“THE Catholic Church has been made to appear in a false light to those not of her communion,” says Cardinal Gibbons. Nothing could be more true; and nobody has contributed more to this result than has the cardinal himself. The mask should be once more torn aside, even as it was in Luther’s days, and Rome be made to stand forth in her true character. “Rome never changes.”
ANOTHER evidence that religious persecution is “without natural affection” is to be found in the treatment of Mrs. Whaley, the wife of Robert R. Whaley who is now serving a sentence of ninety days in jail for doing common labor on Sunday. Mrs. Whaley is a dressmaker, and devotes the time not occupied in the care of her large family, to this occupation by which she was able to materially aid her husband in supporting the family. But when she began the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, she became the victim of what is in effect a church boycott. Not only has an influence been brought to bear to prevent her from obtaining work, but a lady member of the Methodist Church, for whom Mrs. Whaley had made a dress, perceiving an opportunity of escaping payment and at the same time punishing a hated heretic, tendered the amount of the debt ($5) on the seventh day. Mrs. Whaley explained to the woman, what she well knew, that she did not transact business on that day, and asked her to hand it to her later. And now this professed follower of Jesus refuses to pay the debt, alleging that her duty has been performed in tendering the money.
THE gospel of National Reform, the gospel of force, is being carried into the newly-opened portions of Africa by the missionaries that have followed closely upon the heels of the troops of the British South African Company, to which was committed the conquest of Matabeleland and Mashonaland. First, the so-called company, which is in fact the colonial government of that part of Africa, despoiled the natives of their territory by force and fraud, and then doled out grants of land to the missionaries as a speculative investment, the returns to be made in “inflooence” in civilizing the natives. How the missionaries who have thus sold themselves for a mess of African pottage will succeed in serving two masters, remains to be seen; though, in view of our Lord’s declaration that it cannot be done, the issue can scarcely be considered doubtful.
THE two articles in this paper, “Roman Catholicism and Spiritualism,” and “What Is Modern Spiritualism?” will be found to be of more than usual interest. It has long been understood by many that prophecy teaches that in the last great conflict between truth and error, Spiritualism and Roman Catholicism, like Herod and Pilate, would be “made friends” in fighting against the truth of God; but how these two systems were ever to be united in a common cause has not been clearly seen. Now, however, light is breaking in, and it is apparent that the gulf that separates them is neither as wide or as deep as many have supposed; and that Rome, while opposing certain forms of Spiritualism all these years, is, and has been, a gigantic organization of Spiritualists. And it is now becoming apparent to both bodies that they hold enough in common to make the transfer from “séance” to saint worship, and vice versa, short and easy. By her saintology Rome inculcates Spiritualism, though under another name, and it is not strange that in turn the spirits testify that Rome is “the true religion.” Satan is not divided against himself.