OcTOBER 15, 1906 everlasting life for the world, and in order to fill this picture each and all must be broken, each and all must partake of the cup of Christ’s suffering and death before entering into his glory. And not until all these sufferings have been com ZION’S WATCH TOWER (335-339) pleted will the Lord’s time come for the new dispensation, the new day, the day of blessing instead of cursing, the day of restitution instead of dying, the day of uplifting instead of falling, so far as the world is concerned. ALLEGHENY, PA., NOVEMBER 1, 1906 VoL. XXVII No. 21 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER ROMAN CATHOLICISM IN TROUBLE We have already noted the fact that the French government has cancelled its agreement or ‘‘Concordat’’ with the church of Rome, and that religion in France is now on much the same plane as in these United States—that is, that religion shall no longer be supported by the government. There is this difference—the French have gone a step farther than America, and have decided that the great church edifices, ete., built with the money of the French public, are not the property of the Pope and Roman hierarchy, but to be supervised by the French government, which, being a Republic, is the people’s government. French laws on the subject are even-handed toward all religions—Catholic, Protestant, Hebrew, et al. They will not recognize the power of the Pope and others in Italy to close the church buildings, nor to otherwise control them; but insist that the Catholic people of the diocese shall have the control. To understand this we must remember, as pointed out in MILLENNIAL Dawn, Vol. 11, that the Roman Catholic church is not composed of the Roman Catholics of the congregation, but is a hierarchy composed of the Pope and higher clergy. The Catholic congregations are merely ‘‘the children of the church,’’ who eall the church (the hierarchy) their fathers. This is the Episcopal idea even amongst Protestants: but the majority of Protestants recognize, in theory at least, that ‘‘All ye are brethren.’’ However, even amongst these the division into ‘‘clergy’’ and ‘‘laity’’ is a too common fact —descended from ‘‘the dark ages’’ and fostered by Roman and Episcopal usages. The Pope (Pius X.) has issued (Aug. 14) an Encyclical letter to the Roman Catholie Bishops of France in which he denounced the French government’s action, and while apparently forbidding compliance with it really instructs them how best to comply with it;—by organizing Societies amongst the laity who can and will co-operate with their Ecclesiastics. Note the point: Rome will not concede that her ‘‘children’’ are in or of the church, but she will outwardly comply with French law to hold possession and control of church property. The poor French ‘‘children’’ may never know that they have the control of the situation. Similar regulations in Great Britain and in these United States might be favorable to the greater liberty of the people of all denominations. For instance, then Presbyterians and Methodists and Catholics, et al., would control their own properties as the Disciples and some Baptists now do. ROMISH INFLUENCE IN SPAIN Ever since the Spanish-American war Spain has been awakening to a realization of her bondage to religious superstitions of the ‘‘dark ages.’’ The action of France has been a lesson to Spain, which she is gradually learning, and it need not surprise us if it lead to separation between the state-and-church union which has prevailed there for centuries, The entering wedge was the recent decision of the Minister of Justice, that a civil marriage is lawful and binding whether sanctioned by the Roman Catholic church or not. The test case was on the refusal of burial privileges to the corpse of one married without the approval of the Roman elergy. The decision will thus be seen to be a breaking of the power of the Roman clergy over the people. A dispatch from Madrid states that the church and State relationship is exciting heated discussions and that public disturbances have occurred. It is said that at the next session of the Spanish Parliament the King’s representative will introduce a bill making the ‘‘religious orders’’ amenable to the law controlling industrial corporations, and another bill providing that the members of orders recently expelled from France shall either become naturalized citizens or leave Spain. We rejoice that ‘‘the dark places of the earth, the habitations of cruelty,’’ are getting a glimmer of the light of the Millennial morning. We lift up our heads with rejoicing that the deliverance of the true and only church (‘‘ whose names are written in heaven’’) is nigh at hand; and that then speedily the great Sun of Righteousness will shine forth to bless all the families of the earth, to give to all the knowl edge of the glory of God as it shines in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord. Meantime the Lord has stirred the hearts of some familiar with the Spanish tongue, and they are preparing a translation of Vol. 1., (‘‘The Divine Plan of the Ages,’’) in that language, which we hope to have ready soon after the beginning of 1907. It will be in demand in Mexico first, but we learn will also be appreciated by considerable numbers in Spain. STRONG PROTESTS AGAINST THE POPE A eablegram says:—‘‘Poor Pope Pius X’s honeymoon is over, and the simple-minded child like oceupant of the chair of St. Peter is surrounded on all sides by dangers and intrigues, That his good intentions have at least partly failed and that the Augean stable of the Vatican is still waiting for a Hercules to clean it is no secret, and it is also a wellknown fact that the pope has fallen a victim to the forces of the reactionary parties surrounding him, and that this has caused great dissatisfaction amongst the Roman clergy. ‘This is plainly shown by the numerous libelous pamphlets which have appeared during the last few months. The latest of these, which has created wide-spread sensation, is entitled, ‘Ildebrand monaco,’ criticizes the pope in a manner which in regard to forceful language surpasses anything ever printed in the Eternal City. “**¥t is no longer you, Holy Father, who rule, but reckless and unscrupulous prelates who have taken advantage of your kindness and modesty. A small clique of younger prelates, led by Cardinal Merry del Val, are bringing disgrace upon the church, and while they are satisfying their every desire, the priests are struggling with poverty, many of them living on a lire and a half (30 cents) a day. ‘¢*We know that you, Holy Father, were inspired with the best intentions when you ascended to the throne of St. Peter, but though you do not realize it, you have become a weak, tyrannous pope. You desired to reinstate the rule of love and charity, but you have been conquered by Satan, whose servants are surrounding you, disguised as young cardinals. ‘**Q Holy Father, remember that it is your holy duty to seek truth, and more so as many of us are beginning to doubt its existence. Remember that some day you will be ealled to account for your stewardship!’ ’’ HATRED OF THE JEWS Benjamin Disraeli, better known as Lord Beaconsfield, wrote a political biography which is attracting considerable attention. Goldwin Smith thus refers to it:— ‘*Tt is natural that in the course of this political biography Disraeli, who had witnessed the exclusion of Jews from the House of Commons and who had found and was still finding his own Israelite descent an almost insuperable bar to advancement, should diverge for a moment from the main current of his narration to consider the grounds of the disabilities to which the Hebrew race had been so long subjected in Christian Europe. He hegins by reminding us that the Saxon, the Slav and the Celt have adopted most of the laws and many of the customs of the Jews, together with all the latter’s literature and all their religion. The former are, therefore, indebted to the Israelites for much that regulates, much that charms and much that solaces existence. The toiling multitude rest every seventh day by virtue of a Jewish law; they are perpetually reading, that they may be taught by example, the records of Jewish history; they are continually singing the odes and elegies of Jewish poets; and they daily acknowledge on their knees with reverent gratitude that the only medium of communication between the Creator and themselves is the Jewish religion. Yet, at the hour when Disraeli wrote, the Saxon, the Slav and the Celt were accustomed to treat that race as the vilest of generations; and, instead of looking upon them logically as the channel of human happiness, they were accustomed to inflict upon them every term of obloquy and every form of persecution. Had it not been for the Jews of Palestine the good tidings of our Lord would have been unknown forever to the northern and western races. The first preachers of the Gospel were Jews, no others; the [3881]
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