FORTY-THREE: PROTESTANTISM
This book is not meant to be an endorsement of "Protestantism" over Catholicism, though you may be shocked to hear me say it. It is not quite that simple. For example, "Protestant" England comes about in part as a result of the love-life of Henry VIII. Henry refuses to submit to Rome in the area of marital matters. He then seizes control of the church, a la Constantine. The history of the church of England is also filled with Babylonian deception, political intrigue, and much bloodshed, as true followers of Jesus are asked to pay with their lives.
A true daughter of the Roman abomination.
Nevertheless, there are steps taken toward Biblical Christianity during those days, not the least of which is the King James Bible, authorized by England's reigning monarch in 1611.
But Babylon has taken its effect on its daughters, and this influence is passed through the English Church to the Puritans, who, on our shores, become a similarly repressive and intolerant bunch at times. (Ever heard of the Salem witch trials?)
Babylonian ways have cropped up in other churches descending from Rome, or infiltrated by Rome. Oh, Babylon is truly with us, and God's clarion call to come out must be heeded by most Protestants today as well as the Roman-dominated people.
No one knows this better in the 18th century than the Wesley brothers, John and Charles, whose godly mother Susanna nurtures them in the ways of the Lord and makes them hungry for the things of God. This hunger is still manifest when as young men they are students at Oxford University, and become a part of a group of young seekers who are scorned, and called, among other things, "Methodists."
The Wesleys belong to the Church of England, but this Roman-style religion does not fill their hearts with joy. After the Oxford days they come to America's shores, and there experience the grace of God. Their books, songs, and testimony have become classic church history. I call them in here to testify to Protestants reading this work, and charge them with a solemn word from God.
From, A Word to a Protestant, by John Wesley:
"Among the errors (of Rome) may be numbered their doctrine of seven sacraments, of transsubstantiation, of communion in one kind only, of purgatory, and praying for the dead therein, of veneration of relics, and of indulgences. It is thought by some that these errors, great as they are, do only defile the purity of Christianity; but it is sure the following strike at its very root, and tend to banish true religion out of the world:
"First, the doctrine of merit. The very foundation of Christianity is that a man can merit nothing of God, that we are justified freely by His grace...not for any of our works or of our deservings, but by faith in the blood of the covenant. But the papists hold that a man may by his works merit or deserve eternal life...
"Second, the doctrine of praying to saints and worshipping of images. To the Virgin Mary they pray in these words: 'O Mother of God, O Queen of Heaven, command Thy Son to have mercy upon us.' And, 'The right use of images,' says the council of Trent,' is to honor them by bowing down before them.'
"This is gross, open, palpable idolatry.
"Third, the doctrine of persecution. The papists in general still maintain that all heretics ought to be compelled to receive what they call the true faith; to be forced into the church or out of the world...this tends to bring in blind, bitter zeal, anger, hatred...
"So plain is it that these grand popish doctrines of merit, idolatry, and persecution, by destroying both faith and the love of God and of our neighbor, tend to banish true Christianity out of the world."
Pause. Let none say that the loving Wesleys could not cry out against Rome. But take a deep breath and listen again...
" Well might our forefathers protest against these. Hence it was that they were called Protestants... You publicly protest against these horrible errors of popery. But does your heart agree with your lips?
"First, how do you hope to be saved? By doing thus and thus? By doing no harm and paying every man his own and saying your prayers and going to church?...Alas! Alas! Now have you thrown off the mask. This is popery barefaced...where is Christ all this time? Why, He is not come in till you get to the end of your prayer; and then will you say, "for Jesus Christ's sake," because so it stands in your book. ..your very foundation is popish...you trample upon the blood of the covenant...
"Second, are you clear of idolatry? They set up their idols in their churches; you set up yours in your heart...they worship the picture of the Queen of Heaven; you, the picture of the Queen or King of England...How small preeminence has the money-worshipper at London over the image-worshipper at Rome, or the idolizer of a living sinner over him that prays to a dead saint!
"Does the pope force another man's conscience?...Do you not wish the government would put down such and such people? You know what you would do if you were in their place.
"Be a real Protestant. By the Spirit of God assisting you, cast away...all hope of being saved by your own works, put away your idols out of your heart, and if you love God you will love your brother also; you will be ready to lay down your life for his sake, so far from any desire to take away his life or hurt a hair of his head...be zealous for God, but remember that the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God; that angry zeal, though opposing sin, is the servant of sin; that true zeal is only the flame of love."
FORTY-FOUR: AMERICA'S BEGINNINGS
We will talk more specifically later of the confusion of spiritual tongues in the big world called Christendom. But now, to America, which henceforth will be an intricate part of the story.
Native Americans and Roman missionaries aside for the moment, we are aware that this nation was founded in part by those who sought refuge from Babylon and her daughters.
Nevertheless, the refuge is not total. America accepts in its midst, because of its stance for freedom, those who are totally opposed to that freedom. Every election year, the Socialists, the gay lobby, the abortionists, all have their freedom to be.
So it is not surprising that Rome also is permitted to sell its wares in the fledgling colonies. The city of Baltimore early becomes Catholic Central in America, but it is not granted its charter until promising to grant freedom of religion to all. This is a bitter pill for Marylanders to swallow.
You say, "Of course freedom for all. Everyone knows that that is what this nation is about!" But Babylonians in this country only slowly (some would say never) accept American premises for government. And Babylonians in Babylon are opposed to "Americanism" to this day.
Now, time for another pulpit pounding. Are you awake and listening? Hear me well!
Those who find the conclusions of this book revolting (and it is becoming more obvious what those conclusions are) need to consider the following truism. For those in the know, please forgive the obviousness of the statement:
Rome (alias Babylon) only does, but always does, what she is permitted to do by the prevailing political powers. She is a back-rider, not always a pace-setter, though she desires both positions.
Americans of the near- 21st century are dumbfounded by charges of world domination leveled at such a "nice," "moral" people as the Catholics.
I ask you to forget for a moment the swell guy next door who rushed your ailing child to the hospital, the lady who watched your house while you were on vacation, the family that offered you a drink when you were sweating from raking your leaves, the ones who invited you to a ball game, even came to one of your prayer meetings...this story is not about Catholics!
We're talking about the system that grabbed hold of the young church and still will not let go of millions of people all over the world. Tune in to the institution that murdered born-again Christians while saving babies from abortion, that despises Jews while weeping over Palestinians, that controls empires, that is in fact an empire itself, that lives lavishly while decrying the world's poverty, that is blatantly immoral when no one speaks out against her, that deceives when there is no one to investigate her claims, that teaches outrageous blasphemies, though much more quietly now that "separated brothers" are talking of unity. That institution still lives and will do what she has always done when given a chance.
Live for awhile in Argentina, or Spain, or any Catholic-dominated land (except lands like Croatia, please, where you might well be killed for being non-Catholic), and feel up-close the pressure of the enticing, yea, crushing embrace of the Woman atop the beast.
This is the lady who made her way to American shores centuries ago.
And I must say it again. When I speak of Rome I speak of a system, not a people group, and definitely not the Body of Christ that manages to survive within her walls.
FORTY-FIVE: THE MEXICAN PROBLEM
The 19th century, by the time it closes, will bring us within striking distance of the memories of some living today. The story we tell will soon lose the aura of ancient history and become very real. I beg my readers to understand that it is the same story which we tell throughout the book. There is a connection.
For the following years, we switch to the Americas as a backdrop, and focus on Papal activities here. It may be assumed that other "threads" are intact, though.
For example, in 1826, Pope Leo XII reinstates Pius VI's restrictions on Jewish people. Pius has already resurrected all the former oppressions I have been reporting. Leo goes a step further and bans Jewish students from public schools and universities. Jew-hating is still prominent in Babylon.
And yes, the same Babylonian doctrines are passed on, the same lust for power. But that power finds a growing opposition in the 19th-century world. Following the French and American revolutions, many people will settle for nothing less than freedom.
The map of North America of this period shows "Mexicana" sprawled out over most of the continent. By this century, the Pope's ambitions are curtailed a bit. A man named Juarez has set up a republic (the r-word, to the Papacy) in that country. He has confiscated all Rome's holdings for his people, and Papa is disturbed to no end.
In Roman fashion, he finds his own people to rule Mexico: Prince Maximilian (of the Hapsburgs) and Princess Carlotta are to become the Emperor and Empress there in 1864.
1864 is the same year as the Pope's infamous Syllabus of errors, in which he condemns the separation of church and state, and other American-style freedoms. Hello? Are you listening?
With Papal celebration and blessing the handsome couple are sent just south of our borders to overcome Juarez and his republic; and to regain all that the church has lost. The mission is a success, at least for a while.
I share this history to help readers understand that the Popes have interfered in Western civilization in this hemisphere only a short time ago. Whenever possible, they will do it again. It is within Rome's blood to conquer.
Maximilian's efforts eventually fail in Mexico. Napoleon III, of Catholic France, also withdraws his involvement in the project, and history takes a different turn.
But the all-out Papal-blessed effort to take over Mexico, and perhaps with it the United States, needs to be looked at very carefully, especially when we know of the other major event going on at precisely the same time: America's Civil War. Blinded by our own view of history, most people in America do not realize all that was at stake in the slavery/Lincoln/Civil War episode. I will relate later what southern connections Rome had.
But the evidence is all there, and earnest seekers can find it today. The Pope wanted this land of ours.
Pius IX, in his Syllabus, claims that church and state separation is a "principal error of our time." If it is an error, it must be corrected. Who better than Papa to do that?
FORTY-SIX:TEMPORAL POWER ENDS! (temporarily)
Before we continue in the Americas, let's see what happens in Europe only six years after this sending forth of the royal pair.
You will recall that the Papal States had been a given in Italy all these years. In fact, as Halley indicates, from 754 A.D. the poor management of these states was openly decried.
In 1870, the cries are heard somewhere. During the reign of Pius IX, 10,000 French troops assigned to his Kingdom had to be called back to France, war having broken out there. Seeing the Vatican unprotected, Victor Immanuel, King of Italy, takes possession of all of Rome and its surrounding states, making them a part of Italy's Kingdom. Not only is the Pope without land, he is technically submitted to a secular king. Quite an embarrassment to him who claimed to be ruler of all kings.
This state of affairs lasts 59 years, when Mussolini and the Catholic Church come to terms of agreement (you heard it right...Mussolini...more about it later!).
Two things in this connection:
1. Though having no local real estate for a while (and very little to this day) the Vatican's control over wealth untold is no one's imagination. Wherever there is a Catholic nation, state, county, province, archdiocese, diocese, parish, church, there is Papal power and wealth. Hear the wording of the present canon law, number 1273:
"By virtue of his primacy in governance the Roman Pontiff is the supreme administrator and steward of all ecclesiastical goods."
2. And please hear this: Pope Pius IX gave up his land against his will, full of shame. The lessening of any power by Rome is never voluntary, but either because of being overpowered, or because of perceived necessity.
By "perceived necessity" I mean that action taken by a child whose hand is unmistakably caught in the cookie jar. The cookies are just as tempting afterwards, just as vulnerable, and soon another attempt will be made on them. But perceived necessity postpones that action until a more opportune time.
It is not as though Pius said in 1870, "It is time we Popes, claiming to be descended from Peter, start doing the works Peter did. Peter was not rich. Peter was not temporally powerful. Peter was not world-famous. Peter's feet were never kissed. Peter as the lead apostle was first and foremost the one to carry out the final mission given by the Master: Preach the Gospel to all the world!
"From now on, we will use no earthly means of getting this good news about Jesus to a dying world. We will sell all we have and turn it into souls for Jesus! Come, Victor, take our lands. Our hearts have been changed, we'd rather have Jesus than houses or land or..."
What an absurd fantasy I imagine coming from the mouth of a true Babylonian king. Hopefully, what a reality for every true child of God.
FORTY-SEVEN: VATICAN I
Vatican II is known to most of us. The original Vatican Council, just 80 years before II, is shrouded in some obscurity that I would like to lessen at this point.
As we trek back to the American side of the water a moment, does it become clear that the Papacy is in desperate need of a win? To gain some new holdings? Losing Mexico, losing to Protestants, losing the Papal States...
In 1870, the same year as that final loss mentioned, to the shock of his closest followers, to the horror of good Catholics everywhere, and to the eternal damnation of even more who will believe in him, his holiness calls the Vatican Council
"for the express purpose of having himself declared infallible...the decree reads that it is 'divinely revealed that the pope, when he speaks (on matters of faith) "ex cathedra" (from the chair, that is, officially), is possessed of infallibility in defining doctrines of faith and morals' and that such definitions are irreformable." (Halley, p.782)
Sixteen years previous to this, the same Pius has declared that Mary was conceived without sin. If he has any doubt as to how Romans will receive this bit of information, he shouldn't have. They love it, accept it, and essentially give him the courage to do what he does at Vatican I.
But "temporal" power still continues to elude him. Though he is becoming a giant in the eyes of his own, the rest of the world still doesn't notice, and he finds it increasingly difficult to marshal the needed forces for clubbing people into the fold, as popes did in the heyday of the Inquisition.
It's a new world, with new ideas. But let us not be deceived into thinking that those ideas are coming from a new place.
