The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

Philip Melancthon, a man of wonderful ability and application, a companion of Luther,
composed the celebrated Confession of Augsburg in 1530. As this confession was to be
read publicly to the Roman Catholic Emperor, Charles V, in the presence of princes and
Roman Catholic dignitaries, Melancthon sought to avoid arousing the anger of the Roman
Catholic Church, and for this reason toned it down. Luther chided Melancthon for this,
and said:
"'Satan sees clearly that your Apology has passed lightly over the articles of purgatory, the
worship of saints, and, above all, of the Pope and of AntiChrist.'"
Referring to the Second Thessalonian epistle later on, however, Melancthon waxed bold,
and said in another treatise,
"'Wherefore I affirm that no heresy hath arisen, nor indeed shall be with which these
descriptions of Paul can more truly and certainly accord and agree, than to this Papal
kingdom.'"
John Calvin, in the conclusion of a letter to the emperor, Charles V, said:
"'I deny that See to be apostolical wherein nought is seen but a shocking apostasy; I deny
him to be the vicar of Christ, who in furiously persecuting the Gospel, demonstrates by his
conduct that he is the Antichrist.'"
William Tyndale, who first translated the New Testament from Greek into English, and
who suffered martyrdom on account of his faithful testimony for his Master, in his
exposition of 1 John 2:18, spoke on this subject:
"'Though the Bishop of Rome and his sects give Christ these names [His rightful names],
yet, in that they rob Him of the effect, and take the signification of His names unto
themselves, and make of Him but a hypocrite, as they themselves be, they be the right
Antichrists, and deny both Father and Son; for they deny the witness that the Father bore
unto His Son, and deprive the Son of all the power and glory that the Father gave Him.'"
Indeed, all the other English Reformers, including Latimer, Ridley, Cranmer, Bradford,
and Jewell, gave testimony to the fact that the great Romish system was the anti-Christian
apostasy foretold by Daniel, St. Paul, and St. John; likewise later on did John Knox of
Scotland. Latimer's words to this effect are:
"'Yea what fellowship hath Christ with Antichrist? therefore it is not lawful to bear the
yoke with Papists. Come from among them, and separate yourselves from them, saith the
Lord.'"
Ridley gave this testimony:
"'The See of Rome is the seat of Satan, and the bishop of the same, that maintaineth the
abominations thereof--is Antichrist himself indeed; and for the same causes this See at this