The Antichrist, by Rev David Silversides, published by the James Begg Society, booklet, 19 pages, obtainable from the Free Presbyterian Bookroom.
This is a helpful discussion of an important subject. The author takes a stance which very few adopt today: that The Westminster Confession of Faith is correct when it declares that the pope is the Antichrist. His survey of the relevant Scripture teaching leads the author to say that “we are to think of the Antichrist in terms of apostate Christianity rather than open atheistic or pagan opposition”, that the Antichrist is “one who opposes the Lord Jesus Christ by seeking to take His place”. “The pope of Rome”, Mr Silversides concludes, “systematically seeks to usurp Christ’s offices of Prophet, Priest and King. No one in history has attempted to do so with the same height of articulate audacity coupled with spurious profession of loyalty to Christ.”
The final section of the booklet reacts to a newspaper article which stated that ministers of the Free Presbyterian Church, in contrast with those in the Free Church, in giving their assent to The Westminster Confession, are required to agree that “that the pope is the ‘the man of sin and son of perdition'”. The author is correct in his argument that there is no justification for any minister withholding consent to that statement. However, he rather labours the point, and, having raised the subject, he should have acknowledged that, sadly, it does seem to be a fact that many Free Church ministers do not accept the above statement about the pope.
We hope that this booklet will help to bring about a return to a scriptural position on this matter.
Return to Table of Contents for The Free Presbyterian Magazine – May 2002