The Washington times., 1910-05-29
In the Mail Bag
Theology and Religion.

]
/ To the EDITOR Of The Washinston Times.
/ In your issue of May u, under the
head of ''TinkBng CymbaIs." one
signing as Roman Catholic. gives a
criticism upon tire remarks previously
quoted by you made by Rev. DR.
! Woodrow. 1 assume that the Mail
| Bag is an open arena, and does not
therefore express your opinions, or
that il is pre-empted by Jew. Gentle.
Roman Catholic. or Protestant. There
fore, as Bible student, / hope / viii
be allowed a little space.
Regarding the claims OF che Roman
Catholic Church. its adherents are Ger
tainly peculiar In their methods.
| When the Bible can be construed 20
| support their claims IL is quoted
when no support can be construed out
OF the Bible II is disclaimer as an aU-
thortyr and we are told II is no au-
| thorlty. but that the traditions of the
church, the DEGREES Of its councils and
popes are the only reliable and au-
thoritative sources Of truth. Now,
neither the doctrines, eccIesiasticisms,
or practices OF the Roman Catholic
Church. to say nothing % history. are
I'm conformity with the plain word OF
the Bible, either In the Dad transIa-
ton we have or in the original Greek
or Hebrew
Now, l am not particularly critics.
ing the Roman Catholic Church In
this, for as all know. who are at al
versed in history, her claim Of being
the mother church is true That she
IS the mother church" as relates 10
Professionalism. IN fact the different
denominations acknowledge her moth
erhood- however. they. may differ
among themselves, they mite IN
claim or apostolic succession" or
succession through the Roman Catho-
lie Church. This is also plainly told
as words could express it in prophecy.
John, IN Revelation Xvii-5v-, distinctly
say so, and In verses 9-II Of the same
chapter most Unmistaka bly, ard un-
escaptnSly specifies il so. and these
daughters and granddaughter. or
progeny, are classed as Babylon. OF
confusion
That's why there are so many CON
hictihg sects. The real mother church
was founded by the apostles. What
does history saw il SAYS she was q
virgin church that all the power Of
the Roman empire by the sword and
fire could not annihuate her until Con
siantine, in A ID. 525, ~ law, made
Christianity the state religion Of the
Roman empire, and I'm A ID. SOC BCni-
race, bishop or Rome, was crowned as
universal bishop, and from this came
the papacy ana grew up the Roman
Catholic Church, from which was horn
the present Protestant coat of many
c0lors called Christianity of TODAY.
From their mother they inherited In
their creeds very many unbibIicaI doe
trlnes- which by rejecting some and
rejecting others, resulted I'm the sects
rms / take 60 be cold. unprecedented
statement Of historic fact So that
toby the. UnbeIieviug world with the
words o. Christ before them see that
there is a great deal OF difference
between Christianity and che religion
Of Christ as lie taught ir.
Bishop Huntington, who is surely
5000 authority, In the Forum or Oc-
tobei, lS<1. wrote these words. when
great mixed audience in one OF
the public halls OF New York cheared
the name of Jesus Christ and Missed
the name Of the church. 10 was as sig
Eihcant as half the sermons thar are
preached. The time was when The
people heard the words r Christ and
the church with revtrtut silence. II
not with enthusiastic devotion. only
In these later days. when vvorIlingmeD
think. read. reason. aud reflect. does
a promlscuOus crowd rUdeIv. rather
than irrevereutly. take the two sDart
honori0g the one and scouting The
other
Fodat Professionalism should either
cut loose from the claim OF apostolic
succession throw overheard creeds.
theology. inherited eccIe-iasticisn and
contrary doctrines. and take the Bible
alone, just as il Is written. or else re-
turn TO the mother Poman Catholic
Church from which she sprung: return
to one Of her mothers. her natural
mother, or her stepmother. Toda,
shes neither fish. flesh. nor fowl
When she came out or Rome she was
Protestantisnl, bur today there IS lots
or isu1S, but the protest is very weak
and getting weaker day by dav
Rev sam Jones, / once heard saw.
There two things 7 despise. The
oiogy and botany; but I DO love re-
ilSlou and flowers" I am i'm entire
sympathy with Rev sam Jones.
REV GEORGE D. COLEMAN