From Smokescreens ©1983 by Jack T. Chick. Reproduced by permission.

      This is a very difficult book to write. Many of you will think it is unbelievable. Yet, I believe we can prove our position historically and scripturally. Pay close attention to some of the quotes we are going to make. You will see how Satan is moving and closing in, in an attempt to destroy Bible Christianity.

      I believe one of the reasons Protestants are so desperately weak today is the fact that history has been covered up. Books have been re-written. It only takes about two generations for everything to be forgotten, especially, if it is not told over and over again. It's like the holocaust of World War II. The Jews, thank God, are pressuring the networks to show films on the Holocaust over and over on television, so that people will remember what happened. But you see, some things have been cleverly covered up and left to be forgotten. Most Christians know nothing of their heritage and the terrible price that was paid by those before us who stood against the Roman Catholic system.

      Many of our young people have no concept of what an inquisition is. It is when a religious force moves in with such power, deception, and cruelty that it destroys everything standing in its way. Satan has dulled our hearing and thoughts concerning crimes of the past, and we as Americans cannot possibly conceive of such a thing happening here in our country. Is it possible?

      The Christians of today are like little blades of grass, growing up in the sunshine, and there's a big lawn mower coming toward them - and it's singing hymns! It's the Roman Catholic Institution. These are harsh words, but you must remember that the Roman Catholics believe with all their heart that their church is the church of Jesus Christ. They believe the pope is the vicar, or the representative, of Jesus Christ on this earth. There is a teaching within the Roman Catholic structure called the temporal power. Temporal power means that the pope should control every person on the face of this globe, their property and their religion. The Jesuits are pushing for this temporal power which means a world-wide dictator. They believe this is the only way to go, and those who oppose them are the enemies of the gospel.

      Here's something interesting. Trudeau, of Canada, who is surrounded by Jesuits, is setting up "civilian internment camps." That's just a fancy name for concentration camps. You can check this out in an article published in the Toronto Sun dated March 4, 1982. Now, that's just above our borders, beloved. I mentioned earlier that much of history has been covered up. Let's go back and look at the bloody history of the Vatican. Then you'll have the facts to decide for yourself whether or not she is the great whore. Let's go back in history now and touch on what took place in France at the St. Bartholomew massacre and what happened later in Ireland. We will then look at what took place in Yugoslavia during World War II.

      On August 22, 1572, the bloody St. Bartholomew massacre began. This was to be one fatal blow to destroy the Protestant movement in France. The king of France had cleverly arranged a marriage between his sister and Admiral Coligny, the chief Protestant leader. There was a great feast with much celebrating. After four days of feasting the soldiers were given a signal. At twelve o'clock midnight, all the houses of the Protestants in the city were forced open at once. The admiral was killed, his body thrown out of a window into the street where his head was cut off and sent to the pope. They also cut off his arms and privates and dragged him through the streets for three days until they finally hung his body by the heels outside the city.

      They also slaughtered many other well known Protestants. In the first three days, over ten thousand were killed. The bodies were thrown into the river and blood ran through the streets into the river until it appeared like a stream of blood. So furious was their hellish rage that they even slew their own followers if they suspected that they were not very strong in their belief in the pope. From Paris, the destruction spread to all parts of the country. Over eight thousand more people were killed. Very few Protestants escaped the fury of their persecutors.

      A similar massacre occurred in Ireland in 1641, The conspirators picked October 23, the feast of Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit Order. They planned a general uprising for the whole country. All Protestants would be killed at once. To throw them off guard while the plan was being made, extra acts of kindness were shown to the Protestants. Early in the morning the conspirators were armed and every Protestant they could find was immediately murdered. They showed no mercy. From children to the aged, they were killed. Even invalids were not spared. They were caught by complete surprise. They had lived in peace and safety for years and now found no place to run. They were massacred by neighbors, friends, and even relatives.

      Death often was the least they had to fear. Women were tied to posts, stripped to the waist, their breasts cut off with shears and left to bleed to death. Others who were pregnant were tied to tree branches, their unborn babies cut out and fed to the dogs while the husbands were forced to watch.

      What you've just read is fully documented and historically factual. It is found in Foxe's Book of Martyrs. Beloved, I want you to notice that both of these murderous assaults by the Vatican against the Christians in France and in Ireland followed a similar pattern. Before the attacks, there was a time of healing when the Roman Catholics became friendly and warm, and in both cases the Christians were so relieved that they let their guard down and assumed the Vatican had changed. This was their fatal mistake and it cost them their lives. I pray to God you will not forget what you've just read.