p. 175 | Rome and Liberty

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 2, 1875

Rome and Liberty.

The Evangelical Alliance, which recently met at Pittsburg, gave forth no uncertain sound on a subject of vast importance to every citizen of this land, namely, the encroachments of Rome upon American free institutions. The New York Witness’ report of that meeting says: “The members of the Alliance view with alarm the assaults which Rome is making upon our public schools, and, here and there, aided by politicians, with ominous success. The Bible societies of England and America are, as all the world knows, hampered in their benevolent work by the priests of Rome. The precious Book containing God’s message to men, which should be in the hands of all rational creatures, has ever received the sharp hostility of the Romish church. Where she is supreme she burns the word of God, that her priests may the more effectively bend and control the minds and consciences of men. In this country, where she is feeling her way to power, she acts differently, but none the less determinedly, against the spread of the glorious gospel, which alone makes and keeps the people free.”

“It is expected—who will disappoint the expectation?—that our Protestant agencies all over the land will, with energy and clearness, direct the attention of the people to the value of our public schools. Every scheme of Rome must be kept intelligently before the voters. Our Protestant forefathers, with their Bibles in hand, escaped from the persecutions of popery in the Old World to enjoy liberty in the New. They hated turbulence, and preferred peace. But the old enemy—the author of the Inquisition—has also come among us with unchanged hostility. “Education and liberty are trees which the Vatican not only never waters, but hacks down, that the people may be reduced to a condition of subservience to its commands. That is the problem committed to the new Cardinal.”

The Evangelical Alliance are counselling us to be wide awake and on our guard. Their message to the country is timely. The Jesuits are controlling our public men. The legislatures of the States are being poisoned and stupefied by the charmer. They have their eye on the White House. Preliminary to this, the Bible is being expelled in dishonor from the public schools. The slate has been written up, and the politicians who like the emoluments of place better than sound principles are subscribing their names in large numbers. Americans, the conflict is not in the distance; it is already upon us. The question is opportune: Who is on the side of God and the country? Let us so acquit ourselves as to earn the gratitude of posterity.— Golden Censer.