America in Prophecy by Ellen White [Modern Version]
America’s peculiar origins and hegemonic impact in world affairs stand undisputed. As a superpower birthed from Europe, her eminent history has been celebrated. Foretold since antiquity, a myriad of repressions, revolutions and reforms inspired the first band of pilgrims to settle on a new promised land of liberty. This book enables the reader to understand America’s unique destiny and commanding role while besieged by gross spiritual and political machinations. Clearly, this reading lifts the veil from past events molding America and presaging her cooperation to undermine the very values once cherished. America’s peculiar origins and hegemonic impact in world affairs stand undisputed. As a superpower birthed from Europe, her eminent history has been celebrated. Foretold since antiquity, a myriad of repressions, revolutions and reforms inspired the first band of pilgrims to settle on a new promised land of liberty. This book enables the reader to understand America’s unique destiny and commanding role while besieged by gross spiritual and political machinations. Clearly, this reading lifts the veil from past events molding America and presaging her cooperation to undermine the very values once cherished.
The Methodists of those early days--people as well as preachers--endured ridicule and persecution, alike from church members and from the openly irreligious who were inflamed by their misrepresentations. They were arraigned before courts of justice--such only in name, for justice was rare in the courts of that time. Often they suffered violence from their persecutors. Mobs went from house to house, destroying furniture and goods, plundering whatever they chose, and brutally abusing men, women, and children. In some instances, public notices were posted, calling upon those who desired to assist in breaking the windows and robbing the houses of the Methodists, to assemble at a given time and place. These open violations of both human and divine law were allowed to pass without a reprimand. A systematic persecution was carried on against a people whose only fault was that of seeking to turn the feet of sinners from the path of destruction to the path of holiness. Said John Wesley, referring to the charges against himself and his associates: "Some allege that the doctrines of these men are false, erroneous, and enthusiastic; that they are new and unheard-of till of late; that they are Quakerism, fanaticism, popery. This whole pretense has been already cut up by the roots, it having been shown at large that every branch of this doctrine is the plain doctrine of Scripture interpreted by our own church. Therefore it cannot be either false or erroneous, provided the Scripture be true." "Others allege, "Their doctrine is too strict; they make the way to heaven too narrow.' And this is in truth the original objection, (as it was almost the only one for some time,) and is secretly at the bottom of a thousand more, which appear in various forms. But do they make the way to heaven any narrower than our Lord and His apostles made it? Is their doctrine stricter than that of the Bible? Consider only a few plain texts: 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength.' 'For every idle word which men shall speak, they shall give an account in the day of judgment.' 'Whether ye eat, or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God.' "If their doctrine is stricter than this, they are to blame; but you know in your conscience it is not. And who can be one jot less strict without corrupting the word of God? Can any steward of the mysteries of God be found faithful if he change any part of that sacred depositum? No. He can abate nothing, he can soften nothing; he is constrained to declare to all men, 'I may not bring down the Scripture to your taste. You must come up to it, or perish forever.' This is the real ground of that other popular cry concerning 'the uncharitableness of these men.' Uncharitable, are they? In what respect? Do they not feed the hungry and clothe 189
the naked? 'No; that is not the thing: they are not wanting in this: but they are so uncharitable in judging! they think none can be saved but those of their own way.'"-- Ibid., vol. 3, pp. 152, 153. The spiritual declension which had been manifest in England just before the time of Wesley was in great degree the result of antinomian teaching. Many affirmed that Christ had abolished the moral law and that Christians are therefore under no obligation to observe it; that a believer is freed from the "bondage of good works." Others, though admitting the perpetuity of the law, declared that it was unnecessary for ministers to exhort the people to obedience of its precepts, since those whom God had elected to salvation would, "by the irresistible impulse of divine grace, be led to the practice of piety and virtue," while those who were doomed to eternal reprobation "did not have power to obey the divine law." Others, also holding that "the elect cannot fall from grace nor forfeit the divine favor," arrived at the still more hideous conclusion that "the wicked actions they commit are not really sinful, nor to be considered as instances of their violation of the divine law, and that, consequently, they have no occasion either to confess their sins or to break them off by repentance."--McClintock and Strong, Cyclopedia, art. "Antinomians." Therefore, they declared that even one of the vilest of sins, "considered universally an enormous violation of the divine law, is not a sin in the sight of God," if committed by one of the elect, "because it is one of the essential and distinctive characteristics of the elect, that they cannot do anything that is either displeasing to God or prohibited by the law." These monstrous doctrines are essentially the same as the later teaching of popular educators and theologians--that there is no unchangeable divine law as the standard of right, but that the standard of morality is indicated by society itself, and has constantly been subject to change. All these ideas are inspired by the same master spirit--by him who, even among the sinless inhabitants of heaven, began his work of seeking to break down the righteous restraints of the law of God. The doctrine of the divine decrees, unalterably fixing the character of men, had led many to a virtual rejection of the law of God. Wesley steadfastly opposed the errors of the antinomian teachers and showed that this doctrine which led to antinomianism was contrary to the Scriptures. "The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men ." "This 190
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The Methodists of those early days--people as well as preachers--endured ridicule and<br />
persecution, alike from church members and from the openly irreligious who were <strong>in</strong>flamed<br />
<strong>by</strong> their misrepresentations. They were arraigned before courts of justice--such only <strong>in</strong> name,<br />
for justice was rare <strong>in</strong> the courts of that time. Often they suffered violence from their<br />
persecutors. Mobs went from house to house, destroy<strong>in</strong>g furniture and goods, plunder<strong>in</strong>g<br />
whatever they chose, and brutally abus<strong>in</strong>g men, women, and children. In some <strong>in</strong>stances,<br />
public notices were posted, call<strong>in</strong>g upon those who desired to assist <strong>in</strong> break<strong>in</strong>g the w<strong>in</strong>dows<br />
and robb<strong>in</strong>g the houses of the Methodists, to assemble at a given time and place. These open<br />
violations of both human and div<strong>in</strong>e law were allowed to pass without a reprimand. A<br />
systematic persecution was carried on aga<strong>in</strong>st a people whose only fault was that of seek<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to turn the feet of s<strong>in</strong>ners from the path of destruction to the path of hol<strong>in</strong>ess.<br />
Said John Wesley, referr<strong>in</strong>g to the charges aga<strong>in</strong>st himself and his associates: "Some<br />
allege that the doctr<strong>in</strong>es of these men are false, erroneous, and enthusiastic; that they are<br />
new and unheard-of till of late; that they are Quakerism, fanaticism, popery. This whole<br />
pretense has been already cut up <strong>by</strong> the roots, it hav<strong>in</strong>g been shown at large that every branch<br />
of this doctr<strong>in</strong>e is the pla<strong>in</strong> doctr<strong>in</strong>e of Scripture <strong>in</strong>terpreted <strong>by</strong> our own church. Therefore it<br />
cannot be either false or erroneous, provided the Scripture be true." "Others allege, "Their<br />
doctr<strong>in</strong>e is too strict; they make the way to heaven too narrow.' And this is <strong>in</strong> truth the orig<strong>in</strong>al<br />
objection, (as it was almost the only one for some time,) and is secretly at the bottom of a<br />
thousand more, which appear <strong>in</strong> various forms. But do they make the way to heaven any<br />
narrower than our Lord and His apostles made it? Is their doctr<strong>in</strong>e stricter than that of the<br />
Bible? Consider only a few pla<strong>in</strong> texts: 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,<br />
and with all thy m<strong>in</strong>d, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength.' 'For every idle word<br />
which men shall speak, they shall give an account <strong>in</strong> the day of judgment.' 'Whether ye eat,<br />
or dr<strong>in</strong>k, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God.'<br />
"If their doctr<strong>in</strong>e is stricter than this, they are to blame; but you know <strong>in</strong> your conscience<br />
it is not. And who can be one jot less strict without corrupt<strong>in</strong>g the word of God? Can any<br />
steward of the mysteries of God be found faithful if he change any part of that sacred<br />
depositum? No. He can abate noth<strong>in</strong>g, he can soften noth<strong>in</strong>g; he is constra<strong>in</strong>ed to declare to<br />
all men, 'I may not br<strong>in</strong>g down the Scripture to your taste. You must come up to it, or perish<br />
forever.' This is the real ground of that other popular cry concern<strong>in</strong>g 'the uncharitableness of<br />
these men.' Uncharitable, are they? In what respect? Do they not feed the hungry and clothe<br />
189