Popish Legends, Or, Bible Truths (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1852 Excerpt: ... own day a false Christ, when the Pope, in our Lord's name, usurps all Hia offices, and most presumptuously parodies that dignity and power, which were, in the simplicity of perfect virtue, so nobly and so divinely testified by our holy Redeemer. "The man of sin, The mystery of iniquity, was there In pomp, who pardon'd sin, unpardon'd still, And in the name of God blasphem'd, and did All wicked, all abominable things; Deceiv'd thus his votaries, who left the earth Secure of bliss, deceived till now, and learn'd Too late, him fallible, themselves accurs'd, And all their passports and certificates, Alie " So faithful were the early disciples of our Holy Faith, that it became a proverb in primitive times for what was impossible, "You may sooner draw away a Christian from Christ " There is not, however, a greater enemy to true faith than vain credulity, against which our Lord here warns his disciples. Thinking men must not follow every empiric who puts up a finger to direct them to Christ. Hermits, who place religion in a monastic life, will say, "He is in the desert," while priests, who represent the consecrated wafer to be Christ, say, " He is in the secret chamber, He is in this shrine, or in that image." Thus, in fact, each sect appropriates Christ's spiritual presence to its own denomination, as if that party had the monopoly of our Lord, and as if His kingdom must stand or fall, must live or die with them. How few have been so conscientious in adhering to principle, rather than to party, as the excellent Bishop Ken, who suffered imprisonment by James II. for protesting against his Majesty's papistical tendency, and was nevertheless suspended afterwards by King William, for refusing to give up his allegiance to James II. When Christ was born, universal Vers...