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permitted to choose its pastor and depose him if he conducted himself improperly. More radical demands came from the working classes in the towns. The articles of Heilbronn demanded that the property of the Church should be confiscated and used for the community; clergy and nobility alike were to be deprived of all their privileges, so that they could no longer oppress the poor man. The more violent leaders renewed the old cry that the parsons must be slain. Hundreds of castles and monasteries were destroyed by the frantic peasantry, and some of the nobles were murdered with shocking cruelty. Luther, who believed that the peasants were trying to cloak their dreadful sins with excuses from the gospel, exhorted the government to put down the insurrection. 'Have no pity on the poor folk; stab, smite, throttle, who can.' The German rulers took Luther's advice with terrible literalness, and avenged themselves upon the peasants, whose lot was apparently worse afterwards than before."-Brit.

And they were cast upon the earth AND THE THIRD PART OF THE EARTH WAS BURNED UP.-Luther's teaching had the effect of transforming the order-loving German people into anarchists.

And the third part.-The German part.

Of trees. Trees are symbols of saints. "St. Paul gives us the picture of a tree, the roots of which push down deep into the knowledge of the Divine Plan, while the tree of character grows higher and higher, developing and maturing the rich fruits of the Holy Spirit of God; for instruction is a form of construction."-Z.'14-312; Isa. 61:3. Was burnt up.-Hindered from standing alone, and absorbed into the Lutheran system.

And all green grass.-Natural thought.-Isa. 40:6, 7.

men of independent

Was burnt up. Similarly absorbed into the Lutheran system, a welcome substitute for papacy's intolerable yoke. 8:8. And the second [angel] sounded.-The Anglican church movement began.

And as it were a great mountain.-England in the time of Henry VIII. Mountains symbolize kingdoms.-Dan. 2:35; Jer. 51:25.

Burning with fire.-Aflame with another great movement destructive to the papacy.

Was cast into the sea.-Was suddenly thrown into a condition of isolation from the papacy-no longer placed under religious restraint to it.

And the third part of the sea.-The English part.

Became blood.-The much-married Henry VIII., founder

of the Anglican Church, and the second great sect-founder, has some slight blemishes on his escutcheon also. "Henry VIII himself stoutly maintained the headship of the pope, and as is well known, after examining the arguments of Luther, published his defence of the Seven Sacraments in 1521, which won for him from the pope the glorious title of 'Defender of the faith.' By 1527 the king had become hopeless of having a male heir by Catherine. He was tired of her, and in love with the black-eyed Anne Boleyn, who refused to be his mistress. The king's agents secured the opinion of a number of prominent universities that his marriage was void, and an assembly of notables, which he summoned in June 1530, warned the pope of the dangers involved in leaving the royal succession in uncertainty. Henry's next move was to bring a charge against the clergy, accusing them of having violated the ancient laws of praemunire in submitting to the authority of papal legates (although he himself had ratified the appointment of Wolsey as legate a latere). The clergy of the province of Canterbury were fined 100,000 pounds and compelled to declare the king their singular protector and only supreme lord, and, as far as that is permitted by the law of Christ, the supreme head of the Church and of the clergy.

"The following year, 1532, an obedient parliament presented a petition to the king (which had been most carefully elaborated by the king's own advisers) containing twelve charges against the bishops. For the remedy of these abuses parliament turned to the king 'in whom and by whom the only and sole redress, reformation and remedy herein absolutely rests and remains.' [These charges were answered by the clergy, but the answer did not suit the king so on the 15th of May, 1532] The king's most humble subjects, daily orators and bedesmen of the clergy of England, in view of his goodness and fervent Christian zeal and his learning far exceeding that of all other kings that they have read of, agree never to assemble in convocation except at the king's summons, and to enact and promul gate no constitution or ordinances except they receive the royal assent and authority. [Then Henry divorced Catherine and married Anne Boleyn and the English Reforma tion was officially launched.] The king had now clarified the ancient laws of the realm to his satisfaction, and could proceed to seize such portions of the Church's possessions as he deemed superfluous for the maintenance of religion. [On the 30th of July, 1540, three Lutheran clergy men were burned and three Roman Catholics beheaded, the latter for denying the king's spiritual supremacy. The king's ardent desires that diversities of minds and opinions

should be done away with and unity be 'charitably established' was further promoted by publishing in 1543 A Necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christian Man, set forth by the King's Majesty of England, in which the tenets of mediaeval theology, except for denial of the supremacy of the bishop of Rome and the unmistakable assertion of the supremacy of the king, were once more restated. The First Prayer Book of Edward VI was issued in 1549 and was followed in 1552 by the Second Prayer Book and] "The foundations of the Anglican church were laid."-Brit.

8:9. And the third part.-The English part.

Of the creatures.-The clergy "apostolically" of the Church of Rome, but actually doing business under Henry VIII. Be it noted that they were not counted worthy of being called "men."

Which were in the sea.-No longer under religious restraint to the papacy.

And had life.-The apostolic succession, from the line of popes, etc., described in Rev. 2:13 comments.

Died.-Were excommunicated by the pope, lost their "apostolic (?) succession."

And the third part.-The English part.

Of the ships.-Independent bodies of Christian worshippers called Lollards, followers of Wycliffe.-Mark 4:36; 6:48-51; John 6:21.

Were destroyed.-Compelled to acknowledge Henry VIII as head of the Church or lose their lives. "Thus, when the English Reformation of the 16th century commenced, it derived a new impulse from the earlier Lollard movement which it was destined to absorb into itself."-McC.

8:10. And the third angel sounded.-The Calvinistic movement began, which later developed into the Northern Presbyterian Church, Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Welsh Calvinistic Church, United Presbyterian Church, Southern Presbyterian Church, Associate Presbyterian Church, Associate Reformed Southern Presbyterian Church, Reformed Synod Presbyterian Church, Reformed General Synod Presbyterian Church, Reformed Covenanted Presbyterian Church, Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States and Canada, Dutch Reformed Church, German Reformed Church, Christian Reformed Church, Hungarian Reformed Church, and Congregational Church.-1 Cor. 3:3. And there fell a great star from heaven.-John Calvin tore a large-sized hole in the Catholic firmament when he started the manufacture of a firmament of his own.

Burning as it were a lamp.-The precipitation of the Calvinistic movement in France and Switzerland was as sudden as the Anglican movement had been in England or the

Lutheran movement in Germany. In 1533 Francis I, King of France, "anxious to conciliate both German Protestants and anti-papal England, invited some of the reformers to preach in the Louvre," as an offset to a fierce attack that had but lately been made upon them, caused by the mutilation of a statue of the Virgin. On the festival of All Saints, Cop, the rector of the University of Paris, was to deliver the address, but Jean Cauvin (Calvin) persuaded the rector to read an address which he had written. It was a defence of the new evangelical views and so aroused the Sorbonne that Calvin and Cop were both obliged to flee from Paris. Calvin went to Basle, Switzerland, and in 1536 wrote and published the first great textbook of Protestant theology, Institutes of the Christian Religion. He did his best, but his best was not very good.

And it fell upon the third part.-The French part.
Of the rivers.-Channels of religious instruction.

And upon the fountains of waters.-The Word of God. Although Calvin misunderstood and misapplied them, yet he constantly appealed to the Scriptures as the support for his theories.

8:11. And the name of the star.-Calvin is entitled to the honor of having at one time been a papal star. "He was from the first educated for the Church, and before he was twelve years old was presented to a benefice in the Cathedral of Noyon. Six years after this he was appointed to a cure of souls at Montville, and thus, although not yet twenty, and not even in the minor orders, he was enjoying the titles and revenues of a cure."-McC.

Is called Wormwood.-What an ideal name for the doctrine which has caused more bitterness against God than any other doctrine ever taught, and for the man who roasted Servetus at the stake.

And the third part of the waters.-Many portions of the Scriptures, misunderstood, miscontrued and misapplied.

Became.-Were made to appear in the eyes of many. Wormwood.-Bitter as gall. "None now would justify Calvin's course in sentencing Servetus to be burned. Others burned at the stake usually had the fuel piled at their feet. The flames were inhaled with the smoke, and the victim was speedily unconscious to suffering. For Servetus Satanic ingenuity arranged the burning fagots at a distance. He literally roasted alive, in horrible torture, nearly five hours-in the name of God, of Jesus, of Righteousness, Truth, Justice, Love, Christianity and Civilization." (P. D.)-Jer. 9:15; 23:15, 9-40; Deut. 29:18. And many men died of the waters.-Lost their manhood, reason and common sense by becoming Calvinists.

Because they were made bitter.-Because the Scriptures were made to appear to teach what actually they do not. "It seems remarkable that only now are we realizing that a man so deficient in the spirit of his Master as to murder his brother, should not be an accepted teacher of the Word of God and its spirit. Only now are Bible students realizing that Brother Calvin was not the inventor of the doctrine of election, but merely of the doctrine that all the non-elect would suffer everlastingly. Now we see that the terms, 'the elect,' 'the very elect,' are Bible terms! and that those who make their calling and election sure, will be glorified in the First Resurrection. Now we see that the Elect will be associated with Jesus in His Kingdom, which will bless the non-elect-'all the families of the Earth.'”—P. D.

8:12. And the fourth angel sounded.-The Baptist sectarian movement began, resulting in Baptist Churches North, Baptist Churches South, Baptist Churches Colored, Seventh-Day Baptists, General Baptists, Separate Baptists, United Baptists, Baptist Church of Christ, Primitive Baptist Church, Primitive Colored Baptist Church, Old Two Seed in the Spirit Predestinarian Baptist Church, Church of God and Saints of Christ, Mennonites, Six Principle Baptist Church, Free Baptist Church, Freewill Baptist Church-not forgetting the Selfwill Baptist Church, which also has a large membership, but is not listed.-1 Cor. 3:3.

From an examination of history "It does not appear that the Baptists were formed into any stability (as a sect) until the time of Menno, about the year 1536. About 1644 they began to make a considerable figure in England, and spread themselves into several separate congregations. They separated from the Independents about the year 1638, and set up for themselves under the pastoral care of Mr. Jesse; and, having renounced their former baptism, they sent over one of their number to be immersed by one of the Dutch Anabaptists of Amsterdam, that he might be qualified to baptize his friends in England after the same manner." (Buck.) "Menno Simons, born in 1492 at Witmarsum in Friesland, at the age of 24 entered the priesthood. Doubts about transubstantiation made him uneasy; some of Luther's tracts fell in his way, and he was comforted by Luther's dictum that salvation does not depend on human dogmata. Hence he began to study the New Testament. The question as to the right age for baptism came up; he found this an open matter in the early church. Then the execution, in March, 1531, at Leeuwarden, of the tailor Sicke Freerks, who had been rebaptized in the previous December at Emden, intro

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