Popery condemned by scripture and the fathers - End Time Deception

238 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
the bishops of Rome. But they were far from
resting satisfied with the spiritual power. The
acquisition of that only excited their ambition
to connect it with the temporal authority ; and
the period in which their usurpations commenced,
had a powerful tendency to promote their
views. The greater part of Europe was immersed
in barbarism and superstition ;
and neither
the civil nor religious rights of mankind
were at all understood. Many, from mistaken
views of religion, bequeathed their wealth to
the Church ;
not for the advancement of virtue
and piety, but for supporting a clergy, whose
wallowings discovered more of the nature of
the hog, than cf the Christian pastor. Even
the kings of the earth, impelled by superstition
or fear,
made a surrender cf " their power and
*'
strength to the beast." The purposes for
which this power was applied, have been formerly
observed. The bishops of Rome deposed
kings, transferred their dominions to others,
absolved subjects from thtir oaths of allegiance,
and prohibited their obedience ; and, to crown
all, thty exercised their power for the murder
of myriads cf the human race, m.erely for refu&i^g
submission to doctrines repugnant to the
scriptures, and at war with both the temporal
and eternal interests of men. The apcsile Paul
had therefore good reason for announcing their
approach