Is Romanism Christianity?

I have heard another one of those comments, that make me indulge to reiterate truth once again. The blood of the martyrs is on the hands of the Roman Catholic Church and her unspeakable acts of murder and hate can not be forgiven.

from is Romanism Christianity (Roman Catholic Church)

“…Christ commands us to “prove all things” (1 Thessalonians 5:21); to “search the Scriptures” (John 5:39); to ascertain for ourselves, as the Bereans did, whether what we hear agrees with what we read in Scripture (Acts 17:11). He commands us to “hold fast the form of sound words,” uttered by Himself and His Apostles (2 Timothy 1:13); to “contend earnestly for the faith delivered once for all to the saints” (Jude 3). But Rome says, “Let no one dare to do so” — let all “Christian princes… cause [men] to observe” our decrees (Session 16), nor “permit” them to be “violated by heretics” (Session 25). The Romanist must not dare to have an opinion of his own; his mind must exist in the state of utter prostration and bondage; he must not attempt to understand the Scripture himself. And if others attempt it — if they dare to receive the teaching and do the will of Christ, instead of receiving fictions and obeying commands of men, which wholly subvert and destroy the truth and will of Jesus, Rome commands the civil ruler to restrain them; and, by the use of fines, imprisonment, and death, to compel them, if possible, to renounce what God requires them to maintain and follow, even unto death.
The Bible, the whole Bible, nothing but the Bible, is the standard and the rule of Christianity. To know its meaning for ourselves, to receive its teaching, to rely on its promises, to trust in its Redeemer, to obey Him from delight of love, and to refuse to follow other teaching, is Christianity itself. But Romanism denies all this; and therefore, Romanism is not Christianity.
Secondly: Christ commanded us to show. “meekness” towards those who oppose us (2 Timothy 2:25). He says, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who use you despitefully and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).
But Romanism teaches men to hate, and, if they are able, to persecute to the death all those who will not receive it. Its deeds have been diabolical and murderous. It is “drunken with the blood of the saints.” It has inscribed on the page of history warnings which appeal to the reason and the feelings of all generations. Such a warning is what is told of the 24th of August, 1572. On that day the Protestants of Paris were devoted to slaughter by members of the Papal Church. For the one offence of being Protestants, thousands were slain. The streets of Paris ran with blood; everywhere cries and groans, were mingled with the clangor of bells, the clash of arms, and the oaths of murderers. The king, Charles IX; stood, it is said, at a window, and, every now and then, fired on the fugitives. Every form of guilt, cruelty, and suffering, made that fearful night hideous and appalling…”

What is the Pope.

At some point in the history of Rome the Caesar (we get our word czar from the word Caesar), became both the governmental leader (Emperor) and the religious leader. In the first century of the Christian era, as the influence of Christianity began to spread it came into conflict with Rome. This led to persecutions and an obsessive occupation with killing Christians in any way they saw fit. It was a spectacle at the Colosseum to watch Christians die. This began to change some what off and on through to the time of Constantine. He adopted Christianity as his religion and made it the state religion of the Roman empire in 355 A.D. So you can say that this was the Roman Catholic Church, down to this time you had Rome and there religion. You also had Christian churches spread across the empire from as far away as England, North Africa, Near East, France and Spain. There were many other places it spread and you could say these churches were Catholic, but not Roman Catholic. Catholic simply means general and was a reference to the Christian faith as crossing boundaries in Race’s.

Constantine changed this when he adopted the Christian religion as his religion, this is not saying he really was a Christian. The church at Rome had apostatised from the true faith many years before this and it was just a formality to combine it with Rome. The Roman Emperor had adopted Christianity, but Christianity as a whole had not adopted Roman Catholicism. There were many places where Christianity flourished, but these finally became a part of the Roman Catholic church by the end of the fifth century. However, there were many little pockets through out the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) where Christian churches existed that had not succumbed to the empire. Roman Catholicism is the perfect marriage between religion and the state. The pope is a descendant of the HRE, not a representative of Christ on earth, that is left to those who are really believers in Christ, the Bible says that Believers in Christ are Ambassadors for Christ. The leader of the harlot is not a Christian, but an impostor. This was recognized by Luther and many others down through history.

Romanism is a pagan religion

This is not mine, but I agree with John Gill’s conclusion completely. Rome is a harlot and the mother of harlots. Saying nice things about her is not in me to say. I can only echo the words of Revelation 2:21, in urging Catholics to leave the Catholic church while they have the oppurtunity. The day will come when it is too late.
(Rev 2:12) And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

(Rev 2:13) I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

(Rev 2:14) But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

(Rev 2:14) But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

“Rev 2:13 – I know thy works,…. Both good and bad”,

and which in that pure part of this church, which opposed the growing corruptions of antichrist, were for the most part good,

And where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is. Pergamos was a city very much given to idolatry, here Satan reigned while it was Pagan, and so was a fit emblem of the idolatrous church of Rome. Pausanias says (a), the country the Pergamenes inhabited was sacred to the Cabiri, the chief gods of the Heathens. And the same writer (b) observes, that Aesculapius particularly was worshipped at Pergamos; and hence he is called by Martial (c) the Pergamean god; to his temple here, men used to go from different parts of the world for cure of diseases; hither Antoninus the emperor went for such a purpose, as Herodian (d) relates; and this being a common thing, hence Lucian (e) scoffingly says, that Aesculapius had an apothecary’s shop at Pergamos. As Rome, and its dominions, were the principal seat of the church in this period of time, it may well be called Satan’s seat or throne; not only because it had been the seat of the Roman emperors, the ten horned and seven headed beast, Rev_13:2; but because it was the seat of antichrist, which the great dragon Satan gave him, whose coming was after the working of Satan, and he was influenced by him; and who, like Satan, exalted himself above all that is called God; yea, placed himself in the temple of God, the church, as God, showing himself to be God, assuming that power to himself which only belonged to God. Moreover, he may be called so for his enmity and malice against the saints, and for his art and subtlety, and insidious methods to ensnare and destroy them. Now to dwell where such an one has his seat, his throne, has a kingdom, power, and authority, must be very uncomfortable, as well as dangerous; and required great care, circumspection, and prudence how to behave: and yet to the commendation of this church it is said,

and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith: the pure members of this church are the two witnesses, which rose up at the beginning of the apostasy of Rome, and bore their testimony against it, and for the truth; and continued to do so amidst all the corruptions and persecutions of that state: these are the two olive trees, that, through the golden pipes of the word and ordinances, emptied the golden oil of Gospel truths out, of themselves, pure and incorrupt, and the two candlesticks that held forth the light of the Gospel in the darkest times of Popery; these held fast the name of Christ, or the Gospel, and denied not, but confessed the doctrine of faith in the worst of times. They had the truths of the Gospel in their possession, which were dear and valuable to them; and whereas there was danger of losing them, they held them fast, with great courage, magnanimity, and strength, though the greater number was against them, and they were attended with reproach and persecution:

even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. Antipas is the proper name of a man; so a son of Herod was called (f), even he that beheaded John, and mocked Christ: and there might be a man of this name at Pergamos, that might suffer martyrdom for the Gospel of Christ; and who was an emblem of the confessors, witnesses, and martyrs, that suffered for Christ, in this period of time, through their opposition to the popes of Rome; for Antipas is the contraction of Antipater, and is the same with Antipapas, or Antipappas, which signifies one that is against the pope, an opposer of that holy father; and so intends all those that made head against him, upon his rising and revelation, and when he assumed the power he did to himself; such as the Waldenses and Albigenses particularly, who set themselves against him, openly declared that the pope was antichrist, and that his government was tyrannical, and his doctrines the doctrines of devils, abominable and fabulous. They bore a faithful testimony against all his corruptions and innovations, and became martyrs in the cause of Christ, many thousands of them being slain for his sake within the dominions of this firstborn of Satan. The Alexandrian copy reads “Anteipas”; and his name is left out in the Syriac and Arabic versions,

(a) L. 1. sive Attica, p. 8. (b) L. 3. sive Laconica, p. 215. (c) L. 9. Epig. 14. (d) Hist. l. 4. c. 14. (e) In Icaro Menippo. (f) Joseph. Antiqu. l. 17. c. 1. sect. 3. De Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 28. sect. 4.
ev 2:13) I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

(Rev 2:14) But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

(Rev 2:15) So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

(Rev 2:16) Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

(Rev 2:19) I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

(Rev 2:20) Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

(Rev 2:21) And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

(Rev 2:22) Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.