The Closing Messages by R. F. Cotterill

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 1, 1870

The Closing Messages

By R. F. Cotterill

The Closing Messages.—No. 23.

We have seen that the duration of the reign of the Papacy corresponds exactly with the prophecies, both of Daniel and of John. We now inquire concerning its work. The three great, leading features of the work of this “abomination” are given in connection in Dan. 7: 25. They are, 1. “He shall speak great words against the Most High;” 2. “And shall wear out the saints of the Most High;” 3. “And shall think to change times and laws.” These are the distinguishing acts of the power intended in the prophecy. The given specifications are to distinguish it from every other power that should arise, so that it may be infallibly known, when they are fulfilled, what power was intended. No other power will fulfill them all; but the power intended will fulfill every one of them, so that there will be no uncertainty about it. We now inquire, Has the Papacy done all the work assigned to the little horn of Daniel and the beast of Revelation? If it has, it is the power pointed out in these prophecies; if it has not, it is not the power.

1. Has the Papacy spoken great words, or words of blasphemy, against the Most High? Has it blasphemed “his name,” as expressed in Revelation? All protestants are agreed that it has. How? It has taken the sacred names of God, the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son, and placed them upon the head of sinful men. We quote a few of the many titles that have been given to the Pope: “Universal Father,” “His Holiness,” “Supreme Head of the Church on earth,” “The Infallible One,” “Lord of lords,” “A God on Earth,” “Lord God the Pope,” “Prince of the World,” “Monarch of the Earth,” “King of kings.” Cardinal Bellarmine says, “All the names which are given in the Scriptures to Christ, even these same names are given to the pope; whence it appears he is superior to the church.” In Gratian’s Decretals, p. 1, dis. 96, Pope Nicholas, to Michael, Chap. 7, the pope says: “He is God, and therefore men cannot judge him.” A few words from the present pope, uttered some two years ago, shall close these quotations. “I alone,” he said, “despite my unworthiness, am the successor of the apostles, the vicar of Jesus Christ; I alone have the mission to guide and direct the bark of Peter; I am the way, the truth, and the life. They who are with me, are with the church; they who are not with me, are out of the church—they are out of the way, the truth, and the life.”

Comment is unnecessary. All must agree that the claims of the Papacy are blasphemous. This is the power which, above all others, has spoken great words against the Most High.

2. Has the Papacy worn out the saints of the Most High? In reply to this, we need only refer the intelligent reader to the martyrdom of the saints during its long and bloody reign. All that know anything of the history of the martyrdom of the church by that power, and of the many modes of torture invented to “wear out the saints,” will agree that the Papacy has fulfilled this specification in the fullest sense.

3. “And shall think to change times and laws.” Has the Papacy done this? The times and laws which he thinks to change, must be those ordained by the Most High. 1. To change human laws would be no mark to distinguish this government from others. All do it when they please. 2. The work of this power is all characterized by opposition to God. It is the Most High that he blasphemes, or speaks against; his saints that he persecutes, and his laws that he thinks to change. 3. It is a law that he cannot change. He does speak against God, and he does wear out the saints, but he only thinks to change the times and laws. The Douay version reads, “He shall think himself able to change times and laws.” He assumes that he is able to do this, but is not. Therefore, they are no other than the laws of God; and we rightly infer that they are unchangeable, that “all his commandments are sure; they stand fast forever and ever.” Ps. 111: 7–10. And if we cannot show that the Papacy has assumed the ability to change the law of God, we have no right to apply the prophecy to it.

The prophecy was given more than five hundred years before the first advent of Christ, and the Papacy was not fully developed till more than five hundred years after that event. If Christ made the slightest change in the law of God at the time of his advent, it should be distinctly noted in the New Testament; else we who live more than a thousand years since the “wicked,” law-changing power arose, have no means of knowing whether we are following Christ or Antichrist; and our only safe course is to strictly adhere to the law of God as originally given and published in the Old Testament.

The prophecies going before, concerning Christ and the law are, that he should magnify the law and make it honorable; Isa. 42: 21; that on his coming into the world, the law would be in his heart; Ps. 40: 6–8; Heb. 10: 5–7; and that the new covenant, of which he is the mediator, should write this law upon the hearts of all his people. Jer. 31: 33; Heb. 13: 10.

But some professed Christians think, or say they do, that Christ on Calvary abolished the whole moral code of ten commandments; others, that he only “changed” the Sabbath law by substituting another “time” for its observance, i. e., the first, instead of the seventh, day of the week. To the former class our Saviour says, “THINK NOT that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am NOT come to destroy, but to fulfill.” To the latter class he says, “Till heaven and earth pass, ONE JOT OR ONE TITTLE shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matt. 5: 17, 18. He did not destroy the law; he did not change it. He did not do the work of Antichrist. He left that to be done by the blasphemous power foretold by Daniel, John and Paul, the power “who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped;” impiously assuming to take the throne, and legislate for God; or rather, to place his own law “above” the law of God.

The apostles did not do this work of Antichrist. They taught in harmony with their Lord and Master, the perpetuity of the whole moral law. Rom. 3: 31; James 2: 8–12.

Did the Papacy claim the ability to change the law of God? If it is the power pointed out in the prophecy, it certainly did. But let the papal church speak for itself. Concerning the Sabbath commandment the “Catholic Catechism of the Christian Religion” bears the following testimony: “Question. What does God ordain by this commandment? “Answer. He ordains that we sanctify in a special manner this day on which he rested from the labor of creation. “Q. What is this day of rest? “A. The seventh day of the week, or Saturday; for he employed six days in the creation, and rested on the seventh. “Q. Is it then Saturday we should sanctify, in order to obey the ordinance of God? “A. During the old law, Saturday was the day sanctified; but the church, instructed by Jesus Christ, and directed by the Spirit of God, has substituted Sunday for Saturday, so we now sanctify the first and not the seventh day. Sunday means, and now is, the day of the Lord. “Q. Had the church power to make such change? “A. Certainly, since the Spirit of God is her guide, the change is inspired by that Holy Spirit.”

Much more to the same effect might be quoted from the leaders of the Romish church; but this is sufficient. They boldly claim that their church made the change, and had the right and ability to do it.

We conclude, then, that the Roman papacy is the wicked power foretold in these prophecies; and that there is no higher authority for any change whatever, in the law of God. R. F. COTTERILL.