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A Difficult Field

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 14, 1907

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 84, No. 11.

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A Difficult Field

By Walter G. Bond

MANY have admired the new pope as a man profoundly religious, a reformer of the music of the church, a defender of civil marriage, and liberal in everything. But, judging from his two catechisms sent out for use in all Roman Catholic provinces, his teachings are no more liberal or evangelical than those of the Council of Trent under Pope Pius V.
The first article of the new creed runs thus: “I believe in the infallibility of the Vicar of Christ (page 30), in the universal Pastor, in the Master of the Universe, who possesses absolute and immediate authority over all pastors and sheep, who has the fulness of the power of pardon (page 125), and is the fountain and standard of faith. Pages 352-396, 400.”
One question is: “Do all men who are baptized pertain to the church of Jesus Christ, though they do not recognize the Roman pontiff as its head? Ans.—No; all those who do not recognize the Roman pontiff as its head do not pertain to the church of Jesus Christ.”
With reference to the Bible, we find the following: “What should a Christian do if the Bible is offered to him by an emissary of the Protestants? Ans.—If it is offered him, he should refuse it with horror, inasmuch as it is prohibited by the church. If he has received it ignorantly, he should cast it into the fire at once, or deliver it to his priest.
“Ques.—Why does the church prohibit Protestant Bibles? Ans.—The church prohibits Protestant Bibles because they are adulterated, or contain errors, or they have notes to explain difficult texts which might injure the faith. For this reason the church also prohibits the versions which have heretofore been approved by her, because they do not contain the interpretations that she has given.”
“The authority of the church—that is to say, in concrete cases, that of the pope—is superior to that of God, and of his word contained in the Holy Books.”—Translated from Spanish.
How true it is that Rome never changes! She demands worship.
Recently, my brother Frank, in company with two of our brethren, went to an adjoining province, to sell tracts. After having been arrested in two different towns, they appealed to the governor, who ordered them to leave the province by the first train, stating that they had the Roman Catholic religion, and wanted no other. But God has said that “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness,” and that in this generation; so we are sure that even though this door may seem closed at present, it can not be long before the sound of this last warning message shall be heard in every part of this sin-darkened land, the home of the Inquisition. Please pray for the work here. WALTER G. BOND.