Federating for Power

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Sep 26, 1916

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 43, No. 38.

Federating for Power

Pontifical mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City, made notable by the presence of three cardinals, an apostolic delegate, and a lay attendance of some 20,000. This inaugurated the fifteenth annual convention of the American Federation of Catholic Societies.

IN the convention of the Federated Catholic Societies held in New York during the last days of August, say the dispatches, "warnings that irreligion imperiled the United States were given by a number of distinguished speakers."

Bourke Cockran, renowned orator and ardent Catholic, made one of the leading speeches of the convention. He is reported to have said, in that address:

"All the forces at war are pledged to continue the war. The only force remaining that can bring peace is the papacy, and upon the intervention of the papacy depends the future existence and prosperity of the belligerent nations."

Putting these things together, it is easily seen that the papal power is teaching the world that our calamitous conditions of war, violence, and distress throughout the world are because of lack of religion, and that the papacy is the one power that can supply this lack. In such awful times as these, when the hearts of men are stirred with distress and perplexity, it will be an easy thing for the great mass of humanity to swing under the influence of this teaching.

One of the greatest surprises that the world has ever seen is just before us. Men have thought that the papal power was forever broken; but God, through His prophets, shows differently. He gives us to understand that the deadly wound of the papal beast is to be healed, and all the world will give allegiance to that great power. The strong Protestant nation of the United States, according to these prophecies of Revelation, will not establish the beast power as it will be established in the Old World; it will, instead, "make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live."

These combined forces of apostate and federated Protestantism and federated Catholicism will establish the crowning despotism of apostasy, which will forge the last link in the great chain of prophecy; and then will occur the second coming of Christ.

Whether we be Protestants or Catholics, Jews or gentiles, or of no religious convictions whatever, it behooves us to keep our eyes closely fixed upon the rapidly developing events in this world, and our minds centered upon the clear predictions God has made in His prophetic word concerning this time.