Going to Rome by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA · Jul 15, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 27.

Going to Rome.

By Editor

THERE was an incident in connection with the investiture of Cardinal Gibbons with the insignia of his new office, the like of which was never before heard of in this country, and which should open the eyes of sleeping Protestants. Before the arrival of the papal delegates, the Treasury Department at Washington received a letter from a Mr. Keiley, President of some Catholic organization, requesting that their baggage be passed free of duty. An order to that effect was given by the acting Secretary of the Treasury, and a revenue cutter was placed at the disposal of the reception committee. The Government vessel met the steamer Servia at quarantine, and transferred the papal delegates and their baggage without any delay to the depot in Jersey City, whence they started for Baltimore. But this was not all. A Catholic paper relates the following incident which occurred as the revenue cutter was conveying its popish freight from the steamer to the station:—

"A pleasing incident occurred in coming up the North River. The papal flag was flying from the fore, and as it passed the Brazilian man-of-war there lying at anchor, the officers from the quarter deck, recognizing the colors, saluted by taking off their hats, which salute was responded to from the cutter."

The request for extra courtesies was a piece of impudence, and its approval by the Government was a piece of contemptible toadyism to the Catholic vote. But the hoisting of the papal flag by a U.S. revenue cutter was an insult to loyal Americans, as it marked the lowest degree of Government obsequiousness to the self-constituted "Vicar of Christ." By that act the United States did just what the German Government has done,—recognized the pope as a sovereign. No greater recognition of sovereignty could be granted to the Czar of Russia than has been given to this "wise old gentleman," who, though he owns no territory, governs more people than any other ruler on earth. And since the pope has no temporal power, this recognition of his sovereignty can be nothing else than an acknowledgment that his preposterous ecclesiastical assumptions are just.

"And all the world wondered after the beast. . . . And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life." How far is this from its fulfillment? Is not all the world now going to Rome? The only thing now lacking to the pope's complete triumph is for degenerate Protestantism to unite with the civil power, thus forming "an image to the beast," and recognizing the Papacy as a sister branch of "our Zion," and then for the United States to send a representative to the pope's court, and to unite with the Governments of Europe in restoring to him his ancient temporal dominion. This is the next step in the programme, and the indications are that it will not be long delayed.