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RUSSELL SANDERS
6-23-2021
HISTORICAL PERSECUTION OF BELIEVERS – LESSON 14
THE RCC WAGES WARS
The Protestant Reformation had gained millions of converts across all of Europe by the early 1600’s. The Roman Catholic Church (RCC) went all out to exterminate them. Since it had originated in Germany, that country, along with Spain and Italy, bore the brunt of the conflict.
The RCC declared war against the large Protestant populations of these three countries. The Pope enlisted the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, to raise an army to invade these countries in war to exterminate the Protestant movement. The church committed its vast wealth in support of the war. The Pope gave the emperor the following support:
1. Two hundred thousand crowns of money
2. Pledged support for 12,000 foot-soldiers and 5,000 more on horseback.
3. One-half of the income from all the clergy of the entire empire.
4. Allowed the Emperor to pledge liens on all the abbey land for up to 500,000 more crowns.
This money was likely more than the total wealth of some entire countries. With this support, Charles V raised a formidable army which he personally commanded. The Protestant princes formed a powerful army of confederates led by the elector of Saxony and the landgrave of Hesse. War was engaged quite fiercely. Ultimately the papal-supported army of Charles Ⅴ won the war. The Protestant leaders were captured. What then ensued were some of the worst tortures on Protestants of Germany, Italy, and Spain that could ever be imagined. Many hid in caves with rocks for their bed and wild herbs as their only food; those were the fortunate ones.
Shortly after that the emperor made war against the Protestant King of Sweden where he burned down churches, burned people’s houses, destroyed properties, massacred ministers, killed Sweden’s soldiers, hanged the townsmen, raped the women, smothered to death the children and so forth. This was all done in “the name of God and the church (RCC).”
Jesus taught us that “love” is the greatest commandment and the mark of a true Christian. I Corinthians 13 expounds on it. The brutality, the hate, and the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church testifies against it proving that it is not of God, is not Christian, and is dominated by “the spirit of anti-Christ.” It stands today as the apostate church.
Many Catholic parishioners have been misled to believe it is the true church and are in mortal danger due to deceptive indoctrination. Nevertheless, there are millions of parishioners who are true believers on Jesus Christ and their faith is in Him alone (and not Mary or the RCC) which grants their eternal salvation.
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