THE Evangelist, a leading Presbyterian paper published in this city, contained the following paragraph, under date of Dec. 27th:—
The new secretary of the Papal Legation in this country, Father Rooker, recently appointed by the pope to succeed Dr. Papi, appears to have been nominated in accordance with a recognition of this relative condition of things. Father Rooker is an American and of the liberal school represented by Cardinal Gibbons and Archbishop Ireland and the brilliant Paulist Father who recently lectured to the students in Union Seminary. His choice appears to be a good omen for America, and for the church of which he is a representative.
“A good omen for America!” Blind, indeed, must be the American Protestant who can see a good omen for America in the appointment of any Roman Catholic to secretaryship of the Papal Legation at Washington. The more he is like “Archbishop Ireland and the brilliant Paulist Father who recently lectured to the students in Union Seminary,” the sooner will the scheme of Rome be realized. Shades of Martin Luther! Are American Protestants drunk? Yes, drunk with the wine of Babylon.
THE real spirit of National Reform was well exemplified in the recent New Castle convention by the means used to counteract the influence of certain religious liberty publications, distributed there prior to the meeting. These publications were, “Limitations of Civil Authority from the Standpoint of Natural Right and Divine Obligation;” and, “Why Do Seventh-day Adventists Suffer Imprisonment Rather Than Keep Sunday?” Reference was made to these publications several times, and always in a way to prejudice the people against them. But the climax of misrepresentation was reached when Mr. D. McAllister exhibited a copy of the Truth Seeker to the audience, and calling attention to the cartoons on the first and last pages, said that such was secularism gone to seed; that such was the logical conclusion of opposition to their movement, etc.; and classed the AMERICAN SENTINEL with the paper he was exhibiting. This was grossly unfair, for the SENTINEL has nothing in common with the Truth Seeker, except opposition to National Reform, and even this is from so widely different a standpoint that it can scarcely be said to be in common.
But unfair and misleading as was Dr. McAllister’s statement, it was not sufficiently so to satisfy Dr. H. H. George, and he arose in the convention, and referring again to the religious liberty publications, said, “They all emanate from the same source and are of the same character.” Nothing could be more false, for while the Truth Seeker is intensely hostile to all revealed religion, the tracts to which reference has been made are consistently Christian, and breathe a spirit of genuine Christian piety; and this every honest man must admit, whether he agrees with the conclusions reached or not. The statements made were nothing short of palpable violations of the ninth commandment, and especially is this true of that made by Dr. George; indeed, it is hard to believe that his was not a deliberate purpose to deceive the audience as to the character of the tracts in question.
But is infidelity “opposition to National Reform gone to seed”? Is it the logical conclusion of opposition to the so-called “Christian theory of civil government”? By no means; for as we have repeatedly shown in these columns, National Reform is itself anti-Christian. Moreover, it is no more logical to class the Truth Seeker and the AMERICAN SENTINEL together because they both oppose National Reform, than it would be to class the Truth Seeker and the Christian Statesman together because they both oppose Romanism. The Roman Catholic can just as consistently argue that infidelity is simply opposition to Romanism gone to seed, as the National Reformers can argue that infidelity is simply opposition to National Reform gone to seed. Either is a begging of the question and is unworthy of honest men. Let the National Reformers meet and refute, if they can, from the Scriptures to which we constantly appeal, the arguments of the SENTINEL. Yea, let them clear themselves of the charge that their so-called reform is not subversive of the very foundation principles of the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ which they profess to serve.
IN a speech to the pontifical household, Dec. 24, as reported by the World, the pope said:—
The faith is reviving among the nations, which have come to recognize that civil virtues and laws are not sufficient to restrain the masses. It is of great importance, therefore, that all work together to make religion a forced in public as well as in private life. It is the duty of rulers to lend their support to religious creeds.
The one great scheme which the pope is working to being the world in submission at his feet is here briefly stated. “The masses cannot be controlled with religion. The Protestant religion commenced in anarchy and ends with anarchy. The only religion which can restrain the masses if the Roman Catholic religion.” Therefore, “it is the duty of rulers to lend their support to religious [Roman Catholic] creeds.” Rome breeds anarchy in her followers by telling them that the nation which does not recognize the Roman Catholic creed is a heretical nation, unstable, and must sooner or later come to ruin. When this teaching bears fruit in social unrest, riots and Coxyeism, she points to these social disturbances and charges it upon a failure to recognize the papal creed, and offers to calm the troubled waters in exchange for power. The Catholic World of August last, closed its observations on the Coxey movement which were similar to the statement of the pope here quoted, with the significant remark: “What possibilities there are in the old church!” This game of the pope will succeed and that soon, but this very success will preface the everlasting overthrow of this anti-Christian system. See Revelation, chaps. 17, 18, 19.