IN HIS OWN SNARE by E. S. Brooks

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Apr 3, 1907

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 33, No. 14.

IN HIS OWN SNARE.

By E. S. Brooks

"He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it." Eccl. 10: 8.

ONCE upon a time there was a country in which dwelt many Protestants and some Catholics. Some of the Protestants, not being satisfied with their traditional creed, began to search the Scriptures very carefully. Being close students of the Bible, they perceived that the diversity of creeds among Protestants were perpetuated by trusting in traditions, and allowing leaders to do the thinking. They perceived that leaders used traditional explanations, and their followers were like birdlings in the nest, ready to swallow anything brought to them.

The most of the Protestants were Traditionalists, but the careful Bible students were Biblicists.

The Traditionalists began to feel alarmed at the rapid increase of the Biblicists, and declared that they had become a noisome and grievous sore, and that their creed and practise were working great damage to Protestantism. Yes, they said, the very sight of them set good church-members and others to doubting the long-cherished and venerable creeds of their forefathers. They therefore clamored and clamored at legislative bodies to induce them to enact laws favoring themselves while checking the Biblicists. But they were never satisfied with such laws as they procured, but constantly clamored to obtain laws more favorable to themselves and restrictive to Biblicists. They denied every intention of becoming persecutors. The Catholics laughed, and said, "These Traditionalists are very short-sighted. They would better take their telescopes and look into the future."

The Catholics, year after year, induced other Catholics to swarm into the country, till finally the country became so filled with Catholics, that they seized the reins of government, enacted laws favorable to themselves and oppressive to all Protestants. The Biblicists were not taken by surprise, but said, "Persecution is persecution, whether from Protestants or Catholics. 'All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.'" But the Traditionalists complained bitterly, and declared that the Catholics had cast away the Golden Rule, and had forgotten the Sermon on the Mount. But the Catholics laughed and said, "You have no right to complain. We are only giving you some of your own medicine. Haman was hanged on the gibbet which he erected for Mordecai. The enemies of Daniel fell into their own trap. But you have fallen into the trap you set for the Biblicists."

E. S. BROOKS.