Spener: But how do we know that the Pope is the great Antichrist? Answer: In the same manner in which we are accustomed to prove that Jesus of Nazareth is the true Christ, or the Messiah, namely: Jesus is the Christ, or the Messiah, because in Him, and Him only, is fulfilled all that has been foretold of the Messiah in the Prophets. Likewise the Pope must be the Antichrist because everything that Scripture foretells of the Antichrist fits him and cannot be shown to be true of any other...We should diligently note this truth and material, that the Roman Pope is the Antichrist, and not regret the time spent in having listened to this truth. For this is an article which our Church expressly professes in the Smalcald Articles; and we, too, certainly dare not relinquish this truth, and the closer we fear the time to be when the Roman Babylon may be permitted to vent its last fury and persecution upon us, the more need is there that we be fully grounded and confirmed in this knowledge in order that we may learn to guard against it [the Papacy]; for this I regard as a certainty: Whoever does not recognize the kingdom of the Pope as the kingdom of Antichrist is not yet standing so firm that he may not by this or that seduction be converted to it.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 02:35:24 +0000