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MARK OF THE BEAST VI In this post I will deal with authoritative Roman Catholic Church decrees which command that those who do not take the Mark of the Beast will not be able to buy and sell in the kingdom of the Beast, i.e., the kingdom of the Pope, meaning Western European Roman Catholic Europe, depicted in Daniel as the ten toes and ten horns. In my last post I stated a direct connection between obedience to the Beast and taking his Mark. Taking his Mark is a sign of obedience to the Beast. Refusing his Mark is a sign of disobedience and rebellion and must be dealt with harshly, swiftly and thoroughly. AD ABOLENDUM, Decree of Pope Lucius III, A. D. 1184 "In order to put an end to all the evil of various heresies which has begun to break forth in modern times in most parts of the world, the power of the Church ought to be aroused; when, indeed, with the sanction of imperial power, both the insolence of heretics, in their attempts to promote falsehood, may be put down, and the truth of Catholic unity, shining forth in the Holy Church, may display her, free from all charge of false doctrine…….." EDITORIAL COMMENT: The readership is aware that Protestants received that designation in Germany because of Martin Luther's protests against the doctrines and claims of the Pope and his church in the early 16th century. The readership may not be aware that in the 12th century protesters protesting against the Papacy and false doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church were already rising up in such alarming numbers, using biblical arguments against the unbiblical Catholic traditions and laws, causing so many to leave the Church, that the head of the Church, the Bishop of Rome, was moved to take measures which formed the bedrock of the Inquisition. "In the first place, therefore we lay under a PERPETUAL ANATHEMA, the CATHARI, PATARINI, and those who falsely call themselves HUMILIATI, or POOR MEN OF LYONS, PASSAGINI, JOSEPINI, and ARNOLDISTAE; and since some, having a form of godliness, but, as the Apostle has said, denying the power of it, have assumed to themselves the office of preaching - though the same Apostle says, 'how shall they preach, except they be sent?' " EDITORIAL COMMENT: The Pope has named seven groups of dissenters, the first four having names which connote, purity, suffering, humility, and poverty, which names were in conflict with the spiritual condition of the Roman Church and hierarchy, who were viewed by the people as impure, undergoing no tribulation, prideful and wealthy. Even the Pope admitted that these so-called heretics were not drunkards, whoremongers, or carnally motivated, but had the fruit of the Spirit. In fact, even the documentation of the Inquisitors mentioned their outward godliness and gentleness. Their first crime enumerated in the decree was that of preaching the Gospel without express authority of the Church of Rome. The dissenters were not under obedience to the Pope. They did not teach the official doctrines of the Church which contradicted the Bible. And how could they? Lucius informs us that the heretics called the doctrine of the Roman Church false. The discerning reader will immediately see the parallel in the conflict between Christ and the Pharisees. "And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what AUTHORITY doest thou these things? And who gave thee this AUTHORITY?" (Matt. 21:23). Like the Church of Rome which was to come, the Pharisees viewed themselves as the sole dispensers of divine authority to teach and preach. Those taught by the Pharisees could be trusted to tow the 'party line.' But Jesus Christ's obedience was to God, not men. His calling came from God, not men. In like manner, Christians are taught to obey God, not men, when there is conflict between the two. The effectual calling of Christians comes from God, who are chosen by Him for His divine purposes. "Many are called but few chosen." The Parable of the Four Soils teaches us what we may expect from those not chosen by God, yet who, by their own will enter into the fold of professing Christianity. Only the fourth soil brings forth abundant fruit, proving their election and regeneration by the grace of God. Furthermore, the Parable of the Mustard Seed reflects the work of God in the effectual calling of a sinner into His kingdom. Here in Sonoma County Field Mustard grows wild without the planting of its seeds through man's efforts. Its seeds are dispersed by means of the wind. The wind is controlled by the will and power of God, not man. Field Mustard is considered a 'common weed' across the United States. In like manner, God, in His divine plan, uses common men to preach the Gospel, deriving their authority to sow the Word, not from religious hierarchical organizations, but from the wind who blew on them, a symbol of the sovereign Holy Spirit, (John 3:8). Lastly, we need now understand the term, 'perpetual anathema.' "Perpetual" is permanent. There is no chance the anathema will be lifted. The authoritative New Catholic Encyclopedia states in its article, ANATHEMA, "a Greek term found in the sense of accursed or separated from the fold in Romans 9:3 or 1 Cor. 16:22, is in Church law synonymous with EXCOMMUNICATION, or exclusion from the Church's fold. Theologically, the anathema in the canons of councils generally means that the doctrine so condemned is heretical…." By correctly defining our terms, we discover that by declaring someone ANATHEMA, the Church of Rome and her Pontiff, in effect, declare that person EXCOMMUNICATED. Let us now examine EXCOMMUNICATION using the same New Catholic Encyclopedia: "As the term suggests, excommunication involves a varying degree of 'exclusion from the communion of the faithful.' From the beginnings of Christianity the central realization and embodiment of 'the communion of the faithful' has always been the Eucharistic Communion; hence it is from the Eucharist as the center of the common socio-mystical life of the faithful in Christ's Body, the Church, that the excommunicate is primarily excluded." (article, EXCOMMUNICATION). EDITORIAL COMMENT: It comes as no surprise to the reader that those who are disobedient to the Church and Pontiff do not receive the Blessed Sacrament. In the case of the dissenters in the 12th century, as well as the Protestants in later centuries, they did not wish to receive to receive Holy Communion from the Church of Rome in the first place, having enumerated the many biblical reasons why they refused. So, in the eyes of the protesters this aspect of discipline was no punishment at all. The reader is now asked to put on his thinking cap. It is common knowledge that one cannot participate in the communion of the Mass except he be baptized into the Roman Catholic Church. I have already proven that it is upon receiving the sacrament of holy baptism that one receives the indelible CHARACTEREM, or MARK on one's soul, (Rev. 13:16-17). Therefore, one cannot receive Holy Communion except that one receive the MARK. To call oneself a Christian and not receive baptism at the hands of the Roman priesthood is an act of open hostility and disobedience. It is also a refusal to receive the MARK. Roman Catholic dogma demands that "outside the Church of Rome there is no salvation." (Unam Sanctum, Boniface VIII). Therefore, this anti-salvific aspect of the threat of excommunication was viewed by the ignorant people with great dread and fear, having eternal negative consequences. CANONICAL EXCOMMUNICATION That being said, we now enter an area which directly concerns the issue of BUYING AND SELLING. I quote the New Catholic Encyclopedia: "…..Excommunication is defined in the Code of Canon Law as a censure by which one is excluded from the communion from the communion of the faithful with certain canonical effects. In former times it was called ANATHEMA when it was inflicted with the solemnities described in the Roman Pontifical." BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE ANATHEMA The Encyclopedia Britannica, (1959 edition), quotes the Pontificale Romanum formula for 'major excommunication' or 'anathema.' This is, of course, the severest form of excommunication, the very one implied in Pope Lucius' decree. The use of a bell, book and candle were part of the ritual, as it was and still is part of the ritual elements used by sorcerers and witches. "We separate him, together with his accomplices and abettors, from the precious blood and body of the Lord and FROM THE SOCIETY OF ALL CHRISTIANS; we exclude him from our holy mother the Church in heaven and on earth; we declare him excommunicate and anathema; we judge him damned with the Devil and his angels and all the reprobate, to eternal fire until he shall recover himself from the toils of the Devil and return to amendment and to penitence." (article, Bell, Book and Candle). EDITORIAL COMMENT: This anathema declared by the Church of Rome was foreseen in Scripture by the Lord Jesus Christ: "And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that they have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear. Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him." (Luke 12:5). Please remember it was the Church of Rome which killed the so-called heretics because they would not renounce their beliefs, nor bow their knee to the Supreme Pontiff, whom Scripture calls the Beast. Rather than fear them who only had power to kill their human bodies, despite the threatenings of eternal hellfire, the dissenters chose to fear Him, the only One who has power over their eternal souls. CANONICAL EXCOMMUNICATION (continued) Continuing in the New Catholic Encyclopedia, "Generally, therefore, excommunication is a penalty by which baptized persons, delinquent and contumacious, are CUT OFF from some spiritual goods, AND EVEN FROM SOME MATERIAL GOODS that may be inseparable from spiritual goods, until they desist from their contumacy and are absolved……For one to be liable to this extreme penalty, he must be baptized, delinquent and contumacious. He must be baptized, for Baptism is a requisite for SUBJECTION [read: OBEDIENCE] to ecclesiastical laws, [as well as subjection to the Supreme Lawgiver, the Papal Head of the Church], He must be delinquent, that is, guilty of an external and morally imputable violation of a law that contains the sanction of excommunication, [i.e., preaching, without authority of the Church, doctrines which opposed the teachings of the Church]. He must be stubbornly REBELLIOUS or contumacious……Among the spiritual goods that may be taken away are the reception of the Sacraments, indulgences, CHRISTIAN BURIAL, and ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Some of the temporal goods that are connected with spiritual things and that can be taken away are the INCOME, in whole or in part, from an ecclesiastic office, and the administration of church property." EDITORIAL COMMENT: In seeking the official definitions of terms, we have discovered that the privilege of CHRISTIAN BURIAL will be denied if one dies separated from holy mother the Church. This is yet another improbable prophecy fulfilled by the Church of Rome: "And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their [the two witnesses] dead bodies three days and an half, AND SHALL NOT SUFFER THEIR DEAD BODIES TO BE PUT IN GRAVES." (Rev. 11:9). The Inspired Word of God has declared that the Beast and those in his kingdom will kill God's Christian witnesses, not allowing them to be buried. This false Christian Church will deny Christian burial to those who oppose her and her Head. We must now multiply our last computation of statistical probability by 10 to reflect this unlikely fulfillment of prophecy by the Church of Rome. The odds of corresponding to the 11 prophecies enumerated thus far is 1 in 100 billion. Finally, the reader is asked to note that the punishment of loss of income from holding an ecclesiastical office is directed at their priesthood, especially those higher on the hierarchical ladder. This threat was the result of numerous clergy leaving the Church of Rome for the evangelical biblical faith. Priests and nuns who leave the Church today do so with only the clothes on their back. Please read the testimony of my good friend, ex-Dominican Priest, Richard Bennett: http://www.bereanbeacon.org/ Lord willing, I will continue to explain the relationship between excommunication and the denial of the right to BUY AND SELL. May God grant the members of this message board the eyes to see the truth as it unfolds, point by point, and proof by proof.
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