Sunsets Into Sunrises
Bishop Martin - The Progress of a Soul in the Beyond
- Chapter 79 -
THE OLD MAN'S ANGER CONCERNING ROME AND GOD'S FORBEARANCE. - PARABLES ABOUT THE LORD'S PATIENCE.
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(Bishop Martin): "The old man once more addresses the messenger, saying: 'I now understand what you have told me and do not doubt that you are right. However, if things are as you describe, I would like to know why the Lord puts up with Rome at all. For in this case, Rome must be an abomination and not a church of the Lord at all.
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Where then is Peter, the rock, not to be prevailed over by the gates of hell? Rome claims this for itself, and the Pope, as the so-called deputy of Christ on earth, is allegedly sitting on that rock, constantly inspired by the Holy Ghost. Such a claim must be an abomination before God! Do explain to me how it is possible that the Lord tolerates this. He must have a thousand ways of controlling such an evil.'
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Says the messenger: 'That is true, my friend, the Lord can do absolutely anything He wants to. But what would you say of a father of many children if he immediately executed those who disobeyed him? Would not everybody say: What a shame. We have never seen such a devil of a father!
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What would you say to a ruler who had his subjects immediately put to death for non-compliance with his laws? Wouldn't you cry: Oh, look, what a terrible tyrant, what an inhuman fiend!
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Such an inhuman ly severe father the children might resist quite successfully, and the subjects of such a tyrant could rise in rebellion and kill him.
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If the Almighty Father were to treat His children like that, what would you think of such action on the part of God?
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If the Almighty Father would do to His powerless creatures what bloodthirsty villains at one time did to the people in France, would not that be indescribably cruel?
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The Lord is well aware what a harlot Rome is, just as He knew all about the adulteress, Mary Magdalen, and the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well. But the same forbearance He showed those three women, He is also showing Rome, and He welcomes everyone of her lost sons if he is truly penitent, however much he may have wooed the harlot Rome.
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As for the rock of Peter, which prevails over the gates of hell, the Lord has referred to this in a number of texts in His Gospel.
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So, for instance, it says: 'He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life.' - Behold, that is already a rock!
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It is also written: ' The kingdom of God cometh not with observation ... it is within you.' - There, too, the true, unconquerable rock of Peter has been erected!
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And again it is written: 'He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.' That, too, is Peter, the unconquerable, in the heart of man. That alone is the true, living church of the Lord, if He, through living faith which is love, has come to dwell in the heart of man.
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Now you know about Peter and where he is. So stop asking about silly idle things of the world, but seek first the true Kingdom of God within you and its righteousness, and everything else shall be given you.'
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The old man now bows deeply before this messenger of the Lord, and so do all the others. However, the frogs are still frogs; they only seem to be somewhat less inflated. One of them has become quite small, and is now approaching the two white-robed men. The closer it gets, the smaller it becomes. This seems to be a good sign.
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By the way, I must confess honestly and with gratitude to the Lord that I have learned a lot from this scene and am now, no doubt, considerably wiser than before. But the scene is becoming more interesting and stranger all the time.
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I must say that the description of the Jesuit in this case is excellent. It truly requires more than divine patience not to punish such types who are worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. It is as well that I am not equipped with the Lord's might at this stage or things would be really bad for these deceivers of the world! However, the Lord's will be done!"