A REVIEW OF SUNDAY LEGISLATION IN CENTURY NINETEEN. NO. II.
WHAT ROME WILL DO FOR THE UNITED STATES.
POPE LEO XIII. has openly declared "that what Rome has done for other countries she will do for the United States." The present condition of Spain, morally, intellectually, and commercially, presents a fair sample of "what Rome has done for other countries," and consequently should be a fearful warning to the people of this country, of what "she will do for the United States."
Rome has ever been anxious to "do for the United States" that which "Rome has done for other countries." The glorious era of the Declaration of Independence and of the United States Constitution, hailed with joy by every lover of liberty, was an era of "clouds and thick darkness" to her. Rome has had sinister designs against this government and nation ever since that period. But Rome was powerless to carry out her wicked machinations as long as the government abided by the Constitution. Rome knew this, but what could she do?
Professed Protestant Americans persuaded Congress, by means of lies and threats, to reverse the "new order of things," abandon the principles of the Constitution, and legislate in behalf of the so-called "Christian religion." A Sunday law, upon a purely religious basis, was passed for the World's Fair, and thus the barriers of protection were removed, the flood-gates were opened, and Rome has swept in. She has seized and appropriated to her own uses all the historical lines of proof brought forward by these professed Protestant Americans in support of the theory that "this is a Christian nation."
We, as Seventh-day Adventists, have told these professed American Protestants all these years that Rome would do this very thing. They would not believe us. Now that the thing has actually come to pass, and now that Rome is busily engaged in proving to them that if it is "historically true," as they have claimed, that this is a "Christian nation," it is preëminently "historically true" that this is a
CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN NATION,
they grind their teeth in rage. But it is too late; Rome has them fast in her grasp, and, worse than that, the nation, which they and their allies, the Supreme Court, have turned over to her. Again we say, It is too late. The nation is doomed to destruction, sold by her PRIESTS and rulers to the "man of sin." By Rome the great American republic will be ruined. But thank God Rome herself will meet her end in the operation, and her long and disgraceful career will be terminated by Him who is called "Faithful and True," who "in righteousness" doth "judge and make war," and whom "the armies which are in heaven" do follow, and by whom "the beast was taken" and cast alive into a "lake of fire burning with brimstone." Then will be fulfilled the word of the angel who was sent by Jesus Christ to John when he was upon the isle of Patmos: "Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her." Rev. 18: 20. And all the redeemed saints will rejoice, and well they may.
To the prophet Daniel, wrapped in holy vision, the angel said:—
"And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many; he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; BUT HE SHALL BE BROKEN WITHOUT HAND." Dan. 8: 23-25.
By reading the eighth chapter of Daniel from the first verse down to the twenty-third, it will be clearly seen that these verses must apply to Rome, and to no other power but Rome. It is Rome that is to be "broken without hand." It may be urged that this applies only to the destruction of the Roman Empire, and not to the Roman Catholic Church. Not so; Rome as an empire was destroyed long ago by the barbarian tribes of ancient Germany. Rome as an empire was not "broken without hand." Nevertheless, the principles of Pagan Rome exist in Papal Rome just as truly as they did in the empire. The fundamental principle of ROME from first to last, from start to finish, is SELF-EXALTATION.
It is therefore clear from the above scripture that the Roman Catholic Church will perish "without hand," that is, without the hand of man. It is the hand of God that will destroy her. This is stated in the following words from Holy Writ:—
"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame." Dan. 7: 8-11.245
Now all this was said concerning a power of whom it was also said: "He shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High." This is all true of the Roman Catholic Church; and, moreover, it is preëminently true of her. Other powers have spoken great words against the Most High; but no power has done that wicked thing to an extent that will in any way compare with the degree to which the Roman Catholic Church has done it. Of the Papacy Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, said: "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." 2 Thess. 2: 4. The temple of God is that place where sins are forgiven. But the Papacy claims the power to forgive sins. It therefore follows that the Papacy does put herself in the place of God, in the temple of God. This is blasphemy if ever there was such a thing in the world.
Again, Rome states that the Holy Scriptures derive their infallibility from the Roman Catholic Church. But the Holy Scriptures are the living word of God. They are, if we may be allowed the use of the expression, God incarnate in human language. But in this claim the Papacy puts herself above the word of God, which is the expression of the character of God, which is God himself. And this also is blasphemy if there ever was such a thing on earth.
Add to all of this the blasphemous titles arrogated to herself by the Papacy: "Lord God the Pope," "Another God upon earth," "King of Kings and Lord of Lords," "Viceregent of the Son of God." Such titles as these would be blasphemous even if held by men of good morals and unquestionable piety; but when held by men whose crimes of rape, incest, adultery, murder, and debaucheries of every kind were so great that they cannot with decency be written, what shall we say of them?
It was said of the Papacy that she "shall WEAR OUT the saints of the Most High." The text does not say "persecute" but "wear out." Other powers have persecuted; but she alone has worn out the saints. The Saracens have killed some of the saints; so has the Greek Church; so have other powers; but Rome has worn them out. Never did the Saracens or any other heathen power invent or use such infernal processes of slow torture to "wear out" life as has Rome. No power save Rome ever blew men full of wind by means of bellows till they burst. No power but Rome ever stuck them full of pins from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot. No power save Rome ever used the "Iron Maiden" or the "Spanish Donkey." More than all this, she has worn out whole nations till there was not a man of them left. This is especially true in the case of the Albigenses.
All this is "what Rome has done for other countries," and what she wants to do for the United States.
Again the record says of the Roman Catholic Church, "He will think to change THE TIMES, and the law." Dan. 7: 25, R. V. Not "think to change" a time, or the time, but THE TIMES, that is, the periods of time which by God have been distinguished above all other times. But this weekly recurring period that has been honored and distinguished by the Lord above every other day is the Sabbath, the seventh day, the memorial of creation. Rome has done her best to put another day in the place of the day of God. She has taken the pagan Sunday and sought to put it in the place of the day which the great Creator sanctified and blessed. The Sabbath of the Lord is the memorial of creative power, hence, the memorial of the Creator. Here is what Hislop says of the sun; it is significant in this connection:—
According to the primitive language of mankind, the sun was called "Shemesh," that is, "the servant," that name, no doubt, being divinely given to keep the world in mind of the great truth that, however glorious was the orb of day, it was after all the appointed minister of the bounty of the great unseen Creator to his creatures upon earth. Men knew this, and yet, with the full knowledge of it, they put the servant in the place of the Master, and called the sun Baal—that is, the Lord—and worshiped him accordingly. What a meaning then in the saying of Paul, that "when they knew God, they glorified him not as God; but changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is God over all, blessed forever"!
All of this has Rome done, and done it knowingly, and she glories in it, and declares that Sunday as a day of holy rest, (?) this creation of iniquity, is her distinguishing mark.
And now the crowning blasphemy of it all is that, in the face of this fearful record, she, Rome, Babylon, the mother of harlots, is declaring herself to be "the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers [margin] shall serve and obey him." Dan. 7: 27. More than this, as I shall hereafter show, she is already setting about to prove this thing to all the world.