The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-02-11

er Divinely appointed king and king
/ dom off the face Of. the earth. Hence
.popes and kings now admit that they
reign by a popular sufferance. and
their. appeals for money, for armies
and nayies. is no longer on the score
that they were Divinely instructed to
obliterate each other, but on the score
of self-defense.
This claim. however, wholly de-
strOys the argument that we are now
or ever in the past have been under
ChriSt,s Kingdom. either direct or
| through the popes. Neither now nor at
any other time in the worlds history
has there been a reign of righteousness
such as the Scriptures declare Christ's
Kingdom shall be. May we not, then,
with good grace-Catholics and Prot
eStants-admit that neither our CathO-
lie popes. enperorS and kings, nor our
, Protestant kings, emperors and heads
Of Churches are reigning with any
Divine. authority manifest to human
Judgment? Let us humbly admit the
nonsense Of the legends on our ceins,
! Catholic and Protestant, to the effect
: that kings and pOpes reign by the
grace of Colby Divine appointment.
/ Let MS rather say that they came into
power through the exercise of brute
force and in 4 time of common public
ignorance. Nor by this do we mean
any disrespect to the governments OF
today-rather we have shown that to-
day the people are ruling through
| their Congresses, Parliaments, Reich
stays, etc. and that the kings and
emperors are mere figure-headS OF
power. more or less useful and de-
pendent upon the goodwill Of their
people.
If it be asked how we shall account
| for the period of the dark ages and au-
| tocratic and devilish misrule, our re-
ply would be to point to the Apostles
| words. He declares that Satan is the
god or ruler of this world, who now
operates through the disobedient-
| through those not in harmony with
| God. who constitute the vast majority
| in ChriStendom and elsewhere. And
we remind you that our Lord Jesus
also spoke of Satan as being tho
| Prince Of this world or age Dohn xii.
81, and of himself as the Prince or
/ Ruler of the coming Age, the Millen-
NAL Age Gohn xviii, 36).
All, yes! the sooner both Catholics and
| Professionals admit what they and all
the world now see, the better-namely,
that for 4 long time our great Adver-
sary held us in a bondage Of ignorance
and superstition, in getting free from
which many bright minds have reacted
| towards infdelity, because they did
not see that many of the teachings of
| the past, both Catholic and Protestant.
| were not only irrational, but most posi-
| lively unscriptural teachings Of men,
| and as st. Paul declared, doctrines Of
demons q Timothy iv, u.
| Not Vice serent Christ.
In view Of the fore gOing-in view Of
the fact that the Divine titles of all
kings and emperOrs are now abrogat-
ed, papacy need feel no special dis
| grace to her cause in similarly abro-
eating the claim that the pOpes reign
as representatives Of Christ or have
| 81 W w. lHuCCu SuSn a
claim is more safely denied than held.
| for in the light Of our day papacy's
best friends cannot look into the past
and point with pride to any achieve
| ments as properly representing the
reign of the Prince of Peace--Imman-
uel In the light Of the present all Of
Gods people, Catholics and PrOtesants
of every shade, should rejoice to join
in the Lords Prayer-'"rhy Kingdom
come; thy will be done on earth as it is
| done in heaven Surely this is what
all saints Of all denominations should
| desire and pray for and labor for.
! Not that we can hope to bring it to
pass of ourselves. however. Nearly
| nineteen centuries of efforts show to
| the contrary. Even our last century
Of great missionary endeavor. Catholic
! and Protestant. proves this. United
States statistics show that in the year
1900 there were six hundred millions
| of heathens. and that in the year 1909
| their numbers had doubled--there were
| twelve hundred millions Of heathens.
While continuing our exertions on be-
| half of the heathens abroad and at
home. let us. tie our faith to the Apos-
| ties words and wait for Gods Son
| from heaven" q Thessalonians i. 10Y.
| At the second coming OF Christ and
| the gforifcation of his Church. This
| elect" "nis saints" gathered from al
| denominations. Catholic and PrOtes-
| tant (and some from outside OF al
| of them)-only then will the glorious
reign of Christ and the Church begin.
Only then will the spiritual Seed of
| Abraham be complete and the work Of
blessing the unregencrate wcrid begin
the AIillenniaI Kingdom work-the
overthrow of Satan and his empire
the scattering OF darkness. ignorance
and superstition which he feStered-
| the flooding of the earth with the light
| of the knowledge of the glory Of God
the restoration of natural Israel to
Divine favor-the bringing in of ever
| lasting righteousness through a men,
| tai, physical and moral uplift. Who
ever then shall refuse all those
! blessings and privileges will be de-
stroyed from amongst the people.
Thus eventually in the close of the
Millennium Gods will shall be "done
on earth even as it is done in heaven"
as fully as comnlptnlv This iS tho