The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

VIII. Catholic Complaint of Colonial Protestant Application

There is very little from Roman Catholics in this period, as they feared to express their views because of persecution from Protestants. Indeed, the first book to be printed by a Catholic did not appear until 1773. But a Roman Catholic writer, who has made very careful investigation, complains that the English- emigrants brought with them the common concept that the pope was Antichrist. Here are three typical excerpts from Sister Mary Augustina (Ray) attesting the prevalent colonial attitude toward her church, as she has found it, and the prophetic terms commonly applied to the Catholic Church: PFF3 180.6

“She [the Roman church] was the ‘Beast,’ the ‘Scarlet Woman’ of the Apocalypse, who, usurping the throne of the Almighty, had demanded for herself the homage due to Him alone.” ⁶⁵ PFF3 181.1

“That tradition which identified the Papacy with ‘that highest distinction of the Puritan vocabulary’-Antichrist.” ⁶⁶ PFF3 181.2

“Small wonder that with such tutoring English emigrants should have brought with them to the New World the conviction that the Pope was indeed Antichrist.” ⁶⁷ PFF3 181.3