The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-02-01
RastorRusseIl Sermon.
Continued q, from page I; Two.)


gresses, Parliaments. Relchstngs aud
Doumas. And more and more do they
demand that these shall reflect the
sentiments of the people In civil and
religious matters. The day OF dark
ness and ignorance in which the peo-
pie believed that nopes and kings were
sDivinely appointed to rule them with
Divine authority has gone by. Gen.
eral intelligence has taught mankind
that It is a mistake to suppose that
one God-appointed King and kingdom
were DIvlncly appointed to wipe anotll.
err Dtviueiy appointed king and king.
dom Off the face OF the earth. Hence
ropes and kings now admit that they
reign by popular. sunerance, and
their appeals for money, for armies
and nayies. Is no longer on the score
that they were Dlvinely Instructed to
obliterate. each other. but on the score
of self-defense. s.
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 reign of righteousness
such us tile Scriptures declare Christ's
Kingdom shall be. May We not. then,
with good Egrace-Catholics and Prot
estants-ndmit that neither our Catho-
. lie popes. emperors and kings. nor oul
Protestant kings. emperors and heads
Of Churches are reigning with any
Divine authority manifest to human
Judgment? Let US Aumbly admit the
nonsense of the legends ON our coins,
Catholic and Protestant. to the effect
that kings and pones reign by the
grace OF Colby Divine appointment.
Let us rather. say that they came Into
power through the exercise Of brute
force and In time Of common public
Ignorance. Nor by this do we mean
any dlsrespect to the governments of
todny-rather We have shown that to-
day the people are ruling through
their Congresses. Parliaments, Reich
stays, etc, and that the kings and
eniperors are mere ilgure-heada of
power. more or less useful and de.
pendent UPON the goodwill OF their
people.
II 1t be asked how we shall account
for the period Of the dark ages and au-
tocratic and devtiish rnisru1e. 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 ma jority
In Christendom and elsewhere. And
we. remind You that our Lord. Jesus
also spoke of Satan as being the
Prince Of this world or age John XII,
81, and of himself as the Prince or
Ruler Of the coming Age, the Millell-
nial Age CIohu 1vliI.! 36i. ''.t- -
4 All. yes! the sooner both Catholics and
Professionals admit what they and all
the world: now zee. the better-namely,
that for. long time our great Adver-
sary held lls In "a bondage OF ignorance
and superstition, In getting free from
which many bright minds have reacted
towards inadelity, because they did
not. see TINT many OF the teachings of
the past, both Catholic and Protestant,
were not only Irrational, hut most posi-
lively unscripturni teachings Of men.
and, na st. Paul declared. doctrines OF
demons" Il Timothy ", y.
Not vice:gerent Christ.
III view. OF the fore-soing-in view of
the fact that the Divine titles of all
kings and enperors are now nhrogat-
ed. papacy need feel no special dis
grace to her cause III similarly abro.
eating the claim that the popes reign
rs representatives OF Christ or have
authority. so to Ito. Indeed such, u
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
lnents as properly representing tile
reign Of the Prince OF Peace-Imman-
uel. III the light OF the present all OF
Gods people. Catholics aud Protesanta
of every shade. should rejoice to join
In the. Lords Prayer-'..Thy. Kingdom
come; thy will be done on earth rs 1t is
done III heaven" Surely this Is what
all saints OF all denominations should
desire ard?prny for aud labor for.
Y
Not that VIC can hope to bring 1t to
russ of ourselves. however. Nearly
nineteen centuries Of efforts show to
the contrary. Even our last century
OF great. missionary endeayor, Catholic
aud Protestant, proves this. United
! States statistics show that IN the year
1900 there were six hundred millions
OF heathens. and that III the year 1900
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. tic our faith to the Apos-
: ties words md wait for Gods Son
from heaven" Il Thessalonians |. 1O).!
At the second coming of Christ and
the Qualification of his Church. "hls
elect.",'.lis Saints" gathered from all
denominations, Catholic and Protes-
ftnnt ''tand some from outside OF all
Of ftpm1-nutv than will thu r1orinpu