An Era of Spiritual Darkness (part 2)

In order for Satan to maintain his sway over men, and establish the authority of the papal usurper, he must keep them in ignorance of the Scriptures. The Bible would exalt God and place finite men in their true position; therefore its sacred truths must be concealed and suppressed. This logic was adopted by the Roman Church. For hundreds of years the circulation of the Bible was prohibited. The people were forbidden to read it or to have it in their houses, and unprincipled priests and prelates interpreted its teachings to sustain their pretensions. Thus the pope came to be almost universally acknowledged as the vicegerent of God on earth, endowed with authority over church and state.

The detector of error having been removed, Satan worked according to his will. Prophecy had declared that the papacy was to “think to change times and laws.” Daniel 7:25. This work it was not slow to attempt. To afford converts from heathenism a substitute for the worship of idols, and thus to promote their nominal acceptance of Christianity, the adoration of images and relics was gradually introduced into the Christian worship. The decree of a general council (see Appendix) finally established this system of idolatry. To complete the sacrilegious work, Rome presumed to expunge from the law of God the second commandment, forbidding image worship, and to divide the tenth commandment, in order to preserve the number. 

The spirit of concession to paganism opened the way for a still further disregard of Heaven’s authority. Satan, working through unconsecrated leaders of the church, tampered with the fourth commandment also, and essayed to set aside the ancient Sabbath, the day which God had blessed and sanctified (Genesis 2:2, 3), and in its stead to exalt the festival observed by the heathen as “the venerable day of the sun.” This change was not at first attempted openly. In the first centuries the true Sabbath had been kept by all Christians. They were jealous for the honor of God, and, believing that His law is immutable, they zealously guarded the sacredness of its precepts. But with great subtlety Satan worked through his agents to bring about his object. That the attention of the people might be called to the Sunday, it was made a festival in honor of the resurrection of Christ. Religious services were held upon it; yet it was regarded as a day of recreation, the Sabbath being still sacredly observed. 

To prepare the way for the work which he designed to accomplish, Satan had led the Jews, before the advent of Christ, to load down the Sabbath with the most rigorous exactions, making its observance a burden. Now, taking advantage of the false light in which he had thus caused it to be regarded, he cast contempt upon it as a Jewish institution. While Christians generally continued to observe the Sunday as a joyous festival, he led them, in order to show their hatred of Judaism, to make the Sabbath a fast, a day of sadness and gloom. 

In the early part of the fourth century the emperor Constantine issued a decree making Sunday a public festival throughout the Roman Empire. (See Appendix.) The day of the sun was reverenced by his pagan subjects and was honored by Christians; it was the emperor’s policy to unite the conflicting interests of heathenism and Christianity. He was urged to do this by the bishops of the church, who, inspired by ambition and thirst for power, perceived that if the same day was observed by both Christians and heathen, it would promote the nominal acceptance of Christianity by pagans and thus advance the power and glory of the church. But while many God-fearing Christians were gradually led to regard Sunday as possessing a degree of sacredness, they still held the true Sabbath as the holy of the Lord and observed it in obedience to the fourth commandment. 

The archdeceiver had not completed his work. He was resolved to gather the Christian world under his banner and to exercise his power through his vicegerent, the proud pontiff who claimed to be the representative of Christ. Through half-converted pagans, ambitious prelates, and world-loving churchmen he accomplished his purpose. Vast councils were held from time to time, in which the dignitaries of the church were convened from all the world. In nearly every council the Sabbath which God had instituted was pressed down a little lower, while the Sunday was correspondingly exalted. Thus the pagan festival came finally to be honored as a divine institution, while the Bible Sabbath was pronounced a relic of Judaism, and its observers were declared to be accursed. (continues)

Heralds of the Morning (part 5)
Heralds of the Morning (part 4)
Heralds of the Morning (part 3)
Heralds of the Morning (part 2)
Heralds of the Morning (part 1)
The Pilgrim Fathers (part 4)
The Pilgrim Fathers (part 3)
The Pilgrim Fathers (part 2)
The Pilgrim Fathers (part 1)
The Bible and the French Revolution (part 9)
The Bible and the French Revolution (part 8)
The Bible and the French Revolution (part 7)
The Bible and the French Revolution (part 6)
The Bible and the French Revolution (part 5)
The Bible and the French Revolution (part 4)
The Bible and the French Revolution (part 3)
The Bible and the French Revolution (part 2)
The Bible and the French Revolution (part 1)
Later English Reformers (part 8)
Later English Reformers (part 7)
Later English Reformers (part 6)
Later English Reformers (part 5)
Later English Reformers (part 4)
Later English Reformers (part 3)
Later English Reformers (part 2)
Later English Reformers (part 1)
The Netherlands and Scandinavia (part 3)
The Netherlands and Scandinavia (part 2)
The Netherlands and Scandinavia (part 1)
The French Reformation (part 13)
The French Reformation (part 12)
The French Reformation (part 11)
The French Reformation (part 10)
The French Reformation (part 9)
The French Reformation (part 8)
The French Reformation (part 7)
The French Reformation (part 6)
The French Reformation (part 5)
The French Reformation (part 4)
The French Reformation (part 3)
The French Reformation (part 2)
The French Reformation (part 1)
Protest of the Princes (part 7)
Protest of the Princes (part 6)
Protest of the Princes (part 5)
Protest of the Princes (part 4)
Protest of the Princes (part 3)
Protest of the Princes (part 2)
Protest of the Princes (part 1)
Progress of Reform in Germany (part 6)
Progress of Reform in Germany (part 5)
Progress of Reform in Germany (part 4)
Progress of Reform in Germany (part 3)
Progress of Reform in Germany (part 2)
Progress of Reform in Germany (part 1)
The Swiss Reformer (part 5)
The Swiss Reformer (part 4)
The Swiss Reformer (part 3)
The Swiss Reformer (part 2)
The Swiss Reformer (part 1)
Luther Before the Diet (part 10)
Luther Before the Diet (part 9)
Luther Before the Diet (part 8)
Luther Before the Diet (part 7)
Luther Before the Diet (part 6)
Luther Before the Diet (part 5)
Luther Before the Diet (part 4)
Luther Before the Diet (part 3)
Luther Before the Diet (part 2)
Luther Before the Diet (part 1)
Luther's Separation From Rome (part 10)
Luther's Separation From Rome (part 9)
Luther's Separation From Rome (part 8)
Luther's Separation From Rome (part 7)
Luther's Separation From Rome (part 6)
Luther's Separation From Rome (part 5)
Luther's Separation From Rome (part 4)
Luther's Separation From Rome (part 3)
Luther's Separation From Rome (part 2)
Luther's Separation From Rome (part 1)
Huss and Jerome (part 9)
Huss and Jerome (part 8)
Huss and Jerome (part 7)
Huss and Jerome (part 6)
Huss and Jerome (part 5)
Huss and Jerome (part 4)
Huss and Jerome (part 3)
Huss and Jerome (part 2)
Huss and Jerome (part 1)
John Wycliffe (part 7)
John Wycliffe (part 6)
John Wycliffe (part 5)
John Wycliffe (part 4)
John Wycliffe (part 3)
John Wycliffe (part 2)
John Wycliffe (part 1)
The Waldenses (part 7)
The Waldenses (part 6)
The Waldenses (part 5)
The Waldenses (part 4)
The Waldenses (part 3)
The Waldenses (part 2)
The Waldenses (part 1)
An Era of Spiritual Darkness (part 5)
An Era of Spiritual Darkness (part 4)
An Era of Spiritual Darkness (part 3)
An Era of Spiritual Darkness (part 2)
An Era of Spiritual Darkness (part 1)
Persecution in the First Centuries (part 4)
Persecution in the First Centuries (part 3)
Persecution in the First Centuries (part 2)
Persecution in the First Centuries (part 1)
The Destruction of Jerusalem (part 8)
The Destruction of Jerusalem (part 7)
The Destruction of Jerusalem (part 6)
The Destruction of Jerusalem (part 5)
The Destruction of Jerusalem (part 4)
The Destruction of Jerusalem (part 3)
The Destruction of Jerusalem (part 2)
The Destruction of Jerusalem (part 1)
Introduction (part 3)
Introduction (part 2)
Introduction (part 1)
The Controversy Ended (part 7)
The Controversy Ended (part 6)
The Controversy Ended (part 5)
The Controversy Ended (part 4)
The Controversy Ended (part 3)
The Controversy Ended (part 2)
The Controversy Ended (part 1)
Desolation of the Earth (part 4)
Desolation of the Earth (part 3)
Desolation of the Earth (part 2)
Desolation of the Earth (part 1)
God's People Delivered (part 7)
God's People Delivered (part 6)
God's People Delivered (part 5)
God's People Delivered (part 4)
God's People Delivered (part 3)
God's People Delivered (part 2)
God's People Delivered (part 1)
The Time of Trouble (part 9)

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