The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

V. Cardinal Manning-Issues Challenge of Inescapable Alternatives

Before taking leave of the Old World Interpreters of prophecy in this central span of the nineteenth century, we turn for a final word from Catholicism’s contemporary expositor-her noted prelate, Cardinal Manning, of England. It is well to take this last fleeting look, “lest we forget”; for the basic conflict between Catholic Futurist and the Protestant Historical schools is here forcefully and inescapably portrayed. The utterly irreconcilable conflict of opposites still stands-with Catholicism consistently the same, and Protestantism seriously shorn of its testimony, confused, capitulating, and helpless when surrendering its historic ground. The battle lines are clearly drawn. And the conflict presented is fundamental. Here is Manning. PFF3 733.2

HENRY EDWARD MANNING (1808-1892), Church of England clergyman and leader of the High Church party, became a priest of the Roman Catholic Church in 1851. and a cardinal priest in 1875. He was born at Totteridge in Hertfordshire. He became archdeacon of Chichester in 1840, but joined the Church of Rome a decade later. After studying at. Rome Manning was made provost of Westminster in 1857, and in 1865 became archbishop of Westminster. Writing in the early sixties, Manning maintained that, the independence of the Roman church dates from the time Rome was abandoned by the emperors, as they moved to the East. ⁵⁵ Later he wrote Christ and Antichrist. PFF3 733.3

1. ANTICHRIST HELD RACK BY ROME, PAGAN AND PAPAL

Manning held that Antichristianism had been at work under various contradictory forms ever since apostolic times. And headed, pointedly, that “in the present array of the popular opinion of Europe against the Holy See and the Vicar of Jesus Christ, may be discerned the Antichristian instinct.” ⁵⁶ According to Manning, paganism is to be restored briefly before the end of the world. And the hindering influences, which have held back the full revelation of Antichrist, he declared to be the secular power of heathen Rome and the spiritual power of the Church of Rome. ⁵⁷ Manning then makes the climactic statement that Antichrist is—“the direct and mortal enemy of the One Holy Catholic and Roman church -the unity from which all schism is made; the sole organ of the Divine voice of the Spirit of God; the shrine and sanctuary of the Incarnation and of the continual sacrifice.” ⁵⁸ PFF3 734.1

2. PROTESTANT INTERPRETATION “MASTER-STROKE OF DE CEIT

In discussing the prophecy of 2 Thessalonians 2, Manning deals with its “four great facts”-the revolt, the manifestation, the hindrance, and the period of its power and persecution. ⁵⁹ After considering the first part at length, Manning asserts that Antichrist’s manifestation is still future, and adds: PFF3 734.2

“Such, then, is the Revolt, which has been gathering strength these 1800 years, and ripening for the hour when it shall receive its leader and head.” ⁶⁰ PFF3 734.3

Then immediately he recognizes, but denies, the “universally received” historic: Protestant position, completely reversing the Protestant argument: PFF3 735.1

“The interpretation universally received by Anti-catholic controversialists, whereby, first, Antichrist is held to be a spirit or system, and not a per son, and next, to be the Catholic or Roman Church, or the Vicar of the Incarnate Word, is the master-stroke of deceit. It allays all fear, and inspires presumption and confidence, and fixes the attention of men to watch for the signs of his appearing any where except where they are to be seen; and draws it off from the quarter where they are already visible.” ⁶¹ PFF3 735.2

3. HOLDS ANTICHRIST TO BE INDIVIDUAL JEW

Manning identifies his future Antichrist by this description: PFF3 735.3

“That the man of sin, the son of perdition - the wicked one - is a person, in all probability, of the Jewish race; that he is to be a supplanter of the true Messias, and therefore an Antichrist in the sense of substituting himself in the place of the true.” ⁶² PFF3 735.4

4. MOHAMMEDANISM FORERUNNER OF ANTICHRIST’S DEPRE DATION

Replying further to the question, “What is the taking away of the continual sacrifice?” of Daniel 8:11-14, Manning refers first to the morning-and-evening Jewish sacrifices in the temple, abolished by the destruction of Jerusalem. This he first applies “in type,” to “the sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist, the true Paschal Lamb, which came in the place of the type -namely, the sacrifice of Jesus Himself on Calvary, renewed perpetually and continued for ever in the sacrifice on the altar.” ⁶³ Then follows a vital setting forth of the Catholic contention of relationship to the depredations of a future Antichrist for the brief period just before the world’s end. But first of all he ap plies it initially to Mohammedanism in the East, and then to Protestantism’s rejection of the mass in the West. These are described as “instalments” or “forerunners” of the actual Anti christ. Note the first application: PFF3 735.5

“Now has that continual sacrifice been taken away? That which was typical of it in old days has been already taken away. But has the reality been taken away? The Holy Fathers who have written upon the subject of Antichrist, and have interpreted these prophecies of Daniel, say that about the end of the world, during the reign of Antichrist, the public offering of the Holy Sacrifice for a little time will cease. Has there ever come to pass any thing which may be called an instalment or a forerunner of such an event as this? Look into the East. The Mahometan superstition, which arose in Arabia, and swept over Palestine and Asia Minor, the region of the Seven Churches, and Egypt, the north of Africa -the home of St. Augustine, St. Cyprian, St. Optatus-and finally penetrated into Constantinople, where soon it became dominant, has in every place persecuted and suppressed the worship and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.” ⁶⁴ PFF3 735.6

5. PROTESTANT ABOMINATION DESOLATES CATHOLIC SANC TUARY

Turning to the later Protestant desecration, Manning continues his argument: PFF3 736.1

“Now let us look into the Western world: has the continual sacrifice been taken away in any other land?-for instance, in all those churches of Protestant Germany which were once Catholic, where the holy sacrifice of the Mass was daily offered?-throughout Norway, and Sweden, and Den mark, and one half of Switzerland, where there are a multitude of ancient Catholic churches-throughout England, in the cathedrals and the parish churches of this land, which were built simply as shrines of Jesus incarnate in the Holy Eucharist, as sanctuaries raised for the offering of the Holy Sacrifice? What is the characteristic mark of the Reformation, but the rejection of the Mass, and all that belongs to it, as declared in the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England to be blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits? The suppression of the continual sacrifice is, above all, the mark and characteristic of the Protestant Reformation.” ⁶⁵ PFF3 736.2

And now comes the remarkable conclusion: “Nevertheless, this prophecy of Daniel has already its fulfillment both in the East and West, in the two wings, as it were; while in the heart of Christendom the Holy Sacrifice is offered still. What is the great flood of infidelity, revolution, and anarchy, which is now sapping the foundations of Christian society, not only in France, but in Italy, and encompassing Rome the centre and sanctuary of the Catholic Church, but the abomination which desolates the sanctuary, and takes away the continual sacrifice?” ⁶⁶ PFF3 736.3

6. EITHER MASTERPIECE OF SATAN OR KINGDOM OF GOD

Nine years later Manning wrote The Fourfold Sovereignty of God (1871), in which he states that—“the first great French Revolution was the inauguration of the reign of Antichrist, of the denial of Christian faith, of the ruin of the Christian order, of the subversion of the authority of the Church of God, both in public and private life; and from that day to this, the principles of turbulence and apostasy have scourged and tormented kingdoms. ⁶⁷ PFF3 736.4

The point should not be lost that Manning puts the “inauguration of the reign of Antichrist” at the French Revolution, whereas the bulk of the Protestant commentators had put the end of his reign of 1260 years in this same French Revolution-the complete reversal. PFF3 737.1

Manning boasts of Romanism’s universality, unity, and “1800 years of traditionary history,” and then makes a challenging statement, doubtless filled with greater implication than de signed, in which this issue is clearly and inescapably drawn: PFF3 737.2

“Now, a system like this [Catholicism] is so unlike anything human, it has upon it notes, tokens, marks so altogether supernatural, that men now acknowledge it to he either Christ or Antichrist. There is nothing between these extremes. Most true is this alternative. The Catholic Church is either the masterpiece of Satan or the kingdom of the Son of God.” ⁶⁸ PFF3 737.3

Such is the parting glimpse and alternative afforded by this noted Catholic champion in battle test with the increasingly decadent Protestant positions on prophecy. PFF3 737.4