The Catholic Church teaching that "the end justifies the means" allows her the freedom to lie, just as long as it propagates her cause. We find the same teaching in Islam.

H.G. Wells, noted historian, in his book, Crux Ansata, states:

"Roman Catholicism is a broken and utterly desperate thing, capable only of malignant mischief in our awakening world" (p. 105).

"I think that it stands for everything most hostile to the mental emancipation and stimulation of mankind. It is the completest, most highly organized system of prejudices and antagonisms in existence. Everywhere in the world there are ignorance and prejudice, but the greatest complex of these, with the most extensive prestige and the most intimate entanglement with traditional institutions, is the Roman Catholic Church. It presents many faces towards the world, but everywhere it is systematic in its fight against freedom" (p. 155).

Lord Macaulay, in his Essays on Ranke's History of the Popes, 1852, page 548, states:

"It is impossible to deny that the polity of the Church of Rome is the very masterpiece of human wisdom....The experience of 1,200 eventful years, the ingenuity and patient care of forty generations of statesmen, have improved that polity to such perfection, that, among the contrivances which have been devised for deceiving and controlling mankind, it occupies the highest place."

Again, Macaulay in his History of England, (Volume 1, page 47) states:

"The loveliest and most fertile provinces of Europe have under her (Rome's) rule, been sunk in poverty, in political servitude, and in intellectual torpor."

Charles Dickens' Life, (by Foster, Volume II, page 274) described Popery as:

"the most horrible means of political and social degradation left in the world."

Adam Smith (Wealth of Nations, Book V, Chapter 1, Part 3, Ant. 3):

"The Church of Rome is the most formidable combination that ever was formed against the authority and security of civil government, as well as against the liberty, reason, and happiness of mankind."

Gladstone (Speeches of Pope Pius IX, page 173):

"When the Pope speaks of the liberation of the Church, he means merely this, that it is to set its foot on the neck of every other power."

In Dean Stanley's Life of Dr. Arnold, (Volume II, page 411, London, 1844) we read:

"This is the last night, I trust, in which I shall sleep in the Pope's dominions; for it is impossible not to be sickened with a government such as this, which discharges no one function decently. The ignorance of the people is prodigious (enormous): how can it be otherwise?"

Father Chiniquy in his book, Fifty Years in the Church of Rome, factuates the Vatican being responsible for the death of that dear man, Abraham Lincoln. He states on Page 512:

"I come fearlessly today before the American people to say and prove that the President, Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated by the priests and Jesuits of Rome."

And if you have read this book, then you have noted that the Vatican also maligned the reputation of Chiniquy for his revealing the evil of Rome. This book was very popular back in the 1950s. Today, you probably could not purchase this book in most Christian book stores, due mainly to the influence of the Charismatic Movement, which has been raised up by Satan to lure true Christians into the judgment of idolatrous Rome, though YEHOVAH's Word forbids His people to have fellowship with these wafer-god idolaters (See II Corinthians 6:14-18). It seems rather strange that many Roman Catholics are coming out of Rome, and at the same time, many born-again Christians are going into Rome. You would think that the testimonies of so many former Roman Catholics would be a sufficient warning to these poor deluded souls, but alas, Satan still posing as an angel of light, captivated the hearts and minds of many.

Of course, at the root of this apostasy is "sinful pleasure," for the Charismatic Movement allows its followers to do their "own thing," with the word, "repentance," being almost (if not totally) absent from their vocabulary. And though these reprobates have been "bought with a price," they now "deny the Lord that bought them," for they have "chosen the way of Cain." May YEHOVAH God use this message to turn some of these souls back into the way before they come to experience just what Paul meant when he said: "That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (II Thessalonians 2:12)

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (author of the well-recognized commentary on Romans, published by Zondervan) in his sermon preached in Westminster Chapel on January 29, 1961 and printed in The Westminster Record, May, 1963, states:

"This system (Romanism) is altogether more dangerous than is Communism itself, because this is a counterfeit, this does it in the name of Christ. This is ‘the scarlet woman,' this is the most horrible, foul deception of all, because it uses His name."

"Let me warn you very solemnly that if you rejoice in these approaches to Rome you are denying the blood of the martyrs."

"There is no difficulty about this; this is a counterfeit, a sham; this is prostitution of the worst and most diabolical kind. It is indeed a form of the antichrist, and it is to be rejected, it is to be denounced; but above all, it is to be countered."

A. B. Simpson, (founder of the "Christian and Missionary Alliance," with headquarters at Nyack, N.Y.) states very clearly in his book, The Fourfold Gospel, page 84, the following:

"The predicted ‘falling away,' has long ago begun, and the man of sin has set in God's temple already the full time of the prophetic cycle, and the process has begun which is to ‘consume and destroy unto the end.' The Papacy has fulfilled almost all the lineaments of its marvelous portrait."

Again, in The Christian and Missionary Alliance magazine, editorial page, August 1, 1903, we read:

"The death of the Pope after a protracted illness and a prolonged career of successful administration of the great religious body over which he presided, marked an epoch of great importance. While all bitter controversial spirit may well be hushed in the presence of death, ....yet we cannot but utter a humble protest against the reckless and indiscriminate way in which many Christians and Christian journals seem to forget notwithstanding the highest personal qualities, that this man was the head of and front for the most pernicious and dangerous system of religion on earth today, the very antichrist of prophecy and the unchanged enemy of Christ and His most holy faith."

Certainly there is no mistaking the intent of A.B. Simpson's words in this editorial for which I give thanks to YEHOVAH God for recording such a witness for later generations.

J.C. Ryle, in his book, Warnings to the Churches, (published by The Banner of Truth Trust, page 163) states:

"Surely, when the mind of God about idolatry is so plainly revealed to us in His Word, it seems the height of infatuation in any one to join a church so steeped in idolatries as the Church of Rome. To enter into communion with her, when God is saying, ‘Come out of her, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and receive not of her plagues' (Rev. 18:4), to seek her when the Lord is warning us to leave her -- to become her subjects when the Lord's voice is crying, ‘Escape for thy life, flee from the wrath to come;' all this is mental blindness."

Again on page 166, we read:

"When Rome has repealed the decrees of Trent, and her additions to the creed , -- when Rome has recanted her false and unscriptural doctrines, -- when Rome has formally renounced image-worship, Mary-worship, and trans-substantiation, -- then, and not till then, it will be time to talk of reunion with her. Till then there is a gulf between us which cannot be honestly bridged. Till then I call on all Churchmen to resist to the death this idea of reunion with Rome. Till then let our watch-words be ‘No peace with Rome! No communion with idolaters!' Well says the admirable Bishop Jewell, in his Apology, "We do not decline concord and peace with men; but we will not continue in a state of war with God that we might have peace with men! -- If the Pope does indeed desire we should be reconciled to him, he ought first to reconcile himself to God.'"

John Wesley in his Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament, Revelation 13:1, Proposition 5, Page 697:

"The beast is the Romish papacy. This manifestly follows from the third and fourth propositions: the beast has a strict connection with the city of Rome; and the beast is now existing. Therefore, either there is some other power more strictly connected with that city, or the Pope is the beast."

Albert Barnes in his one volume commentary on the New Testament, published by Kregel, also declares without any hesitation, that Rome is Babylon (see Revelation 13 and 17).

Henry H. Halley in the famous Halley's Bible Handbook, published by Zondervan, contrasts the Roman Papacy with the Beast of Revelation 13 and in Revelation 17, page 732, he states:

"The horrors of the Inquisition, ordered and maintained by the Popes, over a period of five hundred years, in which unnumbered millions were tortured and burned, constitute the MOST BRUTAL BEASTLY AND DEVILISH PICTURE in all history. It is inconceivable that any Ecclesiastical Organization, in its mania for power, could have distorted and desecrated and corrupted, for its own exaltation, the beautiful and holy religion of Jesus, as the Papacy has done. But Facts are Facts. And, most amazing of all, it seems exactly pre-figured in Revelation. No wonder John's vision made him sick at heart (10:10)."

Matthew Henry, commenting on II Thessalonians 2:4:

"...to whom can this better apply than to the Bishops of Rome...?"

Bishop Ellicott has this to say concerning Revelation 17:

"Is it then, the question must be asked, Papal Rome? The answer is: In so far as Papal Rome has wielded tyrant power, turned persecutor, stood between the spirits of men and Christ, depraved men's consciences, withheld the truth, connived at viciousness, sought aggrandizement, and been a political machine rather than a witness for the righteous King, she has inherited the features of Babylon. The recognition of these features led Dante to apply this very passage in the Apocalypse to Rome under the rule of worldly and tyrant Popes..."

William Smith, in his Smith's Bible Dictionary, published by Holman, (Four Thousand Questions and Answers), page 405:

"59. What was the fourth beast like? -- It was terrible and strong, and had iron teeth and ten horns.

61. Who is the representative of that fourth or final power now? -- The Pope of Rome. The popish system, as far as it has any remaining power."

These are his comments on Daniel.

Walter Criswell, pastor of the famed First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas commenting on Revelation 17:

"...the worship of mother and child spread throughout the whole world, from Babylon to Assyria, to Phoenicia, to Pergamos, and finally to Rome itself. There the Roman Emperor was elected Pontifex Maximus... and when the Roman Emperor passed away, that title of the rites and mysteries of the cult of mother and child, the Babylon mystery of idolatry, was assumed by the Bishop of Rome."

Dr. H. Ward Beecher, The Papal Conspiracy Exposed, pages 176-177:

"The system, as a system, is false and pernicious."

Dean Alford, Letters From Abroad, pages 66-67:

"Rome...is the worst city in the civilized world."

John Albert Bengel, New Testament Word Studies, Volume II, page 895 (Published by Kregel):

"5. The Beast is the Roman Papacy."

Wycliffe, Luther, Melanchthon, Knox, Latimer, Ridley, Cranmer, etc., also spoke of the Roman Church being Babylon and the Papacy being the Anti-christ.

Decades ago there was, in the front of the King James version of the Bible, the statement that the Pope was the "man of sin." Today, that has been removed. Just another point of the great apostasy that is taking place in regards to the true Church flirting with Rome. We should note how Paul ties in the "falling away" with "that man of sin" in II Thessalonians 2.

My personal belief is that the main element of this apostasy is the true Church seeking a common fellowship with this "mother of whores" (Rome) and its "man of sin" (the Pope). As YEHOVAH's Israel of the Old Testament apostatized into Babylon and her idolatry; so it seems that YEHOVAH's spiritual Israel of the New Testament is doing the same thing. But YEHOVAH God still has His faithful remnant who still are crying out, "Come out of her, My people." (Revelation 18:4)

And last, but not least, a word from the enemy herself...

The Bull Sanctum, issued by Boniface VIII, 16th November, 1302, (quoted in The Book of Revelation, by F.W.C. Neser, page 184) reads as follows:

"The Roman Pontiff judges all men, but is judged by no one. We declare, assert, define and pronounce: to be subject to the Roman Pontiff is to every human creature altogether necessary for salvation.

Pope Nicholas said, (quoted in Antichrist by Ian Paisley, page 54),

"I am all in all and above all, so that God Himself and I, the Vicar of God, have but one consistory, and I am able to do almost all that God can do. What therefore can you make of me but God?"

But even with such a great cloud of witnesses, one might be tempted to ask the following question, "Has not Rome changed recently?" To answer this most vital question, I turn once again to the message of D. Martyn Lloyd Jones:

"'Ah but,' you say, ‘has not the Roman Catholic Church changed? You are simply looking back, you are speaking as if you lived in the 16th century -- don't you realize you are living in the 20th century?' My answer is quite simple. The proudest boast of the Roman Catholic Church is this, that she never changes, Semper eadem. How can she change? If she changes she will be admitting that she was wrong in the past -- but she was saying then that she was infallible, and that the Pope is the Vicar of Christ and that he cannot make a mistake. If she says that she is capable of change she is denying her central claim! She does not say that she is changing, and she never will. The Church of Rome remains the same. If anything, she is even worse. She has 'added' things to what she taught in the 16th century, such as Papal infallibility, etc. No, there is no change in the Church of Rome. And if there ever is one great world Church it will be because the Church of Rome has absorbed all the rest and swallowed them in their ignorance!"

Looking once again at this most vital question, "Has not the Church of Rome changed?" -- just consider some of the trouble spots in the world today:

CUBA with it's Castro. I wonder if Castro has ever been excommunicated from the Catholic Church?

POLAND with its Lech Walesa. Why did Pope Paul II tell Walesa "to remain a member of the Communist system, not to flaunt his rejection of basic Communist principles" according to William F. Buckley, Jr. (N.Y. Daily News, February 3, 1981)?

No one can claim that Buckley is being prejudiced against Rome for he himself is a staunch Roman Catholic. Buckley goes on to say,

"One thinks back to 1948, when the Christian Democrats and the Communists were fighting for the soul of Italy. On that occasion Pope Pius the XII issued a write of automatic excommunication from the church of any Catholic who voted for the Communists or who sided with or abetted them in their work. That interdict has never been disavowed. A canonical lawyer given to erstic advocacy could theoretically prove that by giving such advice as the present Pope gave to Walesa, the Pope excommunicated himself from the Catholic Church. Ridiculous, of course; but only that grand mosaic of paradoxes and accommodations can account for the survival of the church over the centuries."

I would comment on this by saying that Buckley would have been a wee bit truer had he used the word, "hypocrisies," in place of the word, "paradoxes." Nevertheless, Buckley, a staunch Roman Catholic, has unwittingly proven the Pope to be the "hypocrite of the ages." This entire affair seems almost like a replay of the second world war. Rome has proven herself not only to be the "mother of whores," but also the "mother of wars." Avro Manhattan factuates this truth in his book, Vatican in World Politics.

One more statement by Buckley in this same editorial is worthy of mention. He says, "Writing in 1954, Whittaker Chambers predicted that the future of the West's relations with the Soviet Union would best be understood by closely examining the role of Cardinal Wyszynski in Poland."

IRELAND, with its I.R.A. which is predominantly Roman Catholic. Jimmy Breslin, (New York Daily News, March 8, 1981) makes some interesting comments on how blood-thirsty Roman Catholics are: "The President and Haig the General somehow might be able to get their small war going in El Salvador, but it won't be a real good one. This is because American Catholics, who used to erupt with joy at the notion of drawing blood, are against it...there just won't be as many people killed as there could be with traditional Catholic participation." No one can accuse Breslin of being prejudiced, for he also is a Roman Catholic.

EL SALVADOR, predominantly Roman Catholic. While President Reagan desires to stop this country from being taken over by the Communists, the main voice speaking out against the U.S. is Roman Catholic. Breslin states, (New York Daily News, March 8, 1981): "American Catholic bishops policy calls for the end of military aid to the El Salvador government. The Rev. Thomas Marti of the Maryknoll wrote: ‘It is evident that those of us who are deeply concerned with regard to social justice and human rights in El Salvador, as well as throughout the world, are working in an entirely different framework than President Reagan and his administration.'"

In the New York Times, dated February 3, 1981, the U.S. Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (that word, solidarity sounds familiar!) had a one page advertisement entitled, "Let the People of El Salvador Decide," (approximate cost -- $25,000). The majority of the individuals and institutions listed on this committee are Roman Catholic. Some of the more outstanding individuals listed on this committee (though some are not Roman Catholic) are: Andrew Young, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., of whom New Hampshire Governor Thompson observed that "Young is actually representing the SOCIALIST AND MARXIST NATIONS of the ‘third world;'" Kris Kristofferson who pretended to be born again (with the help of Campus Crusade for Christ), but then went back to making obscene movies ("The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea"); Erica Jong, author of immoral books; Jane Fonda, Trouble-maker of the Viet Nam conflict; Bella Abzug; Rev. Wm. Sloan Coffin, Senior Minister at N.Y. City's Riverside Church, the peace activist who fractured his wife's skull with a karate chop in 1974 (see N.Y. Post, Sept. 26, 1980). Of course, this advertisement was against the U.S. intervention in El Salvador.

PHILIPPINES, which is predominantly Roman Catholic. According to the New York Times, March 20, 1981, page 9, a Jesuit priest attempted to overthrow the present regime of President Marcos. According to Station WINS, in N.Y. City, (April 8, 1981), the election now taking place is running 5 to 1 in favor of President Marcos, so it is for certain that the will of this Jesuit priest was not the will of the people. The question arises, "Whose will was it that Marcos should be overthrown?" There's only one answer. "The Vatican."

One other question that should be on our hearts in discussing this matter is, "Why are most Roman Catholic countries Communistic?" The only answer is that Communism makes its greatest gains in Roman Catholic countries due to the abounding poverty and ignorance of the people. Note the following statement by John Gunther in his book, Inside Europe Today, published by Harper and Brothers, page 150:

"The extreme right wing of the Church (of Rome) deplores too active and accent on education, because (a) this may lead to apostasy, and (b) an educated elite, becoming the ruling class, might turn out to be anticlerical and a competitor of the Church."

We should also note the words of H. G. Wells in his book, Crux Ansata, page 105:

"The Pope is now the head of only about fifty millions of semi-literates scattered about the planet...the Pope sets himself to hold back and frustrate the secular modernization of the world."

Again, H. G. Wells, on page 132:

"Like an octopus it has no creative impulse but only an instinct to survive. In Ireland, Spain, Italy, reactionary France, North and South America, Japan, and wherever it can stretch a tentacle, it seeks allies in every element that is socially base, that will help it to continue its struggle against the awakening liberalism of the ‘United Demoncracies.'"

Though Rome has proven herself to be the greatest fraud ever put off on mankind, there are not many going to any great length to expose her as such, even though such exposes would be a most blessed benefit to all of mankind -- especially the body of the Messiah. Could not my heart rejoice (as the Apostle Paul does in Philippians 1:18) that once again this "mother of all spiritual whoredoms" is being brought again to the attention of the true sheep of YEHOVAH God?

Written by one who loves YEHOVAH God and hates the devout enemies of YEHOVAH with that perfect hatred that David speaks of in Psalm 139:21-22:

"Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies" (NKJV).

 

Hope of Israel Ministries -- Proclaiming the Good News of the Soon-Coming Kingdom of YEHOVAH God!

Hope of Israel Ministries P.O. Box 853 Azusa, CA 91702, U.S.A. www.hope-of-israel.org

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