Every year throughout England and Wales martyr memorial services are held to remind people in general and Christians in particular about the cost of the liberties we now enjoy. This becomes ever more important as the Roman Catholic Church, the greatest and fiercest persecutor of true Christians the world has ever seen, become more and more accepted as brothers in Christ in Evangelical circles.
There are two main reasons why this is so. One is a lack of knowledge of what Roman Catholic dogma actually is and the other is an abysmal ignorance of church history, especially when Rome was in control. It should be remembered that when Rome dominated Europe that period in history is known as the Dark Ages. That in itself speaks volumes; for Christ said of His Church that it was to be the light of the world, yet when the Roman Catholic Church was in the noonday of its power, ignorance and superstition, along with cruelty and vice, dominated Europe. Nevertheless, here and there Gospel light shone out. In the Cottian Alps in Italy the Waldensians held aloft the torch of truth, as did the Albigenses in the French Alps. . . .