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GRAND COUNSEL, AND NEW MEASURE.

cal adherents to the Christianity which we always hated. But experience taught us, that the martyrs were translated to heaven, and that while one was tor tured to death hundreds were converted to Christianity. Thus disappointed and harassed with despair, we held a Grand Council, and agreed to adopt a NEW MEASURE, and entirely a different mode of carrying on the war with Heaven.

This new measure, on which our last hope of success depends, belongs to the secret for you to know, as one of our preachers. The sum total of the great Secret, which was the result of our Council, is, to counterfeit the Christian religion which we have always opposed, and fill the world with our kind of CHRISTLESS religion. By this means, in time we shall be able, by piecemeal, to root out every vestige of old-fashioned Bible doctrines; the influence, and the use of the Bible, and the profession of Bible religion from the earth; so that in future generations there will not be found a Bible Christian, nor a person on earth of such ill fame, as to keep a Bible in his house. Our plan now, is to convert the whole world, (that needs conversion,) to the faith and practice of our popular COUNTERFEIT RELIGION. This will not only banish the use and existence of the Bible from the world, but all orthodox Christians, both ministers and people, GOD'S WITNESSES to his truth, will virtually and in this sense be slain, every one of them, by us in our warfare with them; and we shall have the glory of that victory, and will triumph over their dead unburied bodies! The Bible, and its truth and religion, (which we know to be facts, and for that reason are the more anxious to destroy by our counterfeit measures,) will then all be turned into fable, and ridicule, and contempt: and this world, will be delivered from the tyranny of the laws, and the relig

RESULT OF THE NEW MEASURE.

205

ion of Heaven; and then we shall be able to sway the sceptre of all nations of earth without a rival, without the restraints of a Bible religion, and without the tormenting fear of CAPITAL PUNISHMENT for murder or for any other crime; for then, there will be no laws to prohibit men from thinking, saying, and doing as they please. Of course, there will be no transgression of law, and, consequently, no crime can be committed. And, of course, then, there will be no hanging for murder, nor punishment of death existing on earth as a penalty for any breach of laws which do not exist. And then, while our religion prevails, every human being can live and do as he pleases, without the fear of hell-fire, when there are no Bibles to torment the good people of earth with such horrid doctrine!!!

Our prospects are flattering. A large majority of the people of this globe are on our side, and our influence is increasing. All the Pagan worshippers of Idols; all the Mahometan worshippers of the Great Prophet; the millions of Christians who have been instructed to understand the Bible as we wish to have it explained; and all the Philosophical sons and daughters of the Rational Religion of Atheistical Illumination, under the Imperial denomination of Independent, Free-thinking, Free-acting INFIDELITY, are all on our side. Our principal work now is, to keep all our friends of immoral practices of every description, and all impenitent unbelievers, and neglecters of Bible religion, quiet; and direct our special attention to the instruction of children and youth in all the novels, fashions, and amusements of the times, which will prepare them to enlist under our Banners of Antichrist, which will soon be unfurled.

To promote the above-named system of our religion, in accordance with the principles of Atheistical Infi

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SATANIC DIPLOMATIC INSTRUCTIONS.

delity, the Grand Generalissimo of all our earthly allied anti-Christian Powers; to fill the world with its professors; and to root out Bible religion from the earth, is the object of our last effort to maintain war with God and heaven. And to aid in gathering recruits for the great battle-day, foreordained and predicted by our Almighty foe, will be your duty, by following the directions which are now presented to you.

Take this Diploma, then, and go your way into your field of labor. Wherever you go, preach the sentiments of your Diploma; but keep the parchment from public scrutiny. You need not go into any heathen, nor Mahometan countries, except to places where orthodox Missionaries have been, or shall be sent. To such places Go; excel them in preaching; slander them; persecute them; root out and destroy their influence, and save the people from their delusions. But your labors are mostly needed within the bounds of Christendom, to form new sects opposed to Bible religion, as auxiliaries to our three great systems of anti-Christian policy now in the field. Do all in your power to send us young men of superior talents to be educated in our University. We wish for young men of pride, self-exaltation, haters of the Bible, and haters of the God and religion of the Bible; lovers of sensual pleasure, of high life, and high living; young men full of self-importance, bravado habits, and dandy fashions. Thousands of such are wanted to fill up our freshman ranks, and when educated will be furnished with a diploma, verbatim, like yours, and sent, as you are, "To the kings of the earth, and to all the world, to gather the nations in battle" against Him who claims the dominion of the universe.

N. B. This diploma is presented on the following

CONDITIONS OF THE DIPLOMA.

207

express conditions, viz., that if you, A. B., our select, and well-qualified preacher, shall duly and truly keep all the important secrets contained in this diploma, to you committed; and shall well and faithfully comply with all, and singular, its prohibitions and injunctions, for the promotion of our cause and kingdom; that for every professor of our religion, made by you, and brought by your influence into our ranks, you shall be entitled, at the time of procuring the signature of the name of such professor on the roll of our recruits, to a shout of Well done! by all the members of the faculty alluded to in your diploma, and also to an equal number of degrees, of grand, illustrious, honorary titles, officially affixed to your "worshipful" name. And thus shall you finally be escorted honorably, by a band of worthies, to our palace royal, as a member of the nobility of the BOTTOMLESS PIT, worthy of its endless honors; in regions where darkness itself will forever be excluded, by the light of unquenchable sulphurous flames, adding lustre to the perfect liberty, common to all, of enjoying the self-determining power of the freedom of their "unconquerable will," without fear of an end to the light, or liberty of such a state of infernal triumph!!!

But, on the other hand, should it ever come to pass that you, A. B., Alumnus of our university, preacher of our religion, and beneficiary of our munificence, should turn recreant, desert your post, and become a public preacher of orthodoxy, under the banner of our Almighty foe, (which, hell prevent if possible from being your lot,) this Diploma shall become not only null, void, and of none effect; but, it shall be to you, the remembrancer of your apostasy from us; the sign of the excommunication of your hateful name from our corporation; the token of exclusion from all honors,

208 titles, privileges and emoluments; the pledge of all the curses that hell can load upon your head while you live on earth, by hatred, slander, persecution, derangement of your business, and every other evil that we, or our faithful preachers can bestow upon you, as your earthly lot and portion.

THE DIPLOMA SIGNED, SEALED, AND delivered.

And, if we can possibly tempt you, Judas-like, to hang yourself, you will find a conveyance to our pit by a band of furies, selected for the purpose from the filth and offscouring of hell. And our corporation will furnish you with a residence and employment, that will make you wish eternally, that you had never departed from the instructions of your Diploma, which would have entitled you to the illustrious honors of a worthy devil among us, as long as Bible orthodoxy triumphs in heaven.

Given under my hand and seal in the Council-chamber of Pandemonium, in the year of my reign in Hell, ever since I fell from Heaven; and of my reign on earth, ever since the victory of Eden when Adam and Eve fell, and I by permission assumed fiendly government of this world, as Prince and Power of the air.

Signed with the Seal of Purgatory,

Done in presence of Ignatius Loyola; all officers of Courts of Inquisiton; Tetzel seller of Indulgences, Queen Mary of England, King Louis XIV. of France, and Popes Boniface III., Pope and King Stephen II., Gregory VII., and Leo X.

DIABOLOS

THE

GREAT.

Chief of fallen angels; King of the bottomless pit; President of the University of Pandemonium ; Pope of all Popes, and Chief of all anti-Christian Chiefs.

On a review of this lecture, we remark, that what