forest。
  〃For　fourteen　weeks；〃　he　says；　〃I　was　sorely　tossed　in　a　bitter　season；　not
  knowing　what　bread　or　bed　did　mean。〃
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  But　〃the　ravens　fed　me　in　the　wilderness；〃　and　a　hollow　tree　often　served
  him　for　a　shelter。Martyn；　vol。　5；　pp。　349；　350。　Thus　he　continued　his
  painful　flight　through　the　snow　and　the　trackless　forest；　until　he　found
  refuge　with　an　Indian　tribe　whose　confidence　and　affection　he　had　won　while
  endeavoring　to　teach　them　the　truths　of　the　gospel。
  Making　his　way　at　last；　after　months　of　change　and　wandering；　to　the　shores
  of　Narragansett　Bay；　he　there　laid　the　foundation　of　the　first　state　of
  modern　times　that　in　the　fullest　sense　recognized　the　right　of　religious
  freedom。　The　fundamental　principle　of　Roger　Williams's　colony　was　〃that
  every　man　should　have　liberty　to　worship　God　according　to　the　light　of　his
  own　conscience。〃Ibid。；　vol。　5；　p。　354。　His　little　state；　Rhode　Island；
  became　the　asylum　of　the　oppressed；　and　it　increased　and　prospered　until　its
  foundation　principlescivil　and　religious　libertybecame　the　cornerstones
  of　the　American　Republic。
  In　that　grand　old　document　which　our　forefathers　set　forth　as　their　bill　of
  rightsthe　Declaration　of　Independencethey　declared：　〃We　hold　these
  truths　to　be　self…evident；　that　all　men　are　created　equal；　that　they　are
  endowed　by　their　Creator　with　certain　unalienable　rights；　that　among　these
  are　life；　liberty；　and　the　pursuit　of　happiness。〃　And　the　Constitution
  guarantees；　in　the　most　explicit　terms；　the　inviolability　of　conscience：　〃No
  religious　test　shall　ever　be　required　as　a　qualification　to　any　office　of
  public　trust　under　the　United　States。〃　〃Congress　shall　make　no　law
  respecting　an　establishment　of　religion；　or　prohibiting　the　free　exercise
  thereof。〃
  〃The　framers　of　the　Constitution　recognized　the　eternal　principle　that　man's
  relation　with　his　God　is　above　human　legislation；　and　his　rights　of
  conscience　inalienable。　Reasoning　was　not　necessary　to　establish　this　truth；
  we　are　conscious　of　it　in　our　own　bosoms。　It　is　this　consciousness　which；　in
  defiance　of　human　laws；　has　sustained　so　many　martyrs　in　tortures　and
  flames。　They　felt　that　their　duty　to　God　was　superior　to　human　enactments；
  and　that　man　could　exercise
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  no　authority　over　their　consciences。　It　is　an　inborn　principle　which　nothing
  can　eradicate。〃Congressional　documents　（U。S。A。）；　serial　No。　200；　document
  No。　271。
  As　the　tidings　spread　through　the　countries　of　Europe；　of　a　land　where　every
  man　might　enjoy　the　fruit　of　his　own　labor　and　obey　the　convictions　of　his
  own　conscience；　thousands　flocked　to　the　shores　of　the　New　World。　Colonies
  rapidly　multiplied。　〃Massachusetts；　by　special　law；　offered　free　welcome　and
  aid；　at　the　public　cost；　to　Christians　of　any　nationality　who　might　fly
  beyond　the　Atlantic　'to　escape　from　wars　or　famine；　or　the　oppression　of
  their　persecutors。'　Thus　the　fugitive　and　the　downtrodden　were；　by　statute；
  made　the　guests　of　the　commonwealth。〃Martyn；　vol。　5；　p。　417。　In　twenty
  years　from　the　first　landing　at　Plymouth；　as　many　thousand　Pilgrims　were
  settled　in　New　England。
  To　secure　the　object　which　they　sought；　〃they　were　content　to　earn　a　bare
  subsistence　by　a　life　of　frugality　and　toil。　They　asked　nothing　from　the
  soil　but　the　reasonable　returns　of　their　own　labor。　No　golden　vision　threw　a
  deceitful　halo　around　their　path。　。　。　。　They　were　content　with　the　slow　but
  steady　progress　of　their　social　polity。　They　patiently　endured　the
  privations　of　the　wilderness；　watering　the　tree　of　liberty　with　their　tears；
  and　with　the　sweat　of　their　brow；　till　it　took　deep　root　in　the　land。〃
  The　Bible　was　held　as　the　foundation　of　faith；　the　source　of　wisdom；　and　the
  charter　of　liberty。　Its　principles　were　diligently　taught　in　the　home；　in
  the　school；　and　in　the　church；　and　its　fruits　were　manifest　in　thrift；
  intelligence；　purity；　and　temperance。　One　might　be　for　years　a　dweller　in
  the　Puritan　settlement；　〃and　not　see　a　drunkard；　or　hear　an　oath；　or　meet　a
  beggar。〃Bancroft；　pt。　1；　ch。　19；　par。　25。　It　was　demonstrated　that　the
  principles　of　the　Bible　are　the　surest　safeguards　of　national　greatness。　The
  feeble　and　isolated　colonies　grew　to　a　confederation　of　powerful　states；　and
  the　world　marked　with　wonder　the　peace　and　prosperity　of　〃a　church　without　a
  pope；　and　a　state　without　a　king。〃
  But　continually　increasing　numbers　were　attracted　to　the
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  shores　of　America；　actuated　by　motives　widely　different　from　those　of　the
  first　Pilgrims。　Though　the　primitive　faith　and　purity　exerted　a　widespread
  and　molding　power；　yet　its　influence　became　less　and　less　as　the　numbers
  increased　of　those　who　sought　only　worldly　advantage。
  The　regulation　adopted　by　the　early　colonists；　of　permitting　only　members　of
  the　church　to　vote　or　to　hold　office　in　the　civil　government；　led　to　most
  pernicious　results。　This　measure　had　been　accepted　as　a　means　of　preserving
  the　purity　of　the　state；　but　it　resulted　in　the　corruption　of　the　church。　A
  profession　of　religion　being　the　condition　of　suffrage　and　officeholding；
  many；　actuated　solely　by　motives　of　worldly　policy；　united　with　the　church
  without　a　change　of　heart。　Thus　the　churches　came　to　consist；　to　a
  considerable　extent；　of　unconverted　persons；　and　even　in　the　ministry　were
  those　who　not　only　held　errors　of　doctrine；　but　who　were　ignorant　of　the
  renewing　power　of　the　Holy　Spirit。　Thus　again　was　demonstrated　the　evil
  results；　so　often　witnessed　in　the　history　of　the　church　from　the　days　of
  Constantine　to　the　present；　of　attempting　to　build　up　the　church　by　the　aid
  of　the　state；　of　appealing　to　the　secular　power　in　support　of　the　gospel　of
  Him　who　declared：　〃My　kingdom　is　not　of　this　world。〃　John　18：36。　The　union
  of　the　church　with　the　state；　be　the　degree　never　so　slight；　while　it　may
  appear　to　bring　the　world　nearer　to　the　church；　does　in　reality　but　bring
  the　church　nearer　to　the　world。
  The　great　principle　so　nobly　advocated　by　Robinson　and　Roger　Williams；　that
  truth　is　progressive；　that　Christians　should　stand　ready　to　accept　all　the
  light　which　may　shine　from　God's　holy　word；　was　lost　sight　of　by　their
  descendants。　The　Protestant　churches　of　America；and　those　of　Europe　as
  well；so　highly　favored　in　receiving　the　blessings　of　the　Reformation；
  failed　to　press　forward　in　the　path　of　reform。　Though　a　few　faithful　men
  arose；　from　time　to　time；　to　proclaim　new　truth　and　expose　long…cherished
  error；　the　majority；　like　the　Jews　in　Christ's　day　or　the　papists　in　the
  time　of　Luther；　were　content　to　believe　as　their　fathers　had
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  believed　and　to　live　as　they　had　lived。　Therefore　religion　again　degenerated
  into　formalism；　and　errors　and　superstitions　which　would　have　been　cast
  aside　had　the　church　continued　to　walk　in　the　light　of　God's　word；　were
  retained　and　cherished。　Thus　the　spirit　inspired　by　the　Reformation
  gradually　died　out；　until　there　was　almost　as　great　need　of　reform　in　the
  Protestant　churches　as　in　the　Roman　Church　in　the　time　of　Luther。　There　was
  the　same　worldliness　and　spiritual　stupor；　a　similar　reverence　for　the
  opinions　of　men；　and　substitution　of　human　theories　for　the　teachings　of
  God's　word。
  The　wide　circulation　of　the　Bible　in　the　early　part　of　the　nineteenth
  century；　and　the　great　light　thus　shed　upon　the　world；　was　not　followed　by　a
  corresponding　advance　in　knowledge　of　revealed　truth；　or　in　experimental
  religion。　Satan　could　not；　as　in　former　ages；　keep　God's　word　from　the
  people；　it　had　been　placed　within　the　reach　of　all；　but　in　order　still　to
  accomplish　his　object；　he　led　many　to　value　it　but　lightly。　Men　neglected　to
  search　the　Scriptures；　and　thus　they　continued　to　accept　false
  interpretations；　and　to　cherish　doctrines　which　had　no　foundation　in　the
  Bible。
  Seeing　the　failure　of　his　efforts　to　crush　out　the　truth　by　persecution；
  Satan　had　again　resorted　to　the　plan　of　compromise　which　led　to　the　great
  apostasy　and　the　formation　of　the　Church　of　Rome。　He　had　induced　Christians
  to　ally　themselves；　not　now　with　pagans；　but　with　those　who；　by　their
  devotion　to　the　things　of　this　world；　had　proved　themselves　to　be　as　truly
  idolaters　as　were　the　worshipers　of　graven　images。　And　the　results　of　this
  union　were　no　less　pernicious　now　than　in　former　ages；　pride　and
  extravagance　were　fostered　under　the　guise　of　religion；　and　the　churches
  became　corrupted。　Satan　continued　to　pervert　the　doctrines　of　the　Bible；　and
  traditions　that　were　to　ruin　millions　were　taking　deep　root。　The　church　was
  upholding　and　defending　these　traditions；　instead　of　contending　for　〃the
  faith　which　was　once　delivered　unto　the　saints。〃　Thus　were　degraded　the
  principles　for　which　the　Reformers　had　done　and　suffered　so　much。
  （299）
  Chapter　17
  Heralds　of　the　Morning
  One　of　the　most　solemn　and　yet　most　glorious　truths　revealed　in　the　Bible　is
  that　of　Christ's　second　coming　to　complete　the　great　work　of　redemption。　To
  God's　pilgrim　people；　so　long　l