(The following protest was drawn up by the Southern Presbytery against the Moderator of the Church of Scotland’s attendance at the Pope’s inauguration).
30 Barloan Crescent,
Dumbarton.
21st November 1978.
Dear Sir,
I am instructed by this Presbytery to forward you the following protest at your recent attendance at the inaugural mass on the occasion of the inauguration of the new Pope:
“In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10, we have a distinct forewarning of a major apostasy from the true Christian Faith — of the rise within the visible Church of an apostate power which would oppose God in the name of God; deprive Him of His honour, leaving Him nothing but an empty title; and transfer the authority of God to itself. This power the Protestant Reformers identified with the papacy. As Calvin says: ‘Paul is not speaking of one individual, but of a kingdom that was to be seized by Satan for the purpose of setting up a seat of abomination in the midst of God’s temple. This we see accomplished in popery.’ (Comm. on 2 Thess. 2:3).
Lest we question the identification, the apostle makes it clear that this power would be characterised by certain distinctive marks by which it may be recognised: firstly, the 2 names here attributed to it — ‘man of sin’ and ‘son of perdition’ (vs. 3). The very nature of the papacy, not to mention the lives of some of the moral monsters who have occupied the papal throne, clearly point to the pope as the successor, not of Peter, but of Judas, the other ‘son of perdition’, for his 2 chief sins are covetousness and a betrayal of Christ.
Secondly, this power is predicted as being the usurper of the authority and honour of the only true and living God (vs. 4). Is it not highly significant that the pope seizes whatever belongs to God and arrogates it to himself? He blasphemously adopts the very names of each Person of the Godhead, being called ‘Holy Father’, ‘Prince of Peace’ and ‘Vicar of Christ’. He imperiously claims authority over all men, declaring it to be ‘necessary to salvation for every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff’ (Bull of Boniface VIII). According to Cardinal Manning, this was unquestionably an ‘infallible ex cathedra statement’. He bears rule in the very sanctuary of the visible, professing Church, being worshipped by his devotees as ‘our Lord God the Pope’. He professes power over all nations. What is this but a ‘sitting in the temple of God’ and ‘opposing and exalting himself above all that is called God’?
Thirdly, we are informed of the rise and seat of this apostate power (vs. 3a, 5-7). There was to be an apostasy after the planting of New Testament churches throughout the inhabited world, but the process of decay already at work in apostolic times was to be hindered from coming to fruition by another power, which was soon to be removed. The history books tell us of the quiet infusion of heresy and immorality into the early Church, and show how the rise of papal Rome was hindered by the presence of imperial Rome. Not until the empire was in an advanced state of decay did Antichrist seize the capital for himself and claim universal sovereignty.
Fourthly, of the hypocrisy and deceitfulness of this apostate power we are forewarned in verses 9-10. Under an outward show of great humility, this Satanic power would conceal its real aim: universal tyranny, over men’s souls, bodies and possessions. It is also said to be an agent of Satan; i.e. deceiving sinners for eternity, with both false doctrines and false miracles. Of the papacy’s many false doctrines, one example may be mentioned: just as the Word of God teaches that ‘there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus’, so Romanism interposes many mediators even between the Mediator Himself and men! What blasphemy we read in Liguori’s ‘Glories of Mary’: ‘Mary so loved the world that she gave her only-begotten Son’; and again: ‘O immaculate Virgin, prevent thy beloved Son, who is irritated by our sins, from abandoning us to the power of the devil’. Similarly with respect to miracles: just as the glorious Gospel of the blessed God was confirmed to the heathen world by true miracles, so Romanism confirms her delusive lies with false ones, such as the Wilsnack blood, the Boxley crucifix, and other such mummeries.
Fifthly, we are also told of the influence this separate body would wield over the souls of men (vs. 10-12). Have not whole nations been deceived by her sorceries? (Rev. 18:23). How many thousands of priests submit without question to the popish rule of celibacy, although Peter, the alleged founder of the pope’s order, was married (Mark 1:30)? What multitudes of poor benighted papists abstain from meats during Lent, when Scripture tells that God has given us all things richly to enjoy (1 Tim. 6:17)? What grovelling superstition and craven fear is still attached to the priest in Ireland and South America!
Lastly, what the judgment of a perfectly holy God will be on such a system of iniquity we are told in verse 8. Though the wickedness at the heart of the papacy is concealed from millions, it will all be exposed and condemned at the last day. With the brightness of His coming, Christ will consume the entire system with the breath of His mouth.
In the light of this historically-vindicated identification, and of the alarming growth of popery in our beloved land in our day, the Presbytery would respectfully remind you that despite all profession to the contrary, Rome has not changed her nature. Should she again get power over the nation, we may be sure that the voice of a truly Reformed ministry would be silenced, and her former penal laws re-enacted. As C. H. Spurgeon said a century ago: ‘You Protestants who are flinging away your liberties as dirt cheap, will rue the day in which you allowed the old chains to be fitted upon your wrists. Popery fettered and slew our sires, and yet we are making it the national religion’.
Furthermore, we urge you, as the elected representatives of the Established Church in Scotland, to publicly repudiate all sympathy with the pope of Rome and the pernicious system which sustains him. Your attendance at the Inaugural Mass not only grieves the godly of our land, but also forebodes great danger to both Church and Nation. Never before, since the glorious Reformation, has there been such an unblushing avowal of popish sentiments among churchmen in Scotland, and such shameless departure from the Faith of our fathers, as defined in the Westminster Confession. We need to re-assert today more than ever that ‘there is no other Head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ; nor can the pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof; but is that Antichrist, that man of sin and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the Church against Christ, and all that is called God’ (Ch. XXVI, sect. VI).
The great question before us is: shall Protestantism, or true Biblical religion, live or die? Under God, much depends on the attitude and line of conduct taken up by professing ministers of the Gospel. If you and your colleagues were to do your duty, there would be great hope for the Church of Scotland; but if you compromise, and fraternise with Rome in the interests of a false ecumenicism, there will be no hope at all. It is the rowers of the Church who have brought her into great waters (Ezek. 27:26), and by God’s grace, only the rowers can bring her out again. Therefore, ‘Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues’ (Rev. 18:4).”
Yours very sincerely,
JOHN M. BRENTNALL.