ANTICHRIST.
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“Therefore the Church can never be better governed and preserved than if we all live under one head, Christ, and all the bishops, equal in office (although they be unequal in gifts), be diligently joined in unity of doctrine, faith, Sacraments, prayer, and works of love, etc., as St. Jerome writes that the priests at Alexandria together and in common governed the churches, as did also the apostles, and afterwards all bishops throughout all Christendom, until the Pope raised his head above all. This teaching shows forcefully that the Pope is the very Antichrist, who has exalted himself above, and opposed himself against, Christ, because he will not permit Christians to be saved without his power, which, nevertheless, is nothing, and is neither ordained nor commanded by God. This is, properly speaking, to ‘exalt himself above all that is called God,’ as Paul says, 2 Thess. 2, 4.... Accordingly he... had to make himself equal and superior to Christ, and had to cause himself to be proclaimed the head and then the lord of the Church, and finally of the whole world, and simply God on earth, until he has dared to issue commands even to the angels in heaven.” 3)

“Now, it is manifest that the Roman pontiffs, with their adherents, defend [and practice] godless doctrines and godless services. And the marks [all the vices] of Antichrist plainly agree with the kingdom of the Pope and his adherents. For Paul, 2 Ep. 2, 3, in describing to the Thessalonians Antichrist, calls him an adversary of Christ, ‘who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God. He speaks therefore of one ruling in the Church, not of heathen kings, and he calls this one the adversary of Christ, because he will devise doctrine conflicting with the Gospel, and will assume to himself divine authority.” 4)

“And it seems that this Baalitic worship will endure as long as the reign of the Pope, until Christ will come to judge, and by the glory of His advent will destroy the reign of Antichrist. Meanwhile all who truly believe the Gospel... ought to condemn these wicked services, devised, contrary to God’s command, in order to obscure the glory of Christ and the righteousness of faith.” 5)

“See for yourself whether the Pope is not the greatest arch-abomination of all abominations, whom Christ and Daniel have in mind, and the true Antichrist, of whom it is written that he sitteth in the temple of God, in the midst of the people where the name of Christ is supreme and where His kingdom, Spirit, Baptism, Word, and faith ought to be found, because he, by his prating about spiritual rights, interferes with the office and kingdom of Christ, wants to rule over the consciences, and govern with his precepts and works. And he may properly be called ‘an abomination of desolation,’ his constant occupation being to destroy and lay waste everything, even as has been said: Christ and my works [those of the Pope] cannot abide together; if the one stands, the other must be subverted and destroyed, the consequence being that the Pope has made desolate the kingdom of Christ, as far as his diocese reaches, and all his henchmen have denied Christ.... Is not this exalting and honoring Antichrist above God, so that any one speaking or doing anything against this principle, if he falls into their hands, must immediately die? I certainly think that the abomination has been sufficiently pictured and set forth.” 6)