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Lifting the Embargo

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 8, 1908

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 85, No. 41.

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Lifting the Embargo

JESUS said to his disciples: “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come.” Matt. 24: 14. That could not be done, and the Bible be a forbidden book in any part of the world. A mighty power set itself against the distribution of that book in every country where it could bring any kind of influence to bear, and did make the Bible a closed book for millions upon millions of the people. An illustration of the success of that power, and of its vindictiveness against the Bible, is given in the following extract from the Missionary Review of the World:—
Nov. 10, 1852, a man named Perandelli, mate of an Italian ship, obtained a Bible in New York, which was discovered by the custom-house officers upon the return of the vessel to Naples. The possession of that Italian Bible was treated as a criminal offense. An inquiry was at once instituted, and Perandelli bravely came forward, in order to free his comrades from suspicion, acknowledging the book as his property. The poor fellow was tried by court-martial, and sentenced to ten years’ hard labor in the galleys for the crime of bringing a Bible into the country. At present such punishment of a Bible reader is possible, thank God, in one or two Mohammedan countries only!
The Word, in spite of the embargo of the Roman Church, is making its way into all the world “for a testimony unto all the nations.” Neither Catholicism nor Mohammedanism can prevent the consummation of this purpose of the Almighty. In fact, Rome herself has been compelled to pose in this country of late as the advocate of Bible reading among the people; and into other countries long dominated by that power, the Bible is going in spite of the warnings and protests of her priests. It is nothing less than the power of God that is accomplishing this bursting of the bands of restriction, and is an unmistakable evidence of the fact that God has set his hand to the work, to cut it short in righteousness.