Political Danger Quotes

“A great majority of Protestants, for three hundred years, have been accustomed to pray, both publicly and privately, that God would destroy the pontificate with the breath of His mouth and with the brightness of His coming. These prayers may have been offered up in faith, for they have the promise of God on which to rely. Could anyone pray in this manner, and yet supplicate that God would bless his holiness the Pope of Rome, and give stability to his throne and energy to his administration as a civil prince? Yet we may pray that God will be graciously pleased to bring to the knowledge of the truth the person of him who is the Pontiff, and that he will balance his counsels, restrain his persecuting rage, and overrule all his operations for the interests of the church, and for the glory of Jesus her head.”
― J. R. Willson, Political Danger

“had been invented and were in operation, by which there was a prodigious multiplication of intelligence. Copies of the Scriptures—of historical works—of fugitive essays on subjects of religion and literature, could be, and actually were, multiplied with a facility utterly unknown to former ages. As men had access to the means of information, the mummeries of the Popish church became subjects of scorn and derision; and when the people became better acquainted with their own rights as human beings, they regarded the oppression of their civil and spiritual rulers as intolerable tyranny. They were thus prepared for breaking off their necks the yoke of bondage, and embracing the truth presented to them in the preaching of the apostles of the Reformation.”
― J. R. Willson, Political Danger

“Hence, among the established clergy even in Scotland, they have ceased of late to pray for the downfall of the Pope.”
― J. R. Willson, Political Danger

“The kings, who are the ten horns of this beast, are represented as committing fornication with “the great whore that sitteth on many waters.” Such is the metaphor, exhibiting the connection between the civil and spiritual despots of anti-Christian Europe. “And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her” [the church of Rome] (Rev. 18:9). The connection of the kingdoms of the earth with the Popish church is an impure, loathsome and abominable connection, as the metaphor here employed forcibly indicates. That the civil governments of Europe have given themselves up to the support of the Roman apostacy, instead of bowing down before Emmanuel, is expressly declared by this prophet. “For God hath put into their hearts to fulfil his will, to agree and give their kingdom to the beast” (Rev. 17:17).”
― J. R. Willson, Political Danger

“This fourth beast, for which it would seem there was not among all beasts of prey any one adequate to represent its terrible fierceness, is the Roman empire, and its ten horns are the ten kingdoms of modern, anti-Christian Europe. To this interpretation we have the assent of all Protestant commentators.6 The little horn springing up among them, growing out of the head of the same dreadful beast of prey, is the Pope of Rome. Though this little horn does not harmonize with all the others, yet they are all united in the head of the same beast. They have a common origin and support. So far is this beast from being in a state of subjection to the God of Heaven; so far is God from acknowledging the power of the horns, as of him, that a fiery flame issues and comes forth from before the Ancient of days, by which the body of the beast is consumed; the thrones are cast down, to prepare the way for the everlasting dominion of “one like unto the Son of man.” These thrones have joined His enemies and made war upon the Lamb. The Lamb makes war upon them and overcomes them.”
― J.R. Willson, Political Danger