PRESENT DUTY by C. P. Bollman

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 9, 1901

PRESENT DUTY

By C. P. Bollman

As Seventh-day Adventists we believe that we have a special message for the world; namely, the Third Angel’s Message.

The Third Angel’s Message, being the culmination of the first and second angels’ messages, is primarily the “everlasting gospel,” but conjoined with this is a special warning against “the worship of the Beast and his Image,” and without this warning the Third Angel’s Message can not be given.

“The Beast” is the papacy. It has its seat in Italy, but is world-wide in its ramifications and influence; hence the warning against it is likewise world-wide.

The “Image to the Beast” is apostate Protestantism, like the papacy more or less closely identified with the State, and looking to Cæsar rather than to Christ for power to propagate the gospel. The Image to the Beast has its seat in the United States, but, like the Beast, its influence and to some extent its ramifications are world-wide; hence this part of the message, the warning against the worship of the Image, is likewise world-wide.

But as in Italy and other Roman Catholic countries there is special point to the warning against the worship of the Beast, so the warning against the worship of the Image to the Beast especially pertains to the United States; and then, too, as in other lands the worship of the Beast is enforced by civil law, so in this country will be enforced the worship of the Image to the Beast.

To give this message it is necessary to identify—that is, to cause to be recognized—both the “Beast” and his “Image.” As the Beast is not only an apostate Church but an apostate Church having illicit relations with earthly governments, it is necessary in this identification to describe these political systems as well as to show the corrupting influence of this union in both Church and State.

And as the Image to the Beast is not only apostate Protestantism, but apostate Protestantism having illicit relations with an apostate political system, it is essential in identifying the Image to identify its constituent parts. This is especially true as the adulterous union which constitutes the Image is made possible only by the repudiation on the part of the State of certain just principles having their origin in the nature of God himself and underlying His government.

The two horns of the second Beast of Revelation 13 represent, the one, Protestantism, the other, republicanism. The second Beast speaks as a dragon, but not until these two cardinal principles have been repudiated. We were told in 1885, “When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power; when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with Spiritualism; when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions,—then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan, and that the end is near.”

Is it not the duty of the watchman to know and to declare when every principle of Protestantism shall have been repudiated? And is it not just as much the duty of the watchman to know and to declare when the principles of republicanism have been repudiated? for it requires both of these to complete the apostasy which results in the perfected Image to the Beast.

But it may be objected that to do this makes it necessary for the watchman, seemingly at least, to “criticise the government.” Suppose it does? did Jeremiah hesitate to declare the truth because to do so seemingly arrayed him against the king?

It is the conviction of the writer that the time has come when not only every Seventh-day Adventist minister, but every Seventh-day Adventist as well, should understand these principles, and be ready and able to speak on all proper occasions in no uncertain tones, whether men will hear or whether they will forbear.

It is not enough that we speak to the churches and of the churches. The Scriptures and the Testimonies speak of the government, and we as faithful watchmen must speak of the government. Has the government repudiated the principles of Protestantism? For answer read the record made by Congress in the World’s Fair legislation in 1892, and the more recent record of the conditions of the five-million-dollar appropriation for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1903.

Has our government repudiated the principles of republicanism? The answer will be found in the history of events connected with the conclusion of the Spanish-American War, and subsequent thereto. If in these things republicanism has not been repudiated, it is difficult to imagine how it could be done short of the actual establishment of a monarchy. And just as certainly as these things have been done, so certainly is it the duty of the watchman faithfully to point out these departures from vital underlying principles, and, connecting them with the prophecy, declare to the people the whole counsel of God.

C. P. BOLLMAN.