A LESSON OF HISTORY FOR TO-DAY.
WE are told in the Book of God, by His apostle to the Gentiles, that “whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom. 15:4); and of the history of the Israelites that “these things . . . are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Cor. 10:11). We may, therefore, believe that there are lessons for us and our times in the Inspired Record. Does not the following contain a lesson which the people of the United States would do well to consider? “Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin; and he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield. . . . And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand. And other ten thousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive. . . . Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them. Wherefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Amaziah, and He sent unto him a prophet, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand?” See 2 Chron. 25:5-16. The present administration in this country, and the people generally, felt that it was a righteous thing to lift the crushing, grinding heel of Spanish tyranny from suffering Cuba. The spectacle of the years of misery of the inhabitants of the beautiful yet devastated Pearl of the Antilles could no longer be borne; and hearts were stirred; armies and navies were called into existence, and Cuba was at last freed. But what caused Spanish cruelty in Cuba? What caused it in the Philippines? What caused it through the dread centuries of the Inquisition? One reply is sufficient for all these,—the blighting influence of the Papacy, the religion dominant in Spain. Away back of papal influence in Spain, when the darkness of Mohammedanism hung over the land, Spain was not so cruel. The Spanish heart was as tolerant as other hearts. Under the Gospel of Christ it would, we have no reason to believe, have been any more tyrannical, cruel, or intolerant than England or Germany. But after centuries of control by an apostate Christianity, which founded and fathered and mothered the Inquisition, the Spanish character itself became changed to what we now see. The Spain and her colonies of to-day are what they are because of the Papacy. Spain is what the Papacy has made her during these centuries of her tutelage. Her priests, her teachers, her rulers, her schools, her churches, her armies, her navies, have all been faithful children and institutions of the Papacy, and have perennially been blessed by the pope. Spain’s adherence and the pope’s blessing and tutelage have resulted in the Spain whose power crumbled before that of the young giant of the West, whose chief diet has been that of Protestantism—absolute divorce of Church and State—and liberty of conscience to all. These glorious principles of liberty of conscience and equality of man, of non-union of Church and State, of non-interference by the civil magistrate in ecclesiastical affairs, and non-interference of the ecclesiastic in civil affairs, gave America all its power, its vigor, its worth. But now, having conquered Spain, this government is bowing down and doing homage to the very gods which not only could not deliver Spain, but which made her the deceived and weakling thing she is now among the nations. What is our proof of this?—It is the constant yielding and subserviency to papal influence on the part of the government, a subserviency and inclination and yielding which ought not to be shown toward any religious body on the face of the earth. Read, in the light of this, our first-page article. Read the article in our Outlook department. And for the latest event take the following special press despatch to the San Francisco Examiner of December 26:— The Archbishop to Represent America at the Czar’s Conference.
[Special despatch to the Examiner.]
WASHINGTON, December 25.—Archbishop Ireland will represent the United States at the Czar’s Peace Congress. The President has had the subject under advisement for several weeks, and, according to the best authority, it may be said a decision has recently been reached, the archbishop having agreed to accept this most important and honorable post.7 Ever since his induction into office, the President has been anxious to testify his appreciation of Archbishop Ireland’s Republicanism, which took the form of strong interviews and speeches made during the campaign of 1896, and of his mental gifts and learning. Prior to the war with Spain the archbishop was of great service to the administration in acting as the unofficial intermediary between the Roman pontiff and the President. It was Archbishop Ireland who suggested to the holy see the propriety of using pontifical influence upon Spain with a view to averting a war. The prelate has rendered distinguished, if unofficial, services since the signing of the peace protocol. The czar’s call for an International Peace Congress, at which his proposed universal disarmament is to be discussed, presented exceptional opportunity to honor Archbishop Ireland in an illustrious manner. As the representative of the United States in such an assemblage, his position would comport with the dignity of his ecclesiastic office, while not interfering with its duties, owing to the temporary character of the present appointment. Aside from the pleasant effect such a designation would have upon a large proportion of the population of this country, it is assumed that the United States would gain prestige among the Catholic nations represented, as well as achieve for the President a reputation for good taste in the selection for a peaceful mission of a professional messenger of peace and good-will. It is not yet known whether the archbishop will be the sole representative of the United States, or whether he will head a delegation of three or four representatives from this country. In this connection it may be said that the question of a proper papal delegate to the Philippines has been occupying the President's mind. Because of the importance of this matter, and Archbishop Ireland's talents, the President has latterly felt that the appointment of the archbishop temporarily, at least, as papal representative in Manila, would be desirable. This view has not been pressed, and some friends of the archbishop are in doubt as to whether the post is of sufficient dignity and importance to warrant his designation. There is no doubt, however, that Archbishop Ireland, in case the President should desire and the pope should consent to the appointment, would gladly act as papal commissioner for a few months at least. The proposed appointment of the archbishop to the Peace Congress has, of course, the sanction of the pope, and it is extremely significant that just at this time The Examiner correspondent has learned from a creditable source a report that the pope has in view the elevation of Archbishop Ireland to the cardinalate. Archbishop Ireland will soon be in Rome, where he will explain to the pope the administration's attitude toward the church in Cuba and the Philippines. It is argued that if Pope Leo regards the archbishop's work as valuable to the church and creditable to himself, he may indorse President McKinley's attestation of the prelate's worth by conferring upon him the red hat. Read the above, and read anew the story of Amaziah and the gods of Seir. But this is not all. It is neither the beginning nor the end; but it is evidence that papal diplomacy is superior to Spanish arms and presents American statecraft. Neither are we concerned over this because it involves the Papacy alone. We have naught against Roman Catholics as men and women. Christ died for them all. It is the evil principle of union of Church and State which is thus worming its way to the heart of the Republic. It is the poisoned dagger thrust which strikes at the heart of religious liberty, paralyzing the nerves while it pierces the arteries. And yet God foresaw all this, and has foretold it in His prophetic Word; and upon these definite specific prophecies of Divine Inspiration, more hereafter.