The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-04
Mr.. WOODWARD AND THE HE
RARCHY.
He Interprets Biblical Prophesy as De-
nouncing the Romish Hierarchy and
Speaks of the A. p, A.

nouncing the Romish Hierarchy and
Speaks of the A. p, A.
At the Second Advent church Sunday
afternoon, Rev. E. P. Woodward, the pas
tor, preached upon the subject "The A !.
PA. and the Romish Hierarchy" The
previous announcements in the press
brought very large audience. The little
church was crowded. There were chairs
in the aisles, the. gallery was full, and
men sat upon the steps of the platform.
Mr.. Woodward began by saying that he
had never before spoken upon this sub
ject, since he had been in this city, not
because he thought it unimportant or
was afraid of it, but because he had not
felt the need to do so. But now there
were circumstances that caused him to
feel that he should break silence, at least
of something that was published accent
ly in the Columbian. He then read the
request from its publishers asking an
expression of his opinion as to the A.
PA, and stating that the same request
had been made to other Portland clergy
men.
He had had some hesitancy about an
swering the request. He still failed to
see how clergymen, who are not con-
nected with the A.P. A.. could be ex-
pected to solve any misapprehension
about,it. M
DIT h,,,,u - ~
confidence he wrote to the editor of the
Columbian confidential letter, and
asked him three questions. He wanted
to know it his reply to the request was
to be confined to the A. E. A., if the
whole of his communication was to be
published, and if the replies OF all
who were asked were to be published.
This was private letter, and was sur
prised to find that it had been published,
and that the editor had put over 1t for
a heading" an Artful Dodger."
He had certainly not intended that any
such construction as that should be pu
upon his letter. If the editor had only
told him in private that he felt he was
insulting him, he would have begged
his pardon in private. Now I do it in
public"
There were, therefore, three purposes
that had decided him to take up the sub
iect. First, to vindicate himself. When
q pastor of Portland church was parad-
ed before The public as an "artful dod-
GER" it was time for him, in justice to
his congregation. to say something.
/ Another thing was that he wanted it
clearly understood just where he could
be found in regard to this matter. In
stead Of beinga "dodger," he was very
anxious to have it known just how he
felt and believed.
Also the time has come when certain
underlying facts, to be found in the
Bible, but not freq uently referred to
elsewhere, should be printed. He felt
that the occasion was providential
opening. He had been pressed into it,
but not against his will, however.
{ He then declared that the A. P. "A. is
an effect of Romanism; that it is ayow-
eddy antagonistic to it, and that "you
can never understand Romanism apart
from this Book" striking the Bible.
One of the underlying facts was that
in this book. written SO many centuries
ago, there is pen picture of the Catho-
lie church of today, so vivid that we
would think it was history written after
the fact and not prophecy at all. And
| am willing to stake the fact of its be-
ing the word of God upon one thing
this prophecy as to the Romish church.
What do a mean by the Romish
church? I do not mean the laity.
haveno patience with wholesale denun-
citation Of Catholics, and Irish Catholics
in particular. There are just as true
Christians in the Romish church as any
where else. / have no dou bit that there
are priests that are doing more for the
Master than some of us. There is dan
ger that when you go against corrupt
church you will go over to the other side
of it into atheism, as they did i'll the
French Revolution. When / speak of
the Romish church | mean the Roman
hierarchy, the descendants of those who,
on the seven hills of Rome conquered
the world. mean luis pOilolCu-eCclesl-
astical power, which Is absolutely unique
in the history of the world. and which,
through the centuries, has been the great
problem of humanity.
A AS one of several of the aboyemen
toned prophecies in tie Bible, in regard
to the Catholic church. Mr.. Woodward
read from the 18th chaper of Revela-
tions. "And 1 saw woman sit upon
scar.et-coloured beast, full of names of
blasphemy, having seven heads and ten
horns And the woman was arrayed in
purple and scarlet colour, and decked
with gold and precious stones, having
golden cup in her hand, full of abomina-
lions and filthiness of her fornication.
And saw the woman drunken with the
blood of the saints.
Now can you conceive of more horri-
BILE description of woman John said:
81 wondered with great WONDER" and
the world has been wondering ever
cir