VIII. De Mornay Says Papacy Is Prophesied Antichrist

PHILIPPE DE MORNAY (1549-1623), illustrious Protestant, Lord of Plessis Morly, was born at Buhy. Influenced by his mother, who had secretly embraced the new Protestant doctrine, he openly espoused Calvinism. Finishing his education in Paris, he traveled in Switzerland, Germany, and Italy. For a number of years he was engaged in the service of the king of Navarre, as king’s counselor, governor of Saumur, superintendent of the house and crown, and later becoming minister of state, and the grand diplomat of the Huguenot party, the most truly representative Protestant of France and the most steadfast and trust worthy advocate of peace. ^{50Baird, The Huguenots and the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, vol. 1, pp. 16 ff.} In 1598 his book Traite de I institution de I’Eucharistie(Treatise on the Institution of the Eucharist) brought upon him the disapproval of the court. ^{51La grande encyclopedie, art. “Mornay (Philippe de).”} He wrote numerous other works including Le mystere d’iniquite: c’est a dire, I’histoire de la Papaute (The Mystery of Iniquity: That Is, the Story of the Papacy). (Title page reproduced on page 648.)PFF2 634.1

1. PRESENT POPE PART OF SYSTEM OF INIQUITY

In 1611 he wrote Le mystere d’iniquite, under his full name and titles. The Latin edition was dedicated to King James I of England and the French edition to Louis XIII. ^{52Baird, The Huguenots and the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, vol. 1, pp. 60, 61.} De Mornay declares that the present pope, Paul V, corresponds fully to the description of the great antichristian system of iniquity given by John and Paul, and shows how this power has usurped the throne which belongs to the eternal Son of God, the sole ruler of His church. ^{53Philippe de Mornay, Le myitere d’ iniquite, Preface, p. xii.} Yet this great apostasy had to come, for it was predicted in the Scriptures, even as well as the fact that the kings of the earth would unite in their counsels to surrender their power to the Beast. ^{54Ibid., p. 597.} On this he was very explicit.PFF2 634.2

2. APPLIES ALL PROPHETIC EPITHETS TO ROME

Re strained by pagan Rome at first, the Papacy now makes all the nations drink from her cup. De Mornay castigates her for her simony and similar iniquities, and her benefits which are sold for a price. ^{55Ibid., p. 603.} John called her the Harlot, Paul the Man of Sin, the predicted Antichrist. But more than all the arguments and historical statements in the body of the work, the two illustrations given in the book rankled in the hearts of the Roman Catholics. The one represented symbolically the approaching downfall of the papal see, under the guise of a strong tower, like the tower of Babel, resting on perishable wooden supports to which the flame is already applied; and the other represented Pope Paul V, with the most blasphemous of certain inscriptions placed on an arch of triumph erected in Italy to his honor, as PAULO V. VICE DEO CHRISTIANAE REPUBLICAE, by which they had unwittingly affixed to him the exact number of the Beast. ^{56Ibid., frontispiece and second illustration; Baird, The Huguenots and the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, vol. 1, p. 61.}PFF2 635.1