"The observance of Sunday by Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the church."--_Page 213._
It was to this change in the Sabbath by tradition, contrary to the plain command of G.o.d to keep holy the seventh day, that the famous Council of Trent appealed when it gave Rome"s answer to the Reformation cry of "The Bible and the Bible only." The council had long debated the ground of its answer. The historian says:
"Finally, at the last opening on the eighteenth of January, 1562, their last scruple was set aside; the archbishop of Rheggio made a speech in which he openly declared that tradition stood above Scripture. The authority of the church could therefore not be bound to the authority of the Scriptures, because the church had changed Sabbath into Sunday, not by the command of Christ, but by its own authority. With this, to be sure, the last illusion was destroyed, and it was declared that tradition does not signify antiquity, but continual inspiration."--_Dr. J.H. Holtzman, "Canon and Tradition," p. 263._
Ever since this memorable council, the Sunday inst.i.tution has been held forth as the mark of the power of the church to command religious observances. Thus, again, Keenan"s "Doctrinal Catechism" says:
"_Question._--Have you any other way of proving that the church has power to inst.i.tute festivals of precept?"
"_Answer._--Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her,--she could not have subst.i.tuted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Sat.u.r.day, the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority."--_Page 174._
The prophecy of Daniel declared that this power would "think" to change the times and laws of the Most High; and the change of the Sabbath commandment is set forth as the mark of the church"s authority above the written law of the Most High.
Most remarkable of all, Protestant organizations are defending the unscriptural observance of the humanly established first-day sabbath in contradiction to the law of G.o.d, which declares that "the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy G.o.d." And these organizations, in denial of the Protestant principle of religious liberty, are seeking power to enforce Sunday observance by civil law. But this is to make a very image to the Roman Papacy--a church using the power of the state to enforce religious observance.
It was all foretold in the prophetic word. The prophet was shown (Rev.
13:11-17) this likeness or image to the Papacy--ecclesiastical organizations not of the Papacy itself, but following papal principles in this matter--seeking to compel men to receive the mark of the papal apostasy.
Against the workings of both the Papacy and this image to the Papacy, the last message of the "everlasting gospel" lifts its warning cry:
"If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of G.o.d."
It is the time of the judgment hour, when G.o.d was to lift up the standard of truths long trodden underfoot. In the heavenly sanctuary Christ"s closing judgment work is going forward, preparatory to His coming in consuming glory to end the reign of sin. On earth the Lord is sending the last gospel message to men, warning against sin and error, and calling all men to worship G.o.d, and to keep "the commandments of G.o.d, and the faith of Jesus."
The Sign of Jehovah"s Authority
G.o.d also has His sign, or mark, of authority. He bases His claims to supreme authority upon the fact of His creative power. As Creator, His is the authority and the power.
"The Lord is the true G.o.d.... He hath made the earth by His power." Jer.
10:10-12.
And the divinely established memorial of this creative power is the holy Sabbath. The Sabbath is the mark, or sign, of the true G.o.d:
"Hallow My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your G.o.d." Eze. 20:20.
On one side is the mark, or sign, of apostasy from G.o.d; on the other the mark, or sign, of loyalty to G.o.d. Which mark will men receive, as the issue is pressed upon every soul for decision? On which side shall we stand? Under whose banner shall we be found when the judgment hour closes?
[Ill.u.s.tration: PILATE"S FATAL DECISION IN THE HOUR OF TRIAL
"Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?" Matt. 27:22.]
The test that came to Pilate comes anew to men as Christ"s message presses for acceptance. "What shall I do then with Jesus?" asked the Roman governor--and yielded to popular clamor. His fatal decision in the time of testing warns us to decide for Christ and for the word of his salvation now, in this hour of G.o.d"s judgment.
The message of Rev. 14:6-14 is going to all the world now. Every year thousands of new voices join in telling it. Printing presses are printing it in many languages. Schools and colleges in every continent are educating thousands of Seventh-day Adventist youth, keeping before them, as the highest aim of life, the hastening of the advent message to the world. Sanitariums in many lands, while training medical missionary evangelists, are at the same time ministering to the sick, and teaching the principles of Bible health and temperance. The movement necessarily emphasizes every principle of "the everlasting gospel," while pressing upon all the solemn issue that loyalty to Christ now means to turn from unscriptural tradition and custom to the commandments of G.o.d and the faith of Jesus. However ancient the custom of observing Sunday, it is but an innovation, setting aside the Word of G.o.d and the example of Jesus Christ. As St. Cyprian said: "Usage without truth is only an antiquated error." The clear light of Holy Scripture now calls the believer away from the path of error to the way of light.
"The older error is, it is the worse, Continuation may provoke a curse; If the Dark Age obscured our fathers" sight, Must their sons shut their eyes against the light?"
--_Bishop Ken._
In times past Christian believers have been unwittingly following the lead of the Papacy in this matter. The Lord holds no man accountable for light that he did not have. Reformation is a progressive work. Of the past we may say with Paul:
"The times of this ignorance G.o.d winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness." Acts 17:30, 31.
Now, with this "hour of G.o.d"s judgment" already come, the entire covering of papal tradition is to be torn aside, and when Jesus comes in glory, in every land will be found believers having the faith and keeping the commandments of G.o.d.
All this was shown to John on the Isle of Patmos,--the coming of the judgment hour, the rise of the advent movement, and the heralding of the last message to the nations.
What John saw in vision nearly two thousand years ago, we see fulfilling before our eyes today. But it is not enough to see it; we must have a part in it, be a part of it.
[Ill.u.s.tration: LUCIFER PLOTTING AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF G.o.d
"I will exalt my throne above the stars of G.o.d;... I will be like the Most High." Isa. 14:13, 14]
FOOTNOTES:
[I] The use of a mark, or sign, to designate the divinity worshiped, is common in non-Christian religions. One may see the Hindu returning from the temple with the mark of Vishnu or other deity freshly painted upon the forehead. Of the ancient usage, from which this Bible symbol of the "mark" is taken, Dr. John Potter says, in his "Antiquities of Greece:"
"Slaves were not only branded with stigmata for a punishment of their offenses, but (which was the common end of these marks) to distinguish them, in case they should desert their masters; for which purpose it was common to brand their soldiers; only with this difference, that whereas slaves were commonly stigmatized in their forehead, and with the name or some peculiar character belonging to their masters, soldiers were branded in the hand, and with the name or character of their general.
After the same manner, it was likewise customary to stigmatize the worshipers and votaries of some of the G.o.ds: whence Lucian, speaking of the votaries of the Syrian G.o.ddess, affirms, "They were all branded with certain marks, some in the palms of their hands, and others in their necks: whence it became customary for all the a.s.syrians thus to stigmatize themselves." And Theodoret is of opinion that the Jews were forbidden to brand themselves with stigmata [Lev. 19:28], because the idolaters by that ceremony used to consecrate themselves to their false deities.
"The marks used on these occasions were various. Sometimes they contained the name of the G.o.d, sometimes his particular ensign; such were the thunderbolt of Jupiter, the trident of Neptune, the ivy of Bacchus: whence Ptolemy Philopater was by some nicknamed Gallus, because his body was marked with the figures of ivy leaves. Or, lastly, they marked themselves with some mystical number, whereby the G.o.d"s name was described. Thus the sun, which was signified by the number DCVIII, is said to have been represented by these two numeral letters XH (Conf.
Martia.n.u.s Capello). These three ways of stigmatizing are all expressed by St. John in the book of Revelation: "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.""--_Vol. I, pp. 65, 66 (London, 1728)._
[Ill.u.s.tration: SATAN ENTERS THE GARDEN OF EDEN
"The wages of sin is death." Rom. 6:23.]
THE ORIGIN OF EVIL
The Beginning of the Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan
The great controversy between good and evil, that has been waged on earth ever since man"s fall, had its origin in heaven. Certain angels rebelled against G.o.d and His government.
"There was war in heaven: Michael and His angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Rev. 12:7-9.
Thus came the forces of evil into this world, which have been working through all the ages to draw men from allegiance to G.o.d, and to infuse into human hearts the same spirit of disobedience which wrought the ruin of Satan and his angels.
The Cause of the Downfall
Christ stated the principle: "If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" Matt. 6:23.
The principle finds its utmost application in the great reversal, by which Lucifer, the light bearer in heaven, became Satan, the adversary, the prince of darkness.