From “Is not the Church of Rome the Babylon of the Book of Revelation?” An Essay by Christopher Wordsworth, D.D., Sometime Bishop of Lincoln: “3. Thirdly, we read in the Apocalypse: Here is the mind, or meaning, which hath wisdom (Rev.xvii.9); the Seven heads of the Beast are Seven Mountains, on which the Woman sitteth. … Continue reading Wordsworth on Why the Revelation 17 Woman is Rome
Christopher Wordsworth, D.D.: “Lastly, another caution is here given by St. John. Some, at the present critical time, may be in danger of being deluded by the confident language and bearing of Rome. They may imagine, that a cause pursued with such sanguine reliance, and with such outward appearance of success, must be good. But … Continue reading Remember the Parallel Babylon
Christopher Wordsworth, D.D. on the fact that no church is perfect: “And, that we may not be perplexed by the lukewarmness of many who profess the truth, or exasperated by the tyranny of evil men, and so, in a fit of weak and irritable impatience, fall into schism, –let us observe the Apocalyptic Churches. Though … Continue reading Hold Fast The Truth
Christopher Wordsworth, D.D.: “Let none imagine that Rome is changed: that, although she was once proud and cruel, she is now humble and gentle; and that we have nothing to fear from her. This is not the doctrine of St. John. It is not the language of the Holy Ghost. The Apocalypse teaches us that … Continue reading She Is Unchanged And Unchangeable
Christopher Wordsworth, D.D. on Rome’s sin of schism: “Therefore, since it has been proved by Appeals to Reason, to Scripture, and to Antiquity, that the Church of Rome has built hay and stubble on the one foundation laid by Christ (1 Cor. Iii. 12); that she has added to the faith many errors and corruptions … Continue reading Unity in Error is Not Christian Unity
Christopher Wordsworth, D.D.: “We ought, therefore, to be on our guard against two opposite errors. On the one hand, it is alleged by some, that, if Rome be a Church, she cannot be Babylon. On the other hand, it is said by others, that if Rome be Babylon, she cannot be a Church. Both these … Continue reading A Christian Sion And An Antichristian Babylon
Christopher Wordsworth, D.D.: “We know that Error is manifold, but Truth is one: and that, therefore, it is not enough to oppose Error: for one error may be opposed by another error; and the only right opposition to Error is Truth. We know, also , that by God’s mercy there are truths in the Church … Continue reading Our Warfare Is Against The Errors
Christopher Wordsworth, D.D.: “Romish Divines agree with us, that Babylon is the city of Rome. But they are not agreed among themselves, whether Babylon is the Rome of 1500 years ago, or a Rome still future! And yet they say that they have, in the Roman Pontiff, an infallible Guide for the exposition of Holy … Continue reading Infallible Except Regarding His Own City
Christopher Wordsworth, D.D.: “Look again at the prophecy. These kings, we read, give their power and strength to the Beast. They reign, as kings, at the same time with the Beast. As kings–that is, they are called kings–but the Beast is the real Sovereign of their subjects. And what is the fact? The European Kingdoms, … Continue reading No Other Than The Church of Rome
Christopher Wordsworth, D.D. on the pre-Protestant identification of the woman on the beast as papal Rome rather than pagan Rome: “The truth also is, that Bossuet misrepresents the interpretation which identifies the Church of Rome with Babylon. He calls it “a Protestant interpretation”; by which he means that it is a modern interpretation, contemporary with, … Continue reading The Interpretation Was Prior To The Reformation
