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.
Sabbath. But papists urge, as a reason for omitting the second commandment, that it is unnecessary, being included in the first, and that they are giving the law exactly as God designed it to be understood. This cannot be the change foretold by the prophet. An intentional, deliberate change is presented: "He shall think to change the times and the law." The change in the fourth commandment exactly fulfills the prophecy. For this the only authority claimed is that of the church. Here the papal power openly sets itself above God. While the worshipers of God will be especially distinguished by their regard for the fourth commandments,--since this is the sign of His creative power and the witness to His claim upon man's reverence and homage,--the worshipers of the beast will be distinguished by their efforts to tear down the Creator's memorial, to exalt the institution of Rome. It was in behalf of the Sunday that popery first asserted its arrogant claims (See Appendix); and its first resort to the power of the state was to compel the observance of Sunday as "the Lord's day." But the Bible points to the seventh day, and not to the first, as the Lord's day. Said Christ: "The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." The fourth commandment declares: "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord." And by the prophet Isaiah the Lord designates it: "My holy day." Mark 2:28; Isaiah 58:13. The claim so often put forth that Christ changed the Sabbath is disproved by His own words. In His Sermon on the Mount He said: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven," Matthew 5:17-19. It is a fact generally admitted by Protestants that the Scriptures give no authority for the change of the Sabbath. This is plainly stated in publications issued by the American Tract Society and the American Sunday School Union. One of these works acknowledges "the complete silence of the New Testament so far as any explicit command for the Sabbath [Sunday, the first day of the week] or definite rules for its observance are concerned."--George Elliott, The Abiding Sabbath, page 184. Another says: "Up to the time of Christ's death, no change had been made in the day;" and, "so far as the record shows, they [the apostles] did not . . . give any explicit command 339
enjoining the abandonment of the seventh-day Sabbath, and its observance on the first day of the week."--A. E. Waffle, The Lord's Day, pages 186-188. Roman Catholics acknowledge that the change of the Sabbath was made by their church, and declare that Protestants by observing the Sunday are recognizing her power. In the Catholic Catechism of Christian Religion, in answer to a question as to the day to be observed in obedience to the fourth commandment, this statement is made: "During the old law, Saturday was the day sanctified; but the church, instructed by Jesus Christ, and directed by the Spirit of God, has substituted Sunday for Saturday; so now we sanctify the first, not the seventh day. Sunday means, and now is, the day of the Lord." As the sign of the authority of the Catholic Church, papist writers cite "the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of; . . . because by keeping Sunday, they acknowledge the church's power to ordain feasts, and to command them under sin."-- Henry Tuberville, An Abridgment of the Christian Doctrine, page 58. What then is the change of the Sabbath, but the sign, or mark, of the authority of the Roman Church--"the mark of the beast"? The Roman Church has not relinquished her claim to supremacy; and when the world and the Protestant churches accept a sabbath of her creating, while they reject the Bible Sabbath, they virtually admit this assumption. They may claim the authority of tradition and of the Fathers for the change; but in so doing they ignore the very principle which separates them from Rome--that "the Bible, and the Bible only, is the religion of Protestants." The papist can see that they are deceiving themselves, willingly closing their eyes to the facts in the case. As the movement for Sunday enforcement gains favor, he rejoices, feeling assured that it will eventually bring the whole Protestant world under the banner of Rome. Romanists declare that "the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Catholic] Church."--Mgr. Segur, Plain Talk About the Protestantism of Today, page 213. The enforcement of Sundaykeeping on the part of Protestant churches is an enforcement of the worship of the papacy--of the beast. Those who, understanding the claims of the fourth commandment, choose to observe the false instead of the true Sabbath are thereby paying homage to that power by which alone it is commanded. But in the very act of enforcing a religious duty by secular power, the churches 340
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Sabbath. But papists urge, as a reason for omitt<strong>in</strong>g the second commandment, that it is<br />
unnecessary, be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> the first, and that they are giv<strong>in</strong>g the law exactly as God<br />
designed it to be understood. This cannot be the change foretold <strong>by</strong> the prophet. An<br />
<strong>in</strong>tentional, deliberate change is presented: "He shall th<strong>in</strong>k to change the times and the law."<br />
The change <strong>in</strong> the fourth commandment exactly fulfills the prophecy. For this the only<br />
authority claimed is that of the church. Here the papal power openly sets itself above God.<br />
While the worshipers of God will be especially dist<strong>in</strong>guished <strong>by</strong> their regard for the<br />
fourth commandments,--s<strong>in</strong>ce this is the sign of His creative power and the witness to His<br />
claim upon man's reverence and homage,--the worshipers of the beast will be dist<strong>in</strong>guished<br />
<strong>by</strong> their efforts to tear down the Creator's memorial, to exalt the <strong>in</strong>stitution of Rome. It was<br />
<strong>in</strong> behalf of the Sunday that popery first asserted its arrogant claims (See Appendix); and its<br />
first resort to the power of the state was to compel the observance of Sunday as "the Lord's<br />
day." But the Bible po<strong>in</strong>ts to the seventh day, and not to the first, as the Lord's day. Said Christ:<br />
"The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." The fourth commandment declares: "The<br />
seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord." And <strong>by</strong> the prophet Isaiah the Lord designates it: "My<br />
holy day." Mark 2:28; Isaiah 58:13.<br />
The claim so often put forth that Christ changed the Sabbath is disproved <strong>by</strong> His own<br />
words. In His Sermon on the Mount He said: "Th<strong>in</strong>k not that I am come to destroy the law, or<br />
the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and<br />
earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall <strong>in</strong> no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.<br />
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so,<br />
he shall be called the least <strong>in</strong> the k<strong>in</strong>gdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them,<br />
the same shall be called great <strong>in</strong> the k<strong>in</strong>gdom of heaven," Matthew 5:17-19. It is a fact<br />
generally admitted <strong>by</strong> Protestants that the Scriptures give no authority for the change of the<br />
Sabbath. This is pla<strong>in</strong>ly stated <strong>in</strong> publications issued <strong>by</strong> the <strong>America</strong>n Tract Society and the<br />
<strong>America</strong>n Sunday School Union. One of these works acknowledges "the complete silence of<br />
the New Testament so far as any explicit command for the Sabbath [Sunday, the first day of<br />
the week] or def<strong>in</strong>ite rules for its observance are concerned."--George Elliott, The Abid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Sabbath, page 184.<br />
Another says: "Up to the time of Christ's death, no change had been made <strong>in</strong> the day;"<br />
and, "so far as the record shows, they [the apostles] did not . . . give any explicit command<br />
339