From Protestant Old Paths

The Church of Rome sets great store by the veneration of relics of Christ, Mary, the Apostles and the departed saints. These include pieces of the true cross, the shroud that was wrapped around the body of Christ in the tomb, known as the Turin Shroud, and various body parts belonging to the departed. In many instances there are several heads or other body parts supposedly belonging to the same person. There are enough pieces of the true cross to build a wooden ship, as Calvin remarked. But the Romanists are not so easily perturbed for they claim that the true cross has the miraculous ability to regenerate itself. Whether this is why there are two heads belonging to the same person is yet to be determined. If indeed the true cross has this marvellous propensity to regenerate itself then why don't the Papists produce it so that we can all view this wonder?

In medieval times in England, as throughout so-called Christendom, prior to the Reformation, relics were a great source of income for the monasteries or churches where they were displayed. It was not unusual for monks to steal a popular relic from a rival monastery if it was a big money earner.

Some of the relics on display may seem to us to be so ridiculous that we wonder how people could be so taken in. In those days there was no Gospel light and people were sunken in ignorance and superstition. Even in these more enlightened times relics are still big business as we shall see. Among the relics on display in England was a feather of the Angel Gabriel's wing, the jawbone of Balaam's donkey, the afterbirth of Christ, the girdle that Mary wore while pregnant with Christ, a phial of her milk and the stone she stood on when delivering her son.

There were winking images, smiling images and weeping images who would only perform the prodigies when money changed hands. Then there were opaque glass orbs which would reveal the blood of Christ when the pilgrims handed over their cash. The monks would eye up the dress of the pilgrims and so determine what they might be willing to pay before the 'miracles' took place. In the case of the glass orb it was opaque on one side and transparent on the other. When enough money had changed hands the monks simply turned the orb on its axis to display the enclosed blood. During Thomas Cromwell's investigation of the monasteries it was discovered that the images were manipulated by wires and the supposed blood of Christ was duck's blood which was changed weekly.

There are those who might say that such behaviour are a thing of the past and we shouldn't keep bringing them up. Even if such events were past history the world needs to know what Rome did at the zenith of its power but the truth is that such things happen today even in "Protestant England".

In Ashton-in-Makerfield, near Manchester, a wizened blackened hand, supposedly belonging to Edmund Arrowsmith, a Jesuit priest executed in August 1628, having been found guilty of high treason, is kept in a glass case. Periodically it is brought out and Romanists flock to see it and those who have an illness have it laid upon the diseased area or, alternately, a piece of cloth is laid on it and then transferred to the sick person.

During the months of September/October 2009, part of the remains of a French nun, "St" Therese of Lisieux, was taken around various Roman Catholic cathedrals and other locations for veneration by the "faithful". According to Roman Catholic sources some quarter of a million people filed by the ornate casket. It was so sad to see poor deluded Romanists kissing, rubbing their hands and pieces of cloth over the casket. The remains are contained within a golden casket which is overlaid with an ornate wooden casket that is enclosed within bullet proof perspex.

Apparently, her remains are divided up into three parts. One part tours France, the second part tours the world and the third part remains in a convent in Normandy.

During the tour of England the relics were taken to York Minster, which is the Anglican Cathedral in the city of York. A small contingent of Protestant Evangelicals went along to witness. A young Christian man made a protest inside on his own at four o'clock in the morning as these false shepherds were praying at the casket where they kept an all night vigil. Needless to say, he wasn't at all welcome!

The main contingent of those witnessing arrived just as the casket was being brought out. Immediately we raised appropriate banners and one began to preach. Many of them were enraged, one striking the preacher. However, some very worthwhile conversations took place. One was with an RC lady who said she had come along out of curiosity but she didn't believe in it. She said she didn't believe in papal infallibility or transubstantiation. She said she confessed her sins to Christ but sometimes to a priest. When asked why when she could go direct to Christ she confessed to a priest but she didn't give a reason. She said she attended Protestant churches on occasions. She was advised to leave the RC Church and join a Reformed Bible based church. May it please God to lead her out of the darkness of Rome.

A freelance TV reporter made contact with the speaker and has had two interviews with him concerning what he believes. A great deal of ground was covered highlighting the differences between Rome and Biblical Christianity. He has also interviewed Romanist and Anglican apologists. At present it is being edited so we hope and pray that the truth will be broadcast.

The final exhibition took place in the RC Westminster Cathedral, London. During an address given by RC Bishop John Arnold, he said that what was taking place was no more unusual than treasuring a keepsake of a departed favourite granny. But of course its entirely different. On different occasions while witnessing at RC and Anglo-Catholic mariolatry events their apologists have used much the same argument. They have asked me if I have a photograph of my mother. I tell them that of course I do. Then they say, "well then?". The inference being that is what they are doing. But I say "I don't bow down, sing hymns or pray to her photograph and neither do I carry it in procession." I also tell them that the photograph is of her and not somebody's imagination. I point out they have black madonnas, white madonnas, blonde haired madonnas and every other sort of Madonna. It goes to show how destitute of a basis for doing what they do when they use such foolish reasoning.

The Pope is due to visit the United Kingdom, probably in September. It is thought he will preside at the canonisation of a defector to Rome, Cardinal Newman. Early last year Newman's tomb was opened with the intention of placing it in a more elaborate structure. It was their intention to remove some of his fingers and take them to Rome for use as relics. However, when the tomb was opened there was nothing in it. It was said at the time that his remains must have decayed but, as most people know, bones last for thousands of years. It wouldn't surprise me if they don't claim that he ascended up into Heaven.