The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-09-04
CLOUD OUT Of SEASON
RESULTED IN WATERLOO
Evangelist serns says Holy Writ De-
cinres Europe Shall Not he
United.

What meaneth the noise of this
tumultT' asked Evangelist serns last
night In the Bible Institute on Main
Street, in his lecture on the Vatican
and the War" The millions of lives
sacrificed on the altar of Mars have
led thinking men to ask. is this the
baptizing wherewith the twentieth
century 10 to be baptizedr The hope
OF the pacihst. the legislation of The
Hague tribunal. arbitration treaties.
culture. religion and refined civil
uxation have been stricken to lhe
dust. and the old world has relapsed
into barbarism- We look with scorn
and contempt on the barbartc. ages Of
the past. But the ruins OF Rheims.
the desolation Of Termonde, and the
blackened ashes OF Lille make sham
the atrocities of Darius. and the con-
quests OF Alexander. The wars Of
Julius Caesar pale into insignihcance
when lined up with the storming of
Antwerp. The campaigns Of Napoleon
lose their place in history when placed
beside the German Crown Princes Of
fensive against verdun."
Evangelist Serns continued, Water
loo! Who was responsible for the vic
tory there gained7 wellington? Bleu
cher7 No. Almighty God saved Eu-
rope. On June IT and IS cloud
out of season passed acSoss the sky,
soaking the soil. and thereby hinder
ing Napoleon's invincible artillery. and
giving Bleucher time to arrive. Je-
bovah's fiat was that after the break =
Ing up OF the Roman Empire. Europe
should never again be united. Just
as surely as few drops OF water
saved Europe at that great battle, so
fVrf~ nre mi Iox, hal
ligerent nations shall not cleave to-
gether. Any attempt to unity into a
mighty confederation by conquest or
by arbitration, the remnants in Eu-
rope will conflict with the word OF
God and Will end in another Water
loo.
Tn Europe today. the Papacy alone
survives the bosom Of empire destruc.
ton. Just as Hildebrand whipped in
to submission the maddened temper
OF Henry " at the Castle of Countess
Matilda. at Canossa. so the Papacy
today proffers terms OF mediation TO
the maddened monarchs OF Europe.
Even as Pope Innocent III tanned the
vile, cowardly King John OF Britain.
and brough him into submission to
the church. so today Europe's great
diplomat Guiacomo Della Chiesa, bet
ter known as Pope Benedict XIV. In
his coronation encyclicaL. charges
that this present war has come about
because OF n divorce Of the church
and the state. and IL punishmen Mt
from God. One year IagQ, on the
sixth Of September. John Ireland,
archbishop Of ST. Paul. gave the fol-
lowing to the American press. AS the
storm burst upon Europe. great
pontin was needed: a great pontifr
came forth. great, not only in the
grandeur OF office. but also in the
personal attributes Of mind and char
acter. that betoken tho great leader
Of Rome ana the President of the
United States OF America today are
the partners Of peace"
Among the many prophecies," pro-
ceeded Mr. Serns. uttered by Rome.
hone IL more significant than the one
OF Cardinal Manning in . speech given
at the league of st. Sebastian, Janu-
airy 40. 1874. He said. The excited an
tagonism Of the nations Of Europe
10 founded upon a fact full of consola-
.tion. Instead Of being alarmed for
scared or discouraged by tho great
sharpening Of animosity. and the great
massing together of antagonismt I
look upon II ~ a most beautiful sign.
OF all obstacles. the Vicar Of Christ
win be put again in his own riEshtful
place"
Mr.. eerns said that this prophecy
was made immediately after tho Pap
acy was Invested Of its temporal pow
err.
The evangelist was asked IL he be-
lieved the Pontin would always be q
prisoner at the Vatican. He said mo,
Revelation. the seventeenth chapter,
teaches that once again, for q brief
time, Europe will yield to Rome for
peaoA Which ever power wins, the
Pope will insist that he IL to arbi-
trate. and from the ruins Of crushed
empires win again attempt to build
UP holy empire. God says II shall
always be divided, even a. clay VIII
not mix with iron. The next treat
move will b the setting up OF the
everiastinR kingdom Of Jssus Chsint.ss
Ipnight NvaAge3st Gefne MA -.