The Church's Break from Christ and State Alliance

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 23, 1896

The Church's Break from Christ and State Alliance

God does not cast off his people even tho they apostatize. He did not leave the early church, torn, divided into factions, confused in creed and doctrine and practice as it was. But the church—Babylon—cast him out. They could not ask the power of his Spirit to carry home error to hearts, to compel by love idolatrous ceremonies or days; they therefore turned from the Lord, and sought the power of the state. The church left her lawful spouse and committed fornication with the kings of earth. Compare 2 Cor. 11:2 with Rev. 14:8; 17:2. This was the last step in the separation of the early church from Christ. Out of this came persecution of those who did not subscribe to the creeds. The same factions will produce the same results in the church now.