p. 22 | Rome and National Reform by K. C. R.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 13, 1906

Rome and National Reform

By K. C. R.

The Boston Citizen of Oct. 13, 1906, contains a paper read at a National Reform convention, in Boston, by the editor, October 9, from which we quote the following:—

“Rome’s aims are directly opposed to the welfare of the United States. She is rapidly building up a rival government—an absolute tyranny—in our midst. How rapidly she is accomplishing her purposes may be shown by the following figures:—

“In 1894, twelve years ago, there were seven million Romanists under the United States flag. To-day there are more than twenty millions, and including Cuba, which may be annexed, there are twenty-two millions. In this estimate we include the Philippines, for Rome bases her claims for recognition or reward at the hands of our government upon her adherents ‘under the flag,’ and not upon her actual number of voters. Thus she calls herself ‘one fourth of the total population,’ though in reality in the United States proper she is but one seventh. But there are now, including Cuba, twenty-two million Romanists under our flag.

“Romanists increase by birth three times as fast as Protestants. They increase by immigration ten times as fast—that is, of the eleven hundred thousand immigrants landed upon our shores last year, just about 85,000 were Protestants, over 800,000 were Romanists, and the remainder were Jews and Greeks.

“Ten years ago (1895) we received less than 400,000 Romanist immigrants; the past year we received over 800,000, and the number is increasing each year.”

The writer has truly said that the aims of Rome are opposed to the welfare of the United States; and, too, she is gaining prestige and influence at an alarming rate. One, however, who is acquainted with the principles underlying the National Reform party, is led to ask why this arraignment of Rome when they themselves are pursuing a policy similar to the one Rome is pursuing in this country, as indicated in the paper read before the National Reform convention.

No organization is exerting a stronger and more determined effort in bringing pressure to bear upon Congress and the state legislatures to enact religious laws and to unite church and state than is the National Reform Association. Its policy is clearly outlined in Article Two of its Constitution, as follows:—

“To secure such amendment to the Constitution of the United States as will declare the nation’s allegiance to Jesus Christ, and its acceptance of the moral laws of the Christian religion, and so indicate that this is a Christian nation, and place all the Christian laws, institutions, and usages of our government on an undeniable legal basis in the fundamental law of the land.”

What more could Rome desire in this country than to have the United States Constitution so amended that religion could be placed upon a legal basis in the fundamental law of the land? It requires no argument to show that such would be a veritable union of church and state, and would lead to religious intolerance and persecution. To demonstrate that this movement possesses a spirit that will in the end lead it to do what the papal church did in the days of the Inquisition, when all religious sects that she regarded as false were suppressed, I will herewith quote the words of Mr. M. A. Gault, who was one of the secretaries of this association, as given in the Christian Statesman of Jan. 13, 1887:—

“Our remedy for all these malefic influences is to have the government simply set up the moral law, and recognize God’s authority behind it, and lay its hand on any religion that does not conform to it.”

We have but to scan the terrible history of the past and note the awful effect upon the welfare of those nations where the civil law had placed “its hand” upon the religions which were not supported by the state.

The array of figures that the editor of The Citizen has given concerning the rapid growth of Roman Catholicism is a question which should concern every thoughtful soul, when we stop to consider that her influence in every way is being brought to bear upon this government in her endeavor to obtain help in the interest of “the church.”

Let the reader pause and contrast the numbers of those who are committed to the principles of National Reformism with the Roman Catholic Church membership in the United States, and he will see that the danger that threatens the welfare of our country is not alone from the papacy, but from the National Reform party as well, with all of her powerful allies which consist of many influential organizations. Among these organizations are the W. C. T. U., Y. M. C. A., Christian Endeavor, Epworth League, The American Sabbath Association, besides the great Inter-Church Federation movement which was launched last fall, twenty million strong. I appeal to you, dear reader, in all candor, if in the face of these combined forces seeking to dominate and control this government in the interests of their cherished ideas, as the papacy is attempting to do, is it not high time for every true Christian and patriot to awaken to the seriousness of the situation?

K. C. R.