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    August 21, 1901

    “Ancient History Which Is Also Modern. The Adoption of ‘Christianity’ as the National Religion” The Signs of the Times 27, 34, pp. 4, 5.

    FROM a government of the people according to constitutional principles, the republic of Rome degenerated to a monarchical absolutism, according to the wilful and vicious caprice of the one man who had the ill fate to be the monarch.SITI August 21, 1901, page 4.1

    After that the next distinct governmental departure was the formation of a union with the apostate church and the adoption of that “Christianity” as the national religion.SITI August 21, 1901, page 4.2

    We have seen that the Supreme Court of the United States in decision of May 19, 1890, confirmed by decision of May 27, 1901, established the doctrine of monarchical absolutism as a recognized governmental principle of the republic of the United States; and that that monarchical absolutism has already begun to be merged in one man who is to govern, not according to constitution or law, but according to will only.SITI August 21, 1901, page 4.3

    And that decision of the Supreme Court of the United States, May 19, 1890, was followed Feb. 29, 1892, by a decision of the same Supreme Court establishing “Christianity, general Christianity,” as the national religion, and accordingly declaring that “this is a Christian nation.”SITI August 21, 1901, page 4.4

    And as the principle of monarchical absolutism of the Supreme Court decision of May 19, 1890, has been followed in national action to the very brink of imperial absolutism; so the principle of established “Christianity” of the Supreme Court decision of Feb. 29, 1892, has also been followed in national action to the point of tantamount declaration of independence of the government of God, and to the very brink of an imperial “Christian” absolutism, passing itself off for God”—its will as the will of God, its voice as the voice of God, its power as the power of God.SITI August 21, 1901, page 4.5

    And as the principle of monarchical absolutism, espoused by the Supreme Court May 19, 1890, and followed in national action unto 1901, was confirmed by decision of the same Supreme Court May 27, 1901; so the principle of imperial “Christian” absolutism espoused by the Supreme Court Feb. 29, 1892, and followed in national action even to the very fulness of the government’s actually passing itself off for God—its will as the will of God, its voice as the voice of God, its power as the power of God—will, if ever brought to the test, assuredly be confirmed by the same Supreme Court.SITI August 21, 1901, page 4.6

    Yet, in order for the government to go to this full length in the practise of imperial “Christian” absolutism, it is not really necessary that the matter should be tested and confirmed by further decision of the Supreme Court, for all this was fully sanctioned by the court in its argument and citations in its decision of Feb. 29, 1892, which declared that “this is a Christian nation.” For by that decision “the Christian religion,” “Christianity, general Christianity,” is legally recognized and declared to be the established religion of the United States, and that consequently “this is a Christian nation.” Also by that decision, “in language more or less emphatic,” there is justified, and all as the “meaning” of the Constitution of the United States, (1) the maintenance of the discipline of the churches by the civil power; (2) the requirement of the religious oath; (3) the requirement of the religious test oath as a qualification for office; (4) public taxation for the support of religion and religious teachers; (5) the requirement of a belief in the Trinity and the inspiration of “the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments;” (6) the guilt of blasphemy upon every one who speaks or acts in contempt of the established religion; and (7) laws for the observance of Sunday as the Sabbath, with the general cessation of all “secular business.”SITI August 21, 1901, page 4.7

    Thus that decision of Feb. 29, 1892, completely justifies beforehand the veriest imperial “Christian” absolutism that could ever be exercised or devised. Consequently it is not at all necessary that there should be a confirming decision to make effective such national action; yet, if the matter shall be brought to test, there can be no doubt whatever that a confirming decision will be rendered of the principles of imperial “Christian” absolutism of the decision of Feb. 29, 1892, as has been rendered confirmatory of the principles of monarchical absolutism of the decision of May 19, 1890. And this identical thing is even foreshadowed in the decision of May 27, 1901. For therein are written the following words:—SITI August 21, 1901, page 4.8

    There is a clear distinction between prohibitions [of the Constitution] as go to the very root of the power of Congress to act at all, irrespective of time or place, and such as are operative only “throughout the United States, or among the several States.SITI August 21, 1901, page 4.9

    Thus, when the Constitution declares that “no bill of attainder of ex post facto law” shall be passed; and that “no title of nobility shall be granted to the United States;” it goes to the competency of Congress to pass a bill of that description. Perhaps the same remark may apply to the first amendment that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Etc.SITI August 21, 1901, page 4.10

    “Perhaps”! Note the wide possibilities opened by that “Perhaps.” Only “perhaps” Congress is incompetent to make laws respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. This statement is in itself almost an open confirmation of and is in exact harmony with, the decision of Feb. 29, 1892, making “Christianity, general Christianity,” the national religion and therefore this “a Christian nation.”SITI August 21, 1901, page 4.11

    Thus by the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States May 19, 1890, and Feb. 29, 1892, the government of the United States was committed, and delivered over to the principles of monarchical absolutism both civil and religious. And nothing that has since occurred in national action in the manifestation of monarchical absolutism, either civil or religious, has been in principle new; and nothing that shall or can ever occur in the manifestation of monarchical absolutism, either civil or religious, will or can be in principle new. It all has been, and it all will be, but the plain manifestation in action, the simple logical expression, of the principles espoused as the fundamental principles of the nation by the Supreme Court of the nation in the decisions of May 19, 1890, and Feb. 29, 1892.SITI August 21, 1901, page 4.12

    And even the decision of Feb. 29, 1892, making the United States “a Christian nation,” was hardly new; for the decision of May 19, 1890, establishing the principles of monarchical absolutism, was made to receive its inspiration from “the spirit of Christianity.” So that the decision of Feb. 29, 1892, was itself more of a confirmation of “the spirit of Christianity” in monarchical absolutism of the decision of May 19, 1890, than it was in itself a new and original decision of May 19, 1890, that in writing upon the subject in June, 1891, the writer of this present article said: “But no religious despotism can ever be established over a free people. It were literally impossible to establish a religious despotism over the royal freemen who made the Declaration of Independence and the American Constitution. This gradual but steady perversion and subversion of the genuine principles of the government as established by our forefathers, this steady inculcating of the principles of paternalism, is but sowing the seeds of a despotism—whether of the many, of the few, or of the one, it matters not—which at the opportune moment will be joined by the political preachers, and out of the alliance thus formed there will come the religious despotism in the perfect likeness of the one before it,—in Rome. And in less than a year the Supreme Court itself put forth its decision—Feb. 29, 1892—establishing “Christianity, general Christianity,” as the national religion, and declaring this “a Christian nation,” and thus opened the door which the political preachers immediately entered, and demanded and secured governmental action, in behalf of church institutions and observances.SITI August 21, 1901, page 4.13

    It is notable also that in all these decisions—May 19, 1890, Feb. 29, 1892, and May 27, 1901—Rome, both civil and religious; Rome, both Pagan and Papal, is the original of the principles espoused,—in the first two by definite citation, and in the last by inevitable, historical fact. And now that the principle of imperial “Christian” absolutism, after the example of Rome, has been thus established as the principle of the government of the United States, the only thing that remains to complete the active course of Rome is for the government of the United States to make practical provision for Papal—Rome’s,—falsehood and delusions.SITI August 21, 1901, page 4.14

    The effect of the establishment of that imperial “Christian” absolutism in the Roman empire was so to fill the empire with hypocritical Pharisaic iniquity, as speedily to sink it in awful and utter ruin. And since in the United States this course of Rome has been followed, and Rome’s history, in principle and in practise, has been repeated unto the very last item, civil and religious, will this nation, can this nation now escape the repetition of that last item, and through it the result in ruin that came to Rome because of that item?SITI August 21, 1901, page 4.15

    Therefore, sixteen years ago, in 1885, it was published that “when our government shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, we may know that the time of the marvelous working of Satan is at hand, and that the end is near.” And this “national apostasy will mean national ruin.” It can not mean anything else. That is the one only thing that is meant to the republic of Rome, degenerated to monarchical absolutism and imperial “Christian” despotism; that is the one only thing that it can mean to the republic of the United States, traveling precisely the same course unto the brink of the last step that precedes ruin.SITI August 21, 1901, page 4.16

    And all this is shown in the Scriptures. In the Scriptures, Rome from beginning to end—Rome Pagan and Papal—is “the Beast.” Daniel 7:7, 11; Revelation 13:1-8; 19:19, 20. And in the last days, in the time of the end, there arises “another beast,” that develops “an image of the Beast,”—that is, an image of Rome. The only thing out of which can come an image of Rome is a republic degenerating into empire, monarchical absolutism and imperial “Christian” despotism; then sinking in utter ruin. That is only what Rome was; and over that same course, unto the verge of the very last step that precedes ruin, this republic of the United States has already traveled in the perfect-likeness of the course of the republic of Rome. Rome was the Beast; this is, and will continue to be, the very Image of the Beast. Revelation 13:11-18.SITI August 21, 1901, page 553.1

    Accordingly, just now there is due to the world the message of God, proclaimed with a mighty voice. “If any man worship the Beast and his Image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation.... Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.... And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in Thy sickle, and reap; for the time is come for Thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And He that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.” Revelation 14:9-16.SITI August 21, 1901, page 553.2

    “And the Beast was taken, and with him the false prophet [the Image of the Beast] that wrought miracles before him; ... these both were cast alive into a lake of fire, burning with brimstone,” both so together are consumed “with the spirit of His mouth,” and destroyed with “the brightness of His coming.”SITI August 21, 1901, page 553.3

    The course of the republic of Rome has been repeated by the republic of the United States unto the brink of the last downward plunge that preceded Rome’s ruin. That last step of the course of the republic of Rome will be repeated by the republic of the United States. And then utter ruin will be the inevitable consequence to the republic of the United States, as it was to the republic of Rome.SITI August 21, 1901, page 553.4

    “Get ready, get ready, get ready!”SITI August 21, 1901, page 553.5

    ALONZO T. JONES.

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