THE CATHOLICS AND THE ADVENT.
By Smith Sharp
The strongest church, financially, that we have in the Kansas Conference is in Doniphan County, situated midway between Atchison, Kan., and St. Joseph, Mo., it being about twelve miles to each place. Situated as it is near the Missouri River, as would be expected a large proportion of those living in the vicinity are Roman Catholics. The truth was first preached here by Bro. Laurence, and he and Eld. Chaffee have bestowed about all the labor the church has ever had. Bro. C. held a discussion here about three years ago; and a Mr. O’Driscol, a lawyer of fine ability and a Catholic, was selected for moderator. Mr. O’Driscol had a fine opportunity of becoming acquainted with our views, and at once set himself to the task of preparing to refute them; and for the past three years he has been devoting a part of his spare time to an examination of the prophecies, with an especial aim to exculpating the mother church from any share in the judgments threatened the mother of harlots. Every effort that had been made by the Protestants to refute our positions had failed, and they stood before the world charged by our people with following the traditions of Roman Catholicism. It was known that Mr. O’Driscol was a fluent speaker, a sharp lawyer, and that he was well-informed as to our doctrines and general history. Accordingly the meeting-house under the control of the M. E. church was opened, and he was invited to speak. A prominent Protestant introduced him to the congregation, and took a seat with him on the stand. He commenced ten minutes before seven o’clock P. M., Feb. 10, and spoke until eleven P. M., and finished up with a three-hours’ speech the next evening, thus occupying seven hours and ten minutes. A few of the leading points is all that I have space to notice. He passed over the entire visions of Daniel and John, arguing in the very strongest terms the infallibility of the Church of Rome, defining heresy to be error, and charging it upon all Protestants. On Dan. 2 he agreed with us until he came to the little stone. This he claimed was the Roman Church, which was set up in the days of Christ, with Peter at99its head. All the symbols that we apply to the papacy he applied to the Mohammedan power. He made the time, times, and dividing of time 1260 years, just as we do. Its commencement he fixed at the rise of Mohammedanism in A. D. 622; consequently it would end in 1882, at which time he thinks the Turkish power will be destroyed, and the Roman Church, which has so long been persecuted by that power, will be freed from it. He said if time continued ten years longer we should see cardinals, archbishops, and bishops flowing back to Jerusalem. Cardinal McCloskey, as also all the other cardinals, owned a see in Palestine, and they expected soon to rule over that country. The wilderness church, of course, was the Roman Church, which has been in the wilderness since A. D. 622, but is to come out in 1882. Soon after that he thinks Christ will come, but not before the pope is permitted to return to Jerusalem. The two witnesses of Rev. 11:3 he thinks are the nuns and monks. The 1260 years that they prophesy in sackcloth is the time the church is in the wilderness. He says they wear the sackcloth under their black outer garment. He finds the fulfillment of the expression, “These are the two olive trees,” in the founding of hospitals for the destitute, by the nuns and monks; that they are the two candlesticks, in the founding of schools for the education of the young; and that their bodies were to lie dead in the street three days and a half, he thinks is fulfilled now in the abolishing of these institutions. Especial reference was made to what Bismarck had done in turning them out and taking their buildings for barracks and stables. There was a Prussian present who had been in the army before coming here; he remarked in a low tone that Bismarck had done a noble deed. This evidently gave the speaker freedom in commenting upon Rev. 11:10: “And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and send gifts one to another.” He says Ecuador is the only place on the globe where the monks and nuns are upheld; but he thinks they are soon to rise. He has a novel view of the millennium, dating its commencement in A. D. 751 and its termination in 1751; thus making it continue during the time the pope could control the Christian nations. According to his view it ended about the time the Reformation began, and the devil is now let loose upon the church for a little season. The mark of the beast he has the turban on the head, and the sword in the hand. The Roman Catholic Church is the New Jerusalem. When they again return to Palestine, all without will be dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, &c. He thought the two-horned beast a symbol of the Tartars of Central Europe, under Zengis (or Genghis). He rejoiced in the hope of soon seeing the Roman Church arise, referring to their increase of numbers, and the fact that their missionaries are everywhere. Said the struggle is now a mental one, but it will soon be a physical one. Space forbids that I should notice other points. There were Protestants present who appeared to be willing to stand all his hard sayings about Protestants for the sake of seeing Adventists crushed. They had evidently brought him there to whip us, and kill the Sabbath. Although he was called upon to prove the change of the Sabbath, he had but little to say about it, simply remarking that the change was made in the days of Christ; but he promised to be prepared and speak on it at a future time, if they desired it. There was a general demand for a reply, and as I happened to be present I thought best to notice some points. The most of the Protestants and a few of the Catholics were out to hear me. I invited Mr. O’Driscol, but he excused himself. I had more than usual freedom. The murmurs that arose from the Catholics as I dwelt upon the symbols that apply to the papacy, and showed how they had fulfilled them, showed that all they wanted was the power, to silence heretics now as they once did. I think the tide turned in our favor. I know we have friends now where we had enemies before. SMITH SHARP.