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When did it become a sign of sincerity to avoid the plain path of integrity, compromise with conscience and lead the sheep into the. swamp in place of the green pastures and still waters ? If such a man has a conscience, why not be consis tent, and if no longer in sympathy with the statements of Scripture, come out boldly and say so like a man, and then start something of his own? We will not promise to give our blessing to the new movement, but will assure him of our prayers. Give up strategy and play the game straight. Be a man! THE NEW PAPAL PROPAGANDA Collier’s International Weekly has kindly sent to this office an advance proof of an article, headed “ The Peace of the World” which embraces an interview with “ his holiness, Pius X I” (we use no capitals) by Samuel Crowther. With the article is a request that, if used, a copy be sent to Mr. Crowther for his file. Now, it is impossible to use the whole article. In the first place, we have no room for long articles, and in the second place, :we have a purpose in our work,— that of exalting the Lord Jesus Christ, and no man, even if that man is a pompous pope. We do, however, desire to give a few excerpts from the "two-page article which carries with it a picture of the “ Deity dictator” and his bell-ringer, Cardinal Gasparri. It is npt our intention to cast any reflection upon either of these two gentlemen, for they are the crea tures of an ecclesiastical system which is being imi tated by the leaders of so-called evangelical bodies, who are ruled by and whose business is largely run by petty popes. In his description of the Vatican, Mr. Crowther says: “We waited for a time in a room hung with tapestries, and then one of the Pope’s secretaries, in Roman purple, came in to say that his holiness was on schedule with his appointments. (He receives his Secretary of State each morning at nine, and such other secretaries and heads of congregations as have official- business, and some times this delays him on unofficial appointments). We were taken on'through a throne room, a fair-sized chamber where the Pope receives ambassadors and royalty. It was here that he received the King and Queen of England on their recent visit. It was here the Benedict XV received President Wil son when he came to Rome in 1919. (Note by Editor—■ And where Theodore Roosevelt refused to go to kiss a ring or worship a man in the Vatican.) We were told that on entering the study we should genuflect (bow in worship) at the door, and then, having crossed the room to where the Pope sits at his desk, kneel on both-knees while he gave us his ring to kiss. This is the Invariable procedure and applies equally to Catholics and Protestants; anybne who does not care to pay this honor, does not see the Pope. It is not .personal; it is a homage to an office. The Pope is not a person— he is an office, and the homage has nothing to do with any religion, Catholic,, Protestant and Jew alike give it.” So the pope is an office! Well, well; we thought he was a real man. Why not have an effigy there and save the time of the pope? We suppose Mr. Crowther means by “ the office” the Roman Catholic church which has been so widely and gloriously used in Spain, France, Italy, Austria, and in Mexico, Central and South America! How those countries magnify the glory of an office which denied for centuries the right of any individual to have God’s Book in their hand!
What is the purpose of this article? Is it-intended to invoke worship of an office with a history of terror and ignorance and superstition ? God forbid. The article goes on to say: “One does not ask the Holy Father questions. He can not be interviewed in the ordinary sense. No sovereign may be.” Of course not. It would be very embarassing if some questions were put to him. He is a sovereign, is he? Well, praise God, in the United States of America we worship no pope; potentate or politician. We have an open Bible and we are ready to die for it and for its propagation. Here, the President kisses the Bible, not the pope’s ring. The article, which is largely made up of stories and pictures of the pope and his papal secretary and pal ace, culminates in advice as-to how we should settle the indemnity matter of the nations, suggesting that the United States should take Germany as its creditor for a portion of what France, Belgium and Italy owe us, and then the light begins to break into our dark ened souls. We begin to understand what it is all about. Well, we would like to suggest a solution. Why not sell out the Vatican palace, and let the millions which are, uselessly held there be given to the United States as part payment for the debt of the countries named? Why not let the pope “ Sell all that he has and give to the poor?” That’s Scriptural, but there is no Scrip tural foundation for a political-ecclesiastical system, such as the Roman Catholic church, of which the pope is the head. We’ll never bow the knee to man, We’ll never kiss his ring; We have no need of Vatican, Christ, only, is our King. So, rally round the old Book, boys, No matter what they say; The Book so full of countless joys, Let’s rally every day. THE CHALLENGE OF THE CHRISTIAN CHAMPIONS OF CHINA The Bible Union of China had its origin in Kuling, China, in the summer of 1920, when Dr. Griffith Thomas, repre senting the Milton Stewart Trust Fund, delivered addresses on the Bible to the various conferences organized by that Trust Fund. Commencing with a few hundred members, the Bible Union has now reached a constituency of 2,200 mission aries. Various missionary bodies have attempted to deny that there has been any departure from the evangelical faith upon the part of their missionaries, but here are 2,200 evangelical missionary witnesses in an organization which is an outstanding testimony that their denial is false. If there are no representatives of the evangelical church in China who are dishonest and disloyal, why these wit nesses? The Bible Union of China was formed for the purpose of uniting the loyal men and women in opposition to those who have proven untrue and unfaithful to the evangelical test. A denial of facts so definitely known is, of itself, a sub terfuge on the part of the officials of the various Boards to evade facing facts well known to missionaries on the fields, as well as to many in the homeland.
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