after his death, and by him subdued after many bloody battles. * * * The vanquished nation

was commanded to follow the religion of the conqueror, which most of them did with reluctance and disgust.”

“Towards the close ^of the century [the tenth], * * * some merchants of Bremen or of Lubec

trading to Livonia, took along with them Mainhard, a regular canon of St. Augustine in the monastery of Segberg in Halsatia, to bring that warlike and uncivilized nation to the Christian faith. But as few listened to him, Mainhard consulted the Roman pontiff, who created him the first bishop of the Livonians, and desired that war should be waged against the opposers. This war, which was first waged with the Esthonians, was extended farther and prosecuted more rigorously by Berthold, the second bishop of the Livonians, after the death of Mainhard; for this, Berthold, formerly Abbot of Lucca,

* Mosheim, book iii., cent, x., part i., chap. i.

THE NECESSITY OF A NEW WITNESS.

marched with a strong army from Saxony, and recom¬ mended Christianity not by arguments but by slaughter and battle. Following his example, the third bishop, Albert, previously a canon of Bremen, entering Livonia in the year 1198, well supported by a fresh army raised in Saxony, and fixing his camp at Riga, he instituted, by authority of Innocent III., the Roman pontiff, the military order of knight’s sword-bearers, who should compel the Livonians by force of arms to submit to baptism. New forces were marched from time to time from Germany, by whose valor and that of the sword-bearers the wretched people were subdued and exhausted, so that they at last substituted the images of Christ and the saints in place of their idols.”*

A volume of evidence similar in import to the fore¬ going could be compiled, showing that from the acces¬ sion of Constantine the Great down to the sixteenth century, the Roman Catholic Church did not hesitate to employ the civil power to enforce conversion and punish recalcitrants.

If the Eastern Church has been less successful in extending the borders of Christianity by means of con¬ quests waged by the civil power, it was because the division of the world it occupied afforded less oppor¬ tunity than Western Europe, where a great struggle was on between the race of men made weak by the effete civilization of Rome and the more vigorous barbarians. But while the Eastern Church made less direct use of the sword to rexend its dominions, it nevertheless had the state for an ally which sustained it at need.

When in the sixteenth century the great revolt

*Mosheim, book iii. , cent, xii., part i., chap. i.

A NEW WITNESS FOR GOD.

against the authority of the pope and the leligion of the Roman Catholic Church gave birth to the Protestant churches, they, too, in the main, formed alliances with the states in which they were founded. Nay, in the very struggle for their existence, the states of Germany, of Holland, Scandinavia and of England, drew the sword in their behalf and by their support made it possible for the seceding religionists to establish churches despite all efforts of the Roman pontiffs to prevent them; and after the revolution was an accomplished fact, the states above enumerated continued to give support to the churches founded within their borders. If the church and the state in some instances were regarded as separate and distinct societies, they acted at the same time as close neighbors, and nearly interested in each other’s welfare. If they lived separate, they were not estranged; and each at need gave the other support.

I have thought it necessary to call the attention of the reader to the conditions in which Christianity has existed since the days of Constantine under all three great divisions of Christendom — the Roman Catholic, the Greek Catholic, and Protestant — in order that he might be reminded of the fact that circumstances of the most propitious character have existed for the propagation of the so-called Christian religion. Christendom has had at its command the wealth and intelligence of Europe; it has been able to follow the commerce of European states into every country of the world; and not only its com¬ merce, but its conquests as well; and wherever the love of adventure or the desire for conquest has led Christian soldiers, Christian priests have either accompanied or followed them, that the gospel, in the hands of the Christian minister, might be a balm for the wounds inflicted by the sword in the hands of the Christian

THE NECESSITY OF A NEW WITNESS.

soldier; so that if Christian armies were a bane to the savages, the Christian priests migiit be an antidote!

Yet with all the advantages which came to Chris¬ tianity through the support of the state; with the intelli¬ gence and wealth of Europe behind it; with the privi¬ lege of following in the wake of its commerce and conquests; what has Christendom done in the way of converting the world to its religion? But a little over one-fourth of the inhabitants of the earth are even nominally Christian! There are in the world, according to statistics published on the subject:

Roman Catholics . 206,588,206

Protestants (all sects) . 89,825,348

Greek and Russian Churches . 75,691,382

Oriental Churches . 6,770,000

Making the total of all Christians.. 378,874,936. The other religions stand as follows:

Brahminical Hindoos. . . 120,000,000

Followers of Buddha, Shinto and

Pagans not otherwise enumerated ..277,000,000

*“ What the World Believes,” Gay Bros. & Co., New York. Dr. Hurst’s “ Outline History of the Church ” (1875) gives the following population to the creeds :

Christianity . . 407 1

Judaism . . . 7

Buddhism . 340 j

Mohammedism . 200 [> Millions.

Brahmanism . 175 •

Confucianism . 80 I

All other forms of religious belief . 174 J

A NEW WITNESS FOR GOD.

Surely when the superior advantages for the propaga¬ tion of the Christian religion are taken into account, one could reasonably expect better results than this, after a period of nineteen centuries, sixteen of which may be said to have been of a character favorable to the extension of the borders of the church.

But let us take a nearer view of the status of Chris¬ tendom. As seen in the foregoing, but a little more than one-fourth of the population of the earth is even nominally Christian. No one will contend that all those nominally Christians are really Christians. Church membership may be one thing, conversion to the Chris¬ tian religion quite another. If those who are Christians in name only, and church members from custom or for worldly advantage were separated from those who are Christians upon principle, upon conversion and real faith, the number of Christians in the world would be materially reduced. For it cannoc be denied that when any religion becomes popular there are multitudes of insincere men who will outwardly accept it, and give it lip-service in return for the advantages that accrue to them socially, financially or politically.

Moreover, Christendom is not united in one great body or church; but on the contrary it is divided into numerous contending factions whose differences are so far fundamental that there appears no prospect of recon¬ ciliation among them. The Catholics refuse to recognize

While this is a little different grouping of the religions than that in the text, the computation is approximately the same. “ Of the Christian populations of the world, 131,007,449 are assigned to Protestantism, 200,339,390 to Roman Catholicism, and 76,390,040 to the oriental churches. In the New World, comprising North and South America, the Roman Catholics are in the majority, having about sixty millions” (Behm & Wagner). The above is also quoted with favor by Dr. Joseph Faa Di Bruno in his work ‘ Catholic Belief,” p. 397.

THE NECESSITY OF A NEW WITNESS.

any power of salvation in Protestantism. To the Catholic the Protestant is an heretic, a renegade child; and on the other hand, to the Protestant, the Catholic is an idolator, and the pope the very anti-Christ, prophesied of in scripture.

Nor are the Roman and Greek Catholics much nearer at one with each other than the Roman Catholics and Protestants. Away back in the ninth century, as a result of the controversy between the Eastern and Western Churches, Pope Nicholas, in a council held at Rome, solemnly excommunicated Photius, the patriarch of Jerusalem, and had his ordination declared null and void. The Greek emperor resented this conduct of the pope, and under his sanction Photius, in his turn, con¬ vened what he called an acumenical council, in which he pronounced sentence of excommunication and deposition against the pope, and got it subscribed by twenty-one bishops and others amounting in number to one thousand.

Although this breach was patched up after the death of the Emperor Michael, difficulties broke out again between the East and the West from time to time, until finally in the eleventh century, when Michael Cerularius, patriarch of Constantinople, opposed the Western Church with respect to their making use of unleavened bread in the sacrament, their observation of the Sabbath, and fasting on Saturdays, charging therein that they lived in communion with the Jews. Pope Leo IX. replied, and in his apology for the Western Churches, declaimed warmly against the false doctrine of the Greeks, and ended by placing on the altar of Santa Sophia, by his legates, a deed of excommunication against the Patriarch, Michael Cerularius. This was the final rupture. From that time the mutual hatred of the Greeks and the Latins

A NEW WITNESS FOR GOD.

became insuperable, insomuch that they have continued ever since separated from each other’s communion.*