REV. J. Z. ARMSTRONG, pastor of the Independence Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, Kansas City, Mo., has of late made quite a stir in that city on account of his denunciations of the Roman Catholic Church.
Sunday evening, February 25, his subject was "Our Citizenship; Its Relation to the Liquor Traffic, and to the Roman Catholic Church." He dwelt at some length on the duties incumbent upon Christian voters, especially with reference to the coming municipal election. He said he believed there were enough good, pure, true citizens to fill all the offices of trust, and that such men could be elected to these positions if all of the Christian people would do their duty at the primaries and at the polls. He urged this matter, and referred to his text, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's," as bearing on this point. "As Christians, render to government that which belongs to it, and to God, that which belongs to God," said he.
He then went on to say, "I belong to a church which meddles with both religion and politics." The statement is certainly true, so far as "meddling with politics" is concerned, for we remember that the Methodist Episcopal Church worked earnestly with Congress to get this government committed to religious legislation in the matter of closing the World's Fair on Sunday. It was this same church that "brought some influence to bear" upon a member of the Columbian Committee of the House of Representatives, which he found it "difficult to resist."
Dr. Armstrong said that all of the offices in the land should be taken out of the hands of "those who disregard righteousness," according, it is obvious, to his standard of righteousness. Of course this "Christian nation" ought to have "Christian" officials; and is it not a fact that our lawmakers already discern this? and do we not read in the daily papers of this senator and that one who offered public prayer? Have these men experienced a change of heart, or do they see what qualifications the churches will demand in the coming legislator, and are they "for a pretense" making these "long prayers"? Mark 12:40.
After some remarks on the saloon system, Mr. Armstrong came to that part of his subject before which he said the other questions were as dwarfs. "I don't believe it is right or safe at the present time to elect any Roman Catholic to office. Not because he is a Catholic in religion, but because, as a Roman Catholic, he has taken the most solemn oath of allegiance to a foreign power." These were his words, and all this is true, for Catholics do regard the command of the church above the law of the land, and there is the greatest of danger from the encroachments of the Papacy in this country.
"Alas," said he, "for the man who has read up to the present time and can be so blinded" as not to see this danger from Rome! And, alas, we say, for the man who has read Rome's history as portrayed in the Bible and in history profane, and who knows what her arrogant and wicked purposes have been all these years, and what they still are, and who can be blinded to the extent that he will still render homage to her, and receive the "mark" of her power by his observance of her holy day—Sunday!
The position of such an one is as though he were standing with his feet upon the lever which set in motion mighty machinery, and then, still in the same position, he should seek by grasping belts or pulleys to stop the motion of the wheels. He could do nothing whatever, for his very position gives a mightier power to his opponent, and nothing he can do in that position will stop its onward course.
So it is with Rome. In order to successfully oppose her influence and power, he and all Protestants must "retire from Catholic territory," leaving Rome in possession of her man-made sabbath, set their feet upon the solid Rock, Christ Jesus, accept the Sabbath of the Lord,—the mark of God's creative power in creation and in redemption. In this position they will be "strengthened with all might," and even the "gates of hell" shall not prevail against them. Will Dr. Armstrong and others who still occupy this "suicidal" position "retire from Catholic territory" entirely, become Protestants indeed, and true and loyal citizens of the kingdom of Christ on earth? In this way, and this way only, can they consistently combat Rome's mighty advances. But then the weapons of their warfare will not be carnal, but the spiritual weapons of the truth of God.