THE TEMPORAL POWER OF THE POPE.
By T.
ONE of the questions that is receiving a great deal of attention in all parts of the world is that of the temporal supremacy of the pope. Leading Catholics are discussing it vigorously in the Old World, and it is quite as vigorously and widely discussed on this side of the water. Of course all the Catholic writers are urging the restoration of the pope to his temporal power, and it is also a surprising fact to find that so many Protestants by profession are also urging the same thing. And in this connection it might be well to say that what they are urging will soon be an accomplished fact. The pope will again have his temporal power restored to him. And when his temporal power is given back to him, it will not simply be for him to sit at the head of the papal States of Italy, but he will be a powerful factor in the affairs of the whole world. Perhaps you are ready to ask how it is that we can speak so confidently of this matter; how we dare speak so decidedly concerning matters that are still future. The secret of this lies in the fact that we believe the Bible, and the Book of God has revealed it. Every one who adheres to the Protestant faith, undiluted by any of the doctrines that have been instilled into the minds of men by the Papacy, will say promptly and positively that the head on the leopard beast of Rev. 13:1-3 that received the deadly wound, is a symbol of the Papacy. The temporal power of the pope was broken by a deadly wound when the French took the pope prisoner in 1799. And when Victor Emanuel completely united Italy under his kingship in 1870, the last vestige of the pope's temporal power was gone, and he has remained a self-incarcerated “prisoner in the Vatican” ever since. But the Author of the prophecy that told of the rise of the Papacy and of its receiving a deadly wound, also inspired His prophet to say, “His deadly wound was healed,” and, furthermore, he added, “And all the world wondered after the beast.” Now just as truly as that prophecy is from God, just so truly may we know that the temporal power of the pope is to be restored. Any one who has been watching the drifting of events for the past two or three decades, has been compelled to notice that there is a steady increase in the influence and power of the Roman Church, and during the last few years especially, this tendency has been very rapid. The Church of England has been in dispute over the question of ritualism, and the discussion has brought out the fact that the Papacy is getting stronger and stronger in the British Isles, that great center and bulwark of Protestantism. All of the countries of Europe have been making greater or less advancement toward the pope. His counsels have been sought, and his influence has been felt. In the United States there is a marked tendency also toward allowing the Catholic Church to have a molding influence in politics. Archbishop Chapelle was appointed by the pope as apostolic delegate to Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philippines, and he was also commissioned by the President of the United States to look after the interests of this country in the Philippines. Archbishop Ireland is going to Cuba commissioned by the President to inquire concerning the allotment of church property there. These, and many other things, show the ascendency that the Church of Rome is gaining. And every one should understand that they are the fulfillments of prophecy. The Papacy is to again have her temporal power restored to her, and she will exercise it for a brief time with greater severity and despotism than she ever manifested during the darkest hours of the Dark Ages. The prophecy very plainly says, “His deadly wound was healed.” It will not be partly healed, but “healed.” And when the great light of this age is so grossly violated, it will bring in a despotism that will be commensurate with the light that is sinned against in forming it. If the true Protestant heart is disturbed at the thought of this, such need not be the case. For when this new development of the Papacy is crystallized into its wonted power, the Saviour will come to put an end to the evil that would naturally grow out of it. Every prophecy of the Bible shows that the end of all things is right at hand, and this renewed power of the Papacy is but one of the links in the great prophetic chain. The struggle between truth and right and the medieval dogmas and tyrannies of popes will be very sharp, but it will be brief. And the climax to it will not be the glorification and exaltation of the Papacy, as so many are now fondly hoping. The insurpassable climax to the struggle will be all the glories of heaven centered in the joyous splendors of the coming of the Son of man. The temporal power of the pope is truly about to be established again. The prophecy has foretold it, and there can, therefore, be no question about it. It is also true that the prophecies have foretold that this power of the Papacy would be broken by the establishment of the eternal reign of Christ. Why should men be concerned about participating in any form of temporal power, when the Lord is holding out to us the richer joys that are eternal?