of the true God and the true
worship, builds the city of Enoch, giving himself up altogether to
worldly things. Just so does Ham sin by dishonoring his father. When
also he subsequently receives as sentence the curse whereby he is
excluded from the promised seed and the Church, he parts with God and
the Church without misgivings, since the curse rests not upon his
person but upon that of his son, and migrates to Babylon, where he
establishes a kingdom.

202. These are very illustrious examples and needed by the Church,
Turk and Pope today; allow us to boast of the heavenly and everlasting
promise in that we have the Gospel doctrine, and are the Church. They
know, however, our judgment of them, that we consider and condemn both
Pope and Turk as very Antichrist. How securely they ignore our
judgment, confidently because of the wealth and power they possess,
and also because of our weakness in character and numbers. The very
same spirit we plainly see in Cain and Ham, in the condemned and
excommunicated.

203. These truths enforce the lesson that we must not seek an abiding
city or country in this bodily existence, but in its varying changes
and fortunes look to the hope of eternal life, promised through
Christ. This is the final haven; and we must strive for it with sail
and oar, as eager and earnest sailors while the tempest rages.

204. What if the Turk should obtain sway over the whole world, which
he never will? Michael, as Daniel says, will bring aid to the holy
people, the Church (ch 10, 13). What matter if the Pope should gain
possession of the wealth of all the world, as he has tried to do for
many centuries with all the wealth at his command? Will Turk and Pope
thereby escape death, or even secure permanence of temporal power?
Why, then, should we be misled by the temporal blessings which they
enjoy, or by our misfortunes and dangers, since we know that they are
banished from the fellowship of the saints, while we enjoy everlasting
blessings through the Son of God?

205. If Cain and Ham, and Pope and Turk, who are as father and son to
each other, can afford to despise the judgment of the true Church on
the strength of fleeting and meager successes in this life, why can
not we afford in turn to despise their power and censure, on the
strength of the everlasting blessings which we possess? Ham was not
moved by his father's curse. Full of anger against him, and despising
him as a crazy old man, he goes away and