Hoory
Joseph and declared to him plainly my opinions, and shewed him that the
beast mentioned in the Revelation was a figure, as the lamb evidently
was, and how dreadful must be the torments of those who worship the
image of the beast. I then disclosed to him my intention of going up to
the convent of Bzumar, where were the patriarch Gregory, bishop Jacob,
and the Armenian priest already mentioned.

I set off the same day, and on my arrival saluted the patriarch, and on
the same night reasoned on the subjects of faith, hope and love. It
appeared that the patriarch's opinion was, that a man may be possessed
of living faith, faith unto salvation, although he should feel nothing
in his heart. I answered him with a quotation from St. Paul, "With the
heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is
made unto salvation." But this did not convince him. He explained the
_heart_ to mean the _will_. It then appeared to me that he was not a
true believer, and from that time forward I could not believe him, as I
would believe a real Christian, but I wished to hear his worldly
arguments. On the following day, I asked him how it can he said, that
the pope was infallible if there were no proofs of the fact to be
brought. I asked him if this pretension of the pope was that of an
apostle, or a prophet? if an apostle, or a prophet, he could not be
believed without miracles, and that we christians were not to believe
any one, though he were to bring down fire from Heaven.[H] His replies
to me were weak; and after considerable conversation on what is the
church of Christ, on the ignorance that is pardonable, &c. he began to
prove that if the pope is not infallible, then there is _no religion_,
_no gospel_, and even _no God_. But I observed all his proofs so weak,
that I could not be convinced, and I fell into deep perplexity as to
what I should do. For sometimes I greatly endeavoured to submit my
judgment to his rules and opinions, and made these efforts until my very
head would ache. The next day I asked him what was that _great city_,
ruling over the kings of the earth, mentioned in the Rev. xvii, 18?
After he had brought his book of commentaries, he answered that it was
Rome, which is also called spiritual Babylon, or Babel, and after
wishing me to yield to his opinion or that of the book, he said nothing
more. From this time I was with the patriarch every day for three or
four hours, and his best advice to me w