The False  Church Persecute The Saints

 

Jesus declared these words to His disciples “They will ban you from the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.”

John Foxes wrote these words concerning the Catholic church during dark ages. “We come now to a period, when persecution under the guise of christianity, committed more vileness than ever disgraced the annals of paganism. Disregarding the maxims and the spirit of the gospel, the papal church, arming herself with the power of the sword, vexed the church of God and wasted it for several centuries, a period most appropriately termed in history, the know as the dark ages.”

To me, the worst of foam of hypocrisy is individual who claim that they’re serving Jesus Christ. Yet, they were the false shepherds who were fleecing the flock, and took advantage of their poor souls. Wearing sheep clothing even thou they were ferocious wolves. When confront with the true gospel of Jesus Christ? Instead of accepting the atoning work of Christ, and His righteousness, They had the saints arrested. Asking them several questions concerning their doctrine, since it did diametrically opposed the Roman Catholicism tenets. They bishops or high priests demand them to withdraw from the true gospel, and try converts them back to Roman Catholicism.  

If they refuse, they would toss in a dungeon with little food have them torture. If continue reject they would put them to death. Either by beheading or burning them at the stake.  They thought they were being true servant of Jesus Christ. When actually He sickens to His stomach, and He wants to throw up their disgusting behaviour. In the Fox Book Martyrs he wrote these concerning false shepherd,“ Popery having brought various innovations into the church, and overspread the Christian world with darkness and superstition. In short the pope, the bishops.and the priests heretic not reformer.

  Below is the Roman Catholicism written creed:

 

1. The real presence in the host.
2. Transubstantiation. 
3. Purgatory.
4. The pope’s infallibility. 
5. That masses said for the dead will release souls from purgatory. 
6. That praying to saints will procure the remission of sins.”

 

For example M. Rambaut told the priests, following statement Roman Catholicism;

1. That to believe the real presence in the host, is a shocking union of both blasphemy and idolatry.
2. That to fancy the words of consecration perform what the papists call transubstantiation, by converting the wafer and wine into the real and identical body and blood of Christ, which was crucified, and which afterward ascended into heaven, is too gross an absurdity for even a child to believe, who was come to the least glimmering of reason; and that nothing but the most blind superstition could make the Roman catholics put a confidence in any thing so completely ridiculous.
3. That the doctrine of purgatory was more inconsistent and absurd than a fairy tale.
4. That the pope’s being infallible was an impossibility, and the pope arrogantly laid claim to what could belong to God only, as a perfect being.
5. That saying masses for the dead was ridiculous, and only meant to keep up a belief in the fable of purgatory, as the fate of all is finally decided, on the departure of the soul from the body.
6. That praying to saints for the remission of sins, is misplacing adoration; as the saints themselves have occasion for an intercessor in Christ. Therefore, as God only can pardon our errors, we ought to sue to him.

 

While true servant of Christ plainly saw their hypocrisy wrote these words concerning the gospel they plainly perceived the pernicious tendency of such errors were determined to show the light of the gospel in its real purity, and to disperse those clouds which artful priests had raised about it, in order to blind the people, and obscure its real brightness, and the true gospel spread rapidly. Where the pope decreed that they should be excommunicated from the church, and eradicate them. Hence, the true followers of Christ were persecuted by false and corrupted church by arresting them and using torture. Such as, fastened a thick iron chain round his body, which crossing at the breast, terminated at the wrists. Another foam torture, The operation began by putting an iron collar round his neck, and a ring to each foot, which fastened him to the stand. His limbs being thus, stretched out, they wound two ropes round each thigh; which ropes being passed under the scaffold, through holes made for that purpose, were all drawn tight at the same instant of time, by four of the men, on a given signal they pulled. In hope they would withdraw, yet they refused to recant despite being torture they gladly endured and continue to praise God.

 By uttering these words, “if we honour God, keep sacred the pure doctrines of Christ, put a full confidence in the promises contained in the holy scriptures, and obey the political laws of the state in which we reside, we have an undoubted right to protection instead of persecution, and to serve heaven as our consciences regulated by the gospel rules. In short no way José. When pass out they would revive them , and re tortured them again Eventually, they would put them to death either by burning them at the stake or beheading In some instance the follower of Christ tongue were cut off so they would not testify about Christ atoning work on the cross. 

 

The pope, finding that these cruel means had not the intended effect, sent several learned monks to preach among the saints, and to endeavour to argue them out of their opinion. They were not successful, and those who continue follow Christ Their estates were confiscated, along with those who buried bones were dug up and burnt as examples to the living. In some instance, the followers of Christ tongue were cut off before being execution. 

 

 However, there are some that did recant.and were told to executed their former comrade,  by carrying a fagots to the stake to burn them, and uttered they these words,” in recompense for the pernicious doctrines thou hast taught us. They repeated to them. Which they calmly replied, I formerly taught you well, but you have since learned ill. In short, the reformed doctrines you taught is wrong. Than the fire was then put to the fagots, and they was speedily consumed, calling upon the name of the Lord as long as voice permitted.

 

Even the illiterate were subject mistreatment from the bishop and high priests. Maybe the words spoken by Boris the hangman in Blazing Saddle played by Robert Ridgely would suitable for treatment of lest fortunate, Do not worry I am not prejudice in whom I hang.

 

 Anthony, the son of Samuel Catieris, a poor dumb lad who was extremely inoffensive, was cut to pieces by a party of the troops

Mary Nigrino, and her daughter who was an idiot, were cut to pieces in the woods, and their bodies left to be devoured by wild beasts: 

 

“Mary Revol, a worthy protestant, received a shot in her back, as she was walking along the street. She dropped down with the wound, but recovering sufficient strength, she raised herself upon her knees, and lifting her hands towards heaven, prayed in a most fervent manner to the Almighty, when a number of soldiers, who were near at hand, fired a whole volley of shot at her, many of which took effect, and put an end to her miseries in an instant.”

This poor, honest woman, blind from her birth, and unmarried, aged twenty-two, was of the parish of Allhallows, Derby. Her father was a barber, and also made ropes for a living: in which she assisted him, and also learned to knit several articles of apparel. Refusing to communicate with those who maintained doctrines contrary those she had learned in the days of the pious Edward, she was called before Dr. Draicot, the chancellor of Bishop Blaine, and Peter Finch, official of Derby. 

With sophisitcal arguments and threats they endeavored to confound the poor girl; but she proffered to yield to the bishop’s doctrine, if he would answer for her at the Day of Judgment, (as pious Dr. Taylor had done in his sermons) that his belief of the real presence of the Sacrament was true. The bishop at first answered that he would; but Dr. Draicot reminding him that he might not in any way answer for a heretic, he withdrew his confirmation of his own tenets; and she replied that if their consciences would not permit them to answer at God’s bar for that truth they wished her to subscribe to, she would answer no more questions. Sentence was then adjudged, and Dr. Draicot appointed to preach her condemned sermon, which took place August 1, 1556, the day of her martyrdom. His fulminating discourse being finished, the poor, sightless object was taken to a place called Windmill Pit, near the town, where she for a time held her brother by the hand, and then prepared herself for the fire, calling upon the pitying multitude to pray with her, and upon Christ to have mercy upon her, until the glorious light of the everlasting Sun of righteousness beamed upon her departed spirit. 

“The blessed gospel of Christ is what I hold; that do I believe, that have I taught, and that will I never revoke!”

 

John Foxe penned these words, “When the Christians, upon these occasions, received martyrdom, they were ornamented, and crowned with garlands of flowers; for which they, in heaven, received eternal crowns of glory.” In short they saw I see heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God welcome them in!