, 1877-02-18

alweys forebods evil, and become alarmists;
md It must be confessed that things have
mt zone well for some time with the Church
of Rome. To be sure, in England Rtualism
has made a convenient bridge over which
many have passed from Protestantisrn to
Romanism. while in the United States i'm
migration has brought up the numbers OF
"the Church" to nearly m eighth Of the
population. Then, again, the Pope had his
own way in tho Vatican Council, and wss
solemn1y declared to be infallible in his Off
cial action. But, alas! for these foretokens
of the Millennium, they wero immediately
followed by tremendous disasters. The
Pope was thrust ont Of his temporal sover-
eighty, and left to be spiritual ruler
only, to the great damage OF his
outward splendor and of his world
ly prestige. France and Spain, the two
crutches of the Papacy, we're sadly splinter
ed, if not permanently broken, as supporters
Of Papal political pretensions. The leading
Governments of Europe took umbrage at an
infallibility which might be exercised in the
department of politics, under the plausible
plea OF regulating morals and religion, and
Germany made it uncomfortable for un-
patriotic ecclesiastics. And 50 the Pope
shut himself up in the Vatican, called him.
self so prisoner Qike rebellious child in
tantrum, who insists on getting under the
bed and remaining there, in spite Of all IN
vitationsto to come out), and took to prophesy
ing evil against the nations. It is not to be
wondered Ut if he thinks now that the hill
lennium was in the Middle Ages, and that
We have fallen upon the apostasy which is
to precede the Second Advent. If that is
the keynote which he is striking, it is not
surprising that his faithful followers are re-
spending in doleful strains, and look for help
to the same Divine Intervention. Hence we
find the 1a5st taking up the subject; but
We fear that 31r. MoopT and Maj. WH1Tr1E
will hardly appreciate the value Of the rein
forcenent, and especially as contained in the
following argument:
But there is another sign Of the near approach
Of TINT day on which the time Of mercy expires
and the eternity Of judgment begins, which, to our
thinking, is conclusive than o<en those signs
foretold by the Incarnate Deity In language SO
oracular and obscure. It fs the extraordinary and
still multiplying number OF apparitions Of the
Blessed Virgin MART which have taken place with
in the lust few years. 1t is as though her flial
heart, throbbing with an unutterab1e and iucon-
ccisable lore for her Maker and her GoD, and her
maternal hc.rt for her Divine Son and her chill
dren in Him. forced her, 1t were, ever and anon
out Of the excellent glory, to show herself to the
humblest Of the earth, in rock inches, on hill
slopes, and elsewhere, with majestic attendance
Of miracles, spiritual and bodily, causing vast
baslicas to arise in out~of the way places, and pro-
voking holy ptlgrimages without number, in order
to convert sinners and confirm the faith Of the elect
IN OF the terrible trial to which their faith is
being exposed on the very threshold OF Judgment
Alas! 'Who shall decide when doctors
disagree?" The Protestant Second-Advent-
lists are sure that CHB1sr is to appear shortly
to destroy "with the brightness Of His COM
ing the Romish imam Of sin, whose afro
gant opposition to the truth is becoming in
tolerable. On the other hand, the deyout
Roman Catholics are forced to the belief that
the prosecutions which 83the Church is
now suffering (though these do not interfere
with good deal Of jolly living) Gun only be
expected to end BY tho personal appearance
of its Divine Head to deliver His despised
Vicegerent on earth. On this contradictory
stats of things it may be as well for us MI to
go quietly on in the spirit of love, doing all
the good we can, and being thus in prepara-
tion for whatever events may occur.