That iniquitous system, known as the Church of Rome, has been in existence for many centuries. During the Dark Ages it attained an ascendancy in Europe which was so extensive that almost all nations were enslaved by it. At the Reformation its power was greatly diminished when the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ spread across Europe. Through the Counter Reformation it was able to re-establish itself in some of the nations of Europe and the fruits of the Reformation in these lands were practically destroyed, as in Poland, France, Italy, Spain and elsewhere. In other nations the Reformation was too well established to be overthrown as in Germany, Switzerland, Holland, England, Scotland and elsewhere. Since that time the aim of the Romanist Church has been to completely crush Protestantism so that the Romanist Church would attain to the ascendancy it had before the Reformation.
Though the system of Rome is spoken of as a Church and claims for itself that title yet it is unworthy of such a title in view of the fact that it is only masquerading as a Church to delude the hearts of the simple. The Confession of Faith speaks of some Churches as having so degenerated as to become no Churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan. Of these the so-called Church of Rome is one; its head, the Pope of Rome, being named by the Confession as “that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the Church against Christ, and all that is called God.” No system in the world answers the description of the Mystery of iniquity in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 2 so well as does the politico-religious system of the Romish anti-christ. Its teachings are the very antitheses of the teachings of Christ and these have already led millions upon millions of souls, and are today leading millions of souls to eternal perdition.
It is under this evil system that thousands upon thousands have perished even in our own day. The guiding force behind the persecuting power of the Romanist system has been the Jesuit Order, an order masquerading under the name Society of Jesus while doing the work of the devil. It is under the leadership of a Cardinal, known as the Black Pope, but under the ultimate authority and rule of the Pope who goes about in white garments but is blacker than the Black Pope because it is under his headship these Satanic works are carried out. Of the political intrigue carried out by the Jesuits on behalf of the Pope and the Romanist system at the present time, no one can have any conception. For instance, we may wonder why the Serbs of Yugoslavia are at the present time so opposed to the Croats in that country. Yet we would not wonder if we remembered that during the Second World War Catholic Action was engaged in the massacre of thousands of Serbs, slain only because they belonged to the Orthodox Church. The name of the Ustashi under the fanatic Antone Pavelich and Archbishop Stepinac will ever be regarded with vile abhorrence in the annals of Yugoslav history. Behind it all was the Church of Rome. Though so well documented that none can deny it, yet how successful the Church of Rome has been, through its manipulation of the Press, in keeping it largely a hidden matter.
Communism has fallen or is in process of falling in Eastern Europe. What is to take its place? The Jesuits supply the answer. They have been busy in the councils of the nations in order to ensure that out of the ashes of Communism there shall arise a body of nations in Europe subservient to “Mother Church”, as the Church of Rome is sometimes designated, though more accurately “the Mother of harlots”.
Surely then Rome will be satisfied when the Baltic Republics, the Ukraine in Russia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary and Croatia, all bow down to her. Far from it! The Church of Rome intends to bring all of Europe under her sway, as well as lands outside Europe. So far as Western Europe is concerned she is well on her way towards accomplishing her end. European Union is but an end to Romish domination. Britain is moving very fast in that direction. So far as the Churches in Britain are concerned their Protestant backbone has long since been removed and it would require little movement for the main Churches to be swallowed up in Rome. Even those Churches once denominated evangelical have long lost their fear of Rome and have embraced an arminian theology which would well fit in with the theology of the Roman antichrist.
What can we say to these things? Surely dark days lie ahead, days of persecution for those who, in Rome’s view, will have the effrontery to adhere to a long dead Calvinism. It may well be that only at the peril of their lives will men be able to maintain and assert the doctrines of God’s Word. Romanism remains implacably opposed to the truth and she will do all in her power to destroy or subvert it whenever and wherever she gains the upper hand. Those who embrace Protestant teaching will have to stand firm in the midst of abounding apostasy. Let us, in the strength of divine grace, be resolved to hold fast in an evil day to those glorious doctrines resurrected at the Reformation and still maintained wherever the truth of God’s Word is still valued.