1.St. Patrick. He was born of Christian parents in Britain, about 390 A.D. Though the object of many solicitious prayers, he remained indifferent to the Gospel well into his teenage years. But at 16, his village was invaded by a band of Irish pirates, who murdered his family and stole the young man away, to be sold into slavery in their native land. There he was bound to a nobleman, who appointed him the unenviable task of keeping the pigs. But like the prodigal before him, this humiliation proved very thought-provoking. He was soon converted to Christ. Shortly thereafter, he escaped his master and travelled to a French Island, where he devoted himself to preparing for the Christian ministry. One night he had a dream. He seemed to hear his Irish captors calling for his return. "Come, holy boy, walk among us again". He awoke, and from that day forward, planned a missionary career among the Irish. This "desire of the righteous would be granted". For about twenty years after his escape from Irish slavery, he returned as a bondservant of Jesus Christ. Over the next 40 years he was instrumental in bringing the whole of Northern Ireland to the faith--including, interestingly enough, his old master. Thus, under the ministry of Patrick, the power of the Druid witchdoctors was dealt a fatal blow, and the people, who had so long endured slavery to superstition were brought into "the glorious liberty of the sons of God".

2.Eligius, also known as St. Eloy. He was a Frenchman, born in 588. Trained in the art of goldsmithing, he became one of the wealthiest craftsman in Europe. But Money would not rule this man's life. For when he was converted to Christ, he sought to use his riches for the glory of God. For several years he spent a large portion of his money to ransom Christians, taken as prisoners of war, or put into debtor's prison, or forced to sell themselves into slavery. But as noble as this work was, he longed for something more. For he knew that man's chief slavery is not to other men, but to sin. And so, well into middle age, he became a missionary to Flanders and Holland where he labored tirelessly among the heathen, and with much success. For though the Dutch "Have 10,000 instructors in Christ, they have but one father: Eligius". He died in 659, after 18 years on the mission field, at the age of 70.

3.Winfred, better known as Boniface. He was born in 680 of British stock. At a young age, he became deeply concerned for the wild savages of Germany. Nearing the age of forty, he left his native land for central Europe. And there he saw, for the first time, rank Paganism. Near the city of Geismar, he saw multitudes bowing down to the Sacred Oak of Thor, the god of Thunder. Greatly distressed with this idolatry, he began pleading with men to "turn from their idols to the Living God". But his preaching was in vain. The superstitious heathen would pay him no mind. So, he decided an "object lesson" was called for. And so, with axe in hand, Boniface boldly approached the great tree, and before a large audience, chopped it down! Needless to say, the Germans expected Thor to avenge himself of this insult. But he did not. And so, seeing their god powerless, they turned en masse to the Lord Jesus Christ. By the way, the tree was used to build the first German church.

1.By the death of Augustine, the Roman Empire lay in shambles. The Visigoths had sacked Rome in 410, shocking the world, and showing other, power-hungry peoples its vulnerability. In 451, the Huns came wreaking havoc. Four years later, the Vandals wrought further devastation. In 473 the Ostrogoths prevailed. And finally, in 476, Rome and its ancient Empire collapsed under the weight of external pressure and internal division. Western Europe, therefore, was thrown into chaos. Its institutions crumbled, the Romans looked to the Church for leadership. It provided it, eventually in the person of the Pope. And so, the comparatively innocent cause for the rise of the papacy lies in the power vacuum left by the fall of Rome.

2.But there is another, more sinister cause: the wicked ambition of "Big-City Pastors". From the late Second Century, the metropolitan bishops had been usurping the authority of their brethren in smaller towns. Chuches were no longer thought of as "local, independent congregations". They were put into a "diocese" in which the leading pastor in the area would dictate policy to his fellow-elders. For many years, the leading cities in the Empire vied for supremacy, especially Rome, Constantinople, and Antioch. Eventually, with the division of the Empire into Eastern and Western Branches, Rome stood alone as the leading city in the West, and therefore, its bishops gradually drew to themselves more and more power until, in 590, Gregory the Great became the universally acknowledged as "Pope" or "Pastor over the Catholic Church".

1.The Bishopric of Rome became a political office, obtained and and kept by all of the deceit and intrigue associated with politics.

2.For a thousand years, men of the worst character occupied the so-called "Throne of St. Peter". Immorality, violence, and greed reigned supreme among most of the Popes. A fictional dialogue, written just before the Reformation lays bare the corruptions of Rome. Erasmus, pp.106-108. The incredible thing about it is this: it was written by Erasmus, a devoted son of the Catholic Church.

3.But, of course, abuses can be rectified. The Doctrine, however, spoken "ex-cathedra", and therefore unchangeable, cannot be corrected. Of Rome's many heresies, its view of the Pope's calling is the most damning. Some of his titles include:

1.There were seven crusades in all, between 1095 and 1291. Most of them were aimed at reclaiming the Middle East for the faith. And so, armies marched south to "Kill a Muslim for Christ". After defeating their foes, the Christians often massacred the prisoners.

2.The worst of these adventures was "The Children's Crusade" (1212). Children from the age of six were encouraged to march to Jerusalem with the blessing of Christ. They didn't make it, of course. Many died on the way, others were kidnapped and sold to the Muslims as slaves.

3.There was also a Crusade aimed at suppressing "heresy". The Albigensians were a sect of French Christians, unaffiliated with Rome. They were marched on and slaughtered by the tens-of-thousands.

4.To all of these atrocities, the Pope gave his ready assent.