Data publicării
01.08.1903
Volumul
24
Numărul
15
Turnul de veghe
../literature/watchtower/1903/15/1903-15-2.html
(324-325) 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
ALLIlCH£NY. 
PA. 
How 
do 
we 
know 
this 
to 
be 
the 
Catholic 
view 
of 
the 
mat­ 
ter' 
Because, 
as 
usual 
everywhere 
throughout 
Papacy's 
kingdom, 
"pontifical 
requiem 
masses 
for 
the 
repose 
of 
his 
soul" 
are 
being 
performed-for 
the 
stilling 
of 
his 
soul's 
anguish 
in 
purgatory. 
Surely 
thIS 
would 
not 
be 
done 
for 
him 
if 
he 
were 
believed 
to 
be 
in 
heaven-in 
glory! 
Poor 
old 
man! 
Time 
after 
tIme, 
durmg 
his 
long 
career, 
he 
had 
fresh 
sacrifices 
of 
the 
mass 
said 
for 
his 
sins, 
and 
thus, 
theoretically, 
had 
thou­ 
sands 
of 
years 
of 
purgatorial 
suffering 
remitted, 
and 
finally 
had 
all 
sin 
absolved, 
anci 
yet 
to 
be 
obliged 
to 
go 
to 
purgatory 
to 
suffer 
and 
scorch-for 
how 
long 
no 
Catholic 
knows! 
He 
and 
his 
followers 
surely 
have 
our 
sympathy 
in 
the 
calamity 
of 
so 
unsatisfactory 
faith. 
\\' 
in(Jlllred 
of 
more 
than 
ordinarily 
intelligent 
{)atholic 
ho\i' 
these 
seeming 
inconsistencies 
were 
harmonizable, 
and 
got 
the 
reply-"'Yell, 
you 
know, 
in 
matters 
of 
such 
importance 
we 
teC'! 
like 
1J8ing 
e\eIY 
pr('(':lUtion." 
Poor 
tlungs! 
It 
I~ 
all 
matter 
of 
doubt 
and 
uncertainty. 
Blind 
faith 
in 
the 
words 
of 
men 
(proclaimed 
infallible 
by 
IlIen 
but 
not 
by 
God) 
can 
never 
give 
"strong 
consolation" 
nor 
"full 
assurance 
of 
faith." 
As 
the 
poor 
Romumst 
thmks 
of 
his 
pope 
("a 
very 
God 
on 
earth") 
in 
purgatory, 
he 
shudders 
fOl' 
his 
own 
fate 
and 
that 
of 
IllS 
fr 
len,]s. 
or 
are 
Protc'stants 
much 
better 
off. 
By 
reo 
jecting 
the 
doctrine 
of 
purgatory 
and 
making 
the 
rewards 
of 
the 
prlsent 
life 
to 
Le 
heaven 
or 
hell-eternal 
bliss 
or 
eternal 
mlsl'l'y-they 
in 
some 
re~pects 
in~rease 
the 
difficulty. 
They 
lllust 
adnllt 
that 
only 
"smuts" 
have 
the 
heavenly 
promises 
of 
the 
Srriptmes, 
an<1 
few 
of 
them 
claim 
saintshlp. 
Besi<1es, 
even 
the 
~aint]y 
must 
concede 
that 
but 
few 
of 
their 
neighbors 
and 
kin 
are 
smnts. 
They 
are 
thus 
driven 
to 
doubt, 
or 
to 
the 
un· 
reasonable 
hope 
that 
those 
who 
were 
unkind, 
dishonest, 
un· 
neighborly, 
or 
brutal 
and 
bestial 
an<1 
savage 
are 
the 
kinds 
God 
is 
taking 
to 
heaven. 
In 
which 
case 
their 
reasonable 
hopes 
of 
heavenl.)· 
bliss 
and 
harmony 
and 
joy 
would 
be 
rudely 
shaken. 
.. 
Apostle's 
words 
are 
verified: 
"Ye 
ask 
and 
receive 
not, 
be­ 
cause 
ye 
ask 
amiss." 
However, 
one 
error 
always 
leads 
to 
another 
when 
the 
fault 
is 
with 
the 
heart, 
and 
hence, 
so 
far 
from 
realizing 
divine 
disapproval 
in 
the 
reJection 
of 
their 
prayers, 
we 
may 
expect 
that 
Protestants 
thus 
carried 
away 
with 
admiration 
for 
the 
head 
of 
Antichrist 
will 
be 
still 
further 
misled. 
Indeed 
the 
indications 
are 
that 
"mother" 
System 
(Rev. 
17: 
5) 
and 
her 
daughters 
are 
surely 
coming 
into 
fuller 
harmony 
than 
has 
ever 
before 
existed 
between 
them. 
ThIS 
will 
be 
recoglllzed 
as 
in 
perfect 
acconl 
with 
what 
we 
have 
already 
pomtL 
out 
to 
be 
the 
teachings 
of 
ReveJation,-that 
in 
the 
clo~e 
of 
this 
"han'est" 
time' 
Papacy 
antI 
Protestantism 
will 
cooperate 
to 
arbitrarily 
coerce 
the 
people 
of 
Christendom 
and 
thereby 
lead 
to 
the 
great 
catastrophe 
of 
anarchy;-"a 
time 
of 
trouUe 
such 
as 
never 
was 
sincl' 
there 
was 
nation."-Dan. 
12: 
l. 
The 
following 
from 
the 
8l{n 
(N. 
Y.) 
is 
to 
the 
point:- 
"On 
Sunllay 
prayers 
for 
the 
dying 
pope 
were 
offl'rell 
up 
III 
several 
Protestant 
churches, 
of 
whose 
servlce~ 
we 
have 
particular 
reports 
and, 
probably, 
in 
many 
more 
as 
to 
which 
we 
have 
no 
such 
information. 
"They 
were 
indicative 
of 
change 
in 
the 
attitude 
of 
Protestantism 
towar,l 
the 
Roman 
Catholic 
church 
which 
is 
one 
of 
the 
most 
remarkable 
religious 
developments 
of 
recent 
years. 
Even 
not 
more 
than 
quarter 
of 
century 
ago 
that 
church, 
by 
far 
the 
greatest 
in 
Christendom, 
was 
usually 
ex· 
cluded 
from 
consideration 
by 
Protestants 
when 
they 
were 
discussing 
the 
means 
and 
agencies 
for 
the 
propagation 
of 
Christianity. 
The 
article 
on 
the 
Pope 
in 
the 
Westminister 
Confession, 
in 
which 
he 
was 
described 
as 
'that 
Antichrht, 
that 
man 
of 
sin 
and 
son 
of 
perdition,' 
represented 
the 
prevailing 
Protestant 
belil'f. 
"Twenty·five 
years 
before, 
this 
whole 
country 
had 
heen 
stirred 
by 
political 
agitation 
against 
the 
Roman 
Catholic 
church 
which 
seemed 
to 
some 
prophets 
ominous 
of 
religious 
war. 
That 
church, 
then 
comparatively 
feeble, 
has 
110W 
grown 
How 
refreshing 
to 
turn 
from 
all 
this 
unscnptural 
nonsense 
into 
the 
stronge~t 
in 
the 
Republic. 
yet, 
instead 
of 
the 
bitter. 
-from 
all 
this 
darkness 
of 
the 
dark 
ages-and 
to 
glance 
at 
the 
reasonable 
and 
plam 
teachmg 
of 
the 
Bible 
on 
this 
subject 
ness 
of 
hostility 
against 
it, 
proclaimed 
awl 
pretlicted 
by 
the 
old 
Know-N 
othingism, 
there 
have 
come 
harmony 
antl 
respect. 
of 
sin, 
its 
punishment, 
and 
the 
divinely 
provHletl 
salvatIOn 
from 
In 
Protestant 
churches 
prayers 
were 
offered 
up 
for 
the 
suf. 
these. 
Death, 
the 
penalty 
for 
sin, 
is 
comprehensible-reason- 
fering 
and 
dying 
pope. 
The 
Roman 
pontiff 
has 
become 
able, 
Scriptural. 
The 
resurrection 
hope, 
based 
upon 
the 
fact 
Christian 
brother, 
and 
Protestants 
join 
with 
Catholi('s 
in 
that 
"Chnst 
dwd 
for 
our 
sins" 
(paid 
the 
penalty 
against 
us), 
celebrating 
the 
spiritual 
exaltation 
of 
his 
character 
and 
the 
is 
also 
reasonable. 
That 
God 
is 
now 
calling 
and 
electing 
services 
he 
has 
rendered 
to 
Christianity. 
He 
was 
described 
by 
"little 
flock" 
of 
"saints" 
out 
of 
every 
nation, 
people 
and 
Methodist 
preacher 
of 
New 
York 
on 
Sunday 
as 
'leaner 
~~~g~~i1:~n:i~1 
a~s;~,iai:d 
a~~tl~e~~~~s:b::' 
t~n~i~~~~malro~:he~~ 
of 
the 
great 
army 
of 
the 
Lorrl's 
host~; 
'spiritual 
commander- 
than 
tIle 
saints 
must 
wait 
for 
the 
kingdom 
of 
God 
(of 
which 
in·chief,' 
'champion 
of 
the 
faith 
who 
has 
never 
wavered 
from 
the 
Catholic 
position 
and 
the 
theology 
of 
Thomas 
Aquinas,' 
l'apacy's 
kingdom 
was 
but 
counterfeit)-wait 
in 
the 
tomb 
'who 
has 
none 
much 
for 
the 
progress 
of 
civilization,' 
who 
'has 
(where 
Pope 
Leo 
XIII. 
is 
now 
waiting), 
in 
which 
there 
is 
restored 
the 
golden 
age 
of 
the 
Papacy 
in 
its 
best 
sense.' 
neIther 
wisdom 
nor 
knowledge 
nor 
device, 
until 
the 
kingdom 
• 
It 
cannot 
be 
denien, 
however, 
that 
frequently 
this 
time-is 
also 
r('asonable. 
It 
gives 
us 
pleasure 
to 
know 
on 
the 
strength 
of 
God's 
Word 
new 
spirit 
of 
toleration 
is 
due 
to 
lessened 
partizanship 
because 
of 
lessened 
religious 
conviction." 
tlmt 
Leo 
XIII., 
and 
all 
the 
millions 
of 
the 
dead 
Catholics 
III 
Protestants, 
are 
waiting 
in 
the 
great 
prison·house 
of 
THE 
CHARACTER 
CF 
NEXT 
TWO 
POPES 
PROPHESIED 
tleath 
until, 
at 
the 
command 
of 
the 
Redeemer, 
"all 
that 
are 
Long- 
ago, 
Catholic 
whose 
name 
even 
is 
lost, 
affected 
in 
the 
graves 
shall 
come 
forth." 
to 
prophesy 
the 
characters 
of 
future 
popes. 
He 
did 
this 
by 
In 
due 
time 
Leo 
XIII., 
and 
all 
the 
other 
popes 
and 
giving 
to 
each 
"motto." 
And 
so 
accurate 
have 
some 
of 
his 
'eople 
of 
the 
wor!ll, 
blInded 
by 
Satan, 
"the 
god 
of 
this 
predictions 
been 
that 
Catholics 
respect 
them 
greatly. 
For 
instance, 
the 
Pope 
Leo 
XIII., 
motto 
was 
"Lumen 
in 
eeelo" 
worltl," 
WIll 
come 
forth 
to 
purgatorial 
condition, 
but 
"prv. 
rlifferpnt 
one 
from 
that 
preached 
by 
Romanists. 
The 
Mil- 
(SunRhme 
1D 
heaven). 
is 
motto 
or 
next 
pope 
is 
"Ignis 
ardens" 
(A 
burning 
fire), 
and 
that 
for 
his 
successor 
is 
I,'nnial 
king-dom 
will 
be 
purgatorial 
kingdom-establisher} 
"Religio 
depopulata" 
(Religion 
laid 
waste). 
for 
the 
purpose 
of 
blessing 
all 
the 
families 
of 
the 
earth 
by 
The 
reign 
of 
Leo 
XIII. 
certainly 
has 
been 
very 
sunshinv 
binding 
Satan 
and 
destroying 
his 
blinding 
influence, 
and 
by 
one 
for 
papal 
interests, 
and 
it 
would 
be 
well 
in 
accord 
with 
chastisements 
(atlministerccl 
in 
love) 
purging 
from 
all 
people 
our 
anticipations 
of 
the 
future 
should 
his 
successor 
have 
(or 
from 
so 
many 
as 
will 
submit 
joyfully) 
all 
their 
sins 
and 
weaknl'sses 
and 
blemishes. 
This 
purgatorial 
kingdom 
will 
last 
bl'1ef 
and 
strenuous 
experience, 
to 
be 
followed 
by 
the 
general 
only 
one 
thousand 
years 
anr! 
will 
accomplish 
its 
designed 
collapse 
of 
Daniel 
12 
:2. 
purpose 
(Isa. 
55:11). 
At 
its 
close 
all 
not 
in 
ful1est 
heart. 
"OUT 
OF 
THINE 
OWN 
MOUTH" 
harmony 
with 
the 
Lord 
will 
be 
"destroyed 
from 
among 
the 
sister 
in 
Christ, 
once 
Presbyterian, 
banded 
us 
copy 
people" 
(Acts 
3: 
23), 
and 
throughout 
the 
whole 
of 
the 
cleansed 
of 
the 
Central 
Presbyterian 
of 
February 
18th, 
with 
several 
worln 
praIses 
shall 
ascend 
to 
God 
and 
to 
him 
who 
loved 
us 
items 
marked, 
saying: 
If 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
contained 
su('h 
and 
rel]eemed 
us 
with 
the 
one 
sacrifice 
of 
himself, 
which 
need· 
caustic 
criticisms 
of 
"Babylon" 
and 
her 
methods, 
they 
would 
etl 
no 
alldition 
of 
repeated 
mass 
sacrifices. 
And 
thereafter 
there 
be 
thought 
severe 
and 
uncharitable, 
even 
if 
admitted 
to 
l'e 
shall 
be 
no 
more 
sorrow 
or 
dying 
or 
crying, 
because 
all 
the 
true. 
We 
present 
four 
extracts; 
the 
last 
going 
far 
towarri 
former 
things 
of 
sin 
and 
darkness 
and 
error 
shall 
have 
passed 
sustaining 
the 
true 
Gospel 
of 
"good 
tidings 
of 
great 
joy, 
21 
35 
10 
which 
shall 
[yet] 
be 
to 
all 
people":- 
away.- 
ev. 
:; 
sa. 
"Dr. 
J. 
M. 
Buckley, 
the 
renowned 
editor 
of 
the 
New 
York 
VIEWED 
FROM 
ANOTHER 
STANDPOINT 
Christian 
Advocate, 
at 
the 
meeting 
of 
Methodist 
ministers 
in 
Evidently 
others 
view 
the 
above 
matters 
quite 
differently, 
that 
city, 
disputed 
the 
statement 
of 
Dr. 
Thompson 
of 
ChlcalYo, 
for, 
according 
to 
newspaper 
reports, 
prayers 
have 
b3en 
as· 
that 
million 
anll 
half 
converts 
had 
been 
made 
by 
the 
cending 
to 
God 
all 
over 
the 
land, 
from 
Protestants 
as 
well 
Methodist 
church 
in 
the 
last 
four 
years. 
He 
declared 
that 
as 
Catholics, 
that 
the 
aged 
pontiff 
might 
not 
die. 
Evidently 
statistics 
showed 
that 
M'nthodism 
was 
actually 
declining, 
at 
many 
good 
people 
are 
of 
opinion 
that 
93 
years 
was 
too 
yO'lllg 
any 
rate 
in 
some 
of 
the 
Eastern 
conferences. 
for 
this 
man's 
death 
rate. 
They 
secmel] 
to 
consider 
their 
"Dr. 
Buckley 
added 
that 
many 
ministers 
will 
plainly 
state 
opinion 
on 
the 
matter 
worthy 
of 
diVIDe 
consideration, 
but 
in 
public 
their 
frank 
doubt 
as 
to 
the 
truth 
of 
the 
Pentateuch. 
God 
was 
unmoved 
by 
their 
numbers 
and 
influence. 
Again 
the 
H(' 
continUlld: 
[3228J 
(324-325) How do we know this to be the Catholic view of the matter? Because, a8 usual everywhere throughout Papacy’s kingdom, “pontifical requiem masses for the repose of his soul” are being performed—for the stilling of his soul’s anguish in purgatory. Surely this would not be done for him if he were believed to be in heaven—in glory! Poor old man! Time after time, during his long carcer, he had fresh sacrifices of the mass said for his sins, and thus, theoretically, had thousands of years of purgatorial suffering remitted, and finally had all sin absolved, and yet to be obliged to go to purgatory to suffer and scorch—for how long no Catholic knows! He and his followers surely have our sympathy in the calamity of so unsatisfactory a faith. We inquired of a more than ordinarily intelligent vatholic how these seeming inconsistencies were harmonizable, and got the reply—‘Well, you know, in matters of such importance we tecl like using every precaution.” Poor things! it 1s all a matter of doubt and uncertainty. Blind faith in the words of men (proclaimed infallible by men but not by God) can uever give “strong consolation” nor “full assurance of faith.” As the poor Romanist thinks of his pope (“a very God on earth’) in purgatory, he shudders for his own fate and that of his friends. Nor are Protestants much better off. By rejecting the doctrine of purgatory and making the rewards of the prcsent life to be heaven or hell—eternal bliss or eternal miscry—they in some respects increase the difficulty. They must admit that only “saints” have the heavenly promises of the Scriptures, and few of them claim saintship. Besides, even the saintly must concede that but few of their neighbors and kin are saints. They are thus driven to doubt, or to the unreasonable hope that those who were unkind, dishonest, unneighborly, or brutal and bestial and savage are the kinds God is taking to heaven. In which case their reasonable hopes of heavenly bliss and harmony and joy would be rudely shaken. * * >» How refreshing to turn from all this unscriptural nonsense —from all this darkness of the dark ages—and to glance at the reasonable and plain teaching of the Bible on this subject of sin, its punishment, and the divinely provided salvation from these. Death, the penalty for sin, is comprehensible—reasonable, Scriptural. The resurrection hope, based upon the fact that “Christ died for our sins” (paid the penalty against us), is also reasonable. That God is now ealjling and electing a “little flock” of “saints” out of every nation, people and tongue to be associated with Christ in the kingdom work of the Millennial age, is also reasonable, And that all others than the saints must wait for the kingdom of God (of which Papacy’s kingdom was but a counterfeit)—wait in the tomb (where Pope Leo XIII. is now waiting), in which there is neither wisdom nor knowledge nor device, until the kingdom time—is also reasonable. It gives us pleasure to know on the strength of God’s Word that Leo XIII., and all the millions of the dead Catholics and Protestants, are waiting in the great prison-house of death until, at the command of the Redeemer, “all that are in the graves shall come forth.” In due time Leo XIII., and all the other popes and people of the world, blinded by Satan, “the god of this world,” will come forth to a purgatorial condition, but a very different one from that preached by Romanists. The Millennial kingdom will be a purgatoria] kingdom—established for the purpose of blessing ail the families of the earth by binding Satan and destroying his blinding influence, and by chastisements (administercd in love) purging from all people (or from so many as will submit joyfully) all their sins and weaknesses and blemishes. This purgatorial kingdom will last only one thousand years and will accomplish its designed purpose (Isa. 55:11). At its close all not in fullest heartharmony with the Lord will be “destroyed from among the people” (Acts 3:23), and throughout the whole of the cleansed world praises shall ascend to God and to him who loved us and redeemed us with the one sacrifice of himself, which needed no addition of repeated mass sacrifices. And thereafter there shall be no more sorrow or dying or erying, because all the former things of sin and darkness and error shall have passed away.—Rev. 21:4; Isa. 35:10. VIEWED FROM ANOTHER STANDPOINT Evidently others view the above matters quite differently, for, aceording to newspaper reports, prayers have b2en ascending to God all over the land, from Protestants as well as Catholics, that the aged pontiff might not die. Evidently many good people are of opinion that 93 years was too young for this man’s death rate. They seemed to consider their opinion on the matter worthy of divine consideration, but God was unmoved by their numbers and influence. Again the ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa. Apostle’s words are verified: cause ye ask amiss.” However, one error always leads to another when the fault is with the heart, and hence, so far from realizing divine disapproval in the rejection of their prayers, we may expect that Protestants thus carried away with admiration for the head of Antichrist will be still further misled. Indeed the indications are that “mother” System (Rev. 17:5) and her daughters are surely coming into fuller harmony than has ever before existed between them. This will be recognized as in perfect aceord with what we have already pointcd out to be the teachings of Revelation,—that in the close of this “harvest” time Papacy and Protestantism will codperate to arbitrarily coerce the people of Christendom and thereby lead to the great catastrophe of anarchy ;—‘‘a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation.”—Dan. 12:1. The following from the Sun (N. Y.) is to the point:— “On Sunday prayers for the dying pope were offcred up in several Protestant churches, of whose services we have particular reports and, probably, in many more as to which we have no such information. “They were indicative of a change in the attitude of Protestantism toward the Roman Catholic church which is one of the most remarkable religious developments of recent years. Even not more than a quarter of a century ago that ehureh, by far the greatest in Christendom, was usually exeluded from consideration by Protestants when they were discussing the means and agencies for the propagation of Christianity. The article on the Pope in the Westininister Confession, in which he was described as ‘that Antichrist, that man of sin and son of perdition,’ represented the prevailing Protestant belicf. “Twenty-five years before, this whole country had heen stirred by a political agitation against the Roman Catholic church which seemed to some prophets ominous of a religious war. That church, then comparatively feeble, has now grown into the strongest in the Republic, yet, instead of the bitterness of hostility against it, proclaimed and predicted by the old Know-Nothingism, there have come harmony and respect. In Protestant churches prayers were offered up for the suffering and dying pope. The Roman pontiff has become a Christian brother, and Protestants join with Catholics in celebrating the spiritual exaltation of his character and the services he has rendered to Christianity. He was described by a Methodist preacher of New York on Sunday as ‘leader of the great army of the Lord’s hosts,’ a ‘spiritual commanderin-chief, a ‘champion of the faith who has never wavered from the Catholic position and the theology of Thomas Aquinas,’ ‘who has done much for the progress of civilization,’ who ‘has restored the golden age of the Papacy in its best sense.’ . .« . . Jt cannot be denied, however, that frequently this new spirit of toleration is due to lessened partizanship because of lessened religious conviction.” THE CHARACTER CF NEXT TWO POPES PROPHESIED Long ago, a Catholic whose name even is lost, affected to prophesy the characters of future popes. He did this by giving to each a “motto.” And so accurate have some of his predictions been that Catholics respect them greatly. For instance, the Pope Leo XIII., motto was “Lumen in celo” (Sunshine in heaven). His motto for the next pope is “Ignis ardens” (A burning fire), and that for his successor is “Religio depopulata” (Religion laid waste). The reign of Leo XIII. certainly has been a very sunshiny one for papal interests, and it would be well in accord with our anticipations of the future should his successor have a brief and strenuous experience, to be followed by the general collapse of Daniel 12:2. “GUT OF THINE OWN MOUTH’’ A sister in Christ, once a Presbyterian, handed us a copy of the Central Presbyterian of February 18th, with several items marked, saying: If Zion’s WatcH TOWER contained such caustic criticisms of “Babylon” and her methods, they would be thought severe and uncharitable, even if admitted to re true. We present four extracts; the last going far toward sustaining the true Gospel of “good tidings of great joy, which shall [yet] be to all people” :— “Dr. J. M. Buckley, the renowned editor of the New York Christian Advocate, at the meeting of Methodist ministers in that city, disputed the statement of Dr. Thompson of Chicaro, that a million and a half converts had been made by thc Methodist church in the last four years. He declared that statistics showed that Methodism was actually declining, at any rate in some of the Eastern conferences. “Dr. Buckley added that many ministers will plainly state in publie their frank doubt as to the truth of the Pentateuch. He continued: “Ye ask and receive not, be [3228]

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