THE PROTESTANT DIVISION OF THE BABYLONIAN APOSTASY
By R. C. P.
Casts Off Her Name—Caters to Rome—How Her Apostasy Started—Downward Steps—An Angel’s Stirring Warning and Appeal This is the fourth and concluding article by Mr. Porter on the story of old Babylon as the mother of all apostates. In previous articles, he has shown the principles of the Babylonian system; that her religion was intolerant, and enforced upon the people regardless of their wishes; and furthermore, that the Sunday was a central institution in her sun worship, and thus became a rival and a counterfeit of the true Sabbath. He has shown how the Babylonian system of doctrines has manifested itself through both paganism and the papacy; and this week, he shows how Protestantism is yielding to the subtle influences of the great originator of abominations. EDITOR. AS in apostolic days, the gospel of Christ stood forth in the great Protestant Reformation again triumphant. Nations influenced by the purity of its principles, turned from religious intolerance to the support of its claims of individual liberty for all people. Liberty bells were rung. Cannons pealed out the joyful news. Statues of liberty were erected. Martyrs burned by the papacy as heretics, were honored by the erection of monuments to their heroism. The dark night of the reign of terror had again given way before the dawn of the fair morn of the gospel of peace on earth, good will toward men. For four centuries, this new movement of Protestantism has marked the high-water tide of the world’s peace and prosperity. With lamblike gentleness which has made it great, it has influenced nations to proclaim liberty to slaves and freedom of conscience to all people. ELIMINATES THE WORD “PROTESTANT”
Protestantism placed in its foundations of four hundred years ago the protest of the German princes at the Diet of Spires against the papal apostasy from God’s word. But in 1912, the great federation of Protestant churches in America deliberately and openly repudiated the word “Protestant” from their federation name, that without prejudice the Catholic federation movement might be induced to unite with them in a crusade of religious legislation. See Chicago Inter-Ocean, December 7, 1912; London Daily Mail, August 6, 1910, pages 462-464. This legislation was for the enforcement of Sunday observance, the sun’s day of the pagan division, and the Sunday of the papal apostasy. Thus organized Protestantism, ceasing to protest, proposes to join the papacy in an apostasy movement which would enforce a religious creed. SUPREME COURT AND ENFORCED RELIGION
Justice Brewer, of the Supreme Court of the United States, in a decision rendered February 29, 1892, explained away article 1 of the amendments of the United States constitution, which prohibited the enforcement of religion. See Supreme Court records, entry No. 143. And organized Protestantism, having apostatized from her principles, is now prepared to act her part as the third division of the great Babylonian apostasy movement. She who for four centuries has represented before the world the lamblike principles of civil and religious liberty, is now beginning, through an enforced religious movement, to speak as a dragon. Rev. 13: 11. She who for four hundred years has protested against the religious intolerance of the papal apostasy, is now making an image to that very apostasy, and enforcing its traditions in opposition to the word of God, which is her professed creed. Rev. 13: 12-14. Cessions from Protestant churches to Rome are becoming popular. Protestant statesmen now court the Vatican. The following statement is most significant: “England Resumes Diplomatic Relations after Four Hundred Years
“New York, December 25 [1914].—The Italian papers say that the dispatch of Sir Henry Howard as an envoy extraordinary by England to the Vatican will mean a reopening of diplomatic relations between the two countries which was discontinued four hundred years ago. It was decided upon in order to ward off the intrigue of Germany and Austria to obtain the help of the Catholics in England, and therefore it is of much significance. Even Turkey, refusing to deal with the French ambassador in Constantinople who tried to be a mediator on the question of the Christians in Turkey, has desired to send a representative to the Vatican as the representative to Turkey. France also is trying to renew diplomatic relations with the Vatican.”—The China Press, January 3, 1915. More evidence is not required to convince the ordinary observer that Protestantism now condones the creed of the Babylonian apostasy which she repudiated four hundred years ago, when she took her stand openly upon the word of God. Her statesmen now seek recognition and support from the same papal apostasy then repudiated. BEGINNING OF THE PROTESTANT APOSTASY
This apostasy of Protestantism from the Word began when, in 1840-1844, she rejected the world-wide proclamation of the Judgment message. The Congregational Journal of 1844 said: “At a recent meeting of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, Rev. Mr. Barnes, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, whose notes are so extensively used in our families and Sabbath schools, stated that he had been in the ministry for twenty years, and never till the last communion had he administered the ordinance without receiving more or less into the church. But now there are no awakenings, no conversions, not much apparent growth in grace in professors, and none come to his study to converse about the salvation of their souls. With the increase of business, and the brightening prospects of commerce and manufactures, there is an increase of worldly-mindedness. Thus it is with all denominations.” The Religious Telescope, in 1844, under the heading, “Great Spiritual Dearth,” said: “It is a lamentable fact, from which we cannot shut our eyes, that the churches of this country are now suffering severely on account of the great dearth, almost universally complained of. We have never witnessed such a general declension of religion as at the present. Truly the church should awake, and search into the cause of this affliction; for an affliction every one that loves Zion must view it. When we call to mind how ‘few and far between’ cases of true conversion are, and the almost unparalleled impenitence and hardness of sinners, we almost involuntarily exclaim, ‘Has God forgotten to be gracious?’ Or, is the door of mercy closed?”},{ “NO MAN LAYETH IT TO HEART”
Robert Atkins, in a sermon preached in London, said: “The truly righteous are diminished from the earth, and no man layeth it to heart. The professors of religion of the present day, in every church, are lovers of the world, conformers to the world, lovers of creature comfort, and aspirers after respectability. They are called to suffer with Christ, but they shrink from even reproach. “Apostasy, apostasy, apostasy, is engraven on the front of every church; and did they know it, and did they feel it, there might be hope; but, alas! They cry, ‘We are rich and increased in goods, and stand in need of nothing.’” The Genesee Evangelist also said: “Our Zion is in a state of mourning. The Holy Spirit has not visited us as in former years, and we have great cause for deep humiliation in view of the sins and worldliness and spiritual indifference of most of our churches.” The Rev. Professor Denney, in an address delivered in the assembly hall at the World Missionary Conference, Edinburgh, Tuesday evening, June 21, 1910, said: “Men are not coming forward as ministers, nor coming forward as missionaries, because they are not coming forward into the membership of the Christian church at all.”—“History of World Missionary Conference,” 1910, volume 9, page 323. REJECTS HEAVEN-SENT MESSAGE
From these sad statements, it is plain that the beginning of the apostasy of Protestantism dates from her rejection of the heaven-sent Judgment message in 1844. The rejection of the word of God in the proclamation of that message opened the way for “higher criticism,” which has since seriously weakened the foundations of Protestant faith in the word of God and the power of the gospel; and this has paved the way for Protestantism to seek the aid of civil power to support her in the accomplishment of her ends. When Protestantism turned from Christ to the state as the source of her power, she left her position of anchorage to the word of God and the power of Christ, conversions ceased, and she became a persecuting power. She has since become identified with the great threefold Babylon of Scripture, having fallen away from her Protestant principles. A downward step was taken by Protestantism in America when, in open defiance of the law of God, in 1892 she repudiated the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and by a solemn act of legislation, started upon a career of Sunday enforcement (see Congressional Records of 1892, pages 6614, 694, 5204, 6752, 6755, 5144), and later repudiated the word “Protestant” from her federation name in order to seek a union with Catholicism. With the religious legislation movement has been joined the old Babylonian creed of establishing a temporal kingdom of Christ. The Protestant apostasy has identified itself with the pagan and papal divisions of this great apostasy. Its creed and movements are now the same. Protestantism no longer represents the pure gospel of the word of God. All three divisions are fallen; and the Lord is now sending, through the third angel’s message of Rev. 14: 9-14, the final message of warning and reform before His second advent. That message presents the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus as the only standard of preparation for entering the kingdom of God. Rev. 14: 12. It warns against the whole apostate Babylonian system. Verses 9, 10. AN ANGEL’S STIRRING WARNING
In the finishing of its work, it is joined by a mighty angel descending from heaven, which, though unseen, takes charge of the movement, and the earth is lightened with his glory. Then a last mighty cry is raised throughout all three divisions of the Babylonian apostasy, which now fill the world: “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.” Rev. 18: 1-10. This is no common appeal. It is unparalleled in any other period of the world’s history. When the pagan division became hopelessly apostate, there was still hope through a general reformation movement arising out of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. When the papal division became hopelessly apostate, there was still hope through a general reformation movement inaugurated through Protestantism. But when Protestantism, turning persecutor through apostasy, enforces her creed, there is beyond that no further hope of any movement arising to open a general door of hope to a lost world. To no earthly power can men look for help or hope. A last warning message goes quickly to the world, pointing helpless, hopeless sinners to the throne of God—through His worship alone there is hope. The mighty call to all, in all three divisions of the Babylonian apostasy, is, “Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Then a triumphant company, keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, having obtained the victory over all divisions of this Babylonian apostasy, standing faultless before the throne, sing a triumphant song of deliverance, and inherit the kingdom of God. Rev. 15: 1-4. R. C. P.