1917_The_Finished_Mystery_Text

church for a pecuniary consideration, but failedto make the sale. "Benedict IX, when a boy oftwelve years (A. D. 1033), was elected pope‘intercedente thesaurorum pecuniae' "; i.e., hisrelatives provided the collateral necessary tosecure the office for him. Gregory VI, who hadhad great repute for sanctity as a priest, obtainedthe papal chair (A. D. 1044) by purchase fromBenedict IX, who abdicated to marry a girl ofnoble family." "At a council at Lyons, thearchbishop and forty-five bishops confessedthemselves simoniacal" (guilty of buying andselling church offices). In the reign of Lucien II,1144-1145, the people, hoping for some relieffrom an intolerable condition, paraded the streetsof Rome with a banner, "Caesar should have thethings that are Caesar's and the priest the thingsthat are the priest's." Lucien thought this was areflection upon himself, and went out in personto put down the "revolution." The people stonedhim to death.Who taught Balac to cast a stumbling-blockbefore the children of Israel.— "Guided byBalaam, King Balac communicated with theleading people of the Midianites, and urged thattheir wives and daughters should apparently fallin love with the Israelites, and introduce them tothe sensuous religious rites practiced by Midian.The scheme was successful. Some of the leadingwives and daughters of the Midianites attractedsome of the leading men of Israel to adultery,and to idol worship and orgies." (Z.'13-297;Num. 24:14; 25:1; 31:16; 2 Pet. 2:15; Jude 11; 1Cor. 10:8.) The words "cast a stumbling-block"are properly rendered, in Rotherham'stranslation, "throw a snare."To eat.— Appropriate to themselves as truths.Things sacrificed unto idols.— Doctrinestwisted. distorted and mutilated to make themagree with creed- idols.And to commit fornication.— "Papacyperceived its own great power over the peoplesof Europe, all of whom at that time ignorantlyand blindly acknowledged the Roman Catholicfaith. While the kings of Europe were