The Roman Catholic Peril
By Francis M. Wilcox
For more than seventy years Seventh-day Adventists have been warning the world of a growing Catholic peril. This peril they have believed would become so great that it would prove a serious menace to the people of every nation under heaven. Their reasons for maintaining this position for the last seventy years are found in the predictions of the Holy Scriptures in which the character of the papal power is clearly delineated, and the work which it has done during the ages of the past and which it will do in the closing drama of earth's history is clearly outlined. In the second chapter of 2 Thessalonians is found the prediction that there would arise a power, the man of sin, a development of the mystery of iniquity of the first century, which would work havoc in the Christian church. This power would seek to exalt itself "above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." The same power is brought to view in the seventh chapter of the book of Daniel, and of it the prophet declares:— "And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." In these scriptures is clearly outlined the work that has been done by the papal power. This power has indeed exalted itself above God. It has spoken great words against the Most High by arrogating to itself titles that belong alone to the Creator. It claims the power to forgive sins. That it has worn out the saints of the Most High reference need only be made to the millions who have been put to death as the direct or indirect result of its influence. This power over the consciences and bodies of men was to continue for "a time and times and the dividing of time," or 1260 years. This period began in 538 A. D., when the bishop of Rome became by imperial decree the head of all the churches and the corrector of heretics, and extended to 1798, when his power as a persecutor was taken from him. But this was by no means to witness the end of its operations. A later prophet in the Christian church, John the revelator, looking down the stream of time to the closing days of earth's history, sees this great system of error again on the stage of activity, engaged in the carrying forward of its old-time work. Under the symbol of the "beast" in Revelation 13, the Papacy is represented. Of it John declared that the deadly wound which it received (in 1798, in the taking away of its power) should be healed, and it should be restored once again to its old-time prestige. The nations of men would rally to its support. "All the world wondered after the beast, . . . and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?" And this great9evil system, conscious of its glory in its restoration to power, cries out in exultation, "I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow." Rev. 18:7. The conditions in the closing days of earth's history which will make possible this return of papal prestige will be similar to the conditions that resulted in the exaltation of the Papacy in the fourth century. Then it was the loss of gospel simplicity in the church; a discarding of gospel truth for human error and heathen superstition; a love for show and ceremonialism and pomp and pageant; a trust in form, in the externals of religion, to a discarding of the spiritual. The spirit of the world controlled the church. The teachers of spiritual truth toned down their message to meet the common standard of the people; and the people, lulled to sleep in their carnal security, allowed their spiritual teachers to become their consciences and to rob them of their liberty in Christ Jesus. Lacking divine power, the church sought the aid of the state in the carrying forward of its work. It is not hard for the student of church history to find the counterpart of these conditions working in the church at the present time. The Protestantism of the twentieth century has largely lost its power. The line of demarcation between it and Rome grows less and less distinct. The same causes operating to-day will produce the same results as they did in the times which witnessed the elevation of the papal power. So marked indeed is the likeness, and so strong the current Romeward during the last decade, that on every side are found men and women who recognize the danger that threatens. The great multitude are indifferent, but from every quarter are coming anxious queries as to the significance of the trend of the times. Many are asking if we are not as truly confronted with a Roman peril as was the church in the fourth century. One great church in its representative assembly—the Presbyterians—declared last year that it viewed "with serious concern the growth and pernicious activity" of the Roman Catholic Church, and deplored "the apathy of our public men concerning this menace." A writer in a recent number of the Philadelphia Presbyterian expresses the same concern:— With president after president distributing offices right and left to the Roman Catholic Church; with an ex-president proclaiming openly that there is no reason why we should not have a Roman Catholic president; with both great political parties working on the same line for votes, we can not wonder that the Roman body looks to the time when it will control the secular and religious affairs of the nation. He then proceeds to show how all their organizations are combining with this purpose in view. A writer in Zion's Herald, a Methodist weekly of New England, expresses his belief "that Rome is determined to conquer in the United States." Other papers speak in a similar strain, expressing the same fear. That this is Rome's purpose goes without saying. Nor does she seek to disguise her aims, but openly proclaims them. Various organizations, comprehending in part the principles involved, have been formed to stand against this threatening danger. One of these, The Guardians of Liberty, has among its supporters such men as Lieut.-Gen. Nelson A. Miles, Maj.-Gen. D. E. Stickles, Rear-Admiral G. W. Baird, and former Congressman Charles D. Haines of New York. This organization states, in its declaration of principles, that—
as the fathers established, so are we resolved to maintain, the separation of church and state. We deny the right of any political or ecclesiastical organization to manipulate or control the sovereign citizenship of our people, or to dispose of their rights and privileges for political office or power; and we are determined that every citizen shall exercise those rights and privileges unmolested, answerable only to his conscience and to his God. We unite to protect and preserve the free institutions of our country, especially our public educational system, against any foreign or menacing influence, and we particularly protest against the diversion of any public funds or lands to any religious purpose whatever. Cardinal Gibbons recognizes in this organization a menace to the Catholic Church, and charges that it is "an attempt to revive the bigotry of the A. P. A." In reply to this charge from Cardinal Gibbons, former Congressman Haines declares:— Cardinal Gibbons is mistaken in his statement that the order is an attempt to revive bigotry; yet if he and others so comprehend our declaration of principles, then we proudly proclaim ourselves bigots in fact as well as in faith. We are of the blood that takes pride in our American citizenship. We do not assail any fraternal organization, yet we are alive to the fact that the Masonic and other orders have by scurrilous methods been and are still being secretly, energetically, and persistently attacked, while no protest has been entered against the secret military order known as the Knights of Columbus. Several publications in the United States are endeavoring to meet the issue and warn the people of this growing menace. Regarding these, Current Literature in its May issue, from which we make the above quotations, in an article entitled "Is There a Roman Catholic Peril in America?" says:— Papers in various parts of the country are devoting themselves to anti-Catholic propaganda. The latest and most vigorous of these is the Menace (Aurora, Mo.), which claims a circulation of sixty thousand. Thomas E. Watson, the brilliant, eccentric Populist leader, is running in Watson's Magazine (Thomson, Ga.) a series of articles headed "The Roman Catholic Hierarchy, the Deadliest Menace to Our Liberties and Our Civilization." The Protestant Magazine and Liberty are carrying on a campaign from Washington, D. C. Seventh-day Adventist, Methodist, and Presbyterian journals confess themselves perturbed by increasing Roman Catholic strength. While we appreciate the spirit of earnestness that characterizes some of these attacks against Roman Catholics, we deplore the spirit in which much of this anti-Catholic propaganda is carried forward. It is to be regretted that some anti-Catholic papers greatly lessen the force of their appeal by the intense partisan spirit which they manifest. We can commend the fearless, dignified spirit with which Liberty and the Protestant Magazine have entered their protests against the Catholic propaganda. But mere protests alone from the papers of the various denominations will not meet the situation, which is daily becoming more marked. A weak, decadent Protestantism can not hope to cope successfully with the virile strength of this great error. Before Protestantism can do this, it needs itself a rejuvenation. It needs to return to first principles. It needs to raise aloft again the standard of true Protestantism, which has fallen in the dust. It needs to clothe itself in the mantle of Luther and Melanchthon truly to represent the cause for which they so nobly contended. Protestantism must have something better to offer in the place of Rome's delusions and errors; and this truth is recognized by some of the writers to whom we have referred. Says the editor of the Philadelphia Presbyterian, as quoted in Current Literature:— If Protestantism will bestir itself and arise to its true self, it can neither be uprooted nor conquered. . . . The great difficulty is that while Catholicism has stuck to its position with definiteness and determination, Protestantism has been wool-gathering in the fields of speculation. It has lost its old-time vigor and message, and may therefore become a prey to any ism. The only thing which will maintain Protestantism is a return to the message of the gospel and its liberty. Liberalism is the greatest foe to Protestantism, and the real spy of all other isms. If Protestants stand true to their position, any attempt of Catholicism to subdue this land will be met by such reaction as will repeat Catholic experience in other nations. To all this we can heartily agree. Let the great Protestant church to-day take as its rule of faith and conduct the Bible, and the Bible alone. Let it return to its old-time simplicity of faith and practise. Let it preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in its purity. Let it offer to the10world a true and a sure foundation for faith, and many, and some even from the Catholic communion, will be found who will discard error and again enroll themselves under the banner of gospel truth. But this we fear will never be done by the large majority. Modern skepticism is honeycombing the masses. Higher Criticism is doing its baneful work. The great churches of the world have become for the most part social organizations. They likewise are seeking political affiliations. True, they still contain many godly men and women, but they are in the minority. The trend is downward. We are in the days of a great spiritual declension. In recognition of this condition, for this very time, and to meet this very peril which threatens not alone this country but the world as well, God is sending to the nations of earth the warning embraced in the threefold message of Revelation 14. That message is the message of old-time Protestantism. It calls men to take their stand upon the infallible Word of God, to obey its commandments, and to seek salvation alone through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ. Conversely, it warns against the doctrines of the papal church and against the reign of bondage which that great system is again seeking to force upon the world. While in every church are found those who still possess the spirit of true Protestantism, as an organized movement the work represented by this paper and this denomination is the Protestantism of this day. This is the people who are giving the message of Revelation 14. This is no egotistical claim, but a consciousness of the work to which Providence has called us. Let us seek to give the message in its power, and let us seek to give it as well in love. It can be given in power only as it is given in love. It is not for us merely to warn men, but it is for us to seek to save men. The strength of this message will be seen not alone in that it warns men of their impending doom, but chiefly in that it brings into their lives a power that will save them from sin, and sanctify them through obedience to the truth.