The Jesuits And the Counter Reformation
The reformation had amassed much, the German monk had been driving his stakes deeper into the heart of the Papal kingdom. The nature of the Protestant theology was designed merely to expound much on the doctrines that brought them into a collision course with papal scholarship. Yet the reformers sailed through over the Holy See without much Scholarly intensity. The Roman Church was loosing face with the masses. The very grip that the Holy See had on the people was loosing it's hold. The sell of indulgence was loosing it's effect. The reformation had opened to the people the floods of Biblical theology that was very much in contradiction to Papal theology. The popes lived lavishly off the fiscal acumen of the sellers of indulgences. The reformation had made it possible for the people to see the true nature of the Romish theology. Luther's thesis led to the spread of the idea that man is not saved by human merit, yet there is need for a soter ( a Saviour). While the church proclaimed that salvation was as a consequence of membership to the church. Human merits were the key to finding favor with God, whereas the reformation taught sola Christos, sola fide and sola Gracia. These tenets saw the Papal threshold collapse under the heavy load of reformatory barrage. The possibility of regaining it's ground seemed hopelessly lost. The reformation was spreading like wild fire in the Papal states. She was losing members across disciplines. Catholicity was no longer the profession of many. Congregates found solace in the theology of the reformers. They saw clearly the treacherous results of maintaining membership in these societies. Monkish drudgery made the reformation even more plausible in the eyes of the people. In considering the extent of Monkish fiscal plaguer y, the people were in a state of readiness to receive new light from the reformers. The reformation was made possible by the fidelity in manuscript translation made by the Waldensess. Martin Luther, known as the Morning Star Of The Reformation was inspired initially by the Latin Vulgate. It was this Bible that made Martin Luther to come to the conclusion that the “Just Shall live by faith” . Yet it was the Waldensian manuscripts that lead the Lutheran reformation. The Lutheran German Bible was however not translated from the Latin Vulgate, but from the Waldensian manuscripts. These manuscripts were in contradiction with each other, were by the Latin Vulgate was a Jeromenian translation from the Alexandrian manuscriptural genealogical family and the Waldensian Bible had an Oriental origin. The thesis propounded by Martin Luther, was therefore heavily inspired by the writings of the Greek patriarchs. Their theology was weighing heavily on the Byzantine theology, as opposed to the Papal one that was very much Alexandrian. The differences in theology and Greek semantics of their time made it possible for the conflict to be maintained. The papal source(the ancient Manuscript) for their English version of the Latin Vulgate were Palimpsestic. Thus rendering the authenticity of their bible in a questionable light. This therefore called for prompt action from the prelates, otherwise the Roman Catholic Church was facing extinction. The Papal See was facing the greatest challenge of is time. All that the Popes had claimed about their infallibility, their divine oration(ex-cathedra) and the power to absolve sin the reformation was bringing it to it's knees. Any action against the reformation had to be done swiftly. Hence it was at this time that the Papal dignitaries unleashed one of Romes most formidable armies, the Society that claimed service for Jesus, known as the Society of Jesus. The Jesuits, a Roman Catholic Order whose single objective of existence is the extermination of the Reformation and Protestantism. The Order works under strict military conditions. They have one code and that is to obey “perendi ce cadaver”, that is, to obey like a corpse. The order has a General on top who controls the society. They pledge allegiance to no one but the Pope and the Virgin Mary. The Order is non Monastic. They are neither monks nor pastors. They have two doctrines, one for the insider and the other for the catechumen, the order is secretive. They possess the ability to change personal profiles in order to achieve their means. It was Machiavelli who coined the phrase “the end justifies the means”, it is this very maxim that fuels the Jesuits. Hence they made the best army of the Papacy to fight the reformation. The order leveled itself with it's enemies, thus, making them the most formidable instrument for the Papacy and against the reformation and protestantism in general. The rise of the Jesuit order justified it's existence through the theory that asserted that the Protestant reformation was a rebellion that need to be thwarted because they were full of heresies that were in excess. In support of the works of Loyola, Bayle (1919) stated that the Jesuit General performed many miracles some of which were “confirmed by the most authentic proofs and careful examination”, implying that the general was moved by the Spirit to almost demigod figurine, instilling an element of being inerrant to the mostly superstitions masses of the 16th century. Hence the call to fight the Reformation was however not opposed extensively. The fights that happened between the Jesuits in the time of Luther were mostly intellectual and scholarly. Their special obedience to the Pope naturally caused the Jesuits to fight against the greatest danger to the Catholic Church, Protestantism. Their goal to fight protestantism saw them becoming more aligned to secular powers, Fox(1896). They had a garb of ecclesiastical preeminence, whilst behind the garb lay a desire to extinguish the protestant faith, White(1911). Lead by the Knight of Popish prestige the Jesuit fighters Marshalled themselves heavily on the battle field of faiths, with a heavy intent of re-establishing the Roman Catholic Faith to it's former dark age glory. Loyola was inspired by the tales of the Saints, which he got acquainted with whilst in hospital in Pamplona. Wylie(1888) states that while in hospital “romances of chivalry and tales of war were brought to him to beguile the hours. These exhausted, other books were produced, but of a somewhat different character. This time it was the legends of the saints that were brought to the bed-rid knight. The tragedy of the early Christian martyrs passed before him as he read. Next came the monks and hermits of the Thebaic deserts and the Sinaitic mountains. With an imagination on fire he perused the story of the hunger and cold they had braved of the self-conquests they had achieved of the battles they had waged with evil spirits of the glorious visions that had been vouchsafed them and the brilliant rewards they had gained in the lasting reverence of earth and the felicities and dignities of heaven”. It was at this point that the Knight General rose up from the sick bed a renewed warrior of a religious type. Vowed to sanctity to Mary, he lived an ascetic life which enabled him the highest form of intellectual attainment. Loyola, a knight turned Monk, burned more than ever before to serve slavishly for the Virgin Mary. He turned to visions and mystic meditations. The knight- monkish general he was never led to a monastic lifestyle but instead employed by the Papal dignitaries he proved a formidable weapon for the Roman Catholic Church, than did the French Prince. The ascetic life style was to be integrated into the order. The mystic meditations which would be further developed to what they would call the “spiritual exercises”, a very pivotal part for the order. The order claims to be garbed in religious apparel hence their appellation “the society of Jesus”. Campbell(1943) says "...they are called the Society or Company of Jesus, the latter designation expressing more correctly the military idea of the founder, which was to establish, as it were, a new battalion in the spiritual army of the Catholic Church”. This new battalion was a “spiritual” military force, their motivation was the establishment of a spiritual kingdom. This “spiritual kingdom” was to be headed by the Roman Pontiff, of which they said they claimed allegiance. Hence the Jesuit order would hence forth turn out to be more militarily based than spiritual. The head of the order is called the General, because he leads a pseudo religious military organization. The aim of the Jesuits is the extermination of Protestantism. The Encyclopedia Britannica(1886) states that the “...Jesuits alone rolled back the tide of Protestant advance when that half of Europe which had not already shaken off its allegiance to the Papacy, was threatening to do so, and the whole horrors of the counter-reformation are theirs singly”. When the Lutheran bible reached the hands of the masses the people were very much indignant of the Papal indulgence seller Johann Tetzel. The people had become educated through the studious efforts of Martin Luther. The very fact that the reformer was of the Papal clergy weighed heavily on the people, and the very grip that had been lost by the papacy had to be restored. It was the work of the Jesuit scholars to bring about the demise of the Protestant movement. It was Eck was chosen as the man to champion the cause for Rome. It took the most of his oratory skills to out wit the German scholar. Eck “was the man who recommenced the combat. He was sincerely attached to the papacy”,...Eck had studied the art of disputation according to the rules of the schoolmen, and had become a master in this sort of controversy”, Wylie (1888). He seemed suitable to wage war with German scholar. Though that was so yet these efforts could not afford Rome the victories that they wanted. It had to take a more vigorous approach in dealing with the reformed faith. The Council Of Trent(1545-1563) was called to discuss the protestant tide. Noble(1945) purports to the fact that “perhaps the most important result of the Council of Trent, which was originally supposed to carry out reforms, was the re-stressing of the validity and authority of unwritten traditions in opposition to Luther's doctrine of the Holy Scripture alone (sola scriptura)”. This captured the whole essence of the papal see. The placing of the traditions of man over the inspired scholarship. This act was in response to the inerrant authority that Luther had placed on the Bible. It wasn't just any other Bible that Luther had placed his faith on but it was the received text in which Luther had said to be the “Sola Scriptura” Wilkson (1930). The council of Trent placed the received text on the index of prohibited books, and it's place “...the Index librorum prohibitorum was announced 1564 and the following books were issued with the papal imprimatur: the Profession of the Tridentine Faith and the Tridentine Catechism (1566), the Breviary (1568), the Missal (1570) and the Vulgate (1590 and then 1592)” Wetterau (1994). The Latin Vulgate is Arian, Wilkson (1930), it substantiates everything that the received text doesn't advocate. It demotes the Divinity of Jesus Christ. The Jesuits however stated expressly that in order to degrade the moral standards of the people they have to “undermine the paper pope of the protestants” meaning the received text. The Council Of Trent (1545-1563) declared that “...as for the Inquisition, its leading principle was that, in its own words, 'to heretics and especially to Calvinists no toleration must be granted'. It is important to recognise that the re-instatement of the Inquisition in the sixteenth century was spearheaded by the Jesuits, as were its atrocities...”. The inquisition initially was directed at the Waldensian Christians in Northern Italy in the 12th century. It was Dominic who was issued with the task of spearheading the inquisition. Sixtus V validated what Leo XIII had initiated originally, that is the inquisition. It proved a successful tool for the Papacy, to a greater extent as Jerome, Huss and Cranmer fell victim to it's squalid brute force that only can a papist marshal. McCabe (1928) states that “... the inquisition was purely an establishment of the Church of Rome. It was founded for the express reason for the extirpation of heresy...”. Therefore the Jesuits saw here an effective tool for the modeling of proper catholicity, by quailing the Protestant tide through the exercise of force by instigating the inquisition. Jones (1886) asserts to the fact that it was the “...order of the Jesuits that was the strength of the Inquisition..” The inquisition one of the dreadful and most pernicious movement within the Roman Catholic order, was the instrumentality of the Jesuits. It was the Augustinian order that, took the inquisition from the Dominicans, Fox(1896), and conducted the whole ordeal. Their common purpose was to crush the “French and Northern Italic Christians” who held to a different doctrine which they got from the Eastern Byzantine Church, which had their scriptures from Jerusalem Wilkinson(1930). Where as the Papal see had it's scriptures from the Alexandrian sources in Egypt, Ibid. The Latin Vulgate was an Ecumenical Bible. Compiled from manuscripts that were of an Alexandrian origin. The manuscripts were as a product of Eusibius Bishop of Ceaserea, who had a student called Origen. Origen was a teacher in the catachical schools of Alexandria. It was in these schools that Gnosticism was developed. The Latin Vulgate was written from gnostic sources. Then these manuscripts were then used by Jerome a student of Eusibius to compile the Latin Vulgate which says things that are different from the Lutheran Bible. This became a point of conflict between the Reformation and the Inquisitors, Wilkinson (1930). Jones(1873) states that the Jesuits wrote about the Waldensess, which haboured the received texts that they had received straight from the churches of the first century in Antioch, middle east. It is this received text that facilitated the development of the English Protestant bible. This is the same bible that was placed under the index of prohibited books by the council of Trent. The council of Trent was called specifically for quilling the “pastoral dissensions that had threatened the common wealth” of the Papal see, Waterworth (1848) . The term “pastoral dissensions” is a reference to the roman catholic clergy that had dissented. Hence the council had to restate its stand on certain points of doctrine. The reformation had gained much sway with the laity, the clergy were in no way unaffected by the cry of the reformed faith. During the council of Trent, those points of dissension between the reformation and the Papacy were reestablished. According to the council of Trent(1543-1565) “...It ordains and decrees that, before all other things, a confession of faith is to be set forth following herein the examples of the Fathers, who have been wont, in the most sacred councils, at the beginning of the Actions thereof, to oppose this shield against heresies; and with this alone, at times, have they drawn the unbelieving to the faith, overthrown heretics, and confirmed the faithful...” Caringola (1991) states that “...at the Council of Trent, the Catholic Church gave the Jesuits the specific assignment of bringing Protestantism back to the “Mother Church”. This was to be done not only through the inquisition and through torture, but also through theology and deception. According to the Jesuit ordination oath, a Jesuit Priest swears allegiance to the pope as the Head of the “Universal Church” and the representative of Christ in the world, “his Vicegerent” an alter Christos”. The Postulant further swears that “... the doctrine of the churches of England and Scotland, of the Calvinists, Huguenots and others of the name Protestants or Liberals to be damnable and they themselves damned who will not forsake the same”. The intent is the extermination of the Protestant religion. The deceptive nature of how the Jesuits penetrate the protestant churches is stated by the Jesuit principal during ordination were he states that, “...My son, heretofore you have been taught to act the dissembler: among Roman Catholics to be a Roman Catholic, and to be a spy even among your own brethren; to believe no man, to trust no man. Among the Reformers, to be a reformer; among the Huguenots, to be a Huguenot; among the Calvinists, to be a Calvinist; among other Protestants, generally to be a Protestant, and obtaining their confidence, to seek even to preach from their pulpits, and to denounce with all the vehemence in your nature our Holy Religion and the Pope; and even to descend so low as to become a Jew among Jews, that you might be enabled to gather together all information for the benefit of your Order as a faithful soldier of the Pope 1. . These very tactics were employed in the Bartholomew massacre in France. All in the name of countering the reformation. The believers were gather together under the banner of ecumenism. Beguiled to believe that all was well on that the church of Rome was very much intending for peace, suddenly at the very hour when the people least expected the Romish armies, led by the Jesuits, attacked and massacred millions of Protestant Christian believers. This is the nature in which protestantism was and will be dealt with by the Jesuits. Manhattan(1949) states that it sometimes becomes necessary for the Catholic Church to ally itself with forces which not only are non-religious or non-Catholic, but are even hostile to religion. This occurs when the Catholic Church, being confronted by enemies which it cannot overcome alone, sees itself compelled to find allies who also desire the destruction of such enemies. The Jesuit maxim “end justifies the means”, augments within the system the employment of what ever means necessary in extirpating “heresy”. Wilkinson(1930) On the other hand, it is the most subtle and intolerant. It was formed after the Reformation began and for the chief purpose of destroying the Reformation. ..They overrun all countries and constitute the army militant of the Papacy... Within thirty-five years after Luther had nailed his thesis upon the door of the Cathedral of Wittenberg, and launched his attacks upon the errors and corrupt practices of Rome, the Protestant Reformation was thoroughly established. The great contributing factor to this spiritual upheaval was the translation by Luther of the Greek New Testament of Erasmus into German. .. In consternation, the Papacy looked around in every direction for help. If the Jesuits had not come forward and offered to save the situation, to-day there might not be a Catholic Church. ..Soon afterwards, he wrote that book called “Spiritual Exercises,” which did more than any other document to erect a new papal theocracy and to bring about the establishment of the infallibility of the Pope. In other words, Catholicism since the Reformation is a new Catholicism. It is more fanatical and more intolerant. The Jesuits, will capture the colleges and the universities. We will gain control of instruction in law, medicine, science, education, and so weed out from all books of instruction, anything injurious to Roman Catholicism. We will mould the thoughts and ideas of the youth. We will enroll ourselves as Protestant preachers and college professors in the different Protestant faiths. Sooner or later, we will undermine the authority of the Greek New Testament of Erasmus, and also of those Old Testament productions which have dared to raise their heads against the Old Testament of the Vulgate and against tradition. And thus will we undermine the Protestant Reformation. White(1911) relates that Rome had “summoned new forces, hoping to accomplish its destruction. At this time, the order of the Jesuits was created, the most cruel, unscrupulous, and powerful of all the champions of Popery... To combat these forces, Jesuitism inspired its followers with a fanaticism that enabled them to endure like dangers, and to oppose to the power of truth all the weapons of deception. There was no crime too great for them to commit, no deception too base for them to practice, no disguise too difficult for them to assume. Vowed to perpetual poverty and humility, it was their studied aim to secure wealth and power, to be devoted to the overthrow of Protestantism, and the reestablishment of the papal supremacy”. The Jesuits managed to engage themselves in the task of propagating their theology in a new way. They were avowed Protestant destroyers. The move to destroy protestantism meant that they were moving from the usual norms. The use of Civil power was proving ineffective for Rome. So the Sons of Loyola were employed. Their role in educating Princes and Royalties ensured that they maintained their sway on the monarchs. This saw the likes of queen Mary of Scotland, becoming a champion for Popery against the Protestants. Their training made them very effective against protestants. They, as Wylie would put it “There was no disguise they could not assume, and therefore there was no place into which they could not penetrate. They could enter unheard the closet of the monarch, or the cabinet of the statesman. They could sit unseen in Convocation or General Assembly, and mingle unsuspected in the deliberations and debates. There was no tongue they could not speak, and no creed they could not profess, and thus there was no people among whom they might not sojourn, and no Church whose membership they might not enter, and whose functions they might not discharge”. This discharge of service provided them with advantages that were not accessible to protestants, that is deception. The Protestant forces relied heavily on scholarship. The Jesuits developed their science of deception from the how their foes worked. The Jesuits managed to move from the conventional crusade style to form academies all across Europe, to lead the next generation of Protestant offspring to accept their Jesuit teachings and reject the orthodox Protestantism. In his attempt to warn the world of the Jesuits, Louis XV lamented their clandestine movements by stating "I know these men as well as any one can do: all the schemes they have carried on, and the pains they have taken to spread darkness over the earth, as well as their efforts to rule and embroil Europe from Cape Finisterre to Spitzbergen! In China they were mandarins; in France, academicians, courtiers, and confessors; in Spain and Portugal, grandees; and in Paraguay, kings. Thompson(1894) relates some of the inductions found in their constitution, “... as for holy obedience, this virtue must be perfect in every point — in execution, in will, in intellect — doing what is enjoined with all celerity, spiritual joy, and perseverance; persuading ourselves that everything is just; suppressing every repugnant thought and judgment of one’s own, in a certain obedience;... and let every one persuade himself that he who lives under obedience should be moved and directed, under Divine Providence, by his superior, just as if he were a corpse (perinde ac si cadaver esset), which allows itself to be moved and led in any direction . Idem states that, “...if Protestantism, or the semblance of Protestantism, showed itself in any quarter, it was instantly met, not by petty, teasing persecution, but by persecution of that sort which bows down and crushes all but a very few select spirits. Whoever was suspected of heresy, whatever his rank, his learning, or his reputation, knew that he must purge himself to the satisfaction of a severe and most vigilant tribunal, or die by fire. Heretical books were sought out and destroyed with similar rigor. The power of protestants, that lied in the path of the Jesuits was not strong enough to withstand the wrath of the Jesuits. The hatred manifested by the Jesuits in dealing with the Waldensess, is evident on how much they vilified the protestant faith. Persecution, though formidable, had its place in their course of action. Yet they were ready also to release from their arsenal, one of their deadliest weapons, the Spiritual exercises. These exercises were designed to reveal God to the believer Mullan(1914). It come in direct contradiction with what the reformers had stood for, sola fide. If the revelation of God had to come from a series of exercises that are “...a way of understanding and living the human relationship with God...”Pope Paul III[2] this was then in antagonistic interpretation of the cry of reformation that validated the maxim “sola scriptura”. This was then later infiltrated into the protestant faith by the Jesuits. It appears within the Protestant faith under a synonym of ... “Spiritual Formation...” Oakland(2007). Froude(1991) The Society came to exercise a marked influence to which their presence in the Council of Trent, as the Pope’s theologians, gave signal testimony. It was a wise stroke of policy for the Papacy to entrust its cause in the Council so largely to the Jesuits. The opening decrees of the Council of Trent had set the pace for centuries to come. They pointed out the line of battle which the Catholic reaction would wage against the Reformation. First undermine the Bible, then destroy the Protestant teaching and doctrine. If we include the time spent in studying these questions before the opening session of the Council in 1545 until the Jesuit Bible made its first appearance in 1582, fully forty years were passed in the preparation of Jesuit students who were being drilled in these departments of learning. Innes(1946) The first attack on the position of the Reformers regarding the Bible must soon come. It was clearly seen then, as it is now, that if confusion on the origin and authenticity of the Scriptures could be spread abroad in the world, the amazing certainty of the Reformers on these points, which had astonished and confounded the Papacy, could be broken down. In time the Reformation would be splintered to pieces, and driven as the chaff before the wind. The leadership in the battle for the Reformation was passing over from Germany to England. In commenting about the nature of “reaching to God through the 'human experience' ”, Witcombe (2012) states that Spiritual formation, then, can be seen as a way of seeking a relationship with God and a transformed inner self through the practice of spiritual and often mystical disciplines. Unfortunately, many earnest Christians and Christian leaders are entering into a spiritualistic lifestyle without even realizing it. Their desire to draw near to God is leading them to mystic and even occult rituals hidden among godly practices. Jesuits developed what they have termed “counter theology”. This theology was intended to counter the fact that the reformation had fingered the Papacy as the Anti-Christ power of Daniel 7 and 8. In order to take the heat way from Rome, in the 1600s, Jesuits scholars Alcazar and Ribera, formulated two theories. The one claiming that the Anti Christ is not Roman, but a sinister individual form the past. While the other theory says that the Anti Christ power will come in the future. These theories are known as preterism and futurism respectively, Froom (1954). Froom (1954) further points out that Alcazar's disruptive pro-Catholic Preterist thesis was adopted into the Protestantism of the rationalist school. About the same time the Protestant Historicists returned to premillennialism. But Futurism remained within the Catholic ranks until much later. It did not permeate the ranks of Protestantism until the third decade of the nineteenth century. These Futurist and Preterist counter interpretations crept in among Protestants. Preterism had already begun to break Protestant unity on the basic identification of Antichrist and on the year-day principle, as certain Protestants of influence on the Continent(Europe) began to deny the very principles that made the Reformation such a mighty power. Introduced into England by Samuel Lee in 1830, it led a trend toward a rationalistic view of prophecy. The Jesuit misinterpretation of the scriptures, as Carlyle (1795-1881) points out, is known as casuistry. Jesuitism and all that it represents constituted a new perversion in matters of truth and morals that among all the evils that preceded it none was so subtle, so perfectly organized, so all pervasive. Its great secret is that it corrupts, and therefore controls, truth and morals, not only among Roman Catholics, but also in the non-Roman Catholic (Protestantism) population of a country and of the world at large. These strategies that the Jesuits employ were mainly meant to counter the reformatory principles that had pointed to catholicity as the Babylonian system of Revelation chapter seventeen. These counter-reformatory theories have proved to be effective in bring the protestant world to a place were they have lost all the truths that the reformation fathers had held as supreme to even lay down their live for. The Jesuits lie and they articulate this in such a subtle way that Noble() says that the characteristically it is a “Jesuit pattern of lies and double-talk”, accompanied by infiltration and destabilization with the ultimate aim of the destruction of all opponents. Whenever the Jesuits and their protégées speak they say one thing when in actual reality they mean the very opposite. They may articulate one thing that may send one massage to the catechumen while the inside Jesuits read in the massage a totally different form of presentation all together. Its part of the Jesuits to mislead, to misinterpret and even to kill if the means will justify themselves. The system is inherently counter-reformatory. Its very existence is meant to lead devotees as far away as possible from the Protestant faith and back to Catholicism. Edwardson (1943) purports that it is to be observed that the intention of the Vow wherewith the Society has bound itself in obedience to the supreme Vicar of Christ (Pope) without any excuse, is that we must go to whatever part of the world he shall determine to send us, among believers or unbelievers. The object of this vow is to the destruction of protestantism in any part of the world. If that is the case then let the catholic Jesuits tell us weather have they managed to counter all the protestant theology. In 1888, the Senate of the United States, May 21, 1888, Mr. Blair introduced the bill, which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor . A bill to secure to the people the enjoyment of the first day of the week, commonly known as the Lord's day, as a day of rest, and to promote its observance as a day of religious worship, Jones(1888 ) . The bill was intended to legislate the observance of Sunday as a day of worship for all the citizens of America. The bill was presented to the senate by a Senator Blair. The bill counter argued by a professor of History Mr A T Jones, the former representative of the “American people”, and the latter representative of the Seventh Day Adventist. The proceedings of the arguments lead to the abolishment of Senator Blair's bill, legislating Sunday observance. However in 1893, the official mouth piece of the Roman Catholic church in America known as the Catholic Mirror of Baltimore, Maryland, published a series of four editorials, which appeared in that paper September 2, 9, 16, and 23, 1893[2] . However the response to the disposal of the Sunday legislation in America, by the Seventh Day Adventists in America was answered by the Catholic church. In the articles that appeared it becomes evident that they argue that it should have been the right of the protestant churches to argue for the legislation of Sunday by Congress, because the Protestant world, l ike the Roman Catholic church are not biblical in their theology. Hence the claim that protestants are biblical, according to the catholic theologians is “both a lie and dishonest”. Hence in their appeal to the protestant world is the notion that they should produce any scriptures to substantiate their claims of “Sola scriptura”. That is, let the protestant world produce exhibitions that their faith is biblical. This claim they presented it with much theological zeal knowing that there wasn't going to be any exhibits produced, because as we have seen that the Jesuits had infiltrated protestantism and countered the reform faith. However the articles stated unequivocally that there still remains an insignificant, yet correct body of protestants, “the Adventists are the only body of Christians with the Bible as their teacher, who can find no warrant in its pages for the change of day from the seventh to the first. Hence their appellation, "Seventh-day Adventists”[3]. The article continues further to state that numerically considered, the Seventh-Day Adventists form an insignificant portion of the Protestant[a] population of the earth, but, as the question is not one of numbers, but of truth, fact, and right, a strict sense of justice forbids the condemnation of this little sect without a calm and unbiased investigation. Seeing therefore that the Roman Catholic church has already investigated the other protestant believers, such as the, “Methodists[a], have declared that the Sabbath has never been abrogated, whilst the followers of the Church of England[a], together with her daughter, the Episcopal Church of the United States[a], are committed by the twentieth article of religion, to the ordinance that the Church cannot lawfully ordain anything "contrary to God's written word." God's written word enjoins His worship to be observed on Saturday absolutely, repeatedly, and most emphatically, with a most positive threat of death to him who disobeys. All the Biblical sects occupy the same self-stultifying position which no explanation can modify, much less justify. This therefore shows that the Roman Catholic church has done its investigation on the articles presented on the September 1893 editorials, shows very clearly that Rome was condemning Protestantism as “ groundless, self-contradictory, and suicidal”. It follows therefore as they stated that the Adventists in accordance with a strict sense of justice there is forbearance that the condemnation of this little sect shouldn't without a calm and unbiased investigation. Does this mean that the when the investigation has been ended the Jesuits will exercise the very maxims that are encoded within their oath “that they will kill... poison... or even shoot any one... mother, father, son, daughter and even protestant”[b] in order to propagate their “justified end”. When this investigation shall be over, what should the Adventists expect seeing that Rome has said that it is the only “body of believers” that is protestant. It is at this point of the sabbath the reformation failed at the Council of Trent. In conclusion it is note worthy to realize that the reformation was a movement that rose from the dark theological light of the Catholic church and its rise was augmented by the cry that the bible and the bible only is the rule and guide of faith. Its theology though flawed awakened amoung its adherents a heightened spiritual zeal for the things of God. Therefore since the catholic system hard taken away the very principles that govern spirituality and faith, the reformation therefore became a threat to the existence of the catholic body. Its elimination became paramount. The Jesuits were thus drafted in to the Papal system. The organization formed under military guise, but with spiritual connotations, proved to be a very formidable foe against protestantism. The Jesuits aligned themselves heavily upon the theories that they can do virtually anything as long as it justifies the desired means. This therefore saw them doing atrocities abominable to humanity, yet they claiming to be doing it for God. They massacred millions of protestants in the world to pave way for their new order of thing were the Papal system is the rule of law. The Jesuits were not physically forceful but they were also waged a theologically warfare. As it is demonstrated by the scholarship of Jesuits like Alcazar and Ribera who taught counter theology for the express reason of demeaning protestant theology. These teachings have found their way into the protestant world through its Jesuit student trained theologians. The Jesuits were very zealous in establishing schools, especially in protestant nations were protestantism hard gained ground. They enrolled the children of nobility and they were taught to abhor protestantism and to advocate for catholicity. This influenced many monarchs of Europe. Charles V being an example of Jesuit education. He being zealous in persecuting the protestant faith. HOME. | ||
REFERENCES References [a] Emphasis added [b]Paraphrased 1. The Jesuit Oath of Induction is also recorded in the Congressional Record of the U.S.A. (House Bill 1523, Contested election case of Eugene C.Bonniwell, against Thos. S. Butler,Feb. 15, 1913, pp. 3215- 3216). 2. Rome's Challenge: Why Do Protestants Keep Sunday?(1893) The International Religious Liberty Association, Battle Creek, Mich. 3. Rome's Challenge: Why Do Protestants Keep Sunday?(1893) The International Religious Liberty Association, Battle Creek, Mich. From the [Catholic Mirror of Sept. 2, 1893.] 4. Rome's Challenge: Why Do Protestants Keep Sunday?(1893) The International Religious Liberty Association, Battle Creek, Mich [1893, RCPKS 25.2] Bayle(1919) Crit and Phi. Dictionary, art “Loyola” Vol III, p 889. Wilkinson B G (1930) Our Authorized Bible Vindicated, Washington D.C Wylie Dr. J. A. LL.D(1888) Excerpted from the massive 2 vol. History of Protestantism, Encyclopedia Britannica, Article, Jesuits, par. 11. Campbell T. J. (1943) Facts Of Faith Jones A T (1886) Signs Of The Times Volume 12 articles of august 12 1886 Noble A (1946) The Jesuits and their Strategy to destroy Britain J Fox (1896) Fox's Book of Martys, Harvesttime publishing, NewYork Jones A T (1873) History of the Church, vol. ii. chap. v. sect. 1. Waterworth J (1848) The Council of Trent , the canons and decrees of the sacred and oecumenical Council of Trent, translated and edited by the authour, London, Dolman Caringola R (1991) Seventy Weeks: The Historical Alternative (Abundant Life Ministries Reformed Press, : 31 Manhattan A(1949) The Vatican In World Politics, Associations, Inc. White E. G.(1911) The Great Controversy, pp. 234, 235. Thompson R. W.(1894) Footprints of the Jesuits, The Ex-Secretary of Navy, U. S.A. p. 51. Idem, pp. 182, 183. Froude (1991) The Council of Trent, pp. 174, 175. Innes A. T. (1946) Church and State, p. 156 McCabe, J (1928) History of the Inquisition, Mullan, Father Elder S.J.(1914) The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola Pope Paul III (1548) In the brief Pastoralis officii of the 31 July Oakland R (2007) Faith Undone ,Oregon: Lighthouse Trails Publishing,):p 90 Witcombe J (2012) What’s So Bad about Spiritual Formation?, Amazing Discoveries, Froom Le Roy(1954) The Prophetic faith of our fathers, Vol 4 Carlyle T (1795-1881) Quoted in L.H. Lehmann: The Secret of Catholic Power, New York, undated, p. 14 JONES A T (1888 ) THE NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW, Argument of Alonzo T. Jones before the United States Senate Committee on Education and Labor; AT WASHINGTON, D. C., DEC. 13, 1888. Wetterau B (1994). World history. New York: Henry Holt and company. |