Men who have advocated the identity of Rome with anti-Christ. Can a Roman Catholic be saved?

66

it is that great anti-Christian power, described by Daniel, in his seventh chapter (verse 25), under the emblem of a little horn, as "wearing out the saints of the Most High;" by John in the Revelations, as a beast "making war with saints," and "opening his mouth in blasphemy against God" (xiii., 5, 6, 7), and as Babylon the great, mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth," " a woman drunken with the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus" (xvii., 5, 6), and by Paul in his first epistle to Timothy as "a departure from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils (iv., 1), and in his second epistle to Thessalonians as "a falling away," or apostasy, as the revelation of that "Man of Sin," that "Son of perdition who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or is worshipped" (ii., 3, 4). In these prophetic scriptures, the character of the papal anti-Christ is drawn, with an unerring precision, which is sufficient alone to prove that these holy men, Daniel, Paul and John, "spake as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost."

This identity of papal Rome with anti-Christ was maintained by Luther, Melancthon, Calvin, and all the continental reformers; by Latimer, Ridley, Cranmer, and all the British reformers: by the illustrious Sir Isaac Newton, Mede, Whiston, Bishop Newton, Lowth, Daubuz, Jurieu, Vitringa, Bedell, and a host of equally pious, illustrious and learned names. The same testimony has been borne in the authorized doctrinal standards of the Episcopal, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, and other churches both of Europe and America. The same doctrine is still taught in the theological school of Geneva by the illustrious D'Aubigné and Gaussen, and with but here and there a solitary exception, by all the most learned professors and clergymen of the present day, connected with the various evangelical denominations of protestant Christians.

§ 48. Here the inquiry naturally presents itself, if the Romish is not a true church of Christ, but only an apostate anti-Christian power, is it possible for any one to be saved who dies in her communion? To this we reply, that the salvation of a man depends not upon what visible Church, whether true or false, he is connected with, but upon the question, whether he has been "born again" (John iii., 3), whether he has truly repented of his sins before God (Luke xiii., 3), and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts xvi., 31; John iii., 16, 36). If any man be thus reconciled to God through faith in Christ, he is a "new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. v., 17); and he who is thus called and justified shall most assuredly be glorified (Rom. viii., 30), whatever visible church he belong to, or if he belong to none at all. It is not the connection with any particular church that saves a man (though it is the duty of every converted man to become a member of a church of Christ), but it is his union to the Lord Jesus Christ by a sanctifying and saving faith; and if this is wanting, then all the confessions, and absolutions, and indulgences and extreme unctions of a priest can confer no benefit; but if he possesses this sav

Some of God's believing people probably in Babylon.

All exhorted to come out of her

ing faith in Christ, then while these popish practices can do him not a particle of good, they shall not avail to shut him out of heaven. The great danger of these popish observances is, that they have led thousands and tens of thousands to trust not in the atonement and righteousness of Christ, but in them for salvation, while the absolute necessity of the new birth, and the new heart and the new life ("hid with Christ in God") has been kept out of sight, till it was too late; and thus are the skirts of the Romish priesthood covered all over with the blood of the thousands and tens of thousands whom they have led blindfolded to hell.

Still it is a thought calculated to relieve in some degree the painful feelings produced by this bitter reflection, to remember that a Fenelon, a Kempis, a Pascal, a Bourdaloue, and perhaps thousands more who once held an external connection with the church of Rome, have, in spite of such connection, and the hindrance it offers to that personal application to and reliance on Christ, without which none can be saved, become penitent believers in Jesus, and are now in glory. O it is pleasing to hope that many a poor monk, like Luther in his monastery at Erfurth, may have found out, within the walls of his solitary cell, that "the just shall live by faith," and that salvation is to be obtained, not by pilgrimages, and penances, and indulgences and extreme unction, but through faith in the blood and righteousness of Christ; and thus discovered the way to heaven, though he may never have renounced his external connection with Rome.

That there may be some, even in the Romish Babylon, who are the "children of God by faith in Jesus Christ" (Gal. iii., 26), seems to be intimated by the warning cry, "Come out of her, my people!" If there were none of God's people in Babylon, they could hardly be called upon to come out of her. To such, therefore, in the communion of Rome, who. though (like Luther in the sixteenth, and Ronge in the ninetec century,) nominally connected with the Romish Babylon, have discovered her errors and mourned over her corruptions, I would say, Come out of her! like Luther and the thousands of holy men who have trodden in his footsteps. Come out of her!-if you would not be instrumental, by your influence and example, in leading souls from Christ to trust for salvation in the foolish mummeries of Popery which your souls despise-Come out of her! finally, if you would escape the calamities which prophecy declares are yet to fall upon her, hear the voice from heaven (Rev. xviii., 4, 5), which says-COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE! THAT

YE BE NOT PARTAKERS OF HER SINS, AND THAT YE RECEIVE NOT OF HER PLAGUES; FOR HER SINS HAVE REACHED UNTO HEAVEN, AND GOD HATH REMEMBERED HER INIQUITIES!

FINIS.

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE

OF POPES, GENERAL COUNCILS, AND REMARKABLE EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF ROMANISM.

In the following table, the list of the bishops of Rome up to 606, and the popes after that (taken chiefly from Bower), is printed in capitals with a cross ; the kings of England, after the conquest, with an asterisk*: and other famous sovereigns in the same characters, without any mark.

In reference to the GENERAL COUNCILS, it is well known that Romanists are divided among themselves, into fiercely contending sects and parties, as to which of the councils possess a claim to that character. In compiling the complete list of the General Councils embodied in the following table, we have adopted the most popular and generally received list among Romanists, as given by Father Gahan in his popular manual of Roman Catholic Church History. At the same time, we have mentioned some other Councils which have, by some Romish authors, been regarded as General.

65. Martyrdom of the apostles Peter and Paul. Note.-PETER is asserted by Romanists to have

been the first POPE of Rome. Of this, however, there is not a particle of evidence. Different and opposing lists are given of his supposed immediate successors, which have been mentioned in this work (page 48, note), but as Romish writers disagree among themselves, we shall commence our chronological catalogue of the bishops of Rome, with VICTOR, who is the first of whom anything of importance is certainly known. The names previous to Victor, generally inserted in the catalogues by apos· tolic successionists, sometimes in one order and sometimes in another, are Linus, Cletus, or Anacletus (sometimes one and sometimes two persons), Clement, Evaristus, Alexander, Sixtus, Telesphorus, Hyginus, Pius, Anicetus, Soter, and Eleutherius.

100. Death of the apostle John, the last of the apostles.

192. † VICTOR, bishop of Rome. In the dispute

with the eastern Christians about the time of observing Easter, Victor excluded them from fellowship with the church of Rome. This is the first instance on record of this kind of Romish tyranny and assumption. His excommunication of the eastern Christians was regarded by them as of no authority whatever. (See p. 32.)

347. Council of Sardis allows of appeals to Rome. One of the first steps toward papal supremacy.

352.

LIBERIUS.

356. Death of Anthony the hermit, aged 105.
363. Attempt of Julian the apostate to rebuild the
temple at Jerusalem frustrated.

366. DAMASUS. Bloody contest between Da-
masus and Ursicinus, his rival competitor for
the See of Rome. 137 persons killed in the
church itself.

372. Law of Valentinian, empowering the bishops of Rome to judge other bishops.

381. SECOND GENERAL COUNCIL. first of Con stantinople. The distinct personality and deity of the Holy Spirit declared, in opposition to the tenets of Macedonius.

496. Dec. 25, Clovis, king of the Franks, baptized 667. The Pope by his sole authority appoints Theo

684. † BENEDICT II., who obtains a decree from the emperor Constantine IV., permitting the election of popes without imperial confirmation. Revoked by Justinian two years after.

685. JOHN V.

686. †CONON.
687. SERGIUS.