The Persecution Principle

THE PERSECUTION PRINCIPLE

Two elements are always essential in order to have a persecuting power; and these two elements united always make a persecuting power. But if either of these is taken away, the power as a persecutor is destroyed.

1. The power must be religious or it will not persecute. A government which is in no way connected with religion will never persecute.

2. It must have power to enforce its religious positions,-- to punish what it considers to be heresy,-- or it cannot persecute. Methodists, Baptists, or any other church of the land is a good example. They may issue decrees and pronounce penalties, but they cannot enforce them.
This was the condition of the Papacy before 538 A.D. But when the bishops of the Roman Church became "head over all the churches" and "true and only corrector of heretics," the Papacy came into existence as the ruling, controlling power-- the head of the beast. It was given existence or life as a head by the existing government, the powers that be, the government of the empire granting it the authority to define and correct heresy. What made the Papacy a persecutor? Briefly answered, it was religion by law, or power to enforce religious decrees and to punish heretics, or those who disobeyed these decrees.

Thus-- The Persecution Principle.
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