p. 6 | Note and Comment

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 2, 1903

Note and Comment

“THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WILL NOT RULE THE WORLD,” declares The Northwestern Christian Advocate, with reference to the recent speech of Archbishop Quigley, at Chicago, in which he said, “When the United States rules the world, the Catholic Church will rule the world.” The Advocate admits the possibility that the United States may rule the world, and cites a number of evidences that the power of the papacy, both in this country and elsewhere, is marvelously on the increase; but it relies on the American people to experience an awakening to threatening dangers which will forever defeat any papal scheme. It says:—

Archbishop Quigley has done both the country and his church a service in thus, unwisely though it may be, revealing to the American people the purpose which the Roman Catholic Church has in view. It is true that the American people are not awake to the purpose of that church, but they will awake, and once aroused, they will make their power felt irresistibly.

But The Advocate forgets that the only power that was ever felt irresistibly against the papacy is the power of the Word of God. By that Word the separation of Protestant nations from Rome was effected, and Rome’s power was curtailed in the earth; and it is not what

the people are going to do with their ballots, but what they are going to do with the principles of Protestantism and the gospel, that will decide the question of Rome’s future supremacy. By the surrender of gospel principles the early Christian church went into apostasy, and the papacy was developed. By a return to gospel principles under the preaching of Luther and the Reformers the power of Rome was broken, and the blessings of civil and religious freedom were given to many countries of the earth, foremost among them being the United States. But the Protestants of to-day are surrendering their principles, which are their real weapons against Rome, and the increasing prestige of Rome is due not so much to the abilities and schemes of the pope and his hierarchy as to this change on the part of Protestants themselves. In the vital matter of Sabbath observance, for example, Protestants hold to tradition rather than to the Scripture, and Catholic days, such as Easter and Good Friday, are observed with ever greater deference by Protestant churches. Protestants themselves are bringing a restoration of Catholic supremacy.