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Section B.17 to B.24 Section B.17-Consequences of Luther
In Christ's own words, what profit is there in the traditions of men that lay aside the written commandments of God? "But he answered and said unto them, 'Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?... Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." -Matthew 15:3-9. "Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders...? He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men... Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition... Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye." -Mark 7:5-13. Section B.18-Bible and Christ's system
"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." -Philippians 2:12. "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." -Romans 14:4-5. "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock." -1 Peter 5:1-3. Section B.19-New Testament insolvable problems today
And who is the true church, those who lay aside the commandments of God? Those that promote the practices and doctrines of pagans, and condemn to death as heretics those who don't? Or those who keep the Word of God, and the original doctrines as taught by the apostles intact? "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they (such as should be saved- v.47) continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine..." -Acts 2:41-47. "...I besought thee to... charge some that they teach no other doctrine,... From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling..." -1 Timothy 1:3-6. "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." -1 timothy 4:16. If the Roman Catholic church is not the true church, from where did she come? "The major elements of what appeared later as Catholic structure and Catholic belief cannot be clearly perceived before the 2nd century... the traditional persecutions of the Christians were isolated local incidents, except for the persecutions by the emperors Decius, Valerian, and Diocletian in the 3rd century... they did not foresee that Christianity would reach a compromise with the empire, that it would become 'Roman'... The most important theological event of the period was the establishment of the school of Alexandria, illuminated by Clement and Origen, which initiated a celebrated school of Platonists." -Encyclopedia Britannica, vol. 15, pages 986-987. Section B.20-Expounder of Scripture
Has the catholic use of the Bible assured unity of faith? In Babylon Mystery Religion, Ralph E. Woodrow, on pages 92-96, writes- "Even a number of popes- including Virilinus, Innocent III, Clement IV, Gregory XI, Hadrian VI, and Paul IV- had rejected the doctrine of papal infallibility!... Bishop Joseph Strossmayer (1815-1905)... pointed out that some of the popes had opposed other popes... Pope Stephen VI (896-897) had brought former pope Formosus to trial... pope Formosus had been dead for eight months... "Pope Honorius I, after his death, was denounced as a heretic by the Sixth council... "Pope Vigilius... removed his condemnation... Dueling was authorized by Pope Eugene III (1145-1153). Later Pope Julius II (1503-1513) and Pope Pius IV (1559-1565) forbade it. At one time in the eleventh century, there were three popes, all of which were deposed by the council convened by the Emperor Henry III. Later in the same century Clement III was opposed by Victor III and afterwards by Urban II. How could popes be infallible when they opposed each other? "What is known as the great schism came in 1378 and lasted for fifty years. Italians elected Urban VI and the French cardinals chose Clement VII. Popes cursed each other year after year until a council disposed both and elected another! "Pope Sixtus had a version of the Bible prepared which he declared to be authentic. Two years later Pope Clement VIII declared that it was full of errors and ordered another to be made! "Pope Gregory I repudiated the title of 'Universal Bishop' as being 'profane, superstitious, haughty, and invented by the first apostate.' Yet, through the centuries, other popes have claimed this title. "Pope Hadrian II (867-872) declared civil marriage to be valid, but Pope Pius VII (1800-1823) condemned them as invalid "Pope Eugene IV (1443-1447) condemned Joan of Arc to be burned alive as a witch. Later, another pope, Benedict IV, in 1919, declared her to be a 'saint' " This is just a minute example of supposedly "infallible" popes contradicting each other, and proving the hypocrisy of the above quote. Is the Catholic system of faith from the apostles and the Bible, or is it from philosophy which the Bible warns against, and condemns? "Even before the Reformation, faith in Roman Catholicism had developed an emphasis that is not rooted in the New Testament but can be traced back to the Alexandrian school of theology and Augustine... This emphasis ultimately was formulated in the 13th century by Thomas Aquinas in a definition of faith - canonized by the Council of Trent and the first Vatican council - as an intellectual assent given to revealed truth... Roman Catholic theologians distinguish between revelation in a broad sense, which means knowledge about God deduced from nature and man..." (and therefore actually philosophy) -Encyclopedia Britannica, vol. 15, page 992-993. "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." -Colossians 2:8. Does the Catholic insistence on relying on the traditions of men and worldly wisdom of philosophy assure unity of faith? "Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, 'Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded... But ye... made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." -Matthew 15:2-9. "For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe... And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God... Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory... For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned... If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant." -1 Corinthians 1:19-2:14, 14:37-38. Section B.21-Effects of Catholic New Testament use
What is the real reason there are non-Catholic churches? From Dr. Fabian S. Reinhart, in "Facts for Roman Catholics", pgs 3-4: "In an address by the cardinals of the (Roman Catholic) church to Pope Pius III, who reigned in 1503, the following words are recorded. 'Of all the advice that we can offer your holiness, we must open your eyes well and use all possible force in the matter, namely, to permit the reading of the gospel as little as possible in all the countries under your jurisdiction. Let the very little part of the gospel which is usually read in mass, and let no one be permitted to read it more. so long as people will be content with the small amount, your interest will proper; but as soon as the people want to read more, your interest will begin to fail. The Bible is the book which more than any other thing has raised against us the tumults and tempests by which we have almost perished. In fact, if one compares the teaching of the Bible with what takes place in our churches, he will soon find discord, and will realize that our teachings are often different from the Bible, and often still, contrary to it.' The above is to be found in the National Library of Paris, Vol. 2: pages 650 and 651." And what is the wrong way to interpret the Bible? "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die... "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." -Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-5. "For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." -Mark 7:8-9. Is the Roman Catholic church, and many of her Protestant offspring, guilty of "Rejecting the commandments of God that they may keep their own tradition"? Full well ye reject the commandment of God- "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." (Matthew 23:9.) -that ye may keep your own tradition. Full well ye reject the commandment of God- "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5.) That ye may keep your own tradition- "...From the Raccolta, a collection of prayers said to be indulgenced by the popes and which will therefore acknowledge, I presume, to be in the truest sense authoritative:
Full well ye reject the commandment of God- "Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry." (1 Corinthians 10:14.) "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10.) "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24.) That ye may keep your own tradition- "God approves the use and veneration of sacred pictures and images to stimulate religious fervor." Full well ye reject the commandment of God- "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." (Colossians 2:8.) That ye may keep your own tradition- "Roman Catholic doctrine is derived from... tradition." Full well ye reject the first commandment of God- "And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:29-31.) That ye may keep your own tradition- "The Holy Trinity- the basis for the doctrine of the Trinity... The question as to how to reconcile the encounter with God in this threefold figure (The Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit) with faith in the oneness of God, which was the Jews' and Christians' characteristic mark of distinction over against paganism, agitated the piety of ancient Christendom in the deepest way... This question was answered in the Neoplatonic metaphysics of being... Christian theology took the Neoplatonic metaphysics of substance as well as its doctrine of hypostasis as the departure point for interpreting the relationship of the 'Father' to the 'Son'..." -Encyclopedia Brittannica, 1974, 15th edition, vol. 4, page 485. "TRINITY. The term ~Trinity~ (Greek troas) was first used by Theophilus of Antioch (fl.c. 180 A.D.)... Judaism emerged...as the purest form of monotheism in the ancient world... The full development of Trinitarianism took place in the West, in the Scholasticism of the Middle Ages, when an explanation was undertaken in terms of philosophy and psychology, especially of the recovered Aristotlianism of the 13th century. The classical exposition is found in the works of St. Thomas Aquinas, whose views on this subject have dominated most of later Christian theology, both Roman Catholic and Protestant." -Encyclopedia Americana, 1983. (Remember- not all Christians are either Catholic, or Protestant. Protestants are basically just daughter churches of Catholicism) And, full well ye reject the second commandment of God- "And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:29-31.) (Also- 2Th 3:14: And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.) That ye may keep your own tradition- "Under stress of special circumstances, various regulations were made by the church to protect the people from being spiritually poisoned by the corrupted and distorted translations of the Bible. Hence opposition." "Inquisition, Medieval, a papal judicial institution that combated heresy... "During Christianity's first three centuries, penalties against heretics were exclusively spiritual, usually excommunication. After Christianity had become the established religion in the 4th century (i.e. Roman Catholic), heretics came to be looked upon as enemies... Penalties included... the death penalty... Many inquisitors... won reputations for excessive cruelty." -Encyclopedia Brittannica, 1974, 15th edition, vol. 5 page 366. Section B.22-Why non-Catholic churches (bad interpretation)
Is the true church the only church that would last down through the ages? "...It is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." -Galatians 4:22-30. "God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace." -Romans 11:2-5. "Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation. That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten. Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. For a nation is come up upon my land (i.e. pagan Rome has merged with Christianity), strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion. He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white... Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.... Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. -Joel 1:3-7; 2:12-13; 2:23-25. Section B.23-Catholicism and Divine aid
Does this statement prove that the scriptures do not need to be kept and followed above the traditions of men? The Hebrews did not have printed Bibles either, yet were they not commanded to keep God's written Word? "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." -Joshua 1:8. "Go, enquire of the Lord for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do after all that is written in this book." 2 Chronicles 34:21. And to us, the apostles wrote such things as- "If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord." -1 Corinthians 14:37. "I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." 1 Corinthians 4:14-15. "This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour." -2 Peter 3:1-2. "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." Jude 1:3-4. "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." -1 John 2:1. Section B.24- Printed Bible before Luther
Exactly what kind of "opposition" did the Catholic church impose on those who refused to come into her fold? Encyclopedia Brittannica, 1974, 15th edition- "Waldenses... religious movement that originated in 12th century France, the devotees of which sought to follow Christ in poverty and simplicity... The Waldenses departed from Catholic teaching by rejecting some of the seven sacraments and the notion of purgatory. Their views were based on a simplified biblicism, moral rigorism, and criticism of abuses in the contemporary church... their movement... spread rapidly... Rome responded vigorously, turning from excommunication to active persecution and death." vol X, page 519. In "Fox's Book of Martyr's", edited by William B. Forbush, on pages 43-87, we read- "...Disregarding the maxims and the spirit of the gospel, the papal church, arming herself with the power of the sword, vexed the Church of God and wasted it for several centuries, a period most appropriately termed in history, the 'dark ages'... "Persecutions of the Waldenses of France... "Popery having brought various innovations into the Church... some few... plainly determined to show the light of the Gospel in its real purity... "Berengarious, who, about the year 1000, boldly preached Gospel truths, according to their primitive purity... To Berengarius succeeded Peter Brius... (etc.)... By the year of Christ 1140, the number of the reformed was very great... In A.D. 1147... Henericians... would not admit of any proofs relative to religion, but what could be deduced from the scriptures themselves, the popish party gave them the name of apostolics... Peter Waldo... became a strenuous opposer to popery; and from him the reformed... received the appellation of Waldenses... "Pope Alexander III being informed by the bishop of Lyons of those transactions, excommunicated Waldo and his adherents, and commanded the bishop to exterminate them, if possible from the face of the earth; hence began the papal persecutions against the Waldenses... The proceedings of Waldo and the reformed, occasioned the first rise of the inquisitors; for Pope Innocent III authorized certain monks as inquisitors... The power of the inquisitors was unlimited... These persecutions were continued for several centuries under different popes and other great dignitaries of the Catholic Church... ""Persecutions of the Albigenses "The Albigenses... were condemned on the score of religion in the Council of Lateran, by order of Pope Alexander III. The pope... sent persons throughout all Europe, in order to raise forces to act coercively against the Albigenses, and promised paradise to all that would come to this war, which he termed a Holy War... This was followed by a severe persecution against the Albigenses; and express orders that the laity should not be permitted to read the sacred scriptures... "Many persons of the reformed persuasion were, about this time, beaten, racked, scourged, and burnt to death... A native of Malta was burnt by a slow fire' for saying that Mass was a plain denial of the death and passion of Christ... "A.D. 1546, Peter Chapot brought a number of Bibles in the French tongue to France, and publicly sold them there; for which he was brought to trial, sentenced, and executed a few days afterward... "The Bartholomew Massacre at Paris, etc... "The savage papists... slew many great and honorable persons who were Protestants... and falling upon the common people, they continued the slaughter for many days... So furious was their hellish rage, that they slew all papists whom they suspected to be not very staunch in their diabolical religion..." In other words, "under stress of special circumstances" the Catholic church even murdered their own Catholic brethren for being guilty of nothing more than being weak in their Catholic faith! Since Catholic teachers claim that the Roman Catholic Church is the original, unchanged, apostolic church, and as this Catholic teacher himself claims it is "infallible"- are your ready, dear Catholic, to kill me for writing these words? Are you ready to kill all who oppose the teachings of Catholicism, including those within your faith that are guilty of nothing more than being weak in your faith? For your Catholic priests claim complete authority over your faith, and this is their historical modus operandi.!! It is unfortunate that the papists did not read and obey the commandments of Jesus Christ the Lord as quoted in the Bible, for they would have discovered these words- "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest..." -Matthew 13:24-30. "And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us." -Luke 9:49-50. "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Matthew 5:43-45. "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." -Romans 12:19-21. Returning to "Fox's Book of Martyr's", edited by William B. Forbush, on pages 43-87, we read- "...From Paris the destruction spread to all quarters of the realm... "At Orleans, a thousand were slain of men, women, and children, and six thousand at Rouen. At Meldith, two hundred were put into prison, and later brought out by units, and cruelly murdered. At Lyons, eight hundred were massacred. Here children hanging about their parents, and parents affectionately embracing their children, were pleasant food for the swords and bloodthirsty minds of those who call themselves the Catholic Church. Here three hundred were slain in the bishop's house; and the impious monks would suffer none to be buried... "...Some priests, holding up a crucifix in one hand, and a dagger in the other, ran to the chiefs of the murderers, and strongly exhorted them to spare neither relations nor friends..." "...The massacres on St., Bartholomew's day are painted in the royal saloon of the Vatican at Rome, with the following inscription: Pontifex, Coligny necem probat, i.e., 'The pope approves of Coligny's death'... "At Bourdeaux, at the instigation of a villainous monk, who used to urge the papists to slaughter in his sermons, two hundred and sixty four were cruelly murdered... They spared neither age nor sex; defiling the women, and then murdering them... Among whom were two sisters, abused before their father, whom the assassins bound to a wall to see them, and then slew them and him. "The president of Turin... was cruelly beaten with clubs, stripped of his clothes, and hung feet upwards, with his head and breast in the river: before he was dead, they opened his belly, plucked out his entrails, and threw them into the river; and then carried his heart about the city upon a spear..." The Scriptures say- "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." -Matthew 7:15-20. "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar." -Matthew 23:33-35. "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me." -John 15:18-21. "And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns... "And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth... "And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. "And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. "And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth." -Revelation 17:1-18:24. Interpretations- "The great whore that sitteth upon many waters" = "The waters... are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Rev. 17:1 & 17:15 What church, other than the Catholic church, can and does claim such "catholicity" among so many nations of the world? "Having seven heads" "The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth". Rev 17: 3&9 Which church, claiming global catholicity, is also situated at a place known for being surrounded by seven hills?
"The great whore... the mother of harlots...the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." Rev 17: 1, 5 &18 "The Roman Catholic Church... in fact... has been deeply involved in the politics of Europe. When the Papal states existed (754-1870), these were as genuinely political as the kingdoms of France and Spain... The popes were unable to draw a real distinction between their spiritual sovereignty and their temporal sovereignty, and without scruple , it often seemed, they used the Papal States to support the authority of the church-or more frequently-the church to support the power of the Papal States. Many of the maneuvers can now be seen to have been abuses of power when that happened. This has meant that the structure of Roman Catholic power over the centuries took on the features of the political sovereignty normal in the Middle Ages and in early modern times." -Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th edition, 1984, vol. 15, page 986. Furthermore, then, what global religious system (woman) which is situated on a seven hilled city, comes close to the claim of reigning over the kings of the earth, as the Roman Catholic church can? No other sect of Christianity comes close to claiming to have any influence over the kings of the earth, as the Roman Catholic Church has. No religious system in the world can be compared to this passage in Revelation as exactly as can the Roman Catholic church. Anyone reading this Christ given prophecy ought to be deathly afraid of being associated with a system which comes even close to this, let alone so exactly fulfils this prophecy against which God Himself uses such condemning language. Note: although the Bible says- "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (-Matthew 24:14), The Bible does not say that the biggest part of the world will be part of the true church (before the return of Jesus), the Bible says- "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." -Matthew 7:13-15. Returning again, to "Fox's Book of Martyr's", edited by William B. Forbush, on pages 43-87, we read- "At Barre great cruelty was used, even to young children... counting it sport to cut off their arms and legs and afterward kill them... "An Account of the Inquisition... "The most zealous of all the popish monks, and those who most implicitly obeyed the Church of Rome, were the Dominicans and Franciscans: these, therefore, the pope thought proper to invest with an exclusive right of presiding over the different courts of Inquisition, and gave them the most unlimited powers, as judges delegated by him, and immediately representing his person: they were permitted to excommunicate, or sentence to death whom they thought proper, upon the most slight information of heresy. they were allowed to publish crusades against all whom they deemed heretics, and enter into leagues with sovereign princes, to join their crusades with their forces... "The principal accusation against those who are subject to this (the inquisition) tribunal is heresy, which comprises all that is spoken, or written, against any of the articles of the creed, or the traditions of the Roman Church. The inquisition likewise takes cognizance of such as are accused of being magicians, and of such who read the Bible in the common language... "When the person impeached is condemned, he is either severly whipped, violently tortured, sent to the galleys, or sentenced to death... "Summary of the Inquisition... "Of the multitudes who perished by the Inquisition throughout the world, no authentic record is now discoverable. But wherever popery had power, there was the tribunal... "In Spain the calculation is more attainable... We are to recollect that this number was in a country where persecution had for ages abolished all religious differences... Yet, even in Spain, thus gleaned of all heresy, the Inquisition could still swell its lists of murders to thirty-two thousand... "In the thirteenth century, the popedom was at the summit of mortal dominion; it was independent of all kingdoms; it ruled with a rank of influence never before or since possessed by a human sceptor; it was the acknowledged sovereign of body and soul; to all earthly intents its power was immeasurable for good or evil... But its nature was hostile... Rome, in the hour of its consummate grandeur, teemed with the monstrous and horrid birth of the inquisition!" Bruno, Giordano, a 16th century philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician... is perhaps, chiefly remembered for the tragic death he suffered at the stake... Pope Clement VIII ordered that he should be sentenced as an impenitent and pernicious heretic. On February 17, 1600 he was brought to the Campo de Fiori, his tongue in a gag, and burned alive" Encyclopedia Brittannica, 1974, 15th edition, Vol. 3, pages 345-347. This is the church Catholics now claim as their heritage and lineage directly to Christ. Is the present day Roman Catholic Church repentant of these centuries of hideous murders and persecutions? Does the Roman Catholic Church disclaim being partakers of such awful cruelties and horrors? Or instead, does the Catholic Church condone the above atrocities?-
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." -John 13:34-35. "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes." 1 John 2:3-11. Please continue with Section B.25 of "Yea Hath God Said" |