Page 548 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Apocryphal books added to the Bible by the Council major Protestant denominations did not return entirely
of Trent (A.D. 1546) to the apostolic pattern. They did not even attempt to
Immaculate Conception of Mary proclaimed by do so. Following are four examples of unbiblical things
Pope Pius IX (A.D. 1854) that were retained in most of the denominations that
Syllabus of Errors proclaimed by Pope Pius IX and originated with the Reformation:
ratified by the Vatican Council; condemned
freedom of religion, conscience, speech, press State Churchism. Most of the Protestant groups
and scientific discoveries which are disapproved became State churches—e.g., the Church of Scotland
by the Roman Church; asserted the pope’s (Presbyterian), the Church of Germany (Lutheran), the
temporal authority over all civil rulers (A.D. Church of England (Anglican). There was not the return
1864) to the important N.T. pattern of separation of church
Infallibility of the pope in matters of faith and and state.
morals proclaimed by the Vatican Council (A.D. Hierarchicalism. As a rule, the Protestant churches
1870)
Assumption of Mary proclaimed by Pope Pius XI kept some form of government by hierarchy. The
(A.D. 1950) autonomy of the local church as taught in the N.T. was
Mary proclaimed Mother of the Church by Pope not practiced.
Paul VI (A.D. 1965) Sacramentalism. A form of sacramentalism was
(The above list of Roman Catholic inventions is taken carried over from Catholicism into Protestantism. The
from Scriptural Truths for Roman Catholics by Protestant denominations rejected the abominable
Bartholomew F. Brewer, former Roman Catholic priest.) Catholic mass, but many of them continued to maintain
We see that though true N.T. churches did not cease there was some efficacious power in the Lord’s Supper
to exist in the centuries following the apostles, the RCC and baptism. Protestant denominations such as the
gradually assumed its present form. It also began to Anglican and Lutheran continue to teach that Christ is
dominate a large portion of the world. present spiritually in the elements of the Lord’s Supper
The Protestant Reformation (1550-1700) and that He is taken sacramentally. Also, according to
In the 16th century, several Roman Catholic leaders the teaching of most Protestant groups, infant baptism is
an occasion and means whereby the child receives the
rejected the errors they had been taught and led a large Holy Spirit and becomes a member of Christ’s body.
movement away from the Roman system. Martin Luther, Consider the Lutheran doctrine, for example: “Being by
a priest who was converted while reading the book of nature sinners, infants as well as adults, need to be
Romans, is the most famous of these. There were strong baptized. Every child that is baptized is begotten anew
movements away from Catholicism throughout Europe of water and of the Spirit, and is placed in covenant
and many Protestant denominations were formed. relation with God, and is made a child of God and an
While the Protestants rejected many of the errors of heir of his heavenly kingdom” (The New Analytical Bible,
Catholicism, they did not return to the pure pattern of p. 49). [See Baptism, Infant.]
the N.T. church. Churches were divided into three major
categories—Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Baptist. Persecution. Several of the Protestant denominations
Positive characteristics of the Protestant Reformation. have been guilty of persecuting N.T. Christians. “Calvin
consented to the death of Servetus. In Holland
Following are four the many blessings that flowed from Calvinists executed an Arminian. In Germany Lutherans
the Protestant Reformation in Europe. First, papal put to death a few Anabaptists” (Halley). “The
authority was rejected. Second, many of the errors of Reformers ... had determined to use all necessary means
Catholic tradition were rejected. Protestant churches at to root out Anabaptism ... To Protestants and Catholics
least professed the follow the Bible alone as their sole alike, the Anabaptists seemed not only to be dangerous
authority. Third, salvation through church works was heretics; they also seemed to threaten the religious and
rejected, at least in theory. Protestant churches social stability of Christian Europe. In the carnage of the
professed to follow the grace alone gospel of the next quarter of a century thousands of Anabaptists were
apostles, though their error of infant baptism contained put to death (by fire in the Catholic territories, by
in it the false doctrine of sacramental salvation. Fourth, drowning and the sword under Protestant
throwing off the shackles of Rome resulted in a great regimes)” (Lion’s History of Christianity, p. 402). The
expansion of individual liberty. Church of England bitterly persecuted N.T. believers.
Unscriptural characteristics of the Protestant The famous John Bunyan wrote his Pilgrim’s Progress
Reformation. The sad fact about the Reformation is that during the 12 years he spent in prison because he
it was only a partial reformation from the apostasy that refused to be licensed by the Protestant state church.
had leavened Catholicism. There was a break with the There were at least 60 other separatists in that
apostate papacy and a desire for a purer church, but the particular jail, and there were many other such jails in

548 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity