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They already were. That was the early Congregation of Christ before the Great Apostasy. That happened only a few centuries after the Revelation was given. It was thanks to these small flocks, the Scriptures and the Gospel spread throughout Europe. They had suffered first from the apostates ruling in Byzantium, then later when the Harlot and the False Prophet declared crusades against them, declaring them "hereticks". It was during one such siege in southern France that a priest accompanying the armies declared of the place under siege, Kill them all, God will sort them out.
What was the hesitation? The town they were besieging were mainly their own people, Catholics, who happened to be protecting the "hereticks".