ures of ancient Babylon.

"1. On that site took place the confusion of tongues which divided those
who before had been of one speech and one family, into various tribes
and schisms at variance with each other and of various tongues. The word
Babylon, a memorial of this event, means confusion, and is derived from
Babel.

"2. Old Babylon persecuted the people of God and destroyed the temple in
Jerusalem.

"3. It carried the people of God into captivity.

"4. It was a mighty, resistless universal empire. The antitype, the
spiritual Babylon, must correspond. There is a power that exhibits all
these characteristics. By apostasy from the truth it originated the
schism which has divided the family of God into different sects and
parties which speak a different spiritual language. It has carried the
church into a long captivity by binding upon it the thralldom of
superstition. It has been a constant persecutor of the saints, and has
enjoyed an almost universal dominion. That power is the woman that sits
upon the seven-headed beast ... the false woman, symbolical of a false
church, the great apostate spiritual dominion of Rome. And we may add,
out of which have come--directly or indirectly--_all the religious sects
of the present day_."

Dr. Barnes says: "The word _Babylon_ became the emblem of all that was
haughty and oppressive, and especially of all that persecuted the church
of God. The word here (Rev. 18:4) must be used to denote some power that
resembled the ancient and literal Babylon in these characteristics. The
literal Babylon was no more; but the name might be used properly to
denote a similar power."

Wm. Kinkade, in Bible Doctrine, page 249, says, "I think Christ has a
true church on earth, but its members are scattered among the various
denominations, and are more or less under the influence of mystery
Babylon and her daughters."

Alexander Campbell says: "A reformation of Popery was attempted in
Europe full three centuries ago. It ended in a Protestant hierarchy, and
swarms of dissenters. Protestantism has been reformed into
Presbyterianism, that into Congregationalism, and that into Baptistism,
etc., etc. Methodism has attempted to reform all, but has reformed
itself into many forms of Wesleyanism. All of them retain in their
bosom--in their ecclesiastical organizations, worship, doctrines, and
observances--various relics of Popery. They are at best a reformation of
Popery, and only reformations in part.