IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

1.1

UitM |25
■u Uii 12.2

J!? litt ■"

Ui&

1.25 III 1.4 1.6

►

<5%

f^l^.^

"^IV'**

Photographic

Sciences

Corporation

33 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14SS0

(716) 872-4503

^'^

CIHM/ICMH

Microfiche

Series.

CIHIVI/ICMH
Collection de
microfiches.

Canadian Institute for Historical IVIicroreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques

Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques

The Institute has attempted to obtain the best
original copy available for filming. Features of this
copy which may be bibiiographicaily unique,
wliich may alter any of the images in the
reproduction, or which may significantly change
the usual method of filming, are checked below.

D
D

Coloured covers/
Couverture de couieur

I I Covers damaged/

Couverture endommagie

Covers restored and/or laminated/
Couverture restaurie et/ou peiiicul6e

I I Cover title missing/

Le titre de couverture manque

I I Coloured maps/

Cartes g^ographiques en couieur

Coloured init (i.e. other than blue or black)/
Encre de couieur (i.e. autre que bieue ou noire)

r~~] Coloured plates and/or illustrations/

Planches et/ou illustrations en couieur

Bound with other material/
Reli6 avec d'autres documents

Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion
along interior margin/

La re iiure serr^e peut causer de i'ombre ou de la
distortion ie long de la marge int^rieure

Blank leaves added during restoration may
appear within the text. Whenever possible, these
have been omitted from filming/
11 se peut qua certalnes pages blanches ajout6es
iors d'une restauration apparalssent dans ie texte,
mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont
pas 6t6 fiimies.

Additional comments:/
Commentaires suppl6mentaires:

L'Institut a microfilm^ ie meilieur exemplaire
qu'il lui a 6tA possible de se procurer. Les details
de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du
point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier
une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une
modification dans la methods normaie de filmage
sont indiquAs ci-dessous.

I I Coloured pages/

Pages de couieur

Pages damaged/
Pages endommagdes

Pages restored and/oi

Pages restaur^es et/ou peliicui^es

Pages discoloured, stained or foxei
Pages d6color6es, tachet6es ou piqu6es

Pages detached/
Pages d6tach6es

Showthrough/
Transparence

Quality of prir

Quaiiti in^gaie de i'impression

includes supplementary materif
Comprend du materiel suppi^mentaire

Only edition available/
Seule Edition disponible

I — I Pages damaged/

r~~| Pages restored and/or laminated/

pT] Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/

r~l Pages detached/

ry\ Showthrough/

I I Quality of print varies/

I I Includes supplementary material/

I I Only edition available/

Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata
slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to
ensure the best possible image/
Les pages totaiement ou partiellement
obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une peiure,
etc., ont dt6 filmdes d nouveau de fapon d
obtenir la meilleure image possible.

This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/

Ce document est fiim6 au taux de reduction indiqud ci-dessous.

10X 14X 18X 22X

26X

30X

12X

16X

20X

24X

28X

32X

aire
details
ues du
t modifier
ger une
I filmage

The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks
to the generosity of:

National Library of Canada

The images appearing here are the best quality
possible considering the condition and legibility
of the original copy and in keeping with the
filming contract specifications.

Original copies In printed paper covers are filmed
beginning with the front cover and ending on
the last page with a printed or illustrated impres-
sion, or the back cover when appropriate. Ail
other original copies are filmed beginning on the
first page with a printed or Illustrated impres-
sion, and ending on the last page with a printed
or illustrated Impression.

i6es

L'exemplaire filmi fut reproduit grflce A la
ginArositA de:

Bibllothdque nationale du Canada

Les Images suivantes ont (6tA reprodultes avec le
plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition at
de la netteti de l'exemplaire filmi, at en
conformity avec les conditions du contrat de
filmage.

Les exempiaires originaux dont la couverture en
papier est ImprimAe sont fiim^s en comment ant
par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la
dernlAre page qui comports une empreinte
d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second
plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exempiaires
originaux sont filmte en commengant par id
premiere page qui comporte une empreinte
d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par
la derniire page qui comporte une telle
empreinte.

The last recorded frame on each microfiche
shall contain the symbol ^^ (meaning "CON-
TINUED"), or the symbol V {meaning "END"),
whichever applies.

Un des symboles sulvants apparaftra sur la
dernlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le
cas: le symbols — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le
symbols ▼ signifie "FIN".

ire

Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at
different reduction ratios. Those too large to be
entirely Included In one exposure are filmed
beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to
right and top to bottom, as many frames as
required. The following diagrams illustrate the
method:

Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre
fllmis A des taux de rMuction dlff6rents.
Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre
reproduit en un seul clich6, 11 est fiimA A partir
de Tangle sup6rleur gauche, de gauche d droite,
et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre
d'Images n6cessaire. Les diagrammes sulvants
iiiustrent la m6thode.

>y errata
ed to

»nt

me pelure,

aqon d

1 2 3

32X

O T-

S 2.

^WUl

sY,(ivt. ♦*«>i*^*.»sa^^«-.i^

THi;

Great Controversy

Between Christ and Satan

DURING

The Christian Dispensation.

BY MRS. E. G. WHITE,

Ain'HOR OF ••the life OF CHRIST," '•SKETCHES FROM THE LIFE

OF PAUL," "BIBLE SANCTIFICATION," AND

VARIOUS OTHER WORKS.

REVISED AND ENLARGED.

TORONTO, ONTARIO.
REVIEW AND HERALD PUBLISHING CO.

1893.

, »i<>»rt«.cJisT'.* iy*

Entered accordimj to Act of Congress, in the year 1S88, hy
In the office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, D. C.

ALL JilGIlTS RESERVED.

WARWICK & SONS.

PRINTERS AND BOOKBINDERS,

TORONTO,

PUBLISHER'S PREFACE.

"When the leader of tliose "nngels wbioh kept not their first estate"
(Ju<le6) fell from his holy uiid exalted place in Heaven, he precipitated
upon the universe of God an awful controversy.

From the very nature of the case, there must be eternal antago-
nism between righteousness and sin. IJetween jmrity and pollution
there can be no coalition; nor could the supreme Author of all things,
the God in whom inheres every perfection, maintain any other than
an attitude of uncompromising hostility to sin and all its fruits, to the
author of rebellion and all his followers.

Another conclusion is apparent: God, as the foe of all evil, and at
the same time omnipotent, could not, consistently with his own nature,
suffer rebellion to enter within iiis realms, and abide forever. The in-
truder must be cast out; the disturber of the peace must be destroyed.
There can be no question as to Hie issue of this controversy between a
holy Creator and the rebellious creature.

That sin might make a full revelat-ion of its nature and results to
the intelligences of all worlds, this controversy was not arrested in its
inception. When sin is finally destroyed, it will have given sufficient
evidence to satisfy every mind that it deserves the infliction; and all
will joyfully acquiesce in its merited doom.

Happily we have no evidence that, outside the apostate angels, any
other world than our own has fallen under the Influence of this sinful
revolt. But this is enough to make it a matter of absorbing interest to
us; for Satan and his angels being cast out of Heaven, this world has
become the sole theater of the struggle between right and wrong. All
men have become involved therein. Between them and salvation
there lies the problem of recovery from sin, the attainment to a con-
dition of reconciliation and acceptance with God.

What theme is therefore entitled to be regarded with more absorb-
ing interest than this great controversy — the stages through which it
has passed, its present development, and the outlook for the future.
How and under what cii-cum stances wi'l the controversy end? and
have we any evidence that the long-wished-for termination is drawing
near?

To the consideration of these great themes the following pages are

raj

PREFACE.

devoted; nnd we have the i-learest assuriiiKie that the author posaosses
peculiar qualifications for such a work. From her cuildhood Hhe has
been noted for her reverence and love for the Word of God, and ber
piety and devotion to his service Unbounded failli in the promises
of the Holy Scriptures has been bt)tli an inducement and a meano to
enable her to live near to tlie Saviour. The blessing of the Holy Spirit
has been vouchsafed to her in large measure. And as one of the offices
of this Spirit was declared to be to show unto the followers of Christ
"things to come" (John 1(J : 13), working through that prescribed dian-
nel which, as one of llie endowments of tlie church, is described as
the gift of i)rophecy (1 Cor. 13:9, 10; 14:1), so we believe she
has been empowered by a divine illumination to speak of seme past
events which have thus been brought to her attention, with greater
minuter i than is set forth '" :;ny e.xisting records, and to read the
future with more than human foresight. Those who know whn.t it is
to hold communion with our heavenly Father, will, we tliink, as they
read these pages, feel constrained to i)elieve that the writer has drawn
from the heavenly fountain, and received help from that throne of
grace where Christ sittetb as our merciful High Priest, and wlience he
is ever ready to send forth assi-stance t > the many sons whom he is
bringing unto glory. Heb. ? : 10.

Aside from the great volume of inspiration — the Bible — no other
booV presents a more wonderful and intensely interesting history of
the present dispensation, to the complete restitution of all things, tban
the volume here offered to the public. And as the closing scenes of
this world's history are of the most thrilling and momentous nature,
these are more particularly dwelt upon in this work. The reader, as
he follows the narrative, beginning with a sketch of our Lord's great
prophecy in Matthew 24, will find himself entering into new sympathy
with the church in her warfare and her sufferings, as she passes on to
her promised redemption ; and the soul of every believer will kindle at
the vivid description of the final triumph of the people of Gcd, the de-
struction of Satan and all his followers, the total and eternal extirpa-
tion of evil from the universe, and the renovation of the earth as the
everlasting inheritance of the saints, when this great controversy Is
concluded.

While the subjects here presented involve the loftiest imagery, and
most wonderful depth, even as the apostle declares, "the deep things
of God," which the Spirit alone ?3 capable of i^earching into (Cor. 3 : 10),
yet they are treated in language cLaste, simple, and easy to be under-
stood. And we rejoice to know thiit the reading of tliis work leads to
greater confidence in, and love for, the Holy Scriptures, to greater
sympathy with Christ, in his mai'^elous work for the redemption of

(6)

PREFACE.

men, nnd to greater ri'veronco for tli»> God of all gr-'ce, in whom are all
the treasures of wisdom and knowlcdgo.

Numoroiis oditioMit of this work having already hi'cn exiiaiirtted,
\70 feel a peculiar gratit!'calion in Hcnding f(/rth this edition, enlarged
and improved, and adapted to circulate in varioiiH tongues The illuH-
trationa will jidd to the intereHt and value of the work. ^' 'ly it still
prove a bleaaiug to all who read, and redound to the glory oi the Moat
High.

-o-:-

AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

Befork the entrance of sin, Adam enjoyed open communion with
his Maker; but since man separated liimaelf from (Jod by transgres-
sion, the human race has been out oit from this high privilege. By
the plan of redemption, however, a way has been opened whereby the
inhabitants of the earth may still have connection with Heaven. God
has communicated with men by his Spirit, and divine light has been
imparted to the world by revelations to his chosen servants. *' Holy
men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Pet. 1 :21.

During the first twenty -five hundred years of human history, there
was no written revelation. Those who had been taught of God, com-
municated their knowledge to others, and it was handed down from
father to son, through successive generations, The preparation of the
written word began in the time of Moses. Inspired revelations were
then embodiea in an inspired book. This work continued during the
long period of sixteen hundred years, from Moses, the historian of
creation and the law, to John, the recorder of the most sublime truths
of the gospel.

The Bible points to God as its author; yet it was written by human
hands; and in the varied style of its different books it presents the char-
acteristics of the several writers. The truths revealed are all "given
by inspiration of God" (2 Tim. 3 : 16); yet they are expressed in the
w ards of men. The Infinite One by his Holy Spirit has shed light
into the minds and hearts of his servants. Ho has given dreams and
visions, symbols and figures; and those to whom the truth was thus re-
vealed, have themselves embodied the thought in human language.

The ten commandments were spoken by God himself, and were
written by his own hand. They are of divine, and not human com-
position. But the Bible, with its God-given truths expressed in the
language of men, presents a union of the divine and the human. Such
a union existed in the nature of Christ, who was the Son of God and

(c)

PRKFA CK.

the Son of miiri. Thim it id true of tho Bible, hh it wiih of Christ, that
" tlie Word wurt miidu tlesh, uiid dwolt among U8." Jolin 1 : 14.

Written it; ditferont agea, by men wlio ditfeij^d widely in rank and
occupation, and in mental und apiritual ondowmontM, tho booka of the
liible preaetit u wide contraHt in stylo, aa well aa a divoraity in the
nature of tlio aubjocta unfolded. Difterent forma of exprcaaion are
employi'(l by different writers; often the same truth ia more strikingly
preaentel by one than by another. And as aevoral writers present a
subject under varied aspects and relations, there nuiy appear, to the
superficial, careleaa, or prejudiced reader, to bo discrepancy or contra-
diction, where the thoughtful, reverent student, with clearer insight,
discerns the underlying harmony.

As presented through different individuals, the truth is brought
out in its varied aspects. One writer ia more strongly imprcased
with one phase of a subject; lio grasps thodo points that harmonize
with his experience or with his power of perception and appreciation;
another seizes upon a different phase; and each, under tho guidance of
the Holy Spirit, presents what is most forcibly impressed upon his own
mind; a different aspect of tho truth in each, but a perfect harmony
through all. And tho truths thus revealed unite to form a perfect
whole, adapted to meet the wants of men in all the circumatances and
experiences of life.

God has been pleased to communicate his truth to the world by
human agencies, and ho himself, by his Holy Spirit, qualified men
and enabled them to do this work. He guided tho mind in tho selec-
tion of what to speak and what to write. The treasure was intrusted
to earthen vessels, yet it is, none tho less, from Heaven. The testimony
is conveyed through the imperfect expression of human language; yet
it is the testimony of God; and the obedient, believing child of God
beholds in it the glory of a divine power, full of grace and truth.

In his Word, God has committed to men the knowledge necessary
for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted aa an authorita-
tive, infallible revelation of his will. They are the standard of char-
acter, the revealer of doctrines, and the teat of experience. " Every
scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction which is in righteousness; that the man of
God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work."
2 Tim. 3 ; 16, 17, Reviaed Version.

Yet the fact that God haa revealed hia will to men through his Word,
has not rendered needless the continued presence and guiding of the
Holy Spirit. On the contrary, the Spirit was promised by our Saviour,
to open the Word to his servants, to illuminate and apply its teach-
ings, i.nd since it was the Spirit of God that inspired the Bible, it is

(d)

PRKFA CK.

».

itnfKMHible that ihu teaching of tht* spirit Hhould ever \w contrary to
that «)f the Word.

The Spirit wa« not ^^iven — nor can It ovor be bcHtowod — toHuporHodo
the Bible; for the ScripturcH explicitly state that tliu Word of (iod in
the Htandurd by wliieh all teaching and cxperiunco nitiHt bu tented.
.Saya the apostle John, " Helievo not every Hpirit, but try the spirits
whether they are of (tod; because many false prophets are gone out
into the world." I John 4 : 1. And Isaiah declares, "To the law and
to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because
there is no light in them." Isa. K : L'O.

Great reproach has been cast upon the work of the ][oly Spirit, by
the errors of a class that, claiming its enlightenment, profess to have
uo further need of gui<lance from the Wordof ( Jod. They are governed
by impressions which they regard as the voice of Ciod in the soul. But
the spiriL that controls them is not the Spirit of Cio<l. This following
of impressions, to the neglect of the Scriptures, can lead only to con-
fusion, to deception and ruin. It serves only to further the designs
of the evil one. Since the ministry of the Holy Spirit is of vital
importance to the church of Christ, it is one of the devices of Satan,
through the errors of extremists and f.inatlcs to cast contempt upon
the work of the Spirit, and cause the people of Ciod to neglect this
source of strength which our Lord Iiimself has provided.

In harmony with the Word of God, his Spirit was to continue its
work throughout the entire period of the gospel dispensation. During
the ages while the Scriptures of both the Old and the New Testament
were being given, the Holy Spirit did not cease to communicate light
to individual minds, apart from the revelations to bo embodied in the
sacred canon. The Bible itself relates how, through the Holy Spirit,
men received warning, reproof, counsel, and instruction, in matters in
no way relating to the giving of the Scriptures. And mention is made
of prophets in dift'erent ages, of whoso utterances nothing is recorded.
In like manner, after the close of the canon of Scripture, the Holy
Spirit was still to continue its work, to enlighten, warn, and comfort
the children of God.

Jesus promised hia disciples, "The Comforter, which is the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, ho shall teach you all
things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have
said unto you." " When he, tho Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide
you into all truth; . . . and he will show you things to ceme." John
14:26; 16:13. Scripture plainly teaches that these promises, so far
from being limited to apostolic days, extend to tho church of Christ
in all ages. The Saviour assures his followers, "I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world." Matt. 28 : 20. And Paul declares

PREFACK

thnt tlio glftM iind iniinUVtitAttonfi of tlio spirit wrru Bk>t In the church
*' fur tlut portrctiti^r of tlio Hiiirits. for tlm work of the iiiiiiiMtry, for tlio
edifying of thu body of ChriHt; till wo all coiiiu in thu unity of tho
faith, an<l of tho knowli'd^jc of tho Po!i of (!od, utito a perfect man,
unto tht^ muiuturu of tlio Htatiiru of thu fiillncHrt of Christ." Kph.
4 : lii, l:'..

For tho holit'vora at KphoHUs th»' apostio prayod, "That tho (!od of
ourliOid .ToMUs ('hritit, tho Father of glory, may givo unto you tho
F]>irU (tf tvindom and n eclat inn in tho knowhdno of him; the cye» of
j/onr iiikU rstanilhiy bfituj inl'Kjhtrnnl; that yo nuiy know what is tho
]i()po of liid culling, and wiiat ... is t\n) cjceedinf/ ffrc( if ncsH it(
his |)owcr to us-ward who holievc" Kph. 1:17-19. Th(» miniMtry of
tho dlvinu Hpirit in enlightening tho uiidorstanding and opening to
tli(^ miinl tho deej) things of (lod's holy Word, was tho blosning which
l*uul tluw boHought for tho KpheHian church.

After tho wonderful manifestation of tho IFoly Spirit on tho day of
Pentecortt, Peter exhorted the people to repentance and baptinni in tho
name of Christ, for tho remission of their sins; and hitsaid, " Yo shall
receive tho gift of tho Holy (thost. For tho promise is unto you, and
to your children, and to all that areufar oH'^ even as many as the Lord
our Ood shall call." Acts 2 : .38, 30.

In immediate connection with the scenes of the great day of Ood,
tho Lord by the prophet Joel has promised a special manifestation of
his Spirit. Joel 2 : 28. Thisproph(>cy received a partial fulfillment in
the outpouring of tho Spirit on tho day of Pentecost; but it will reach
its full accomj/lishment in tho manifestation of divine grace which will
attend the closing work of tho gospel.

The great controversy between good and evil will increase in in-
tensity to the very close of time. In all ages tho wrath of Satan lias
been manifested against tho church of Christ; and God has bestowed
his grace and Spirit upon his people to strengthen them to stand
against the power of tho evil one. When tho ai)ostles of Christ were
to bear his gospel to the world and to record it for all future ages,
they were especially endowed with tho enlightenment of the Spirit.
But as tho church approaches her final deliverance, Satan is to work
with greater power. He comes down "having great wrath, because
he knoweth that he hath but a short time." Rev. 12 : 12. He will
work "with all power and signs and lying wonders." 2 Thess. 2 :9.
For six thousand years that master-mind that once was highest among
the angels of God, has been wholly bent to the work of deception and
ruin. And all the depths of Satanic skill and subtlety acquired, all
tho cruelty developed, during these struggles of the ages, will be brought
to bear against God's people in the final conflict. And in this time of

PRKFA CE.

peril the follnworH of rhriat arc to bt-iir to tin* world the wuriiiti)i(of
tho Lord'tt Mi'coixl udvetit; iiiitl h pvoplo art^ to he prr|>ar«><l to Htimd
before him at his coininK, " without Hpot, and bhuiielcHH." 2 IVt. :{ : 14.
At thitt time tht^ Hpcciiil eitdowmeiit of divine grace and power \* nut
Khj needful to tlie cliureh than in apoHtolic day.t.

Tlirou^ii the illumination of tln^ Holy Spirit, theHcenesof the long*
continued eontlict between g(M)d and evil have been opened to tlio
writer of thcHu pagi'H. From tinio to time I have been permitted to
behold the workin^r, in diU'crent a^cH, of the j^reat eontrover«y between
Chrint, the Prince of life, the author of our Halvation, and Satan, tlio
prince uf evil, the a.ithor of hIu, the tirst transgressor of (iod's holy hi«v.
Satan'H enmity against Christ lias been nuinifosted against hiri fol-
lowers. The Hame liatrcd of the principles of Ood's law, the huuiu
policy of deception, by wliich error is made to appear as truth, by
which hunuiu laws are substituted for the law of (Sod, and men uro
led to worship the creature rather than the Creator, may bo traced in
all the history of the past. Satan's efforts to misrepresent the cliur-
acter of (lod, to eiiuse men to cherish a false coneeptionof the Creutor,
and thus to regard him with fear aud hate rather than with love, liis
endeavors to set aside the divine law, leading; the people to think tlieni-
Hclves free fr()m its requirements, and his persecution of those who
dare to resist his deceptions, have been steadfastly pursued in all ages.
They may be traced in the history of patriarchs, prophets, and apoMtIca,
of martyrs and reformers.

Iti the great fiiuil conflict, Satan will employ the same policy, mani*
fest the same spirit, and work for the same end, as in all preceding
ages. That which lias been, will be, except that the coming struggle
will be marked with a terrible intensity such as the world has never
witnessed. Satan's deceptions will be more subtle, his assaults more
determined. If it were possible, he would lead astray the eioct.
Mark 13 :22, Revised Version.

As the Spirit of (Jod has opened to my mind the great truths of his
Word, and the scenes of the past and the future, I have been bidden
to make known to others what has thus been revealed, — to trace the
liistory of the controversy in past ages, and .'specially to so jjresent it
as to shed a light on the fast-approaching struggle of the future. In
pursuance of this purpose, I have endeavored to select and group to-
gether events in the history of the church in such a manner as to
trace the unfolding of the great testing truths that at different periods
have been given to the world, that have excited the wrath of Satan, and
the enmity of a world-loving church, and that have been maintained
by the witness of those who "loved not their lives unto the death."

In these records we may see a foreshadowing of the conflict before

(V)

PREFACE.

us. Regarding them in the light of God's Word, and by the illumina-
tion of his Spirit, we may see unveiled the devices of the wicked one,
and the dangers which they must shun who would be found " without
iuult" before the Lord at his coming.

The great events which have marked the progress of reform in past
^ges, are matters of history, well known and universally acknowledged
by the Protestant world; they are facts which none can gainsay.
This histo. y I have presented briefly, in accordance with the scope of
the book, and the brevity which must necessarily be observed, the
facts having been condensed into as little space as seemed consistent
with a proper understanding of their application. In some cases where
a historian has so grouped together events as to afford, in brief, a com-
prehensive view of the subject, or has summarized details in a con-
venient manner, his woids have been quoted; but except in a few in-
stances no specific credit has been given, since they are not quoted for
the purpose of citing that writer ns authority, but because his state-
ment affords a rciidy and forcil.ie presentation of the subject. In nar-
rating the experience and views of those carrying forward the work of
reform in our own time, similar use has occasionally been made of their
published works.

It is not so much the object of this book to present new truths con-
cerning the struggles of former times, as to bring out facts and princi-
ples whica have a bearing upon coming events. Yet viewed as a part
ot the controversy between the forces of light and darkness, all these
records of the past are seen to have a new significance; and through
them a light is cast upon the future, illumining the pathway of those
who, like the reformers of past ages, will be called, even at the peril of
all eartMy good, to witness " for the Word of God, and for the testi-
mony of Jesus Christ."

To unfold the scenes of the great controversy between truth and
error; to reveal the wiles of Satan, and the means by which he may
be successfully resisted; to present a satisfactory solution of the great
problem of evil, shedding such a light upon the origin and the final
disposition of sin as to fully make manifest the justice and benevo-
lence of God in all his dealings with his creatures; and to show the
holy, unchanging nature of liis law, ia the object of this book.
That through its influence souls may be delivered from the power of
darkness, and become "partakers of the inheritance of the saiiits in
light," to the praise of Him who loved us, and gave himself for us, is
the earnest prayer of the writer.

E.G.W.
Healdsburg, Cal., )
May, 1888. y

(hj

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

The Siege and Overthrow Foretold. — Glory of the Chosen City. — The Tri-
umphal Entry. — The Son of God Overwhelmed with Anguish. — Unbe-
lief and Ingratitude of Israel. — Jerusalem a Symbol of the World. — A
Twofold Prophecy. — Christ Warns his Followers. — Portents of Disaster.
— Escape of the Christianf. —The Siege by Titus. — Famine and Suffering.
— The Sanctuary in Flames. — ^The City Demolished. — Slaughter and Cap-
tinty of the People. — A Symbol of the Final Destruction 17-38

CHAPTER n.
PERSECUTION IN THE FIRST CENTURIES.

Paganism against Christianity. — First Martyrs for the Faith. — The Cata-
combs a Refuge. — Peace Purchased by Compromise. — The Leaven of Idol-
atry. — Separation of the Faithful. — Why the Gospel Occasions Strife. . . .

39-46

CHAPTER 111.

THE APOSTASY.

The Riso of the Papacy Foretold. — Suppression of the Scriptures. — The
Rites of Heathenism Adopted. — The Change of God's Commandments. —
Establishment of Romanism. — Beginning of the Dark Ages. — Infallibility
of the Church. — The Power of the Pope. — Henry IV. at Canossa. — The
Boast of Gregory VII. — Pagan and Papal Errors. — The Inquisition. —
The World under the Rule of Rome 49-60

CHAPTER TV.

THE WALDENSES.

Christians in the Dark Ages. — The Gospel in Great Britain. — Columba at
lona. — The Saxons Embrace Romanism. — Extermination of the Primitive
Church. — The People of Piedmont and the Papal Power. — The Protesters
Flee to the Mountains. — The Waldensian Bible. — The Youth 'a rained for
Trial. — Missionaries in Disguise. — Crusades against the Vaudois. — The
Bull of Extermination. — Seed for the Reformation 61-7S

(V)

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER V.

JOHN WYCLIFFE.

Tokens of Light. —The Morning Star of the Reformation. — Wycliffe's Tal-
ents and Education. — His Study of the Scriptures. — The Pope's Demand
for Tribute. — WycliflFe and the Friars. — Ambassador to the Netherlands.
— He Rebukes the Greed of Rome. — His Death Decreed. — God's Overrul-
ing Providences. — The Rival Popes. — WyclifiFe Translates the Bible.- -
His Atraignment before Three Tribunals. — His Triumphant Defense. — Is
Summoned to Rome. — His Letter to the Pope. — Close of Wycliffe's Life.

—Persecution of the Lollards. —The Reformer's Work not Destroyed

79-96

CHAPTER VI.

HUSS AND JEROME.

The Gospel in Bohemia. — Corruptions of the Hierarchy. — Denounced by
Huss. — Prague under Interdict. — Jerome Unites with Huss. — Council
at Constance. — Imprisonment of Huss. — A Prophetic Dream. — The Re-
former Burned at the Stake. — Arrest of Jerome. — Long Imprisonment
and Torture.— He Recants. — He Re-affirms his Fiith. — His Noble De-
fense and Triumphant Death. — Pope and Emperor Unite against Bo-
hemia. — The Invading Armies Routed. — Rome Resorts to Policy. — Treaty
with the Bohemians. — Persecution of the Faithful. — The Church of the
Alps 97-1 19

CHAPTER VII.

LUTHER'S SEPARATION FROM ROME.

IiDTHER the Man for his Time. — Early Life. — Severe Discipline. — At the
University. — Discovery of the Bible. — Conviction of Sin. — He Eaters a
Cloister. — The Chained Bible. — Ordination as a Priest. — Called to Wit-
tenberg. — Visit to Rome. — Justification by Faith. — Rome's Traffic iu the
Grace of God. — Tetzel and the Indulgences. — The Ninety-five Theses. —
Melancthon Unites in Reform. — Luther at Augsburg. — Papal Plots. —
Frederick of Saxony his Protector. — The Reformer Excommunicated. —
Truth Opposed in All Ages 120-144

CHAPTER VIII.

LUTHER BEFORE THE DIET.

(Cables V. and the Emissaries of Rome.- -Demand for Luther's Execution.
— The Legate's Speech. — Duke George and the Papal Abuses. — The Re-
former Summoned to Worms. — Welcome at Erfurt. — Treachery Foiled.

CONTENTS.

VII

— Entry to Worms. — Before the Diet. — Luther'a Prayer. — Second Appear-
ance at the Diet. — Refusal to Retract. — The Emperor'a Message. — Efforts
for Compromise Unavailing. — Luther's Departure from Worms. — Con-
demned and OutlaMTcd. — A Prisoner in the Wartburg 146-170

CHAPTER IX.
THE SWISS REFOEMER.

God's Choice of Instrumentalities. — Youth of Ulric Zwingle. — Efforts to
Make him a Monk. — His Work in the Alpine Parish. — Proclaiming the
Truth at Einsiedeln. — Labors at Zurich. — Sale of Luther's Writings. —
Indulgences Condemned. — The "Great Death" Plague. —Fruits of the
Gospel. — Discussion at Baden. — Eck and CEcolampadius. — Bern and Ba-
sel Declare for the Reformatioa 171-184

CHAPTER X.
PROGRESS OF REFORM IN GERMANY.

Effect of Luther's Disappearance. — The Reformation still Advancing. — Pre-
tended Prophets. — They Set Aside the Bible. — The Reformation on the
Verge of Ruin. — Luther's Return to Wittenberg. — Fanaticism Checked.
— Its Subsequent Revival. — Munzer and his Teaching. — Sedition and
Bloodshed. — Not Chargeable to the Reformation. — Translation of the
Bible.— The Work of Colporters.— Spread of the True Faith 185-196

'r-

CHAPTER XL

PROTEST OF THE PRINCES.

The Diet of Spires. — A Dark Day forthi Reformation. — The Imperial Mes-
sage. — Religious Toleration Forbidden. — The Protest. — Importance of its
Principles. — Danger to the Protesters. — Escape of Grynaeus. — The Diet
at Augsburg. — The Protestant Confession. — Faith and Courage of the
Princes. — Before the Emperor. — A Glorious Victory. — Prayer the Re-
formers' Strength 197-210

CHAPTER XII.
THE FRENCH PREFORMATION.

Dawn of the Truth in France. — The Work of Lefevre. — Farel's Conversion.
—The New Testament Published at Meux. — Rage of the Hierarchy. —
The Stake Set Up. — Louis Berquin. — The Mutilated Image. — A Noble
Martyr. — Scenes of the Revolution Foreshadowed. — John Calvin. — Pro-
tection through the Princess Margaret. — Preaching at the Palace. — Paris

vin

CONTENTS.

Moved by the Word of God.— The Truth Rejected.- I'osting of the
Placards. — France Pledged to Exterminate the Heresy. — Flight of the
Huguenots. — Farel in Switzerland. — The Gospel at Geneva. — Rise of the
Jesuits. — The Inquisition Re-established. — Geneva and the Reformation.
211-236

CHAPTER XIII.
IN THE NETHERLANDS AND SCANDINAVIA.

Protest in the Netherlands. — The Waldensian Bible Translated. — Menno
Simons. — Edicts of Persecution. — Atrocities of the Spanish Kings. — The
Reformer of Denmark. — The Work in Sweden. — Olaf and Larentius
Petri. — Sweden a Bulwark of Protestantism. — The Thirty Years' War. —
Germany Saved from Popery 237-244

CHAPTER XIV.
LATER ENGLISH REFORMERS.

Tyhdalb Translates the Bible. — Opposition to his Work. — He Flees to
Germany. — Printing the New Testament. — Its Introduction into En-
gland. — Tyndale's Imprisonment and Martyrdom. — Latimer Defends the
Bible. —Other Reformers. — The Bible in Scotland. — John Knox, — Before
Queen Mary. — The Established Church in England. — Dissenters Perse-
cuted. — John Bunyan.— Baxter, Flavel, AUeine. — Great Religious De-
clension. — Whitefiold and the Wesleys. — Early Experiences. — The Doc-
trine of Faith. — Moravian Teachers. — A Light from Bohemia. — Con-
version of the Wesleys. — Power and Success of their Ministry. — Perse-
cution of the Methodists. — Wesley and Antinomiauism 245-264

CHAPTER XV.

THE BIBLE AND THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.

Rejection of Light. — Results of Suppressing the Scriptures. — Prophecy of
the Work of France. — The Two Witnesses. — National Atheism. — Ac-
tion of the French Assembly. — The Marriage Relation Degraded. — Christ
Crucified in his Followers. — St. Bartholomew Massacre an Example. —
War against the Bible. — Blasphemous Rites. — The Goddess of Reason. —
Romanism and the Revolution. — The Reign of Terror. — Prophecy Ful-
filled. — The Scriptures Exalted. — Missionary and Bible Societies. — Un-
preceaeuted Circulation of God's Word 265-288

CHAPTER XVI.
THE PILGRIM FATHERS.

Romish Rites in the Church of England. — Dissenters Seek Liberty in Hoi*
land. — John Robinson's Address to the Pilgrims. — ^The True Spirit of

CONTENTS.

of the
of the
I of the
nation.
211-236

-Menno
58— The
.arentius
'War.—
.237-244

Flees to
into En-
tfends the
. — Before
rs Perse-
ious De-
The Doc-
ia. — Con-
— Perse-
.245-264

)N.

aphecy of
tsm. — Ac-

.— Christ
cample. —

leason. —
Ihecy Ful-
pies. — Un-
.265-288

ty in Hoi-
Spirit of

Reform. — The Colonists of New England. — Church and State. — Perse-
cution of Roger Williams. — He Founds Rhode Island. — A Church with-
out a Pope.— A State without a King.— The Work of Apostasy. .2S9-29S

CHAPTER XVII.

HERALDS OF THE MORNING.

The Coming of Christ. — The Hope of True Believers in All Ages. — Signs of
the Second Advent. — Earthquake of Lisbon. — The Dark Day. — Condi-
tion of the World and the Church Foretold. — A Solemn Warning. —
Unfaithful Watchmen. — Israel at the Birth of Christ. — Humble Shep-
herds Receive the Glad Tidings. — Religious Leaders in Darkness. — Re-
sults of Cherishing Light 299-316

CHAPTER XVIII.

AN AMERICAN REFORMER.

Early Life of William Miller. — He Becomes a Deist. — His Mental Conflicts.
— His Conversion. — His Study of the Bible, — The Prophecies can be Un-
derstood. — The Temporal Millennium. — The Personal Advent of Christ.
— Chronology of the Scriptures. — Miller Presents his Views. — His Preach-
ing Attended with Power. — Fulfillments of Prophecy. — The Falling of
the Stars. — The Fall of the Ottoman Empire. — Denouncement of Miller.
— The Warning of Noah. — Why the Doctrine of Christ's Coming ''s Dis-
liked. — Its EflFocts upon Those who Received It 317-342

CHAPTER XIX.

LIGHT THROUGH DARKNESS.

God's Purposes Imperfectly Comprehended. — Doctrines of Men Blind the
Mind. — Preaching of Christ's First Advent. — Expectation of the Dis-
ciples Their Disappointment at the Death of Christ. — The Disappoint-
ment Explained. — The Counterpart of their Experience. -The Message
of the Second Advent. — Disappointment of the Believers. — The Result
of Popular Error 343-354

CHAPTER XX.

A GREAT RELIGIOUS AWAKENING.

A Striking Symbol. — The Warning of the Judgment. — Joseph WolflF's
Life and Labors. — Widespread Expectation of the Messiah's Advent. —
The Message in England. — Bengel's Labors in Germany. — Gaussen in
France and Switzerland. — Child Preachers in Sweden.- -The Work in
America. — The Warning Received by Thousands 355-374

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXI.
A AVARNINO REJECTED.

A Marked Religious Declension. — The Result of Rejecting Light. — Prophecy
of Hev. 14:8. — Symbol Explained. — Worldliness in the Church. — Tes-
timonies of Eminent Men. — Full Application of the Prophecy yet Future.
375-390

CHAPTER XXn.

PROPHECIES FULFILLED.

Habakkck's Prophecy. — The Parable of the Virgins. — The Work of Fanat<
icism.— The Word of God a Test.— "The Midnight Cry."— Type and
Antitype. — Character of the Work. — Passing of the Time. — An Unshaken

Faith. — Encouragement from the Word of God. — Waiting for Jjight.

391-408

CHAPTER XXni.
WHAT IS THE SANCTUARY?

Termination of the Prophetic Periods. — The Earth Not the Sanctuary. —
The Tabernacle. — The Earthly Sanctuary a Figure of the Heavenly. —
The Mosaic Service a Type. — Zechariah'a Prophecy. — The Cleansing of
the Sanctuary. — Mediation of Christ. — Close of the Work of Atonement.
409-4i22

CHAPTER XXIV.
IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES.

The Purpose ci God Fulfilled. — The Coming of the Lord to his Temple. —
A Work of Purification. — Parable of the Virgins Completed. — The Com-
ing of the Bridegroom. — Going in to the Marriage. — "The Poor was
Shut."— A Time of Trial 423-432

CHAPTER XXV.

GOD'S LAW IMMUTABLE.

The Temple in Heaven. — The Ark of God's Testament. — The Fourth Com-
mandment. — A Threefold Warning. — Th^ Standard of Duty. — The Foun-
dation of Worship. — Symbols of Paganism and the Papacy. — Another
Power. — Its Peaceful Professions. — A Striking Contradiction. — The Last
Work of Apostasy. — The World Divided into Two Classes. — What Con-
stitutes the Distinction 433-450

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXVI.
A WORK OF REFORM.

Isaiah's Prophecy of Reform. — "Seal the Law."— The Scripture Explained.
— The Last Church. — Distinctive Doctrines. — The Truth Unwelcome. —
Popular Perversions of God's Word.— Time-Setting an Error. — The Cause
Retarded by Unbelief . —The Duty of Reformers 451-460

CHAPTER XXVH.
MODERN REVIVALS.

Results of Preaching the Word of God. — A Marked Contrast. — Sensation-
alism in Religion. — The Cause of l^rrors in Doctrine and Life. — The Law
and the Gospel. — Antinomian Teachers. — Conversion and Sanctitication.
— The Standard of Holiness. — Sanctification a Progressive Work. — Tem-
perance and Consecration. — The Christian's Privilege 461-478

CHAPTER XXVni.
THE INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT.

The Opening of the Judgment. — The Books of Record. — God's Law the Test
ot Character. — Christ our Advocate. — Order of the Judgment. — The
Blottiug Out of Sins. — Satan's Accusations. — The New-Covenant Promise.
— The Time of the Judgment. — The Antitypical Day of Atonement. —
Individual Accountability. — Probation Nearly Ended 479-491

CHAPTER XXIX.
THE ORIGIN OF EVIL.

A Source of Perplexity. — God Not Responsible for Sin. — The Universe be-
fore the Existence of Evil. — Lucifer, the "Son of the Morning." — Hia
Seif-Exaltation. — His Policy of Deception. — God is Truth. — His Long-
suffering Mercy. — Revolt and Banishment of Satan. — Spirit of Rebellion
among Men. — Satan Accuses God of Injustice. — The Fall of Man. — The
Atonement. — Demonstration of God's Love. — Christ's Earthly Minis-
try. — Satan's Charaflter Unmasked. — His Destruction Assured. — God's
Justice Vindicated. — No Cause for Sin Exists 432-504

CHAPTER XXX.
ENMITY BETWEEN MAN AND SATAN.

The First Prophecy. — Antagonism between the Spirit of Christ and the
Spirit of Satan. — Hatred of the Followers of Christ. — Indifference of
Christians to their Danger. — Satan's Tireless Vigilance. — Effects of
Familiarity with Sin.— The Final Conflict 505-510

XII

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXXI.
AGENCY OF EVIL SPIRITS.

The Visiblfa aud Invisible Worlds Coanected. — The Ministration of Holy
Angels. — Evil Spirits in League for Man's Destruction. — Their Malignity
Manifested in the Time of Christ. — Danger of Denying their Existent).
—The Bible Reveals their Wilea 511-617

CHAPTER XXXII.
SNARES OF SATAN.

How Satan's Plans are Executed. — Ha Prevents Men from Hearing the Word
of (}od. — Accusers of the Brethren. — Fanciful Interpretations of Scripture.
— "Science Falsely so Called." — Deceptive Doctr is. --Disbelief in the
Pre-existence of Christ. — Non-existence of Satan. — Joming of Christ at
Death. — Miracles Impossible. — Danger of Cherishing Doubt. — Uses of
Temptation 518-630

CHAPTER XXXIII.
THE FIRST GREAT DECEPCTION.

The Tempter in Eden.— A Plan for Man's Overthrow. — Death the Penalty
of Sin. — Immortality the Gift of God. — Doctrine of Eternal Torment In-
troduced. — God's Charact3r Misrepresented. — A Cause of Infidelity, —
Universalism the Opposite Error. — Salvation Conditional. — The Wicked
Unfit for Heaven. — God's Mercy in their Dest'.uction. — Consciousness
of the Dead a Fallacy. — What the Bible l^eaches. — Belief of Luther and
Tyndale. — The Judgment and the Resurrection 531-550

CHAPTER XXXIV.
SPIRITUALISM.

Natural Immortality its Foundation. — Materialization a Counterfeit. — Not
the Result of Trickery. — A Revival of Ancient Witchcraft. — Adapted
to Ensnare All Classes. — Its Deceptions Unveiled 551-562

CHAPTER XXXV.
CHARACTER AND AIMS OF THE PAPACY.

Romanism Gaining Favor.— A Cause of Apprehension. — Pomp and Splendor
of her Worship. — Contrast between Christ and the Pope. — Protestants
Blinddd by False Charity. — The Secret of Rome's Power. — An Age of
Intellectual Light not Unfavorable to her Success. — The Sunday Move'

CONTENTS.

XIII

ment. — The First Sunday Law. — The Roll from Heaven. — Pretended
Miracles. ->A lleinarkable Confession. — The Church of Abyssinia.— Rome's
Enmity toward the Law of God. — History of the Past to be Repeated. —
Purpose of the Romanists 563-C81

CHAPTER XXXVI.

THE IMPENDING CONFLICT— ITS CAUSES.

The Great Controversy and the Law of God. — The Last Battle between Truth
and Error. — Rejection of the Bible. — Philosophical Idolatry. — Results of
Setting .1. ide God's Law. — Temperance Reform and the Sunday Move-
ment. — Spiritualism. — Satan Appears as a Benefactor. — He Controls the
Elements. — Terrible Calamities. — God's People will be Accused as
Troublers of the Nation. — Liberty of Conscience Disregarded. — Last
War upon the Church 582-592

CHAPTER XXXVn.

THE SCRIPTURES A SAFEGUARD.

The Detector of Error. — An Understanding of the Prophecies Essential. —
Danger of Following Human Leaders. — How to Understand the Script-
ures. — Why Theologians so Often Err. — Necessity of r*rayer. — Every
Character to be Tested 693-602

CHAPTER XXXVni,

THE FINAL WARNING.

The Mighty Angel. — Application of his Message. — "The Seal of God." —
Light lor All who Seek It. — The Experience of Reformers. — God's Provi-
dence.in the National Councils. — The Closing Work. — World-wide Ex-
tent.— Power and Glory.— Fruits of Missionary Efforts G03-612

CHAPTER XXXIX.

"THE TIMi: OF TROUBLE."

Christ's Ministration Closes. — The Wrath of Satan.— The Whole World
against God's Servants. — The Decree of Outlawry. — In Peril and Dis-
tress. — Illu8tr.ition from the Time of Jacob's Trouble. — Power of Im-
portunate Prayer. — The Prophetic Woe. — Supernatural Sights and
Sounds. — The Crowning Deception. — God's People Forced to Flee. — The
Mountains a Hiding-place. — Imprisonment and Bondage. — The Righteous
not Forsaken. — The Unmingled Wrath. — Guardian Angels.- Their Ap-
pearance in Human Form. — The Promise of Deliverance 613-634

XIV

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XL.
GOD'S PEOPLE DELIVERED.

A Movement for their Dr ' .. — The Night Attack.— SupernatunJ
Darkneas. — The llainho\« .jd'a Glory.— Cclcatial Voices.— The Suu
lit Midnight.— The Voice of Gotl.— A Mighty Karth(|uake. — A Spucicl
Itcaurreotiou. — Prophetic Portrayal. The Star of Hope. — Revelations in
the Heavens.— ^Tlie Everlasting Covenant. — "The Sign of the Son of
Man." — Christ'c Coming in Glory.— Resurrection of tho Just. —The Re-
ward of the Righteous. — Before tho Throne. — "The Joy of their Lord."—
Meeting of the Two Adams. — Eden Kestorod. — Tho "Now Song."— T'ne
Theme of Redemption 635-052

CHAPTER XLI.

DESOLATION OF THE EARTH.

Gop'a Judgments upon tho Wicked. — Their Treasures Swept Away. — False
Teachers Exposed. — Fury of the Multitudes.— Strife and Carnage. —
The Earth Made Waste. — The Prison-house of Satan. — A Work of Judg-
ment U53-6til

CHAPTER XLTI.
THE CONTROVERSY ENDED.

Christ's Return to the Earth. — Tho Resurrection of the Wicked. — Tho Mount
of Olives. — Descent of the New Jerusalem. — Satan's Last Struggle. —
Christ upon the Throne of his Glory. — The Final Coronation.— The
Judgment of the Wicked. — Tho Books of Record. — A Panoramic Por-
trayal. — The Scenes of Redemption. — The Cross of Calvary. — Results of
Rebellion. — Gods Justice Made Manifest.— The Firo of Destruction. —
Evil Annihilated.— The Home of the Saved.— Tho City of God.— The
Universal Authem 062-078

General Notes 679-691

Biographical Notes 692-704

LIST OF ILLrSTRATIOXS.

I'Aril.
jKUfSAI.KM KIIOM TIIK Moi'NT »)K OmVKS FnnitinjHKte

TlIK lU.'HNINO (tK TIIK TkMIM.K 17

TlIK TkMIM.K AM) ITS CuL'UTM 24

The Colihkim 80

Chiiistianm WousiiijMNd IN THK Catacomiw . 40

H r. Pktkh's Ciiriicii. at Uomk ... 49

rENANCi: OK IIknuy IV. at Canosha 68

■\VaLUKNSIAN MlHHIONAIlIMS 70

Pass of Pha del Tor in Wai.densian Vai.i.kys 78

WyCUFFE, IIl'SS, JeHOME, ZwINUKK, OCcOLAMI-ADIfS 70

WyCLIFFK and tub FltlAKS 88

Luttekwohtii Cmnicii 96

Huss IN Puison 106

Jerome Led to Martyrdom 114

Luther, Calvin, Farel, Melancthon, Frkderk k of Saxony. . 120

Luther's Protest acsainst Induuiencp.s 180

Luther Before the Diet 156

View op Worms 170

Swiss Heformers Preaching in the Fields 171

View in Zurich 184

Luther at the Wartihtro 185

Reading the Protest at the Diet ov Sri res 203

Francis L as a Penitent 228

Tyndale, Knox, Latimer, Ridley, \Visi'-'?t, Cranmer 245

Wesley, Baxter, Bunyan, Miller, Wiik '•:field 256

Pope Pius VL Taken Prisoner in 1798 266

The St. Bartholomew Massacre 273

The Goddess of Reason 276

Street Scene in the French Revolution 283

The Signs of His Coming 808

Diagram of the 70 Weeks and the 23U0 Days 828

The Disappointment of the Disciples 844

Joseph Wolff among the Arabs 800

Child preaching ix i^weden 803

On the Day of Ato; EMi:NT 420

Christ Healing the Demoniac 514

Proclaiming the Dogma ok Papal Inkalliuility at Rome 503

Interior of the Church of St. John Lateran 566

Catholic Churches and Schools 573

Beforis. the Inquisitors 680

Elements of Destruction 690

The Great Earthquake 636

The Dominion Restored 676

:xv)

'^}.V^.^H

M _ >

M '^" ^

u ' ;> ..'i* «•« .*

•.,1 n

/-. ;

^ ^?^JEl

The Great Controversy.

CHAPTER I.

U
H

U
H ^

o s.

l-l

pa
u

X
H

DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

"If thou hadat knov/n, oven thou, at leuwt in tliis tliy day,
tho things wliich belong unto thy peace I but now they are
liid from thino eyes. For the days sliall come upon thee,
that tliine enemies shall cast a trencii al)Out thee, and com-
I)ass thee round, and keep thee iu on every side, and shall
lay theo even with tho ground, and thy children within
thee; and they shall not leave in theo one stono upon another;
because thou knewest not tho time of thy visitation.'"

From the crtst of Olivet, Jesus looked upon Jerusalem.
Fair and peacelul was tho scene spread out before him. It
was tho season of the Passover, and from all lands the chil-
dren of Jacob had gathered there to celebrate the great na-
tional festival. In tho midst of gardens and vineyards, and
green slopes studded with pilgrims* tents, rose tho terraced
hills, the stately palaces, and massive bulwarks of Israel's
capital. Tho daughter of Zion seemed in her pride to say,
** I sit a queen, and shall see no sorrow; " as lovely then, and
deeming herself as secure in Heaven's favor, as when, ages
before, the royal minstrel sung, " Beautiful for situation, the
joy of tho whole earth, is Mount Zion," "the city of the great
King."^ In full view were the magnificent buildings of the
temple. The rays of the setting sun lighted up the snowy

^ Luke 19 : 42-44 » Pa. 48 : 2.

(17)

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

whiteness of its marble walls, and gleamed from golden gate
and tower and pinnacle. " The perfection of beauty " it stood,
the pride of the Jewish nation. What child of Israel could
gaze upon the scene without a thrill of joy and admiration I
But far other thoughts occupied the mind of Jesus. " When
he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it." *
Amid the universal rejoicing of the triumphal entry, while
palm branches waved, while glad hosannns awoke the echoes
of the hills, and thousands of voices declared him king, the
world's Redeemer was overwhelmed with a sudden and mys-
terious sorrow. He, the Son of God, the Promised One of
Israel, whose power had conquered death, and called its
captives from the grave, was in tears, not of ordinary grief,
but of intense, irrepressible agony.

His tears were not for himself, though he well knew whither
his feet were tending. Before him lay Gethsemane, the scene
of his approaching agony. The sheep gate also was in sight,
through which for centuries the victims for sacrifice had been
led, and which was to open for him when he should be
" brought as a lamb to the slaughter." '' Not far distant
was Calvary, the place of crucifixion. Upon the path which
Christ was soon to tread must ftill the horror of great dark-
ness as he should make his soul an offering for sin. Yet
it was not the contemplation of these scenes that cast the
shadow upon him in this hour of gladness. No foreboding
of his own superhuman anguish clouded that unselfish
spirit. He wept for the doomed thousands of Jerusalem —
because of the blindness and impenitence of those whom
he came to bless and to save.

The history of more than a thousand years of God's spe-
cial favor and guardian care, manifested to the chosen peo-
ple, was open to the eye of Jesus. There was Mount Moriah,
where the son of promise, an unresisting victim, had been
bound to the altar, — emblem of the offering of the Son of
God.* There, the covenant of blessing, the glorious Messianic

1 Luke 19 : 41 2 Isa. 53 : 7. 8 q^^^ 22 : a

J)ESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

promise, had been confirmed to the father of the faithful.^
There the flames of the sacrifice ascending to heaven from
the threshing-floor of Oman had turned aside the sword of
the destroying angel * — fitting symbol of the Saviour's sacri-
fice and mediation for guilty men. Jerusalem had been
honored of God above all the earth. The Lord had " chosen
Zion," he had "desired it for his habitation."* There, for
ages, holy prophets had uttered their messages of warning.
There, priests had waved their censers, and the cloud of
incense, with the prayers of the worshipers, had ascended
before God. There daily the blood of slain lambs had been,
offered, pointing forward to the Lamb of God. There, Je-
hovah had revealed his presence in the cloud of glory above
the mercy-seat. There rested the base of that mystic ladder
connecting earth with Heaven,* — that ladder upon which
angels of God descended and ascended, and which opened
to the world the way into the holiest of all. Had Israel as
a nation preserved her allegiance to Heaven, Jerusalem
would have stood forever, the elect of God.* But the history
of that favored people was a record of backsliding and re-
bellion. They had resisted Heaven's grace, abused their
privileges, and slighted their opportunities.

Although Israel had " mocked the messengers of God, and
despised his words, and misused his prophets," " he had still
manifested himself to them, as "the Lord God, merciful
and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and
truth;"' notwithstanding repeated rejections, his mercy had
continued its pleadings. With more than a father's pitying
love for the son of his care, God had " sent to them by his
messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had
compassion on his people, and on his dwelling-place.""
When remonstrance, entreaty, and rebuke had failed, he
sent to them the best gift of Heaven; nay, he poured out
all Heaven in that one gift.

'Gen. 23
^ John 1 :

:1G-18. n Chron. 21. U^s. 1^3 :
51. 5 Jer. 17:21-25. «3 Cbron. 36

10. ♦Gen. 28:12;
15, 16. 'Ex. 34:6.

_ o

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

The Son of God liimsclf was sent to plead with the im-
penitent city. It was Christ that had brought Israel as a
goodly vine out of Egypt,* His own hand had cast out the
heathen before it. He had jilantcd it "in a very fruitful
hill," '■' His guardian care had hedged it about. His serv-
ants had been sent to nurture it. " What could have been
done more to my vineyard," he exclaims, " that I have
not done in it ? " ^ Though when he " looked that it should
bring forth grapes, it brought forth wild grapes," ' yet with
a still yearning hope of fruitfulness he came in person to
his vineyard, if haply it might be saved from destruction.
He digged about his vine; he pruned and cherished it. He
was unwearied in his efforts to save this vine of his own
planting.

For three years the Lord of light and glory had gone in
and out among his people. " He went about doing good,"
" healing all that were oppressed of the devil," * binding up
the broken-hearted, setting at liberty them that were bound,
restoring sight to the blind, causing the lame to walk and
the deaf to hear, cleansing the lepers, raising the dead, and
preaching the gospel to the poor.* To all classes alike
was addressed the gracious call, " Come unto me, all ye that
labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." *

Though rewarded with evil for good, and hatred for his
love,^ he had steadfastly pursued his mission of mercy.
Never were those repelled that sought his grace. A home-
less wanderer, reproach and penury his daily lot, he lived
to minister to the needs and lighten the woes of men, to
plead with them to accept the gift of life. The waves of
mercy, beaten back by those stubborn hearts, returned in a
stronger tide of pitying, inexpressible love. But Israel had
turned from her b-^st friend and only helper. The pleadings
of his love had been despised, his counsels spurned, his warn-
ings ridiculed.

ips. 80:8. 2Isa. 5:1-4.
"Matt. 11:28.

'Acts 10 :3S; Luke 4 : 18; Matt. 11 :6.
6 Pa. 109:5.

DESTRUCTION' OF JERUSALEM.

The hour of hope and pardon was fast passing ; the cup of
God's long-deforrcd wrath was ahnost fuU. The ch)ud that
liad boen gatliering through ages of apostasy and rebellion,
now black with woe, was about to burst upon a guilty people,
and lie who alone could save them from their impending
fate had been slighted, abused, rejected, and was soon tc be
crucified. When Christ should hang upon the cross of
Calvary, Israel's day as a nation favored and blessed of
God would be ended. The loss of even one sold is a calam-
ity, infinitely outweighing the gains and treasures of a world ;
but as Christ looked upon Jerusalem, the doom of a whole
city, a whole nation, was before him ; that city, that nation
which had once been the chosen of God, — his peculiar
treasure.

Prophets had wept over the apostasy of Israel, and the
terrible desolations by which their sins were visited. Jere-
miah wished that his eycrf were a fountain of tears, that he
might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter
of hi« people, for the Lord's flock that w'as carried away cap-
tive.^ Wiiat, then, was the grief of Ilim whose prophetic
glance took in, not years, but ages ! lie beheld the destroy-
ing angel with sword uplifted against the city which had so
long been J^jhovah's dwelling-place. From the ridge of
Olivet, the very spot afterward occupied by Titus and his
army, he looked across the valley upon the sacred courts
and porticoes, and with tear-dimmed eyes hv. saw, in awful
perspective, the v»^alls surrounded by alien hosts. lie heard
the tread of armies marshaling for war. He heard the voice
of mothers and children crying for bread in the besieged
city. He saw her holy and beautiful house, her palace; and
towers, given to the flames, and where once they stood, only
a heap of smouldering ruins.

Looking down the ages, he saw the covenant people scat-
tered in every land, '' like wrecks on a desert shore.*' In the
temporal retribution about to fall ujwn her children, he saw

iJer. 9:1 ; 13 , 17.

THE GREAT CONTROrERSY.

but tho first draught from tliat cup of 'wrath "svhich at the
final Judgment she must drain to its dregs. Divine pity,
yearning love, found utterance in the mournful words : " * O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest tlio prophets, and
stonest them which arc sent unto thee, how often would I
have gathered tliy cliihlrcn together, even as a hen gather-
f th her chickens under her wings, and ye would not ! ' ^ Oh
that thou, a nation favored above every other, hadst known
the time of thy visitation, and tlie things tluit belong unto
thy peace ! I have stayed the angel of justice, I have called
tliee to repentance, but in vain. It is not merely servants,
delegates, and prophets, whom thou hast refused and re-
jected, but the Holy One of Israel, tliy Redeemer. If tliou
art destroyed, thou alone art responsible. * Ye will not
come to mc, that ye might have life.' " "

Christ saw in Jerusalem a symbol of the world hardened
in unbelief and rebellion, and hastening on to meet the
retributive judgments of God. The woes of a fallen race,
pressing upon his soul, forced from his lips that exceeding
bitter cry. He saw the record of sin traced in human mis-
ery, tears, and blood ; his heart was moved with infinite
pity for tho afilicted and suffering ones of earth ; he yearned
to relieve them all. But even his hand might not turn
back the tide of imman woe; few would seek their only
source of help. Ho was willing to pour out his soul unto
death, to bring salvation within tlieir reach ; but few would
come to him that they might have life.

The Majesty of Heaven in tears ! the Son of the infinite
God troubled in spirit, bowed down with anguish ! The
scene filled all Heaven with wonder. That scene reveals to
us the exceeding sinfulness of sin ; it shows how hard a
task it is, even for infinite power, to save the guilty from the
consequences of transgressing the law of God. Jesus, look-
ing down to the last generation, saw the world involved in
a deception similar to that which caused the destruction of

»Matt. 23:37.

"John 5: 40.

DESTRUCTION' OF JERUSALEM.

Jerusalem. The great sin of the Jews was their rejection of
Christ; the great sin of the Christian world would bo tlieir
rejection of the law of God, the foundatio.i of his govern-
ment in Heaven and earth. The i)recepts of Jehovah would
be despised and set at naught. Millions in bondage to sin,
slaves of Satan, doomed to suffer the second death, would
refuse to listen to the words of truth in their dav of visit-
ation. Terrible blindness ! strange infatuation !

Two davs before tlio Passover, when Christ had for the
last time departed from the temple, after denouncing the
hypocrisy of the Jewish rulers, lie again went out with his
disciples to the Mount of Olives, and seated himself with
them upon a grassy slope overlooking the city. Once mor"i
he gazed upon its walls, its towers, and its i)alaces. Once
more he beheld the temple in its dazzling splendor, a dia-
dem of beauty crowning the sacred mount.

A thousand years before, the psalmist had magnified
God's favor to Israel in making her holy house his dwell-
ing-place : " In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwell-
ing-place in Zion." ^ He " chose the tribe of Judah, the
Mount Zion which he loved. And he built his sanctuary
like high palaces."'* The first temple had been erected
during the most prosperous period of Israel's history. Vast
stores of treasure for this purpose had been collected by
King David, and the plans for its construction were made
by divine inspiration.^ Solomon, the wisest of Israel's moii-
archs, had completed the work. This temple was the most
magnificent building which the world ever saw. Yet the
Lord had declared by the prophet Plaggai, concerning the
second temple, "The glory of this latter house shall be
greater than of the former." " I will shake all nations, and
the Desire of all nations shall come ; and I will fill this
house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts." ^

After the destruction of the temple by Nebuchadnezzar, it

>Ps. 76 : 2. aPs. 78 : 68, 69. 3 1 Chron. 28 : 12, 19.

*Hag. 2 :9, 7.

THE GREAT COSTROVERSY.

I •

was rebuilt about five hundred years before the birtli of
Christ, by a peojjlo wlio from a Hfe-long ca[)tivity liad re-
turned to a wasted and almost deserted country. There
were then among them aged men who liad seen the glory
of Solomon's temple, and who wept at the foundation of the
new building, that it must be so inferior to the former. Tlie
feeling that prevailed is forcibly deseribed by the prophet:
"Who is left among you that saw this house in her first
glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes
in comparison of it as nothing?'" Then was given the
promise that the glory of this latter house should be greater
than that of the former.

But the second temple hud not equaled the first m mag-
nificence; nor was it hallowed by those visil)le tokens of the
divine presence which pertained to the first temple. There
was no manifestation of supernatural power to mark its
dedication. No cloud of glory was seen to fill the newly
erected sanctuary. No tire from Heaven descended to con-
sume the sacrifice upon its altar. The shekinah no longer
abode between the cherubim in the most holy place; the
ark, the mercy-seat, and the tables of the testimony were
not to be found therein. No voice sounded from Heaven to
make known to the inquiring priest the will of Jehovah.

For centuries the Jews had vainlv endeavored to show
wherein the promise of God given by Haggai, had been
fulfilled; yet pride and unbelief blinded their minds to the
true meaning of the prophet's words. The second temple
was not honored with the cloud of Jehovah's glory, but with
the living presence of One in whom dwelt the fullness of
the Godhead bodily, — who was God himself manifest in the
flesh. The "Desire of all nations" had indeed come to his
temple when the Man of Nazareth taught and healed in the
sacred courts. In the presence of Christ, and in this only,
did the second temple exceed the first in glory. But Israel
had put from her the proffered gift of Heaven. With the

iHag. 2:3.

he birth of
'itv luul re-

try. There
1 tlie glory
it ion of tlie
riaer. The
le i)rophet:
in lier first
L your eyes
given the
1 be greater

•st m mag-
kens of tlie
[)le. There
mark its
the newly
(led to con-
i no longer
place; the
iiony were
Heaven to
hovah.
I to show
had been
nds to the
lid temple
, but with
ullncss of
fest ill the
me to his
led in the
[this only,
ut Israel
With the

'^ ftttr

TiiK first tt'iupli', erected by Soloiuoii, w.iS
r/coini)lete(l u. v. 1(1(14. In !!. c. ")><H, soon after the
beginniiiLTof tlie seventy years' captivity in Hiii)y-
lon, it was destroyed by liio army of Nebuchad-
ne/./.ar. After the retnrn of the Jews to Ihoir
own land, the temple was rebuilt, on a somewhat
larger scale, by Zenibbabel, n. f. 51(». Five hun
dred years later it was restored and enlarged by
Herod, who began the work about 2(t ». c. Herod
retained, in the sanctuary, the same dimensions
as in that of Zerubbabel, but he added greatly to
the size and magnilicence of the courts. Tlie
temple inelosure was so e.vtended as to form an
area of nearly a thousand feet S(iuare. The clois-
ters surrounding the outer court are said to have
been, from an architectural point of view, the most
magnificent jiart of the entire structure. A series
of terraced courts ascended to the holy liouse it-
self, which faced eastward, and was a})[)roaehed
from the east, though the princii>al gateways in
the outer inelosure were on the west. This tem-
ple was destroyed a. d. 70.

THE TEMPLE AND ITS COURTS.

DES TR UCTION OF JER USALEM.

huinl)lo Teacher who luid that day passed out from its
golden gate, the glory had forever departed from the temple.
Airea<ly were the Saviour's words fulfilled, " Your house is
left unto you desolate.'"

The disciples had been filled with awe and wonder at
Christ's prediction of the overthrow of the temple, and they
desired to understand more fully the meaning of his words.
Wealth, labor, and architectural skill had for more than
foHy years been freely expended to enhance its splendors.
Herod the Great had lavished upon it both Roman wealth
and Jewish treasure, and even the emperor of the world had
enriched it with his gifts. Massive blocks of white marble,
of almost fabulous size, forwarded from Rome for this pur-
pose, formed a part of its structure; and to these the dis-
ciples had called the attention of their Master, saying, "See
what manner of stones and what buildings are here I " '

To these words, Jesus made the solemn and startling
reply, " Verily I say unto you. There shall not h& left here
one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.'"

With the overthrow of Jerusalem the disciples associated
the events of Christ's personal coming in temporal glory to
take the throne of universal empire, to punish the impeni-
tent Jews, and to break from off the nation the Roman yoke.
The Lord had told them that he would come the second
time. Hence at the mention of judgments upon Jerusalem,
•their minds reverted to that coming, and as they were gath-
ered about the Saviour upon the Mount of Olives, they
asked, " When shall these things be? and what shall be the
sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"*

The future was mercifully veiled from the diisciples. Had
they at that time fully comprehended the two awful facts, —
the Redeemer's sufferings and death and the destruction of
their city and temple, — they would have been overwhelmed
with horror. Christ presented before them an outline of the

> Mark 13:1. SMatt24:2.

*Matt. 23:38.
« Matt. 24: 3.

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

prominent events to take pluce before the close of time. His
words were not then fully understood; but their meaning
was to bo unfolded as his people should need the instruction
therein given. The prophecy which he uttered was twofold
in its meaning: while foreshadowing the destruction of
Jerusalem, it })refigured also the terrors of the last groat day.

Jesus declared to the listening disci[»les the judgments that
were to fall upon apostate Israel, and especially the retrib-
utive vengeance that would come upon them for their re-
jection and crucifixion of the Messiah. Unmistakable signs
would precede the awful climax. The dresxled hour would
come suddenly and swiftly. And the Saviour warned his
followers: "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of
desolation, s})oken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the
holy place (wIkjso readeth, let him understand), then let
them which be in Judea flee into the mountains."' When
the idolatrous standards of the Romans should be set up in
the holy ground, which extended some furlongs outside the
city walls, then the followers of Christ were to find safety in
flight. When the warning sign should be seen, those who
would escape must make no delay. Throughout the land
of Judea, as well as in Jerusalem itself, the signal for flight
must be immediately obeyed. He who chanced to be upon
the housetop must not go down into his house, even to save
his most valued treasures. Those who were working in the
fields or vineyards must not take time to return for the-
outer garment laid aside while they should be toiling in the
heat of the day. They must not hesitate a moment, lest
they be involved in the general destruction.

In the reign of Herod, Jerusalem had not only been
greatly beautified, but by the erection of towers, walls, and
fortresses, adding to the natural strength of its situation, it
had been rendered apparently impregnable. He who would
at this time have foretold publicly its destruction, would^
like Noah in his day, have been called a crazed alarmist

» Matt. 24 : 15, 16 ; Luke 21 : CO.

DESTRUCTION- OF JERFSALKM.

I. His

'uction
Avofold
lion of
at <lay.
its that
I rotrib-
leir ro-
le si^ns
r would
nod his
lit ion of

in the
then let

When
;et up in
side the
«iiety in
ose who
he land
[or flight
|be upon

to save
Ig in the

for the-
lg in the

nt, lest

But Christ had said, "Heaven and earth sluUl j»ass away,
but my words siiail not pass away."' JJecause of iier hins.
wratli had been denouneed against Jerusalem, and her stub-
born unbelief rendered her doom certain.

Tile Lord had declared by the prophet Micah: " Hear this,
I pray you, ye heads of the iiouse of Jacob,' and princes of
tile iiouse of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all
equity. They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with
ini(iuity. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the
l)riests thereof teach for hire, and tlie [)rophets thereof divine
for money; yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is
not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us."^

These words faithfully described the corrupt and self-
righteous inhabitants of Jerusalem. While claiming to rig-
idly observe the precepts of God's law, they were transgress-
ing all its principles. They hated Christ because his purity
and holiness revealed their ini([uity; and they accused him
of being the cause of all the troubles which had come upon
them in consequence of their sins. Though they knew him
to be sinless, they had declared that his death was necessary
to their safety as a nation. " If wo let him thus alone," said
the Jewish leaders, "all men will believe on him; and the
Romans shall come and take away both our place and
nation."' If Christ were sacrificed, they might once more
become a strong, united people. Thus they reasoned, and
they concurred in the decision of their high priest, that it
would be better for one man to die than for the whole nation
to |)erish.

Thus the Jewish leaders had "built up Zion with blood,
and Jerusalem with iniquity." And yet, while they slew
their Saviour because he reproved their sins, such was their
self-righteousness that they regarded themselves as God's
favored people, and expected the Lord to deliver them from
their enemies. "Therefore," continued the prophet, "shall
Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall

» Matt. 24 : 35. « Micah 3 : 9-11. » John 11 : 48.

THE aiiKAT COSTIiOVKliSY.

become heaps, an<l the mountaiii of tlie house as the lii^li
phices of the fort'st.'"

IA)r forty yenrs after the doom of .TcriiMalom ha<l Itcen |»ro-
nouneeci l>y Christ liimself, the I.onl dclayiMl his jud^Miu'iittt
upon tlie eity an<l tlie nation. Wonderful was the lon^-
sull'ering of Ood toward tiie rcjcetcrs of his gosjH'l and the
murderers of liis Son. The paral)ki of tlie uidVuitful tree
represented God's dealinj^s wilh the Jewish nation. Tho
command Iiad ujono forth, "(-ut it down; why eumhcreth it
the ground?"" but divine meroy had sj)ared it yet u little
longer. There were still numy among the Jews who were
ignorant of tho character and the work of Christ. And the
children had not enjoyed tho opi)ortunities or received the
light which their parents had spurned. Through the preach-
ing of tho apostles and their associates, God would cause
light to shine upon' them; they would bo permitted to see
how prophecy had been fulfilled, not only in the birth and
life of Christ, but in his death and resurrection. Tlie chil-
dren were not condenmed for the sins of the parents; but
when, with a knowledge of all the light given to their par-
ents, the children rejected the additional light granted to
themselves, they became partakers of tho parents' sins, and
filled up the measure of their iniquity.

The long-suffering of God tow ard J ^rusalem only con-
firmed the Jews in their stubborn impenitence. In their
hatred and cruelty toward tho disciples of Jesus, they re-
jected the last offer of mercy. Then God withdrew his pro-
tection from them, and removed his restraining power from
Satan and his angels, and the nation was left to the control
of the leader she had chosen. Her children had spurned
the grace of Christ, which would have enabled them to sub-
due their evil impulses, and now these became the con-
querors. Satan aroused the fiercest and most debased pas-
sions of the soul. Men did not reason ; they were bayond
reason, — controlled by impulse and blind rage. They be-

»Micah3:12. 'Luke 13:7.

DESTRUCTIOX OF JERTSALEM.

ninio Sutimic in their criiolty. Tii tho family and in the
nation, auion^ tiic highest and the lowest elasst's ahke, there
was suHpicion, I'uvv, hatred, strife, rehellion, murder. Tiiero
was no safety anywhere. I^'rieiids and kindred )>et rayed one
an(»ther. I'arenis slew their children, ami children their
])arents. The rulers of the peoph^ had no power to rule
themselves. Utieontrolled passions made them tyrants.
The Jews had acceiited false testimony to condemn the inno-
cent Hon of (lod. Now false accusations made their own
lives uncertain. Hy their actions they had lon^ heen say-
ing, "Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from hefore us,"'
Now their desire was granted. The fear of (lod no longer
disturhed them. ISatan was at the head of the nation, and
the highest civil and religious authorities were under his
sway.

The leaders of the opposing factions at times united to
plunder and torture their wretched victims, and again they
fell upon each other's forces, and slaughtered without mercy.
Even the sanctity of tho temple could not restrain their hor-
rible ferocity. The worshipers were stricken down before
the altar, and the sanctuary was polluted with the bodies of
the slain. Yet iii their blind and blasphemous presumption
tne instigators of this hellish work publicly declared that
they had no fear that Jerusalem would be destroyed, for it
was God's own city. To establish their power more firmly,
they bribed false prophets to proclaim, even while Roman
legions were besieging the temple, that the people were to
wait for deliverance from God. To the last, multitudes held
fast to the belief that the Most High would interpose for the
defeat of their adversaries. But Israel had spurned the
divine protection, and now she had no defense. Unhappy
Jerusalem! rent by internal dissensions, the blood of her
children slain by one another's hands crimsoning her streets,
while alien armies beat down her fortifications and slew her
men of war!

» 180.30:11.

'60

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

All the predictions given by Christ concerning the de-
struction of Jerusalem were fulfilled to the letter. The Jews
experienced the truth of his words of warning, " With what
measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." '

Signs and wonders appeared, foreboding disaster and doom.
In the midst of the night an unnatural light shone over the
temple and the altar. Upon the clouds at sunset were pict-
ured chariots and men of war gathering for battle. The
priests ministering by night in the sanctuary were terrified
by mysterious sounds ; the earth trembled, and a multitude
of voices were heard crying, "Let us depart hence." The
great eastern gate, which was so heavy that it could hardly
be shut by a score of men, and which was secured by im-
mense bars of iron fastened deep in the pavement of solid
stone, opened at midnight, without visible agency.

For seven years a man continued to go up and down the
streets of Jerusalem, declaring the woes that were to come
upon the city. By day and by night he chanted the wild
dirge, "A voice from the east; a voice from the west; a voice
from the four winds; a voice against Jerusalem and the
temple ; a voice against the bridegroom and the bride ; and
a voice against all the people." This strange being was
imprisoned and scourged; but no complaint escaped his lips.
To insult and abuse he answered only, "Woe to Jerusalem 1
woe, woe to the inhabitants thereof I" His warning cry
ceased not until he was slain in the siege he had foretold.

Not one Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem.
Christ had given his disciples warning, and all who believed
his words watched for the promised sign. " AVhen ye shall
see Jerusalem compassed with armies," said Jesus, "then
know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them
which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them
which are in the midst of it depart out."'' After the Romans
under Cestius had surrounded the city, they unexpectedly
abandoned the siege when everything seemed favorable for

» Matt. 7:2. « Luke 21 : 20, 21 .

DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

an iiiiinediate attack. The besieged, despairing of successful
resistance, were on tlie point of surrender, wlien the lionian
general withdrew his forces, without the least apparent
reason. But God's merciful providence was directing events
for the good of his own people. The promised sign had
been given to the waiting Christians, and now an oppor-
tunity was afforded for all who would to obey the Saviour's
warning. Events were so overruled that neither Jews nor
Romans should hinder the flight of the Christians. Upon
the retreat of Cestius, the Jews, sallying from Jerusalem,
pursued after his retiring army, and while both forces were
thus fully engaged, the Christians had an opportunity to
leave the city. At this time the country also had been
cleared of enemies who might have endeavored to intercept
them. At the time of the siege, the Jews were assembled at
Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, and thus the
Christians throughout the land were able to make their
escape unmolested. Without delay they fled to a place of
safety, — the city of Pella, in the land of l*erea, beyond
Jordan.

The Jewish forces, pursuing after Cestius and his army,
fell ui)on their rear with such fierceness as to threaten them
with total destruction. It was with great difficulty that the
Ilomans succeeded in making their retreat. The Jews es-
caped almost without loss, and with their spoils returned in
triumph to Jerusalem. Yet this apparent success brought
them only evil. It inspired them with that spirit of stub-
born resistance to the Romans which speedily brought un-
utterable woe upon the doomed city.

Terrible were the calamities that fell upon Jerusalem when
the siege was resumed by Titus. The city was invested at
the time of the Passover, when millions of Jews were as-
sembled within its walls. Their stores of provision, which
if carefully preserved would have supplied the inhabitants
for years, had previously been destroyed through the jealousy
and revenge of the contending factions, and now all the hor-

TIIK GREAT CONTROVERSY.

rors of starvation wero oxi)oricnced. A measure of wheat
was sold for u talent. So liorco wore the pangs of hunger
that men would gnaAV the leather of their helts and sandals
and the covering of their shields, CJreat numbers of tlio
peoj)lo would steal out at night to gather wihl jjlants grow-
ing outside the city walls, though numy were seized and
put to death with eru(>l torture, and often those who rc^turned
in safety wero robbed of what they luid gleaned at so great
peril. The most inhiuuan tortures wero inflicted by those
in power, to force from tho want-stricken people the last
scanty supplies which they might have concealed. And
these cruelties were not infrequ(Mitly practiced by men who
wero themselves well fed, and who were merely desirous of
laying up a store of ])rovision for tho future.

Thousands perished from famine and pestilence. Natural
affection seemed to have been destroyed. Husbands robbed
their wives, and wives their Inisbands. . C'lnldren would be
seen snatching the food from the mouths of their aged par-
ents. Tho question of the ]>rophet, "Can a woman forget
her sucking child?"' received the answer within the walls
of that doomed city, "The hands of the pitiful womeii have
sodden their own children; they were their meat in the
destruction of tho daughter of my people."'' Again was
fulfilled the warning prophecy given fourteen centuries be-
fore: "Tho tender and delicate woman among you, which
would not adventure to set tho solo of Iut foot upon the
ground for delicateness and t(>nderness, her eye shall bo evil
toward tho husband ot Jier bosom, and toward her son, and
toward her daughter; . . . nnd toward her children
which she shall bear; for she shall eat them for want of all
things secretly in the si(^ge and straitness, wherewith thine
enemy shall distress theo in thy gates."'

The Roman lead( rs endeavored to strike terror to the
Jews, and thus cause them to surrender. Those prisoners
who resisted when taken, were scourged, tortured, and cruci-

> Isa. 49 : 15. > Lam. 4:10. » Deut. 'J8 : 56, 57.

DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

fic'd bi'loro the wall of the city. Iliiiulreds wore daily jmt
to (Imth in tiiis iiiiuinor, and tho droadt'ul work continued
until, alonnj the valley of Jehoshaphat and at Calvary,
crosses were erected in so great inimbers that there was
scarcely room to move among tlu>m. So terribly was visited
that awful imprecation uttered before the judgment-seat of
Pilate: "His blood be on us, and on our children.'"

Titus would willingly have put an end to the fearful
scene, and tlius have si)ared J(>rusalem the full measure of
her doom. lie was filled with horn)r as lie saw the bodies
of tho dead lying in heaps in the valleys. Like one en-
tranced, he looked from tho crest of Olivet upon tho mag-
iiilicent temple, and gave command that not one stone of it
bo touched. Before attem})ting to gain possession of tliis
stronghold, he nuide an earnest ai)peal to the Jewish leaders
not to force him to defile the sacred place with blood. If
they would come forth and tight in any other place, no Ko-
man should violate the sanctity of tho temple. Joseplius
himself, in a most elo(iuent aj)})eal, entreated them to sur-
render, to save themselves, their city, and their place of
worship. But Ids words were answered with bitter curses.
Darts were hurled at him, their last lunnan mediator, as lie
stood pleading with them. The Jews had rejected tho en-
treaties of the Son of God, and riow expostulation and en-
treaty ordy made them more determined to resist to the last.
In vain were the eilorts of Titus to save the temple; One
greater than he had declared that not one stone W'as to be
left upon another.

Tho blind obstinacy of the Jewish leaders, and the de-
testable crimes perpetrated within tho besieged city, excited
tho horror and indignation of the Romans, and Titus at last
decided to take the temple by storm. lie determined, how-
ever, that if possible it should bo saved from destruction.
But his connnands were disregarded. After he had retired
to his tent at night, the Jews, sallying from the temple, at-

» Matt. 27 : 25.

THE GREAT CONTROVERSF.

tacked the soldiers without. In the struggle, a firebrand
was flung by a soldier through an opening in the porch, and
immediately the ccdar-lincd chambers about the holy house
were in a blaze. Titus rushed to the place, followed by his
generals and legionaries, and commanded the soldiers to
quench the flames. His words were unheeded. In their
fury the soldiers hurled blazing brands into the chambers
adjoining the temple, and then with their swords they
slaughtered in great numbers those who had found shelter
there. Blood flowed down the temple steps like water.
Thousands upon thousands of Jews perished. Above the
sound of battle, voices were heard shouting, " Tchabod ! " —
the glory is departed.

" Titus found it impossible to check the rage of the sol-
diery; he entered with his officers, and surveyed the interior
of the sacred edifice. The splendor filled them with wonder,
and as the flames had not yet penetrated to the holy place,
he made a last effort, to save it, and springing forth, again
exhorted the soldiers to stay the progress of the conflagration.
The centurion Liberalis endeavored to enforce obedience with
his staff of office ; but even respect for the emperor gave v/ay
to the furious animosity against the Jews, to the fierce ex-
citement of battle, and to the insatiable hope of plunder.
The soldiers saw everything around them radiant with gold,
which shone dazzlingly in the wild light of the flames; they
supposed that incalculable treasures were laid up in the
sanctuary. A soldier, unperceived, thrust a lighted torch
between the hinges of the door ; the whole building was in
flames in an instant. The blinding smoke and fire forced
the officers to retreat, and the noble edifice was left to its
fate.

" It was an appalling spectacle to the Roman ; what was
it to the Jew? The whole summit of the hill which com-
manded the city blazed like a volcano. One after another
the buildings fell in, with a tremendous crash, and were
swallowed up in the fiery abyss. The roofs of cedar were

DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

85^

like sheets of flame ; the gilded pinnacles shono like spikes
of red light; the gate towers sent up tall columns of flame
and smoke. The neighboring hills were lighted up; and
dark groups of people ■\vero seen watching in horrible anxiety
the progress of the destruction; the "walls and heights of the
upper city were crowded with faces, some pale with the
agony of despair, others scowling unavailing vengeance.
The shouts of tlio Iloman soldiery as they ran to and fro,
and the bowlings of the insurgents who were perishing in
the flames, mingled with the roaring of the conflagration
and the thundering sound of falling timbers. The echoes
of the mountains replied ov brought back the shrieks of the
people on the heights; all along the walls resounded screams
and wailings; men who were expiring with famine rallied
their remaining strength to utter a cry of anguish and des-
olation.

" The slaughter within was even more dreadful than the
spectacle from without. Men and women, old and young,
insurgents and priests, those wdio fought and those Avho en-
treated mercy, were hewn down in indiscriminate carnage.
The number of the slain exceeded that of the slayers. Tlio
legionaries had to clamber over heaps of dead to carry on
the work of extermination."

After the destruction of the temple, the whole city soon
fell into the hands of the Romans. The leaders of the Jews
forsook their imjoregnable towers, and Titus found them sol-
itary. He gazed upon them with amazement, and declared
that God had given them into his hands; for no engines,
however powerful, could liave prevailed against those stu-
pendous battlements. Both the city and the temple were
razed to their foundations, and the ground upon which the
holy house had stood was "plowqd like a field." ^ In the
siege pnd the slaughter that followed, more than a million
of the people perished; the survivors w^ere carried away as
captives, sold as slaves, dragged to Rome to grace the con-

»Jor. 20:18.

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

queror's triumph, thrown to wild beasts in the amphithea-
ters, or scattered as homeless wanderers throughout the earth.

The Jews had forged their own fetters ; they had filled for
themselves the cup of vengeance. In the utter destruction
that befell them as a nation, and in all the woes that fol-
lowed them in their dispersion, they were but reaping the
harvest which their own hands had sown. Says the prophet,
"O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself;" "for thou hast
fallen by thine iniquity." ' Their sufferings are often rep-
resented as a punishment visited upon them by the direct
■decree of God. It is thus that the great deceiver seeks to
conceal his own work. By stubborn rejection of divine love
and mercy, the Jews had caused the protection of God to be
withdrawn from them, and Satan was permitted to rule them
according to his w'l. The horrible cruelties enacted in the
destruction of Jei usalem are a demonstration of Satan's vin-
dictive power over those who yield to his control.

We cannot know how much we owe to Christ for the peace
and protection which we enjoy. It is the restraining power
of God that prevents mankind from passing fully binder the
control of Satan. The disobedient and unthankful have
great reason for gratitude for God's mercy and long-suffering
in holding in check the cruel, malignant power of the evil
one. But when men pass the limits of divine forbearance,
that restraint is removed. God does not stand toward the
«inner as an executioner of the sentence against transgres-
Bion; but he leaves the rejecters of his mercy to themselves,
to reap that which they have sown. Every ray of light
rejected, every warning despised or unheeded, every passion
indulged, every transgression of the law of God, is a seed
sown, which yields its unfailing harvest. The Spirit of God,
persistently resisted, is at last withdrawn from the sinner,
and then there is left no power to control the evil passions
of the soul, and no protection from the malice and enmity
•of Satan. The destruction of Jerusalem is a fearful and

»Ho8. 13:9; 14:1.

DESTRUCTION' OF JERUSALEM.

solemn warning to all who are trifling witli tlie offers of
divine grace, and resisting the pleadings of divine mercy.
Never was there given a more decisive testimony to God's
hatred of sin, and to the certain punishment that will fall
upon the guilty.

The Saviour's prophecy concerning the visitation of judg-
ments upon Jerusalem is to have another fulfillment, oi
which that terrible desolation was but a faint shadow. In
the fate of the chosen city we may behold the doom of a
world that has rejected God's mercy and trampled upon his
law. Dark are the records of human misery that earth has
witnessed during its long centuries of crime. The heart
sickens and the mind grows faint in contemplation. Ter-
rible have been the results of rejecting the authority of
Heaven. But a scene yet darker is presented in the revela-
tions of the future. The records of the past, — tlu long pro-
cession of tumults, conflicts, and revolutions, the "battle of
the warrior, with confused noise, and garments rolled in
blood," ' — what are these, in contrast with the terrors of that
day when the restraining Spirit of God shall be wholly with-
drawn from the wicked, no longer to hold in check the
outburst of human passion and Satanic wrath ! The world
will then behold, as never before, the results of Satan's rule.

But in that day, as in the time of Jerusalem's destruction,
God's people will be delivered, "every one that shall be
found written among the living." Christ has declared that
he will come the second time, to gathe. his faithful ones to
himself: "Then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn,
and the} ^hall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his
angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall
gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end
of heaven to the other."* Then shall they that obey not
the gospel be consumed with the spirit of his Tuouth, and
be destroyed with the brightness of his coming.' Like Israel
» Isa. 9:5. » Matt. 24 : 30, 31. » 2 Thess. 2 : 8.

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

of old, the wicked destroy themselves; they fall by their
iniquity. By a life of sin, they have placed themselves so
out of harmony with God, tlieir natures have become so
debased with evil, that th(> manifestation of Ids glory is to
them a consuming fire.

Let men beware lest they neglect the lesson conveyed to
them in the words of Christ. As he warned his disciples of
Jerusalem's destruction, giving them a sign of the approach-
ing ruin, that they might make their escape, so he has
warned the world of the day of final destruction, and has
given them tokens of its approach, that all who will may
flee from the wrath to come. Jesus declares, " There shall
be signs in the sun, anc. m the moon, and in ttio stars; and
upon the earth distress of nations."' Those who behold
these harbingers of his coming are to "know that it is near,
even at the doors." * " Watcli ye therefore,"* are his words
of admonition. They tliat heed the warning shall not be
left in darkness, that that day should overtake them un-
awares. But to them that will not watch, " the day of the
Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." *

The world is no more ready to credit the message for this
time than were the Jews to receive the Saviour's warning
concerning Jerusalem. Come when it may, the day of God
will come unawares to the ungodly. When life is going on
in its unvarying round ; when men are absorbed in pleasure,
in business, in traffic, in money-making; when religious
leaders are magnifying the world's progress and enlighten-
ment, and the people are lulled in a false security, — then, as
the midnight thief steals within the unguarded dwelling, so
shall sudden destruction come upon the careless and un-
godly, " and they shall not escape.

V i

»Luke 21 : 25 ; Matt. 24 : 29 ; Mark 13 : 24-2(5 ; Rev. G : 12-17.
=* Matt. 2-4 : 33. * Mark 13 : 35. * i Thess. 5 : 2-^.

ill

by their
selves so
!Conie so
iory irf to

A'eyed to
sciples of
[)proach-

he has
and has
^'iil may
jre shall
ars; and

behold
'> i-s near,
is words
I not be
lem un-
y of the

for this
kvarning

of God
joing on
)loasure,
'eligious
lighten-
then, as
lling, so
md uii-

17.
-5.

Gt. C

on.

CHAPTER II.

PERSECUTION IN THE FIRST CENTURIES.

When Jesus revealed to his disciples the fate of Jerusalem
and the scenes of the second advent, he foretold also the ex-
perience of his people from the time when he should be
taken from them, to his return in power and glory for their
deliverance. From Olivet the Saviour beheld the storms
about to fall upon the apostolic clmrch, and, penetrating
deeper into the future, his eye discerned the fierce, wasting
tempests that were to beat upon his followers in the coming
ages of darkness and persecution. In a few brief utterances,
of awful significance, he foretold the portion which the rul-
ers of this world would mete out to the church of God.*
The followers of Christ must tread the same path of humili-
ation, reproach, and suffering which their Master trod. The
enmity that burst forth against the world's Redeemer, would
be manifested against all who should believe on his name.

The history of the early church testified to the fulfillment
of the Saviour's words. The powers of earth and hell ar-
rayed themselves agai ..ist Christ in the person of his follow-
ers. Paganism foresaw that should the gospel triumph,
her temples and altars would be swept away; therefore she
summoned her forces to destroy Christianity. The fires of
persecution were kindled. Christians were stripped of their
possessions, and driven from their homes. They " endured
a great fight of afflictions." * They " had trial of cruel mock-

» Matt. 24 : 9, 21, 22. ■' Heb. 10 : 32.

(39)

Tin: CRKAT COSTROVKliSY.

ingfi ami scourj^iiigs, yea, moivovor of ]){)ii(ls and iinj)ris()n.
im-nt."' (ircat numl)c'rs seali'd tlu'ir tcstiinoiiy with tlioir
blood. Noblo aiul .slave, rich and jmor, luaniwl and igno-
rant, wore alike slain without mercy.

These persecutions, bejL;innin«; undi'r Nero about the timo
of the martyrdom of Paul, continued with greater or less
fury for centuries. Christians were ialsely accused of tho
most dreadful crimes, and declared to bo tho causo of groat
calamities — famine, pestilence, nnd earth([uako. As they
became tho objects of po[)ular hatred and sus[)iciou, inform-
ers stood ready, for tho sake of gain, to betray tho innocent.
They were condemned as rebels against tho empire, as foey
of religion, and pests to society. Great numbers were thrown
to wild beasts or burned alive in tho amphitheaters. Somci
were crucified; others were covered with tho skins of wild
animals, and thrust into tho arena to bo torn by dogs.
Their punishment was often made tho chief entertainment
at public fetes. Vast multitudes assiMiibled to enjoy tlio
sight, and greeted their dying agonies with laughter and
applause.

Wherever they sought refuge, tho followers of Christ were
hunted like beasts of prey. They were forced to seek con-
realment in desolate and solitary places. " Destitute, af
flicted, tormented; of whom the wt)rld was not worthy; they
wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and
caves of the earth."* Tho catacombs afforded shelter foi
thousands. Beneath tho hills outside the city of Rome, long
galleries had been tunneled through earth and lock; the
dark and intricate network of passages extended for miles
bej'ond the city walls. In these underground retreats, the
followers of Christ buried their dead ; and hero also, when
suspected and proscribed, they found a liome. When the
Lifegiver shall awaken those who liave fought ihe good fight,
many a martyr for Christ's sake will come forth from those
gloomy caverns.

»Heb. 11 :36, 37.38.

n
p

I 'si

>t were
k con-
ite, af-
they
and
ter foi
, long
k; the
miles
ts, the
when
n the
fight,
those

PERSECUTION IN THE FIRST CENTURIES.

Under the fiercest persecution, these witnesses for Jesus
kept their faith unsullied. Though deprived of every com-
fort, shut away from the light of the sun, making their
home in the dark but friendly bosom of the earth, they
uttered no complaint. With words of faith, patience, and
hope, they encouraged ov.q another to endure privation and
distress. The loss of every earthly blessing could not force
them to renounce their belief in Christ. Trials and perse-
cution were but steps bringing them nearer their rest and
their reward.

Like God's servants of old, many were " tortured, not ac-
€epting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resur-
rection." ^ These called to mind the words of their Master,
that when persecuted for Christ's sake they were to be ex-
ceeding glad ; for great would be their reward in Heaven ;
for so the prophets had been persecuted before them. They
rejoiced that they were accounted worthy to suffer for the
truth, and songs of triumph ascended from the midst of
crackling flames. Lookii g upward by faith, they saw Christ
and angels leaning over the battlements of Heaven, gazing
upon them with the deepest interest, and regarding their
steadfastness with approval. A voice came down to them
from the throne of God, " Be thou faithful unto death, and
I will give thee a crown of life." *

In vain were Satan's efforts to destroy the church of Christ
by violence. The great controversy in which the disciples
of Jesus yielded up their lives, did not cease when these
faithful standard-bearers fell at their post. By defeat they
conquered. God's workmen were slain, but his work went
steadily forward. The gospel continued to spread, and the
number of its adherents to increase. It penetrated into
regions that were inaccessible, even to the eagles of Rome.
Said a Christian, expostulating with the heathen rulers who
were urging forward the persecution : " You may torment,
afflict, and vex us. Your wickedness puts our weakness to
»Heb. 11:35. »Itev.2:10.

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

the te^t, but your cruelty is of no avail. It is but a stronger
invitation to bring others to our persuasion. The more wo
are mowed down, the more we spring up again. The blood
of the Christians is seed."

Thousands were imprisoned and slain ; but others sprung
up to fill their i)laces. And those who were martyred for
their faith were secured to Christ, and accounted of him as
conquerors. They had fought the good fight, and they were
to receive the crown of glory when Christ should come.
The sufferings which they endured brought Christians nearer
to one another and to their Redeemer. Their living ex-
ample and dying testimony were a constant witness for the
truth ; and, where least expected, the subjects of Satan were
leaving his service, and enlisting under the banner of Christ.

Satan therefore laid his plans to war more successfully
against the government of God, by planting his banner in
the Christian church. If the followers of Christ could be
deceived, and led to displease God, then their strength, forti-
tude, and firmness would fail, and they would fall an easy
prey.

The great adversary now endeavored to gain by artifice
what he had failed to secure by force. Persecution ceased,
and in its stead were substituted the dangerous allurements
of temporal prosperity and worldly honor. Idolaters were
led to receive a part of the Christian faith, while they re-
jected other essential truths. They professed to accept Jesus
as the Son of God, and to believe in his death and resurrec-
tion; but they had no conviction of sin, and felt no need of
rcjicntance or of a change of heart. With some conces-
sions on their i^art, they proposed that Christians should
make concessions, that all might unite on the platform of
belief in Christ.

Now the church was in fearful peril. Prison, torture, fire,
and sword were blessings in comparison with this. Some of
the Christians stood firm, declaring that they could make no
compromise. Others were in favor of yielding or modifying

>liU,

PERSECUTION IN THE FIRST CENTURIES. 43

some features of their faith, and uniting with tl)ose who had
accepted a part of Christianity, urging that this might bo
the means of their full conversion. Tliat was a time of deep
aniruish to the faithful followers of Christ. Under a cloak
of pretended Christianity, Satan was insinuating himself
into the church, to corrupt their faith, and turn their niiuds
from the Word of truth.

Most of the Christians at last consented to lower their
standard, and a union was formed between Christianity and
paganism. Although the woishipers of idols professed to be
converted, and united with the church, they still clung to
their idolatry, only changing the objects of their worship to
images of Jesus, and even of Mary and the saints. The foul
leaven of idolatry, thus brought into the church, continued
its baleful work. Unsound doctrines, superstitious rites, and
idolatrous ceremonies were incorporated into her faith and
worship. As the followers of Christ united wdth idolaters,
the Christian religion became corrupted, and the church lost
her purity and power. There were some, however, who
were not misled by these delusions. They still maintained
their fidelity to the Author of truth, and worshiped God
alone.

There have ever been two classes among those who pro-
fess to be followers of Christ. While one class study the
Saviour's life, and earnestly seek to correct their defects and
to conform to the Pattern, the other class shun the plain,
practical truths which expose their errors. Even in her best
estate, the church was not composed wholly of the true, pure,
and sincere. Our Saviour taught that those who willfully
indulge in sin are not to be received into the church; yet he
connected with himself men who were faulty in character,
and granted them the benefits of his teachings and example,
that they might have an opportunity to see their errors and
correct them. Among the twelve apostles was a traitor.
Judas was accepted not because of his defects of character,
but notwithstanding them. He was connected with the dis-

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

I -I

ciples, that, through the instruction and example of Christ,
he might learn what constitutes Christian character, and
thus be led to see his errors, to repent, and, by the aid of di-
vine grace, to purify his soul "in obeying the truth." But
Judas did not walk in the light so graciously permitted to
shine upon him. By indulgence in sin, he invited the temp-
tations of Satan. His evil traits of character became pre-
dominant. He yielded his mind to t^: control of the powers
of darkness, he became angry when his faults were reproved,
and thus he was led to commit the fearful crime of betraying
his Master. So do all who cherish evil under a profession
of godliness hate those who disturb their peace by ' ndemn-
ing their course of sin. When a favorable opportunity is
presented, they will, like Judas, betray those who for their
good have sought to reprove them.

The apostles encountered those in the church w^ho pro-
fessed godliness while they were secretly cherishing iniquity.
Ananias and Sapphira acted the part of deceivers, pretend-
ing to make an entire sacrifice for God, when they were cov-
etously withholding a portion for themselves. The Spirit of
truth revealed to the apostles the real character of these
pretenders, and the judgments of God rid the church of this
foul blot upon its purity. This signal evidence of the
discerning Spirit of Christ in the church was a terror to
hypocrites and evil-doers. They could not long remain in
connection with those who were, in habit and disposition,
constant representatives of Christ; and as trials and perse-
cution came upon his followers, those only who were willing
to forsake all for the truth's sake desired to become his dis-
ciples. Thus, as long as persecution continued, the church
remained comparatively pure. But as it ceased, converts
were added who were less sincere and devoted, and the way
was opened for Satan to obtain a foot-hold.

But there is no union between the Prince of light and the
prince of darkness, and there can be no union between their
followers. AVhen Christians consented to unite with those

PERSECUTION' IN THE FIRST CENTURIES. 45

who were but half converted from paganism, they entered
upon a path which led farther and farther from the truth.
Satan exulted that ho had succeeded in deceiving so largo a
number of the followers of Christ. He then brought his
power to bear more fully upon these, and inspired them to
persecute those who remained true to God. None under-
stood so well how to oppose the true Christian faith as did
those who had once been its defenders; and these apostate
Christians, uniting wiih their half-pagan companions, di-
rected their warfare against the most essential features of
the doctrines of Christ.

It required a desperate struggle for those M'ho would be
faithful to stand firm against the deceptions and abomina-
tions which were disguised in sacerdotal garments and in-
troduced into the church. Tho Bible was not accepted as
the standard of faith. The doctrine of religious freedom
was termed heresy, and its upholders were hated and pro-
scribed.

After a long and severe conflict, the faithful few decided
to dissolve all union with the apostate church if she still
refused to free herself from falsehood and idolatry. They
saw that separation was an absolute necessity if they would
obey the Word of God. They dared not tolerate errors fatal
to their own souls, and set an example which would imperil
the faith of their children and children's children. To
secure peace and unity they were ready to make an}- con-
cession consistent with fidelity to God; but they felt that
even peace would be too dearly purchased at the sacrifice of
principle. If unity could be secured only by the compro-
mise of truth and righteousness, then let there be dilTerence,
and even war.

Well would it be for the church and the world if the prin-
ciples that actuated those steadfast souls were revived in the
' -arts of God's professed people. There is an alarming in-
difference in regard to the doctrines which are tlie pillars of
the Christian faith. The opinion is gaining ground, that,

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

after all, these are not of vital importance. This degeneracy
IS strengthening the hands of the agents of Satan, so that
false theories and fatal delusions which the faithful in ages
past imperiled their lives to resist and expose, are now re-
garded with favor by thousands who claim to be followers
of Christ.

The early Christians wore indeed a peculiar people. Their
blameless deportment and unswerving faith were a continual
reproof that disturbed the sinner's peace. Though few in
numbers, without wealth, position, or honorary titles, they
were a terror to evil-doers wherever their character and doc-
trines were known. Therefore they were hated by the
wicked, even as Abel was hated by the ungodly Cain. For
the same reason that Cain slew Abel did those who sought
to throw oft' the restraint of the Holy Spirit, put to death
God's people. It was for the same reason that the Jews re-
jected and crucified the Saviour, — because the purity and
holiness of his character was a constant rebuke to their self-
ishness and corruption. From the days of Christ until now,
his faithful disciples have excited the hatred and opposition
of those who love and follow the ways of sin.

How, then, can the gospel be called a message of peace ?
When Isaiah foretold the birth of the Messiah, he ascribed
to him the title, " Prince of peace." When angels announced
to the shepherds that Christ was born, they sung above the
plains of Bethlehem, " Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace, good will toward men." ' There is a seeming
contradiction between these jirophctic declarations and the
words of Christ, " I came not to send peace, but a sword." ^
But rightly understood, the two are in perfect harmony.
The gospel is a message of i)cace. Christianity is a system,
which, received and obeyed, would spread peace, harmony,
and happiness throughout the earth. The religion of Christ
will unite in close brotherhood all who accept its teachings.
It was the mission of Jesus to reconcile men to God, and

»Lulio2:l-l.

»lHatt. 10:34.

PERSECUTION IN THE FIRST CENTURIES. 47

thus to one another. But the world at hirgc are undcT the
control of Satan, Christ's l)ittorcst foe. The gospel presents
to them principles of life Avhich are wholly at variance with
their hal)its and desires, and they rise in rebellion against
it. They hate the j)urity which reveals and condemns their
sins, and they persecute and destroy those who would urgo
upon* them its just and holy claims. It is in tliis sense —
because the exalted truths it brings, occasion hatred and
strife — that tho gospel is called a sword.

The mysterious providence which permits the righteous
to suffer persecution at the hand of the wicked, has been a
cause of great perplexity to many who are weak in faith.
Some are even ready to cast away their confidence in God,
because he sulTers tho basest of men to prosper, while the
best and purest are afllictcd and tormented by their cruel
power. How, it is asked, can One who h just and merciful,
and who is also infmite in power, tolerate such injustice and
oppression? This is a question with which we have nothing
to do. God has given us sufncient evidence of his love, and
we are not to doubt his goodness because we cannot under-
stand the workings o^ his providence. Said the Saviour to
his disciples, foreseeing the doubts that would press upon
their souls in days of trial and darkness, " Hemember the
word that I said unto you. The servant is not greater than
liis lord. If they have i)ersecuted me, they will also perse-
cute yoa,"' Jesus suffered for us more than any of his
followers can be made to suffer through tho cruelty of wicked
men. Those v/lio are called to endure torture and martyrdom,
are but following in the steps of God's dear Son.

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise."" Ho
does not forget or neglect his children; but he permits tho
wicked to reveal their truo character, that none who desire
to do his will may be deceived concerning them. Again,
the righteous are placed in the furnace of affliction, that they
themselves may be iDurified; that their example may con-

^ John 15 : 20. ^2 Peter 3 : 0.

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

vince others of tlio reality of faith and godliness ; and also
that their consistent course may condemn the ungodly and
unbelieving.

God permits the wicked to prosper, and to reveal their
enmity against him, that when they shall have filled up the
measure of their iniquity, all may see his justice and mercy
in their utter destruction. The day of his vengeance hastens,
when all who have transgressed his law and oppressed his
people will meet the just recompense of their deeds; when
every act of cruelty or injustice toward God's faithful ones
will be punished as though done to Christ himself.

There is another and more important question that should
engage the attention of the churches of to-day. The apostle
Paul declares that " all that will live godly in Christ Jesus
shall suffer persecution." ^ Why is it, then, that persecution
seems in a great degree to slumber? — The only reason is,
that the church has conformed to the world's standai:d, and
therefore awakens no opposition. The religion which is
current in our day is not of the pure and holy character
that marked the Christian faith in the days of Christ and
his apostles. It is only because of the spirit of compromise
with sin, because the great truths of the Word of God are
so indifferently regarded, because there is so little vital god-
liness in the church, that Christianity is apparently so pop-
ular with the world. Let there be a revival of the faith and
power of the early church, and the spirit of persecution will
be revived, and the fires of persecution will be rekindled.

»2 Tim. 3:12.

nd also
dly and

al their
up the
I mercy
hastens,
ised his
;; when
ful ones

should
apostle
t Jesus
ecution
ason is,
i;d, and
hich is
laracter
•ist and
promise
jrod are
tal god-
so pop-
dth and
ion will
iled.

:j*W

CHAPTER III.

5?;

THE APOSTASY.

The apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalo-
nians, foretold the great apostasy which would result in the
establishment of the papal power. He declared that the
day of Christ should not come, " except there come a falling
away first, and that man of sin bo revealed, the son of per-
dition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is
called God, or that is worshiped; so that ho as Cfod sitteth
in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.'"
And furthermore, the apostle warns his brethren that "the
mystery of iniquity doth already work."^ Even at that
early date he saw, creeping into the church, errors that
would prepare the way for the development of the papacy.

Little by little, at first in stealth and silence, and then
more openly as it increased in strength and gained control
of the minds of men, the mystery of iniquity carried for-
ward its deceptive and blasphemous work. Almost imper-
ceptibly the customs of heathenism found their way into
the Christian church. The spirit of compromise and con-
formity was restrained for a time by the fierce persecutions
which the church endured under paganism. But as perse-
cution ceased, and Christianity entered the courts and pal-
aces of kings, she laid aside the humble simplicity of Christ
and his apostles for the pomp and pride of pagan priests
and rulers; and in place of the requirements of God, she
substituted human theories and traditions. The nominal

»2The88. 2:3,4, 7.

(49)

Tin: GREAT CONTIWVERSY.

conversion oi" CoiiHtantine, in the early part of the fourth
ccMiturv, caused ^reat rejoiein^'; and the world, eloaked with
a foini of righteousness, walke«l into the church. Now
the work of corru[>tion ra|>i<lly progressed. I'apmisni, whiln
apjK-arin^ to ))«• VMn'[uished, liccmue the con([Ueror. Ilcr
sj)irit conti'olled tlu^ church. Jler doctrines, ceremonies,
and sui)erstitions were incorjtorated int(^ the faith and wor-
ship of the ])rofessed followers of Christ.

This com prom isu between i)a^anism and Christianity re-
sulted in the develoi)ment of the "nuui of sin" foretold in
prophecy as op])()sing and exalting himself ahove (lod.
That gipmtic sy.stem of false religion is a masterpiece of
Satan's power, — a monument of his efl'orts to seat himself
upon the throne to rule the earth according to his will.

Satan once endeavored to form a compronu.se with Christ.
He came to the Son of (iod in the wilderness of temptation,
and, showing him all the kingd(mis of the world and the
glory of them, ottered to give all into his hands if ]\v would
but acknowledge the su})remacy of tlie prince of darkness.
Christ rebuked the presumptuous temi)ter, and forced him
to depart, liut Satan meets with greater success in present-
ing the same temi)tations to man. To secure worldly gains
and lionors, the church was led to seek the favor and sup-
port of the great men of earth, and having thus rejected
'Christ, she was induced to yield allegiance to the repreaunt-
-ative of Satan, — the bishop of Rome.

It is one of the leading doctrines of Romanism that the
pope is the visible head of the universal church of Christ,
•invested with supreme authority over bishops and pastors
In all parts of the world. IVIore than this, the pope has
arrogated the very titles of Deity. He styles himself " Lord
God the Pope," assumes infallibility, and demands that all
men pay him homage. Thus the same claim urged by
Satan in the wilderness of temptation is still urged by him
through the Church of Rome, and vast numbers are ready
to yield him homage.

THE APOSTASV.

Hut those who four and ii'verciwo (uxl imrt this Ilnivon-
<l;irin|i: assuinption as Christ mot the HolicitatioiiH of the
wily toe: "Tlioii sluilt worsliip tho Lord thy (Jod, and him
only shall tliou srrvc." ' (lod liaH lu'vcr ^ivon a hint in his
Word that he has appointed any man to lu' the head of tlie
church. Tlio doctrine of papal suprenuicy is directly oj)-
posed to tiie teachings of the S('rij)tures. 'J'he pope can
have no power over ("iirist's church except hy usurpation.

liomanists have persisted in hrin^in^ apunst Protestants
the charp' of heresy, and willful separation from the tru«'
church. Hut these accusations a[)ply rather to themselves.
They are the ones who lai<l down the banner of Christ, and
<leparte(l from "the faith which was once deliven'd unto
the saints."^

Satan well km*w that the Holy Scriptures would enable
men to discern liis deceptions and withstand his power. It
was bv the Word that oven the Saviour of the world had
resisted his attacks. At every assault, Christ j)rosentod the
shield of eternal truth, saying, "It is written." To every
suggestion of the adversary, ho opposed tho wisdom and
})Ower of the A\'ord. In order for Satan to maintain Ins
sway over men, and establish tho authority of tho papal
usurper, ho must keep them in ignorance of the Scriptures.
Tho Hiblo would exalt God, and i)laco finite men in their
true position; therefore its sacred truths nmst bo concealed
and sui»prosse(l. This hjgic was adopted by tho Roman
C'hurch. For hundreds of years tho circulation of the Bible
was j)rohibited, Tho people were forbidden to read it or to
have it in their houses, and unprincipled priests and prelates
interpreted its teachings to sustain their pretensions. Thus
tho pope came to be almost universally acknowledged as
the vicegerent of God on earth, endowed with authority
over Church and State.

The detector of error having been removed, Satan worked
according to his will. Prophecy had declared that the pa-

' Luko 4 : 8. » Jude 3.

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

pacy was to "tliiak to change times and laws."^ This work
it was not slow to attempt. To afford converts from heathen-
ism a substitute for the worship of idols, and thus to pro-
mote their nominal acceptance of Christianity, the adoration
of images and relics was gradually introduced into the
Christian worship. The decree of a general council ^ finally
established this system of idolatry. To complete the sacri-
legious work, Rome presumed to expunge from the law of
God the second commandment, forbidding image worship,
and to divide the tenth commandment, in order to preserve
the number.

The spirit of concession to paganism openedt, the way for
a still further disregard of Heaven's authority. Satan tam-
pered with the fourth commandment also, and essayed to
set aside the ancient Sabbath, the day which God had
blessed and sanctified, ' and in its stead to exalt the festi val
observed by the heathen as " the venerable day of the sun."
This change was not at first attempted openly. In the first
centuries the true Sabbath had been kept by all Christians.
They were jealous for the honor of God, and, believing that
his law is immutable, they zealously guarded the sacredness
of its precepts. But with great subtlety, Satan worked
through his agents to bring about his object. That the
attention of the people might be called to the Sunday, it
was made a festival in hont • ' the resurrection of Christ.
Religious services were held upon it; yet it was regarded as
a day of recreation, the Sabbath being still sacredly ob-
served.

To prepare the way for the work which he designed to
accomplish, Satan had led the Jews, before the advent of
Christ, to load down the Sabbath with the most rigorous
exactions, making its observance a burden. Now, taking
advantage of the false light in which he had thus caused it
to be regarded, he cast contempt upon it as a Jewish insti-
tution. While Christians continued to observe the Sunday

» Dan. 7 : 25. " Second Council of Nice, a. d. 787. » Gen. 2 : 2, 3.

•a^'- ;

THE APOSTASY.

as a joyous festival, he led them, in order to show their
hatred of Judaism, to make the Sabbath a fast, a day of
sadness and gloom.

In the early part of the fourth century, the emperor Con-
stantine issued a decree making Sunday a public festival
throughout the Roman Empire.^ The day of the sun was
reverenced by his pagan subjects, and was honored by Chris-
tians; it was the emperor's policy to unite the conflicting
interests of heathenism and Christianity. He was urged to
do this by the bishops of the church, who, inspired by ambi-
tion, and thirst for power, perceived that if the same day was
observed by both Christians and the heathen, it would pro-
mote the nominal acceptance of Christianity by pagans, and
thus advance the power and glory of the church. But while
Christians were gradually led to regard Sunday as possess-
ing a degree of sacredness, they still held the true Sabbath
as the holy of the Lord, and observed it in obedience to the
fourth commandment.

The arch-deceiver had not completed his work. He was
resolved to gather the Christian world under liis banner,
and to exercise his power through his vicegerent, the proud
pontiff who claimed to be the representative of Christ.
Through half-converted })agans, ambitious prelates, and
world-loving churchmen, he accomplished his purpose.
Vast councils were held, from time to time, in wliich the
dignitaries of the church were convened from all the world.
In nearly every council the Sabbath which God had insti-
tuted was pressed down a little lower, while the Sunday was
correspondingly exalted. Thus the pagan festival came
finally to be honored as a divine institution, while the Bible
Sabbath was pronounced a relic of Judaism, and its observ-
ers were declared to be accursed.

The great apostate had succeeded in exalting himself
" above all that is called God, or that is worshiped." '^ He
had dared to change the only precept of the divine law that
unmistakably points all mankind to the true and living

' See Appendix, Note 1. *2 Thess. 2 : 4.

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

God. In the fourth commandment, God is revealed as the
Creator of the lieavens and tlie earth, and is thereby distin-
guished from all false gods. It was as a memorial of the
work or" creation that the seventli day was sanctified as a
rest-day for man. It was designed to keep the living God
ever before the minds of men as the source of being and
the object of reverence and worship. Satan strives to turn
men from their allegiance to God, and from rendering obe-
dience to his law; therefore he directs his efforts especially
against that commandment* which points to God as the
Creator.

Protestants now urge that the resurrection of Christ on
Sunday made it the Christian Sabbath. But Scripture evi-
dence is lacking. No such honor was given to the day by
Christ or his apostles. The observance of Sunday as a
Christian institution had its origin in that " mystery of law-
lessness'" which, even in Paul's day, had begun its work.
Where and when did the Lord adopt this child of the
papacy? What valid reason can be given for a change
which the Scriptures do not sanction ?

In the sixth century the pai)acy had become firmly estab-
lished. Its seat of power was fixed in the imperial city,
and the bishop of Rome was declared to be the head over
the entire church. Paganism had given place to the pa-
pacy. The dragon had given to the beast "his power, and
his seat, and great authority." '^ ^Vnd now began the 1200
years of papal opi)rcssion foretold in the prophecies of Daniel
and the Revelation.' Christians were forced to choose, either
to yield their integrity and accept the papal ceremonies and
worship, or to wear away tlieir lives in dungeons or suffer
death by the rack, the fagot, or the headsman's ax. Now
were fulfilled the words of Jesus, " Ye shall be betrayed
both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends;
and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And
ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake."* Perse-

' 2 Thess. 2 : 7, revised version.
"Dan. 7: 25; Rev. 13:o-7.

■■^ Rev. 13:2; see Appendix, Note 2.
* Luke 21 : 10,17.

THE APOISTASY.

ciition opened u])on the faithful with greater fury than ever
before, and the world became a vast battle-field. For hun-
dreds of years the church of Christ found refuge in seclusion
and obscurity. Thus says the prophet: "The woman fled
into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God,
tliat they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and
threescore days.'"

The accession of the Roman Church to power marked the
beginning of the Dark Ages. As her power increased, the
darkness deepened. Faith was transferred from Christ, the
true foundation, to the pope of Rome. Instead of trusting
in the Son of God for forgiveness of sins and for eternal sal-
vation, the people looked to the pope, and to the priests and
prelates to whom he delegated authority. They were taught
that the pope was their earthly mediator, and that none
conld approach God except through him, and, further, that
he stood in the place of God to them, and was therefore to
be implicitly obeyed. A deviation from his requirements
was sufficient cause for the severest punishment to be visited
upon the bodies and souls of the offenders. Thus the minds
of the people were turned away from God to fallible, erring,
and cruel men, nay more, to the prince of darkness himself,
who exercised his power through them. Sin was disguised
in a garb of sanctity. When the Scriptures are suppressed,
and man comes to regard himself as supreme, we need look
only for fraud, deception, and debasing iniquity. With the
elevation of human laws and traditions, was manifest the
corruption that ever results from setting aside the law of
(xod.

Those were days of peril for the churcii of Christ. The
faithful standard-bearers were few indeed. Though the
truth was not left without witnesses, yet at times it seemed
that error and superstition would wholly prevail, and true
religion would bo banished from the earth. The gospel was
lost sight of, but the forms of religion were multiplied, and
the people were burdened with rigorous exactions.

' Rev. 12 : 6.

TII£ GREAT CONTROVERSY.

They were taught not only to look to the pope as their
mediator, but to trust to works of their own to atone for sin.
Long pilgrimages, acts of penance, the worship of relics, the
erection of churches, shrines, and altars, the payment of
large sums to the church, — these and many similar acts
were enjoined to appease the wrath of God or to secure his
favor; as if God were like men, to be angered at trifles, or
pacified by gifts or acts of penance!

Notwithstanding that vice prevailed, even among the
leaders of the Romish Church, her influence seemed steadily
to increase. About the close of the eighth century, papists
put forth the claim that in the first ages of the church the
bishops of Rome had possessed the same spiritual power
which they now assumed. To establish this claim, some
means must be employed to give it a show of authority ; and
this was readily suggested by the father of lies. Ancient
writings were forged by monks. Decrees of councils before
unheard of were discovered, establishing the universal su-
premacy of the pope from the earliest times. And a church
that had rejected the truth, greedily accepted these decep-
tions.

The few faithful builders upon the true foundation * were
perplexed and hindered, as the rubbish of false doctrine
obstructed the work. Like the builders upon the wall of
Jerusalerr in Nehemiah's day, some were ready to say, " The
strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is
much rubbish, so that we are not able to build." ^ Wearied
with the constar.G struggle against persecution, fraud, iniquity,
and every other obstacle that Satan could devise to hinder
their progre-is, some who had been faithful builders became
disheartened ; and for the sake of peace and security for their
property and their lives they turned away from the true
foundation. Others, undaunted by the opposition of their
enemies, fearlessly declared, " Be not ye afraid of them ;
remember the Lord, which is great and terrible ; * and they

U Cor. 3:10, 11. !'Neh.4:10. »Neh.4:14.

THE APOSTASY.

proceeded with the work, every one with his sword girded
by his side.'

The same spirit of hatred and opposition to the truth has
inspired the enemies of God in every age, and the same
vigilance and fidelity have been required in his servants.
The words of Christ to the first disciples are applicable to
liis followers to the close of time: " What I say unto you I
say unto all, Watch." '

The darkness seemed to grow more dense. Image worship
became more general. Candles were burned before images,
and prayers were offered lo them. The most absurd and
superstitious customs prevailed. The minds of men were so
completely controlled by superstition that reason itself seemed
to have lost her sway. While priests and bishops were them-
selves pleasure-loving, sensual, and corrupt, it could only be
expected that the people who looked to them for guidance
would be sunken in ignorance and vice.

Another step in papal assumption was taken, when, in the
eleventh century, Pope Gregory VII. proclaimed the per-
fe2tion of the Romish Church. Among the propositions
which he put forth, was one declaring that the church had
never erred, nor would it ever err, according to the Script-
ures. Bvt the Scripture proofs did not accompany the as-
sertion. The proud pontiff next claimed the power to depose
eni})erors, and declared that no sentence which ho pronounced
could be reversed by any one, but that it was his prerogative
to reverse the decisions of all others.

A striking illustration of the tyrannical character of this
advocate of infallibility was given in his treatment of the
German emperor, Henry IV. For presuming to disregard
the pope's authority, this monarch was declared to be ex-
communicated and dethroned. Terrified by the desertion
and threats of his own princes, who were encouraged in re-
bellion against him by the papal mandate, Henry felt the
necessity of makJig his peace with Rome. In company

'Eph. 6:17. = Mark 13: 37.

Ill

5.S

Tin: GREAT COXTROVERSY.

with his wifo uiid a faithlul sorvant, lie crossed the -Vlp.s in
midwinter, that l»o iiiiglit liuinl)le iiimself before the }M)|)e.
U])on rejicliiiig the castle whither ( Iregoiy had ■withdrawn,
he was conthicted, without his guards, into an outer court,
and there, in tlu; severe cold of winter, with uncovered head
and naked feet, and in a niiserahli! dress, he await(Ml the
l)o|)e's jxTmission to (;onie into his presence. Not \nitil lie
had continuecl three days fasting and making confession,
did the ]>ontih condescend to grant him ])ardon. Even tlien.
it was only upon condition that the emperor should await
the sanction of the po])e before resuming the insignia or
exercising iho power of royalty. And Gregory, elated witii
liis triulnph, boasted that it was his duty " to pull down the
pride of kings.''

How striking the contrast between the overbearing pride
of this haughty i)ontitf and the meekness and gentleness of
Christ, who represents himself as pleading at the door of the
heart for admittance, that he may come in to bring pardon
and peace, and who taught his disciples, " Whosoever will
be chief amony: von, let him be vour servant."

The advancing centuries witnessed a constant increase of
error in the doctrines put forth from Rome. Even before
the establishment of the jjapacy, the teachings of heathen
philosophers had received attention and exerted an inlluence
in the church. Many wlio j^rofessed conversion still clung
to the tenets of their pagan philosophy, and not only con-,
tinued its study themsidves, but urged it upon otlier.s as a
means of extending their inlluence among the heathen.
Serious errors were thus introduced into the Christian faith.
Prominent among these was the belief in Jiian's natural
immortality and his consciousness in death. This doctrine
laid the foinidation upon which Rome established the in-
vocation of saints and the adoration of the virgin Mary.
From this sprung also the heresy of eternal torment for the
finally impenitent, which was early incorporated into the
papal faith.

Then the way was prepared for the introduction of still

"Matt. 20:27.

he -Vlps in
' tlie iKjpo.
A'itlidrawii,
niU'V court,
vored head
wait<^d the
)t until Jie
coiit'ession.
Pi von thou
uuld await
insignia or
slated with
1 down the

'ring pri<le
;ntloness of
lioor of the
ng jDardon
wpver will

increase of
on hoforo
f lieathou
inlluonce
it ill clung
only con-,
hors as a

heathen,
tian faith.
s natural

doctrine
d the in-
in Mary.

t for the

into the

In of still

THE APOSTASY.

&9^

another invention of imganism, whicli Rome nanKul purga-
tory, and employed to terrify tho credulous and superstitious
multitudes. By this heresy is affirmed the existence of a
place of torment, in which tho souls of such as have not
merited eternal damnation are to suffer punishment for their
sins, and from which, when freed from impurity, they are
admitted to Heaven.

Still another fahrication was needed to enahle Rome to
profit hy tho fears and the vices of her adherents. This was
supplied by tho doctrine of indulgences. F '1 remission of
sins, past, present, and future, and release frc, n 1 tho pains
and penalties incurred, were promised tr all v, ho would
enlist in tho pontiff''s wars to extend his temporal dominion,
to punish his enemies, or to exterminate tl iso who dared
deny his spiritual supremacy. The peor^o were also taught
that by tho payment of money to the chu oh they might free
themselves from sin, and also release the souls of their de-
ceased friends who were confined in tho tormenting flames.
By such means did Rome fill lier coffers, and sustain the
magnificence, luxury, and vice of the pretended represent-
atives of Him who had not where to lav his head.

Tho scriptural ordinance of tho Lord's supper had been
supplanted by the idolatrous sacrifice of the mass. Papist
priests pretended, by their senseless mummery, to convert
the simple bread and wine into the actual body and blood
of Christ. With blasphemous presumption, they openly
claimed the power of " creating God, tho Creator of all
things." All Christians were required, on pain of death,
to avow their faith in this horrible, Heaven-insulting heresy.
Multitudes who refused were given to tho flames.

In the thirtec "th century was established that most terrible
of all the engines of the papacy, — the Inquisition. The
prince of darkness wrought with the leaders of tho papal
hierarchy. In their secret councils, Satan and his angels
controlled the minds of evil men, while unseen in the midst
stood an angel of God, taking the fearful record of their in-
iquitous decrees, and writing the history of deeds too hor-

! 'j

«0

tuj: great controversy.

xiblo to appear to human eyes. " Bubyloii tlu' groat " was
" (Irunken with the blood of tlio saints," The mangled forms
ot millions of martyrs cried to God for vengeance upon that
apostate power.

I'opory liad become the world's despot. Kings and emper-
ors bovvo(l to the decrees of the Roman pontitf. The destinies
of men, both for time and for eternity, seemed under liis con-
trol. For lumdreds of years tho doctrines of Home had been
-('xtensivc'ly and implicitly received, its rites reverently per-
formed, its festivals generally observed. Its clergy were hon-
ored and liberally sustained. Never since has the Homan
•Church attained to greater dignity, magnificence, or power.

The noontide of tho papacy was tho world's moral mid-
night. The Holy Scriptures were almost unknown, not only
to the jDCople, but to the priests. Like tho Pharisees of old,
the papist leaders hated the light which would reveal their
«ins. God's law, the standard of righteousness, having been
removed, they exercised power without limit, and practiced
vice without restraint. Fraud, avarice, and profligacy pre-
A'^ailed. Men shrank from no crime by which they could
^ain wealth or position. Tho i)alaces of popes and prelates
"Were scenes of the vilest debauchery. Some of the reigning
pont-iifs were guilty of crimes so revolting that secular rulers
endeavored to depose these dignitaries of the church as
monpters too vile to be tolerated. For centuries Europe had
made no progress in learning, arts, or civilization. A moral
and intellectual i)aralysis had fallen uj)on Christendom.

The condition of the world under the Romish power pre-
sented a fearful and striking fulfillment of the words of the
prophet Ilosoa : " My people are destroyed for lack of knowl-
edge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also
reject thee; . . . seeing thou hast forgotten the law of
thy God, I will also forget thy children." "There is no
truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By
swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and commit-
ting adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood."'
Such were the results of banishing the Word of God.

^no8ea4:6,l, 2.

Si:-!

CHAPTER TV.

THK WAlvDKNvSRS,

Amtd tho gloom that sottlod upon tho oartli during the
long i>orio(l ofptiiMl siipreimicy, tho liglit of truth could not
1)0 wholly extinguishod. In every ago there wero 'witnesses
for God, — men who cherished faith in Christ as tho only
mediator between God and man, who held tho Biblo as the
onl V rule of life, and who lialh)wed tiie true Sabbath. How
iinich tho world owes to these men, posterity will never
know. They wero branded as heretics, their motives im-
j)Ugned, their characters maligned, their writings suj)pressed,
misrepresented, or mutilated. Yet they stood firm, and from
age to age maintained their faith in its purity, as u aucred
liuritago for tho generations to come.

The history of God's i)eople during tiie ages of darkness
that followed upon liome's supremacy, is written in Heaven.
lUit tliey have little place in human records. Few traces
of their existence can l>e found, except in the accusations
of their persecutors. It was the policy of Home to obliter-
ate every trace of dissent from her doctrines or decrees.
Everything heretical, whether persons or writings, was de-
i^troyed. A single ex^jression of doubt, a question as to the
authority of pajial dogmas, was enough to forfeit the life of
rich or poor, high or low. Rome endeavored also to destroy
every record of her cruelty toward dissenters. Papal coun-
cils decreed that books and writings containing such records
should be committed to the flames. Before the invention
of printing, books were few in number, and in a form not
favorable for preservation ; therefore there was little to pre-
vent the Ilomanists from carrying out their purpose.

(61)

titf: grkat roNTnovmsr,

iii

ill..!:

No church within tho limits of Iloinisli jurisdiction was
lon^ left undisturbed in tlio onjoyniciit of freedom of con-
science. No sooner luid tho j>iii)acy obtained power than
sljo stretched out lier anus to crush all that refused to ac-
knowled)^n> her sway; and ono after another, tho churches
submitted to her dominion.

In Great Britain, primitive Christianity had very early
taken root. Tho gospel received by tho Britons in tlie first
centuries, was tlien uncorrupted by ilomish apostasy. Ter-
secution from jjagan emperors, which extended oven to these
far-off shores, was tho only gift that tho first chureiies of
Jiritain received from Homo. Many of tlic Christians, flee-
ing from persecution in England, found refngo in Scotland;
tlienco tho truth was carried to Ireland, and in all these
countries it was received with gladness.

When the Saxons invaded Britain, heathenism gained
control. Tho conquerors disdained to bo instructed by
their slaves, and tho Christians wore forced to retreat to the
mountains and tho wild moors. Yet the light, hidden for
a time, continued to burn. In Scotland, a century later, it
shone out with a brightness that extended to far-distant
lands. From Ireland came tho pious Columba and his co-
laborers, who, gathering about them the scattered believers
oa the lonely island of lona, made this tho center of their
missionary labors. Among these evangelists was an ob-
server of tho Bible Sabbath, and thus this truth was intro-
duced among tho people. A school was established at lona,
from which missionaries went out, not only to Scotland and
England, but to Germany, Switzerland, and even Italy.

But Rome had fixed her eyes on Britain, and resolved
to bring it under her supremacy. In the sixth century
her missionaries undertook the conversion of the heathen
Saxons. They were received with favor by the proud bar-
barians, and they indu3ed many thousands to profess the
Romish faith. As the work progressed, the papal leaders
and their converts encountered the primitive Christians.

V 1

THE WALDEXSES.

A striking ot)iitniHt was prosnitcd. Tlic liitt«'r wvw Hiiiipl*',
limiiblt', ami Hcriptunil in cluiractcr, doctriiu', an«l inaniu'i*s,
wliilo (lie former iiianitcslcd the siipcrstitiDii, pomp, and
urro<j;anco of p()[H'rv. Tlu) emissary of Rome deiiuindod
that tiicso ('liristiau clmrehes aekuo\N'led^'(> tin* supremacy
of tiio soverei«rii pontill'. 'i'lie Britons meekly replied that
they desired to lov(* all men, hnt that tlu^ po[)o was not en-
titled to supremacy in the ehnreh, and they eould render to
him only that suhmissicjn which was due to every follower
of Ciirist. Roi)oated uttenn)ts were mado to socuro their
ulle^ianco to Homo; l)ut theso humhlo Christians, amazed
at the })rido displayi'd l)y her emissaries, steadfastly replied
that they kiu^w no other master than ("hrist. Now tho triio
spirit of tho papacy was reveale(l. Said th(> Ilomish lea(h>r,
" If you will not receive brethren who brin^ you peace, you
shall receive enemies who will brin^ you war. If you will
not unite with us in showin<^ tho fcJaxons the Avay of life,
vou shall receive from them the stroke of death." Theso
were no idlo threats. War, intrigue, and deception were
employed against theso witnc^sses for a Bilde faith, \uitil the
churches of Britain were destroyed, or forced to submit to
the authority of tho pope.

In lands beyond the jurisdiction of Rome, there existed
for many centuries bodies of Christians who remained al-
most "wholly free from papal corruption. They were sur-
rounded by lieathenism, and in tho lapse of ages "were
alFected by its errors; but they continued to regard tho Bible
as the only rule of faith, and adhered to many of its truths.
Tl se Christians believed in the perpetuity of tho law of
God, and observed the Sabbath of the fourth commandment.
Churclies that held to this faith and practice, existed in
Central Africa and among the Armenians of Asia.

But of those who resisted tho encroachments of tho papal
power, the Waldenses stood foremost. In the very land
where popery had fixed its seat, there its falsehood and cor-
ruption were most steadfastly resisted. For centuries the

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

churches of Piedmont maintamed their independence; bul
the time came at last when Rome insisted upon their sub-
mission. After ineffectual struggles against her tyranny,
the leaders of these churches reluctantly acknowledged the
supremacy of the power to which the whole world seemed
to pay homage. There were some, liowever, w!io refused to
yield to the authority of pope or prelate. They were de-
termined to maintain their allegiance to God, and to preserve
the purity and simplicity of their faith. A separation took
place. Tliose who adhered to the ancient faith now witii-
drew; some, forsaking their native Alps, raised the banner
of truth in foreign lands; others retreated to tlie secludcMl
glens and rocky fastnesses of the mountains, and there pre-
served their freedom to worship God.

The faith which for many centuries was held and taught
by the Waldensian Christians was in marked contrast to
the false doctrines i)ut fortli from Rome. Their religious
belief was founded upon the written word of God, the true
system of Cliristianity. But those huml)le peasants, in tlieir
obscure retreats, shut away from tlie world, and bound to
daily toil among tlieir flocks and their vineyards, had not
themselves arrived at the truth in opposition to the dogmas
and heresies of the apostate church. Tlieirs was not a faith
newly received. Their religious belief was their inheritance
from tlifnr fathers. Tliey contended for the faith of tlie
apostolic church, — "the faith which was once delivered to
the saints." "The church in the wilderness," and not the
proud hierarchy enthroned in the world's great caj>ital, was
the true church of Christ, the guardian of the treasures of
truth which God has committed to his people to be given
to the world.

Among the leading causes that had led to the separation
of the true church from Rome, was the hatred of the latter
toward the Bible Sabbath. Xs foretold by prophecy, the
papal power cast down the truth to the ground. The law
of God was trampled in the dust, while the traditions and

fcl^L'.

THE WALDENSES.

given

customs of men were exalted. The churches that were
under the rule of the papacy were early compelled to honor
the Sunday as a holy day. Amid the prevailing error and
superstition, many, even of the true people of God, l)ecamo
so bewildered that while they observed the Sabbath they
refrained from labor also on the Sunday. But this did not
satisfy the papal leaders. They demanded not only that
Sunday be hallowed, but that the Sabbath be profaned; and
they denounced in the strongest language those who dared
to show it honor. It was only by fleeing from the power of
Rome that any could obey God's law in peace.

The Waldenses were the first of all the peoples of Europe
to obtain a translation of the Holy Scriptures. Hundreds of
years before the Reformation, they possessed the Bible in
manu-cript in their native tongue. They had the truth
unadulterated, and this rendered them the special objects
of hatred and persecution. They declared the Churcli of
Rome to be the apostate Babylon of the Apocalypse, and at
the peril of their lives they stood up to resist her corruptions.
While, under the pressure of long-continued persecution,
some compromised their faith, little by little yielding its
distinctive principles, others held fast the truth. Through
ages of darkness and apostasy, there were Waldenses who
denied the supremacy of Rome, who rejected image worship
as idolatry, and who kept the true Sabbath. Under the
fiercest tempests of opposition they maintained their faith.
Though gashed by the Savoyard spear, and scorched by the
Romish fagot, they stood unflinchingly for God's Word and
his honor.

Behind the lofty bulwarks of the mountains, — in all ages
the refuge of the i)ersecuted and oppressed, — the Waldenses
found a hiding-place. Here the light of truth was kept
burning amid the darkness of the Middle Ages. Here, for
a thousand years, witnesses for the truth maintained the
ancient faith.

God had provided for his people a sanctuary of awful

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

grandeur, befitting tlie mighty truths committed to their
trust. To those faithful exiles the mountains were an em-
blem of tlie immutable righteousness of Jehovah. They
point('(l their children to the heights towering above them
in unchanging majesty, and spoke to them of Him with
whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning, whose
word is as enduring as the everlasting hills. Cn)d had set
fast the mountains, and girded them with strengtli; no arm
but tliat of infinite power could move them out of their
place. In like manner he had established his law, the
foundation of his government in Heaven and upon earth.
The arm of man might reach his fellow-men and destroy'
their lives; but that arm could as readily uproot the mount-
ains from their foundations, and hurl them into the sea, as
it could change one precept of the law of Jeliovah, or blot
out one of his promises to those who do his will. In their
fidelity to his law, God's servants should bo as firm as the
unchanging hills.

The mountains that girded their lowly valleys were a
constant witness to God's creative power, and a never-failing
assurance of his protecting care. Those pilgrims learned
to love the silent syml)ols of Jehovah's presence. They in-
dulged no repining because of the hardships of their lot;
they were never lonely amid the mountain solitudes. They
thanked God that he had provided for them an asylum from
the wrath and cruelty of men. They rejoiced in their freedom
to worship before him. Often when pursued by their ene-
mies, the strength of the hills proved a >iure defense. From
many a lofty cliff they chanted the praise of God, and the
armies of Rome could not silence their songs of thanks-
giving.

Pure, simple, and fervent was the piety of these followers
of Christ. The principles of truth the}' valued above houses
and lands, friends, kindred, even life itself. These principles
they earnestly sought to impress upon the hearts of the
young. From earliest childhood the youth were instructed

[■ foii

V-

THE WALDENSES.

ill the Scriptures, and tauglit to sacredly regard the claims
of the law of God. Copies of the Bible were rare; therefore
its precious words were committed to memory. Many were
able to n^peat largo portions of both the Old and the New
Tc^stamciit. Thoughts of God wore associated alike with
tlic sublime scenery of nature and with tlie huml)le bless-
ings of daily life. Little children learned to look with grati-
tude to God as the giver of every favor and every comfort.

Parents, tender and affectionate as they were, loved their
children too wisely to accustom tliem to self-indulgence.
Before them was a life of trial and hardship, perhaps a
martyr's death. They were educated from childhood to
endure hardness, to submit to control, and yet to think and
act for themselves. Very early they were taught to bear
responsibilities, to bo guarded in speech, and to understand
the wisdom of silence. One indiscreet word let fall in the
hearing of their enemies, might imperil not only the life of
the speaker, but the lives of hundreds of his brethren; for
as wolves hunting their prey did the enemies of truth pursue
those who dared to claim freedom of religious faith.

Tiie AValdenses had sacrificed th(>ir worldly prosperity
for the truth's sake, and with persevering patience they toiled
for theh bread. Every spot of tillable land among the
mountains was carefully improved; the valleys and the less
fertile hillsides were made to yield their increase. Economy
and severe self-denial formed a part of the education wh." •'>
tlu^ children received as their only legacy. They were taught
that God designs life to be a discipline, and that their wants
could be supplied only l)y personal labor, by forethought,
care, and faith. The process was laborious and wearisome,
but it was wholesome, just what man needs in his fallen
state, the school which God has provided for liis training
and development.

While the youth were inured to toil and hardship, the
culture of the intellect was not neglected. They were taught
that all their powers belonged to God, and that all were to
be improved and developed for his service.

\ 'i

TII£ GREAT CONTROVERSY.

The Vaudois churches, in their purity and simplicity,
resembled the church of apostolic times. Rejecting the
supremacy of pope and prelate, they held the Bible as
the only supreme, infallible authority. Their pastors, un-
like t)ie lordly priests of Rome, followed the example cf
their Master, who " came not to be ministered unto, but to
minister." They fed the flock of God, leading them to the
green pastures and living fountains of his holy Word. Far
from the monuments of human pom}) and pride, the people
assembled, not in magnificent churches or ^rand cathedrals,
but beneath the shadow of the mountains, in the Alpine
valleys, or, in time of danger, in some rocky stronghold, to
listen to the words of truth from the servants of Christ. The
pastors not only preached the gospel, but they visited the
sick, catechized the children, admonished the erring, and
labored to settle disputes and promote harmony and Ixoth-
erly love. In times of peace they were sustained by the free-
■will offerings of the people; but, like Paul the tent-maker,
each learned some trade or profession by which, if necessary,
to provide for his own support.

From their pastors the youth received instruction. ^Vhile
attention was given to branches of general learning, the
Bible was made the chief stuvly. The Gospels of Matthew
and John they committed to mcaory, with many of the Epis-
tles. They were employed also in copying the Scriptures.
Some manuscripts contained the whole Bible, others only
brief selections, to which some simple explanations of the
text were adHed by those who were able to expound the
Scriptures. Thus were brought forth the treasures of truth
so long concealed by those who sought to exalt themselves
above God.

By patient, untiring labor, sometimes in the deep, dark
cav^ns of the earth, by the light of torches, tho sacred
Scriptures were written out, verse by verse, chapter by
chapter. Thus the work went on, the revealed will of God
shilling out like pure gold; how much brighter, clearer,

TLE WALDENSES.

, dark
sacred
^T by
)f God
;learer,

and more powerful because of the trials undergone for its
sake, only those could realize who were engaged in the work.
Angels from Heaven surrounded these faithful workers.

Satan had urged on the })ai)al priests and prelates to
bury the A\'ord of truth beneath the rubbish of error, heresy,
and super.stition ; but in a most wonderful manner it was
preserved uncorrupted through all the ages of darkness.
It bore not the stamp of man, but the impress of God.
Men have been unwearied in their efforts to obscure the
plain, simple meaning of the Scriptures, and to make them
contradict their own testimony ; but, like the ark upon the
billowy deej), the Word of God outrides the storms that
threaten it with destruction. As the mine has rich veins
of gold and silver hidden beneath the surface, so that all
must dig who would discover its precious stores, so the Holy
Scriptures have treasures of truth that are revealed only to
the earnest, humble, prayerful seeker. God designed the
Bible to be a lesson-book to all mankind, in childhood,
youth, and manhood, and to be studied through all time.
He gave his Word to men as a revelation of himself. Ever
new truth discertied is a fresh disclosure of the character ot
its Author. The study of the Scriptures is the means di-
vinely ordained to bring men into closer connection witji
their Creator, and to give them a clearer knowledge of his
will. It is the medium of communication between God and
man.

While the Waldenses regarded the fear of the Lord as the
beginning of wisdom, they were not blind to the importance
of a contact with the world, a knowledge of men and of
active life, in expanding the mind and quickening the per-
ceptions. From tlieir schools in the mountains some of the
youth were sent to institutions of learning in the cities of
France or Italy, where was a more extended field for study,
thought; and observation than in their native Alps. The
youth thus sent forth were exposed to temptation, they wit-
nessed vice, they encountered Satan's wily agents, who urged

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

upon them tlie most subtle iieresies and tlio most danjorer-
ous deceptions. But their e(hication from childhood had
been of a character to pre])are them for all this.

In the scliools whitlicv they went, they were not to make
confidants of any. Their j^arments were so i)repared as to
conceal tlieir greatest treasure, — the i)recious manuscri[)ts
of the Scriptures. These, the fruit of months and years ot
toil, tiiey carried witli them, and, whenever they could do
so without exciting suspicion, they cautiously placed some
portion in the way of those wliose liearts seemed open to
receive the truth. From their mother's knee tlie Walden-
sian youth had been trained with this purpose in view; they
understood their work, and faithfully performed it. Con-
verts to the true faith were won in these institutions of
learning, and frequently its principles were found to l)e
permeating the entire school; yet the papist leaders could
not, by the closest inquiry, trace the so-called corrupting
heresy to its source.

The spirit of Christ is a missionary spirit. The very first
impulse of the renewed heart is to bring others also to the
Saviour. Such was the spirit of the Vaadois Christians.
They felt that God ri'({uired more of them than merely to
preserve the truth in its purity in tlieir own churches ; that
a solemn responsibility rested upon them to let their light
shine forth to those who wa^e in darkness; by the mighty
power of God's Word they sought to break the bondage
wdiich r.ome had imposed. The Vaudois ministers were
trained a& missionaries, every one who expected to enter the
mjni.i.tvy being recpiired first to gain an experience as an
evangelist. Iv'.cli was to serve three years in some mission
field befort taking charge of a church at home. This serv-
ice, requiring at the outset self-denial and sacrifice, w^as a
fitting introduction to the pastor's life in those times that
tried men's souls. The youth who received ordination to
the sacred office saw before them, not the prospect of earthly
wealth and glory, but a life of toil and danger, and possibly

had

ry first
to the
Lstiaiis.
ely to
that
Ught
nighty
3iidage
were
er the
as an
nission
is serv-
was a
s that
tion to
arthly
ossibly

a
J(

U:
Ik
re
re

ci:

lu
th
of
til
cli

CO!
tll(

foi

vvi
jre
Hi
\va
to

tli(

val
far
<'oa
pas
Ev
spi-
nes
ves

Urn
lion

THE WALDENSES.

a martyr's fate. The missionaries went out two and two, as
Jesus sent forth liis disciples. Witli every young man was
usually associated a man of age and experience, the youth
being under the guidance of his companion, who was held
ri'sponsible for his training, and whose instruction he was
i('(iuired to heed. These co-laborers were not always to-
gether, but often met for prayer and counsel, thus strength-
ening each other in the faith.

To have made known the object of their mission would
have insured its defeat; therefore they carefully concealed
their real character. Every minister ]»ossessed a knowledge
of some trade or profession, and the missionaries prosecuted
their work under cover of a secular calling. Usually they
cliose that of merchant or peddler. They dealt in choice and
costly articles, such as silks, laces, and jewels, which in
those times could not be readily procured, and thus they
found entrance where they would otherwise have been re-
pulsed. All the while their hearts were uplifted to God for
wisdom to present a treasure more precious than gold or
gems. They secretly carried about with them copies of the
Bible, in whole or in part, and whenever an opportunity
was presented, they called the attention of their customers
to these manuscripts. Often an interest to read God's Word
was thus awakened, and some portion was gladly left with
those who desired to receive it.

The work of these missionaries began in the plains and
vallevs at the foot of their own mountains, but it extended
far beyond these limits. With naked feet and in garments
coarse and travel-stained as were those of their Master, they
j»assed through great cities, and penetrated to distant lands.
Everywhere they scattered the precious seed. Churches
sprung up in their path, and the blood of martyrs wit-
nessed for the truth. The day of God will reveal a rich har-
vest of souls garnered by the labors of these faithful men.
^^'iled and silent, the Word of God was making its way
through Christendom, and meeting a glad reception in the
homes and hearts of men.

TIIK GliKAT (U).\TI10VKRSY.

\ -A

To tlio WaldoiiseH the 8cri{)tun's wfrt not int'ivly u Rruni
of God's (k'uliugs with iiioii in tlio past, iiiul ii revelation of
the respouHihiHtieH and duties of the present, l»ut an unfold-
ing of the perils and glories of the future. They helii'ved
that the end of all things was not far distant; and as they
studied the Bible with })rayer and tears, they were the more
deeply impressed with its j)reeious utterances, and with their
duty to make known to otlmrs its saving truths. They saw
the plan of salvation clearly revealed in the saer(>d pages,
and they found comfort, ho})e, and peace in helieving in
Jesus. As the light illuminated their understanding and
made glad their hearts, they longed to shed its beams upon
those who were in the darkness of papal error.

They saw that under the guidance of i)ope and priests^
multitudes were vainly endeavoring to obtain pardon by
afflicting their bodies for the sin of their souls. Taught to
trust to their good works to save them, they were ever look-
ing to themselves, their minds dwelling upon their sinful
condition, seeing themselves exposed to the wrath of God,
afflicting soul and body, yet finding no relief. Thus con-
scientious souls were bound by the doctrines of Rome.
Thousands abandoned friends and kindred, and s})ent their
lives in convent cells. By oft-repeated fasts and cruel scourg-
ings, by midnight vigils, by prostration for weary hours
upon the cold, damp stones of their dreary abode, by long
pilgrimages, by humiliating penance and fearful torture,
thousands vainly sought to obtain peace of conscience. Op-
pressed with a sense of sin, and haunted with the fear of
God's avenging wrath, many suffered on, until exhausted
nature gave way, and without one ray of light or hope, they
sank into the tomb.

The Waldenses longed to break to these starving souls
the bread of life, to open to them the messages of peace in
the promises of God, and to point them to Christ as their
only hope of salvation. The doctrine that good Avorks can
atone for the transgression of God's law, they held to be

THE WALDEiSSKS.

})aso(l upon falsehood. Ucliaiu'o upon human merit intor-
<fpls tliu viow of Christ's inlinito lovo. Jesus (UcmI as a sac-
rilici' for man ixrauso tiic fallen race can do nothin<i^ to
rcconnnend themselves to God. The merits t)f a crueiliiMl
aii<l risen Saviour are the foundation of tiie Christian's faith.
The dependence of the soul upon Christ is as real, and its
<(»nneetion with him must he as close, as that of a limb to
the hody, or of a l)raneh to th(^ vino.

Tiio teachings of poi)es and priests had le(l men to look
upon the cliaracter of Go<l, and even of Christ, as stern,
j^loomy, and forhiddinj;. The Saviour was represented as
so far devoid of all sym{)athy with man in his fallen state
that the mediation of i)riests and saints must be in^'oked.
Those whoso minds had been enlijj^htenod by the Word of
Cod longed to point these souls to Jesus as their compas-
sionate, loving Saviour, standing with outstretched arms
inviting all to come to him with their burden of sin, their
care and weariness. They longed to clear away the ob-
structions which Satan had piled uj) that men might not see
the promises, t;nd come directly to God, confessing their
sins, and obtaining pardon and peace.

Eas2:erlv did the Vaudois missionarv unfold to the in-
quiring mind the precious truths of the go.spel. Cautiously
he produced the carefully written portions of the Holy
Scriptures. It was his greatest joy to give hope to the con-
scientious, sin-stricken soul, who could see only a God of
vengeance, waiting to execute justice. With quivering lip
and tearful eye did he, often on bended knees, o[)en to his
brethren the precious promises that reveal tlie sinn(>r's only
hope. Thus the light of truth penetrated many a darkened
mind, rolling back the cloud of gloom, until the Sun of
Kighteousness shone into the heart with healing in his
beams. It was often the case that some portion of Scripture
was read again and again, the hearer desiring it to be re-
])eated, as if he would assure himself that he had heard
aright. Especially was the repetition of these words eagerly

s^.

^^ "^nO.

s^yL"^.

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

'■/

■^A

t/.

^1^

1.0

1.1

|so ^^" H^H

IL25 HV 1.4

1.6

<j>

^;;

Photographic

Sciences
Lorporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S«0

(716) •73-4503

^^t'^

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

n
' I',

:i:;
1

desired: "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us
from all sin." ' "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wil-
derness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that who-
soever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal
life."'

Many were undeceived in regard to the claims of Rome.
They saw how vain is the mediation of men or angels in
behalf of the sinner. As the true light dawned upon their
minds, they exclaimed with rejoicing, " Christ is my priest;
his blood is my sacrifice; his altar is my confessional."
They cast themselves wholly upon the merits of Jesus, re-
peating the words, " Without faith it is impossible to please
him."' "There is none other name under heaven given
among men, whereby we must be saved." *

The assurance of a Saviour's love seemed too miich for
some of these poor tempest-tossed sou^s to realize. So great
was the relief which it brought, such a flood of light was
shed upon them, that they seemed transported to Heaven.
Their hand was laid confidingly in the hand of Christ; their
feet were planted upon the Rock of Ages. All fear of death
was banished. They could now covet the prison and the
fagot if they might thereby honor the name of their Re-
deemer.

In secret places the Word of God was thus brought forth
and read, sometimes to a single soul, sometimes to a little
company who were longing for light and truth. Often the
entire night was spent in this manner. So great would be
the wonder and admiration of the listeners that the mes-
senger of mercy was not infrequently compelled to cease his
reading until tlio understanding could grasp the tidings of
salvation. Often would words like these be uttered: "Will
God indeed accept my offering? Will he smile upon mef
Will he pardon TneJ" The answer was read, " Come unto
me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you
rest." *

»lJohnl:7. "John 3: 14, 15. »Heb. 11:0.

* Acts 4: 12. »Matt. 11 :28.

THE WALDENSES.

Faith grasped the promise, and the glad response was.
heard, " No more long pilgrimages to make ; no more pain-
ful journeys to holy shrinew. I may come to Jesus just as I
am, sinful and unholy, and he will not spurn the penitential
l)rayer. *Thy sins be forgiven thee.' Mine, even mine, may^
be forgiven ! "

A tide of sacred joy would fill the heart, and the nama
of Jesus would be magnified by praise and thanksgiving.
Those happy souls returned to their homes to diffuse light,,
to repeat to others, as well as they could, their new experi-
ence; that they had found the true and living Way. There
was a strange and solemn power in the words of Scripture
that spoke directly to the hearts of those who were longing^
for the truth. It was the voice of God, and it carried con-
viction to those who heard.

The messenger of truth went on his way ; but his fippear-
ance of humility, his sincerity, his earnestness and deep
fervor, were subjects of frequent remark. In many instances
his hearers had not asked him whence he came, or whither
he went. They had been so overwhelmed, at first with sur-
prise, and afterward with gratitude and joy, that tliey had
not thought to question him. When they had urged him
to accompany them to their homes, he had replied that he
must visit the lost sheep of the flock. Could he have been
an angel from Heaven? they queried.

In many cases the messenger of truth was seen no more.
He had made his way to other lands, he was wearing out
his life in some unknown dungeon, or perhaps his bonea
were whitening on the spot where he had witnessed for the
truth. But the words he had left behind could not be de-
stroyed. They were doing their work in the hearts of men ;
the blessed results will be fully known only in the Judgment.

The Waldensian missionaries were invading the kingdom
of Satan, and the powers of darkness aroused to greater vigi-
lance. Every effort to advance the truth was watched by
the prince of evil, and he excited the fears of his agents.

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

The papal leaders saw a portent of danger to their cause
from the labors of these humble itinerants. If the light of
truth were allowed to shine unobstructed, it would sweep
away the heavy clouds of error that enveloped the people; it
would direct the minds of men to God alone, and would
eventually destroy the supremacy of Rome.

The very existence of tliis people, holding the faith of the
ancient church, was a constant testimony to Rome's apostasy,
and therefore excited the most bitter hatred and persecution.
Their refusal to surrender the Scriptures was also an offense
that Rome could not tolerate. She determined to blot them
from the earth. Now began the most terrible crusades
against God's people in their mountain homes. Inquisitors
were put upon their track, and the scene of innocent Abel
falling before the murderous Cain was often repeated.

Again and again were their fertile lands laid waste, their
<lwellings and chapels swept away, so that where once were
flourishing fields and the homes of an innocent, industrious
people, there remained onl) a. desert. As the ravenous beast
is rendered more furious by the taste of blood, so the rage of
the papists was kindled to greater intensity by the sufferings
of their victims. Many of these witnesses for a pure faith
were pursued across the mountains, and hunted down in the
valleys where they were liidden, shut in by mighty forests,
and pinnacles of rock.

No charge could be brought against the moral character
of this proscribed class. Even their enemies declared them
to be a peaceable, quiet, pious people. Their grand offense
was that they would not worship God according to the will
of the pope. For this crime, every humiliation, insult, and
torture that men or devils could invent was heaped upon
them.

"When Rome at one time determined to exterminate the
hated sect, a bull was issued by the pope ^ condemning them
as heretics, and delivering them to slaughter. They were

» Innocent VIII., A. D. 1487.

THE WALDENSES.

not accused as idlers, or dishonest, or disorderly; but it was
declared that they had an appearance of piety and sanctity
that seduced "the sheep of the true fold," Tlicreforo the
pope ordered "that the malicious and abominable sect of
malignants," if they refuse to abjure, "be crushed like ven-
omous snakes." Did this haughty potentate expect to meet
those words again? Did ho know that they w^ero registered
in the books of Heaven, to confront him at the Judgment?
" Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these
my brethren," said Jesus, "ye have done it unto me."'

This bull called upon all members of the church to join
the crusade against the heretics. As an incentive to engage
in this cruel work, it " absolved from all ecclesiastical pains
and penalties, general and particular; it released all who
joined the crusade from any oaths they might have taken;
it legitimatized their title to any property which tliey might
i\ave illegally acquired, and promised remission of all their
sins to such as should kill any heretic. It annulled all con-
tracts made in favor of the Vaudois, ordered their domestics
to abandon them, forbade all persons to give them any aid
whatever, and empowered all persons to take possession of
their property." This document clearly reveals the master-
spirit behind the scenes. It is the roar of the dragon, and
not the voice of Christ, that is heard therein.

The papal leaders would not conform their characters to
the great standard of God's law, but erected a standard to
suit themselves, and determined to compel all to conform to
this because Rome willd it. The most horrible tragedies
were enacted. Corrupt and blasphemous priests and popes
were doing the work which Satan appointed them. Mercy
had no place in their natures. The same spirit that crucified
Christ, and that slew tlie apostles, the same that moved the
blood-thirsty Nero against the faithful in his da}-, was at
work to rid the earth of those who were beloved of God.

The persecutions visited for many centuries upon this,

» Matt. 25:40.

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

God-fearing people were endured by them with a patience
and constancy that honored their Redeemer. Notwithstand-
ing the crusades against them, and the inhuman butchery
to which they were subjected, they continued to send out
their missionaries to scatter tiie precious truth. They were
hunted to the death ; yet their blood watered the seed sown,
and it failed not of yielding fruit. Thus the Waldenses
witnessed for God, centuries before the birth of Luther.
Scattered over many lands, they planted the seeds of the
Reformation that began in the time of WyclifFe, grew broad
and deep in the days of Luther, and is to be carried forward
to the close of time by those who also are willing to suffer
all things for " the Word of God, and for the testimony of
Jesus Christ.'"

1 Rev. 1 : 9.

ill
I* 'I

%0,

patience
ithstand-
butchery
send out
hey were
;ed sown,
^aldenses

Luther.
s of the
3W broad

forward
to suffer
mony of

Oopyr'shtad 18W.

HU88.

Wycliffe.

Jerome.

ZWIXGLB.

CECOLAMPADIUS

BB^CBw^^rr

CHAPTER V.

* JOHN WYCLIFFE.

Before the Reformation there ware at timjs but very few
copies of the Bible in existenc • ; but God had not suf-
fered his "Word to be wholly destroyed. Its truths were
not to be forever hiddjn. Fe could as easil;" unchain
the words of life as he could open prison doors and
unbolt iron gates to set his servants free. In the different
countries cf Europe, men were moved by the Spirit of God
to search for the truth as for hid treasures. Providentially
guided to the Holy Scriptures, they studied the sacred pages
with intense interest. They were willing to accept the light,
at any cost to themselves. Though they did not see all
things clearly, they were enabled to perceive many long-
buried truths. As Heaven-spnt messengers they went forth,
rending asunder the chains of error and superstition, and
calling upon those who had been so long enslaved to arise
and assert their liberty.

Except among the Waldenses, the Word of God had for
ages been locked up in languages known only to the learned;
but Ihe time had come for the Scriptures to be translated,
and given to the people of different lands in their native
tongue. The world had passed its midnight. The hours of
darkness were wearing away, and in meny lands appeared
tokens of the coming dawn.

In the fourteenth century arose in England the " morning-
star of the Reformation." John Wycliffe was the herald of
reform, not for England alone, but for all Christendom. The
great protest against Rome which it was permitted him to
utter, was nevei to be silenced. That protest opened the

(79>

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

struggle which was to result in the emancipation of individ-
uals, of churches, and of nations.

WyclifFo received a liberal education, and with him the
fear of the Lord was the beginning of wisdom. He was
noted at college for his fervent piety as well as for his re-
markable talents and sound scholarship. In his thirst for
knowledge he sought to become acquainted with every
branch of learning. lie was educated in the scholastic
philosophy, in the canons of the church, and in the civil law,
especially that of his own country. In his after-labors the
value of this early training was apparent. A thorough
acquaintance with the speculative philosophy of his time
enabled him to expose its errors; and by his study of na-
tional and ecclesiastical law he was prepared to engage in
the great struggle for civil and religious liberty. While he
could wield the weapons drawn from the Word of God, he
had acquired the intellectual discipline of the schools, and
he understood the tactics of the schoolmen. Tlie power of
his genius and the extent and thoroughness of his knowl-
edge commanded the respect of both friends and foes. His
adherents saw with satisfaction that their champion stood
foremost among the leading minds of the nation; and his
enemies were prevented from casting contempt upon the
cause of reform by exposing the ignorance or weakness of
its supporter.

While Wycliffe was still at college, he entered upon the
study of the Scriptures. In those early times, when the
Bible existed only in the ancient languages, scholars were
enabled to find their way to the fountain of truth, which was
closed to the uneducated classes. Thus already the way had
been prepared for WyclifFe's future work as a reformer. Men
of learnihg had studied the Word of God, and had found
the great truth of his free grace there revealed. In their
teachings they had spread a knowledge of this truth, and
had led othe .'s to turn to the Living Oracles.

When Wycliffe's attention was directed to the Scriptures,

/^-yK y

JOHN WYCLIFFE.

he entered upon their investigation with tlie sumo thorc.jgh-
ness which had enubied liini to nia.ster the learning of the
schools. Heretofore he had felt a great want, which neither
his scholastic studies nor the teaching of the church could
satisfy. In the Word of God he found that which ho had
before sought in vain. Hero he saw the })lan of .salvation
revealed, and Christ set forth as the only advocate for man.
lie gave himself to the service of Christ, and determined to
proclaim the truths ho had discovered.

Like after-reformers, Wyclifte did not, at the opening of
his work, foresee whither it would lead him. Ho did not
set himself deliberately in op[)osition to Rome. But devo-
tion to truth could not but bring him in conflict with false-
hood. The more clearly 1 ) discerned the errors of the
papacy, the more earnestly ho presented the teaching of the
Bil)le. " Ho saw that Rome had forsaken the Word of God
for liuman tradition ; ho fearlessly accused the priesthood of
having banished the Scriptures, and demanded that tlie
Bible be restored to the people, and that its authority bo
again established in the church. He was an hXAq and ear-
nest teacher, and an eloquent preacher, and his daily life
was a demonstration of the truths he preached. His knowl-
edge of the Scriptures, the force of his reasoning, the purity
of his life, and his unbending courage and integrity, won for
him general esteem and confidence. Many of the people
had become dissatisfied with their former faith, as they
saw the iniquity that prevailed in the Roman Church, and
they hailed with unconcealed joy the truths brought to view
by WyclifFe; but the papist leaders were filled with rage
when they perceived that this reformer was gaining an in-
fluence greater than their own.

Wycliffe was a keen detector of error, and he struck fear-
lessly against many of the abuses sanctioned by the authority
of Rome. While acting as chaplain for the king, he took a
bold stand against the payment of tribute claimed by the
pope from the English monarch, and showed that the papal

THK GRKAT CONTROVERSY.

n8«uni[»ti<m of jiuthority over seculur rulers was coiitniry to
botli reason and rivdatioii. Tlio demaiuls of the pojio liad
excited ^n'at indignation, and Wycliffe's toacliings exerted
an influeneo ujion the l(>ading minds of tlio nation. Tho
king and tiio nohles united in <lenying the pontiff's claim to
tcmpond authority, and in refusing tho payment of tho
tribute. Tlius an elfectual blow was struck against the
papal supremacy in England.

Another evil against which tho reformer waged long and
resolute battle, was tho institution of tho orders of mendicant
friars. Theso friars swarmed in England, casting a blight
upon the greatness and prosperity of tho nation. Industry,
education, morals, all felt tho withering inlluence. The
monks' life of idleness and beggary was not only a heavy
drain upon tho resources of tho people, but it brought useful
labor into contempt. Tho youth were demoralized and cor-
rupted. By tho influence of tho friars many wore induced
to enter a cloister and devote themselves to a monastic life,
and this not only without the consent of their parents, but
even without their knowledge, and contrary to their com-
mands. One of tho early fathers of the Romish Church,
urging the claims of monasticisra above the obligations of
filial love and duty, had declared: "Though thy father
should lie before thy door, weeping and lamenting, and thy
mother should show thee the body that bare thee and the
breasts that nursed thee, see that thou trample them under
foot, and go onward straightway to Christ." " By this mon-
strous inhumanity," as Luther afterward styled it, "savor-
ing more of the wolf and the tyrant than of the Christian
and the man," were tho liearts of children steeled against
their parents. Thus did tho papal leaders, like the Phari-
sees of old, make tho commandment of God of none effect by
their tradition. Thus homes were made desolate, and par-
ents were deprived of tho society of their sons and daughters.

Even the students in tho universities were deceived by
the false representations of the monks, and induced to join

JOHN WYCLIFFK,

1 by
join

their <»r<lt'rs. Many afUTWiinl ivju'IiUmI tliis stop, seoin^ tliat
they had bliglitotl tlicii* i>\vu lives, and had hrou^lit Morrow
upon their jiarents; but oneo fast in the snarj^ it was inipos-
>iihi(' tor tlu'iu to obtain their freeiloin. Many i)arents, li-ar-
ing tiie infhienco of tiu^ monivs, ri'fused to send their sons to
the universities. Tliero was a inarkcil falling olf in tiie
number of stuch'uts in attendance at tho ^reat eenters of
learning. Tiie sehools hin;^uishe(l, and ignorance j>revaih'd.

The pope lia<l bestowed on these monies tho power to liear
confessions and to grant pardon. This became a .source of
great evil. IJent on eniiancing their gain.s, the friars wero
ao ready to grant absolution tiiat criminals of all descriptions
resorted to them, and as a result, tho worst vices rapidly
increased. Tho sick and tho poor were left to suffer, while
tiie gifts that should have relieved their wants went to the
monks, who with threats demanded tho alms of tho people,
denoun(ring tho impiety of those who should withhoM gifts
fnjm their orders. Notwithstanding their profession of pov-
erty, the wealth of tho friars was constantly increasing, and
their magnificent edifices and luxurious tables made more
apparent the growing poverty of the nation. And while
spending their time in luxury and pleasure, they sent out in
their stead ignorant men, who could only recount marvelous
tales, legends, and jests to amuse the people, and make thera
still more completely the dupes of the monks. Yet the
friars continued to maintain their hold on the superstitious
multitudes, and led them to believe that all religious duty
was comprised in acknowledging tho supremacy of the pope,
adoring the saints, and making gifts to tho monks, aud
that this was sufficient to secure them a place in Heaven.

Men of learning and piety liad labored in vain to bring
abfait a reform in these monastic orders; but Wycliffe,
with dearer insight, struck at tho root of tho evil, declaring
that the system itself was false, and that it should bo abol-
ished. Discussion and inquiry wore awakening. As the
monks traversed the country, vending the pope's pardons,

TIIK GREAT CONTROVERSY.

many were led to doubt the possibility of purchasing for-
giveness with money, and they questioned whether they
should not seek pardon from God rather than from the pon-
tiff of Konie. Not a fow were alarmed at the rapacity of the
friars, whose greed seemed never to be satisfied. " The monks
and priests of Rome," said they, "are eating us away like a
cancer. God must deliver us, or the people will perish."
To cover their avarice, these bogging monks claimed that
they. wore following the Saviour's example, declaring that
Jesus and liis disciples hnd been supported by tlie charities
of the people. This claim resulted in injury to their cause,
for it led manv to the Bible to letiin the truth for them-
selves, — fi result which of all others was least desired by
RouiC. The minds of men were directed to the Source of
truth, which it was her olyect to conceal.

A\'yclilfo Ix'gan to write and publish tracts against the
friars, not, liowe^'er, seeking so much to enter into dispute
with then; as to call the minds of the people to the teachings
of the Bible and its Author. Ho declared that the power
of pardon or of excommunication is jiossessed by the pope in
no greater degree than by common priests, and that no man
can bo truly excommunicated unless he has first brought
upon himself the condemnation of God. In no more effect-
ual way could he have undertaken the overthrow of that
mammoth fabric of spiritual and temporal dominion which
the pope had erected, and in Avhich the souls and bodies
of millions were held caj)tive.

Again Wyclilfe was called to defend the rights of the En-
glish crown against the encroachments of Home; and being
appointed a royal ambassador, lie spent two years in the
Netherlands, in conference with the commissioners of tlie
pope. Here lie was brought into communication with eccle-
siastics from France, Italy, and Spain, and he had an oppor-
tunity to look behind the scenes, and gain a knowledge of
many things which would have remained hidden from him
in England. He learned much that was to give point to

JOHN WYCLIFFE.

leir cause,

his after-labors. In these rej sentatives from the papal
court he read the true character and aims of the hierarchy.
He returned to England to repeat his former teachings more
openly and with greater zeal, declaring that covetousness,
pride, and deception were the gods of Rome.

In one of his tracts he said, speaking of the pope and
his collectors: " They draw out of our land poor men's live-
lihood, and many thousand marks by the year, of the liing'a
money, for sacraments and spiritual things, that is cursed
heresy of simony, and maketh all Christendom assert and
maintain his heresy. And certes though our realm had a huge
hill of gold, and never other man took thereof but only
this proud, worldly priest's collector, by process of time this
hill must be spended ; for he taketh ever money out of our
land, and sendeth naught again but God's curse for hia
simony."

Soon after his return to England, Wycliffe received from
the king the appointment to the rectory of Lutterworth.
This was an assurance that the monarch at least had not
been displeased by his plain speaking. WyclifFe's influence
was felt in shaping the action of the court, as well as in
moulding the belief of the nation.

The papal thunders were soon hurled against him. Three
bulls were dispatched to England, — to the university, to the
king, and to the prelates, — all commanding immediate and
decisive measures to silence the teacher of heresy. Before
the arrival of the bulls, however, the bishops, in their zeal,
had summoned Wycliffe before them for trial. But two of
the most powerful j^rinces in the kingdom accompanied
him to the tribunal ; and the people, surrounding the build-
ing and rushing in, so intimidated the judges that the pro-
ceedings were for the time suspended, and he was allowed
to go his way in peace. A little later, Edward III., whom
in his old ago the prelates were seeking to influence against
the reformer, died, and Wycliffe's former protector became
regent of the kingdom.

THE GREAT CONTKOVEKSY.

But the arrival of the i)apal bulls laid upon all England a
peremptory command for the arrest and imprisonment of the
heretic. These measures pointed directly to the stake. It
appeared certain that Wycliffe must soon fall a prey to the
vengeance of Rome. But He who declared to one of old,
^* Fear not ; I am thy shield," ^ again stretched out his hand
to protect his servant. Death came, not to the reformer,
but to the pontiff who had decreed his destruction. Greg-
ory XL died, and the ecclesiastics who had assembled for
WyclifFe's trial, dispersed.

God's providence still further overruled events to give
opportunity for the growth of the Reformation. The death
of Gregory was followed by the election of two rival popes.
Two conflicting powers, each professedly infallible, now
claimed obedience. Each called upon the faithful to assist
him in making war upon the other, enforcing his demands
by terrible anathemas against his adversaries, and promises
of rewards in Heaven to his supporters. This occurrence
greatly weakened the power of the papacy. The rival
factions had all they could do to attack each other, and
"Wycliffe for a time had rest. Anathemas and recrimina-
tions were flying from pope to pope, and torrents of blood
were poured out to support their conflicting claims. Crimes
and scandals flooded the church. Meanwhile the reformer,
in the quiet retirement of his parish of Lutterworth, was
laboring diligently to point men from the contending popes
to Jesus, the Prince of peace.

The schism, with all the strife and corruption which it
caused, prepared the way for the Reformation, by enabling
the people to see what the papacy really was. In a tract
which he published, " On the Schism of the Popes," Wyc-
liffe called upon the people to consider whether these two
priests were not speaking the truth in condemning each
other as the antichrist. " The fiend," said he, " no longer
reigns in one but in two priests, that men may the more
«asily, in Christ's name, overcome them both."

» Gen. 15:1.

JOHN WYCUFFK.

Wycliffe, like liis Master, i)roachod the gospel to the poor.
Not content with spreading tlie light in tlieir humble homes
in his own parish of Lutterworth, ho determined tliat it
should be carried to every part of England. To accomplish
this he organized a body of preachers, simple, devout men,
who loved the truth and desired nothing so much as to
exicnd it. These men went everywhere, teaching in the
market-places, in the streets of tlie great cities, and in the
country lanes. They sought out the aged, the sick, and the
poor, and opened to them the glad tidings of the grace of
God.

As a professor of theology at Oxford, Wycliffe preached the
Word o^ God in the halls of the university. So faithfully did
he present the truth to the students under his instruction,
that he received the title of "The Gospel Doctor." But the
greatest work of his life was to be the translation of the
Scriptures into the English language. In a work on " The
Truth and Meaning of Scripture," he expressed his inten-
tion to translate the Bible, so that every man in England
might read, in the language in which he was born, the won-
derful works of God.

But suddenly his labors were stopped. Though not yet
sixty years of age, unceasing toil, study, and the assaults of
his enemies, had told upon his strength, and made him pre-
maturely old. He was attacked by a dangerous illness. The
tidings brought great joy to the friars. Now they thought
he would bitterly repent the evil he had done the church,
and they hurried to his chamber to listen to his confossicn.
Representatives from the four religious orders, with four civil
officers, gathered about the supposed dying man. " You have
death on your lips," they said; "be touched by your faults,
and retract in our presence all you have said to our injury."
The reformer listened in silence ; then ho bade his attendant
raise him in his bed, and gazing steadily upon them as they
stood waiting for his recantation, he said, in the firm, strong
voice which had so often caused them to tremble, "I shall

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

not die, but live, and declare the evil deeds of the friars."
Astonished and abashed, the monks hurried from the room.

Wycliffe's words were fulfilled. He lived to place in the
hands of his countrymen the most powerful of all weapons
against Rome; to give them the Bible, the Heaven-appointed
agent to liberate, enlighten, and evangelize the people. There
were many and great obstacles to surmount in the accom-
plishment of this work. WyclifFe was weighed down with
infirmities, he knew that only a few years for labor remained
for him, he saw the opposition which ho must meet; but,
encouraged by the promises of God's AVord, he went for-
ward nothing daunted. In the full vigor of his intellectual
powers, rich in experience, he had been preserved and j^re-
l^ared by God's special providence for this, the greatest of
his labors. While all Christendom was filled with tumult,
the reformer, in his rectory at Lutterworth, unheeding the
storm that raged without, applied himself to his chosen task.

At last the work was completed, — the first English trans-
lation of the Bible ever made. The Word of God was opened
to England. ^ The reformer feared not now the prison or
the stake. He had placed in the hands of the English peo-
ple a light which should never be extinguished. In giving
the Bible to his countrymen, he had done more to break the
fetters of ignorance and vice, more to liberate and elevate
his country, than was ever achieved by the most brilliant
victories on fields of battle.

The art of printing being still unknown, it was only by
slow and wearisome labor that copies of the Bible could be
multiplied. So great was the interest to obtain the book,
that many willingly engaged in the work of transcribing it,
but it was with difficulty that the copyists could su|)ply the
demand. Some of the more wealthy purchasers desired the
whole Bible. Others bought only a portion. In many cases,
several families 'mited to purchase a cop3^ Thus Wycliflfe's
Bible soon found its way to the homes of the people.

The appeal to men's reason aroused them from their pas-

JOHN WYCLIFFE.

sfive submission to papal dogmas. Wycliffe now taught the
distinctive doctrines of Protestantism, — salvation through
faith in Christ, and the solo infallibility of the Scriptures.
The preachers whom he had sent out circulated the Bible,
together with the reformer's writings, and with such success
tlwit the new faith was accepted by nearly one-half of the
people of England.

The appearance of the Scriptures brought dismay to the
authorities of the church. They had now to meet an agency
more powerful than Wycliffe, — an agency against wiiiclx
their weapons would avail little. There was at this time no
law in England prohibiting the Bible, for it had never before
been published in the language of the people. Such laws
were afterward enacted and rigorously enforced. Mean-
while, notwithstanding the efforts of the priests, there was for
ii season opportunity for the circulation of the Word of God.

Again the papist leaders plotted to silence the reformer's
voice. Before three tribunals he was successively summoned
for trial, but without avail. First a synod of bishops de-
clared his. writings heretical, and, winning the young king,
Richard II., to their side, they obtained a royal decree con-
signing to prison all who should hold the condemned
doctrines.

Wycliffe appealed from the synod to Parliament; he fear-
lessly arraigned the hierarchy before the national council,
and demanded a reform of the enormous abuses sanctioned
by tlie church. With convincing power he portrayed the
usurpations and corruptions of the papal see. His enemies
were brought to confusion. The friends and supporters of
AVycliffe had been forced to yield, and it had been confi-
dently expected that the reformer himself, in his old age,
alone and fri 3ndless, would bow to the combined authority
of the crown and the mitre. But instead of this the papists
saw themselves defeated. Parliament, roused by the stirring
appeals of Wycliffe, repealed the persecuting edict, and the
reformer was again at liberty.
8

THK GREAT CONTROVERSY.

A third time he was brought to trial, and now before the
higliost ecclesiastical tribunal in the kingdom. Here no
favor would be shown to heresy. Here at last Rome would
triumph, and the reformer's work would bo stopped. So
thought the papists. If they could but accomplish their
purpose, Wycliffe would be forced to abjure his doctrines, or
would leave the court only for the flames.

But Wycliffe did not retract; he would not dissemble. He
fearlessly maintained his teachings, and repelled the accu-
sations of his persecutors. Losing sight of himself, r'' his
position, of the occasion, he summoned his hearers oofore
the divine tribunal, and weighed their sophistries and
deceptions in the balances of eternal truth. The power of
the Holy Spirit was felt in the council room. A spell from
God was upon the liearers. They seemed to have no power
to leave the place. As arrows from the Lord's quiver, the
reformer's words pierced their hearts. The charge of lior-
esy, which they had brought against him, he with convincing
power threw back upon themselves. Why, he demanded,
did they dare to spread their errors? — For the sake of gain,
to make merchandise of the grace of God.

"With whom, think you," he finally said, " are you con-
tending? With an old man on the brink of thegrav ? — No!
with truth, — truth which is stronger than you, and will
overcome you." So saying, he withdrew from the assembly,
and not one of his adversaries attempted to prevent him.

WyclifTe's work was almost done, the banner of truth which
he had so long borne was soon to fall from his hand ; but
once more he was to bear witness for the gospel. The truth
was to be proclaimed from the very stronghold of thf king-
dom of error. Wycliffe was summoned for trial before the
papal tribunal at Rome, which had so often shed the blood
of the saints. He was not blind to the danger that threat-
ened him, yet he would have obeyed the summons, had not
a shock of palsy made it impossible for him to perform the
journey. But though his voice wa? not to be heard at Rome,
he could speak by letter, and this he determined to do.

JOHN WYCLfFFK

From his rectory tho roformor wrote to the pope a letter,
whicli, while rej^pectful in tone and Christian in spirit, was a
keen rcbul'o to tlic ponip and pride of tho papal see. " Ver-
ily I do rejoice," ho said, "to open and declare unto every
man the faith whicl I do liold, and specially unto the
bishop of Rome; tho which forasmuch as I do suppose to
be sound and true, ho will most willingly confirm my said
faith, or if it be erroneou , amend the same. First, I believe
that tho gospel of Christ is the whole body of God's
law. ... I do give and hold the bishop of Home, foras-
much as he be the vicar of Christ hero on earth, to be bound
most of all men unto that law of the gospel. For the great-
ness among Christ's disciples did not consist in worldly dig-
nity or honors, but in the near and exact following of Christ
in his life and manners. . . . Christ for the time of his
pilgrimage here was a mo? c poor man, abjecting and casting
off all worldly rule and honor.

" No faithful man ought to follow either the pope himself,
or any of the holy men, but in such points as he hath fol-
lowed the liord Jesus Christ. For Peter and the sons of Zeb-
edee, by desiring worldly honor, contrary to the following of
Christ's steps, did offend, and therefore in those errors they
are not to be followed.

" Tho pope ought to leave unto the secular power all tem-
poral dominion and rule, and thereunto effectually move and
exhort his whole clergy ; for so did Christ, and especially by
his apostles.

j " If I have erred in any of these points, I will most hum-
bly submit myself unto correction even by death, if necessity
so require. If I could labor according to my will and desire
in mine own person, I would surely present myself before the
bishop of Rome. But the Lord hath otherwise visited me ta
the contrary, and hath taught me to obey God rather than

men.

)}

In closing he said: "Let us pray unto our God, that he
will so stir up our pope, Urban the Sixth, as he began, that,

THE CHEAT COiVTROrERST,

ho with his clergy may follow the Lord Jchus' Christ in life
and iimiinors, ami that tlii'y may ' the j)eo|)le effect-

ually, and that they likewise may l..it*,ially follow them iii
the same."

Tims AVyclifib jjrescnted to the ])oj)e and his cardinals the
meekness and humility of Christ, exhibiting not only to
themselves ])ut to all Christendom the contrast between them
and the ^hister whoso representatives they professed to be.

Wycliffo fully expected that his life would be the price of
his fidelity. The king, the pope, and the bishops were united
to accomplish his ruin, and it seemed certain that a few
months at most would bring him to the stake. But his
courage was unshaken. " Why do you talk of seeking the
crown of martyrdom afar?" he said. "Preach the gospel of
Christ to haughty prelates, and martyrdom will not fail you.
WhatI I sbould hve and be silent? . . . Never! Let
the blow fall. I await its coming."

But God's providence still shielded his servant. The man
who for a whole lifetime had stood boldly in defensj of the
truth, in daily peril of his life, was not to fall a victim to
the hatred of its foes. Wycliffe had never sought to shield
himself, but the Lord had been his protector; and now,
when his enemies felt sure of their prey, God's hand removed
him beyond their reach. In his church at Lutterworth, as
he was about to dispense the communion, he fell stricken
with palsy, and in a short time yielded up his Hfe.

God had appointed to Wycliffe his work. Ho had put
the word of truth in his mouth, and he set a guard about
him that this word, might come to the people. His life was
protected, and his labors prolonged, until a foundation was
laid for the great work of the Reformation.

WycUffe came from the obscurity of the Dark Ages.
There were none who went before him from whose work he
could shape his system of reform. Raised up like John the
Baptist to accomplish a special mission, he was the herald of
a new era. Yet in the system of truth which he presented

JOHN WYCLIFFE.

was
was

tlioro was a unity and complotonoMS wliicli rcfonnors wlio
followed him did not oxooo<l, and which hoiuo (Ud not rcacii,
even a InuKh'cd years later. ISo broad and deep was laid tho
foundation, so firm and true was the framework, tiiat it
needed not t<> ))e reconstructed by those who came after him.

Tho great movement which Wyclille inau<j;urate(l, which
was to liberate tho conscience and the intellect, and set free
tho nations so long bound to the triumphal car of Rome,
had its spring in the Bible. Hero was the source of that
stream of blessing, which, like tho water of life, has llowed
«lown tho ages since the fourteenth century. Wyclitl'e ac-
cepted the Holy Scriptures with implicit faith as the inspired
revelation of (Jod's will, a sutHcient rule of faith and i)ractice.
lie had been educated to regard tho Church of Rome as tho
divine, infallible authorit}', and to accept with un(|uestioning
reverence the established teachings and customs of a thou-
sand years; but he turned away from all these to listen to
God's holy Word. This was the authority which ho urged
tho people to acknowledge. Instead of the church speaking
through the pope, he declared the only true autl) 'ity to ha
the voice of God speaking through his Word. And he
taught not only that tho Bible is a perfect revelation of
God's will, but that the Holy Spirit is its only interpreter,
and that every man is, by the study of its teachings, to learn
his duty for himself. Thus he turned the minds of men
from the pope and the Church of Rome to the Word of God.

Wycliffe was one of the greatest of the reformers. In
breadth of intellect, in elearne^!- of thought, in firmness to
maintain the truth, and boldness to defend it, he was equaled
by few who came after him. Purity of life, unwearying
diligence in study and in labor, incorruptible integrity, and
Christ-like love an(^ faithfulness in his ministry, character-
ized the first of the reformers. And this notwithstanding
the intellectual darkness and moral corruption of the age
from which he emerged.

The character of Wycliffe is a testimony to the educating,

THE GREAT VONTROVERHY,

tranHlbrinin^ power of tho Holy ScriptiireH. It was tho
Bihlo that inado him what ho was. Tho odbrt to grasp tho
groat truths of rovolation imparts frosl moss and vigor to all
tho faoultios. It expands tho mind, siiarpons tho porcep-
tions, and ripons tho judgment. Tho study of tho Hiblo will
ennohlo every thought, feeling, and aspiration as no other
Btudy can. It gives stability of purpose, patienee, eourage,
and fortitiHle; it refines tiio character, and .sanctities tho soul.
An earnest, reverent study of tho Scriptures — bringing tho
mind of the .student in direct contact with tho infinite mind
— would give to tho world men of stronger and more active
intellect, as well as of nobler j)rinciple, than has ever resulted
from tho ablest training that human philo.sophy affords.
"Tho entrance of Thy words," says tho psalmist, "giveth
light; it giveth understanding.'"

Tho doctrines which had been taught by Wycliffe con-
tinued for a time to spread; his followers, known as Wyc-
lifRtes and LoUaids, hv . only traversed England, but scat-
tered to other lands, carrying tho knowledge of the gospel.
Now that their leader was removed, the preachers labored
with even greater zeal than before, and multitudes flocked to
listen to their teachings. Homo of tho nobility, and even the
wife of tho king, were among tho converts. In many places
there was a marked reform in the manners of the people,
and tho idolatrous symbols of Romanism were removed
from the churches. But soon the pitiless storm of persecu-
tion burst upon those who had dared to accept the Bible as
their guide. Tho English monarchs, eager to strengthen
their j)ower by securing the support of Rome, did not hesi-
tate to sacrifice tho reformers. For the first time in the his-
tory of England, tho stake was decreed against the disciples
of the gospel. Martyrdom succeeded martyrdom. The
advocates of truth, i)roscribed and tortured, could only pour
their cries into the ear of the Lord of Sabaoth. Hunted as
foes of the church and traitors to the realm, they continued

»Ps. 119:130.

JOHN WYCLIFFK.

to pii'iich in Mcent plact's, tindin^ Hholtcr an Ix'st tlu-v coulil
in tliu liunihlc lioinoM uf tlie )>uur, and often hiding away
even in cU-ns an<l nivos.

Notwitlistandin^ tlio rngo of persecution, a calm, dovout,
earnest, patient jH'otcst apiinnt the jnvvailin^ corruption of
rch^dons t'aitii continnccl for ci'nturics to l)c uttticd. Tho
Christians of tiiat early time had only a partial knowledge
of the truth, hut they ha<l learned to love and ohey (Jod'H
Word, and they patiently sutlered for its sake. Like the
<lisciples in apostolic days, uiany Hacriticed their worldly
possessions for tlio cause of Christ. Those who were per-
mitted to dwell in their homes, gladly sheltered their ban-
ished brethren, and when they too were driven forth, they
cheerfully accepted the lot of the outcast. Thousands, it is
true, terrified by the fury of their persecutors, purchased
their freedom at the sacrifice of their fiuth, and went out of
their i)risons, clothed in penitents' robes, to publish their
recantation. But the number was not small — and among
them were men of noble birth as well as the humble and
lowly — who bore fearless testimony to the truth in dungeon
cells, in "Lollard towers," and in the midst of torture and
flame, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to know "the
fellowship of His suflerings."

The papists had failed to work their will with WyclifTe
during his life, and their hatred could not bo satisfied while
his body rested quietly in the grave. By the decree of the
Council of Constance, more than forty years after his death
his bones were exhumed and publicly burned, and the ashes
were thrown into a neighboring brook. " The brook," says
an old writer, "did convey his ashes into Avon, Avon into
Severn, Severn into the narrow seas, and they into the main
ocean; and thus the ashes of Wycliffe are the emblem of his
doctrine, which now is dispersed all the world over." Little
did his enemies realize the significance of their malicious act.

It was through the writings of Wyclitfe that John Huss,

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

of Bohemia, was led to renounce many of the errors of Ro-
manism, and to enter upon the work of reform. Thus in
these two countries, so widely separated, the seed of truth was
sown. From Bohemia the work extended to other lands.
The minds of men were directed to the long-forgotten Word
of God. A' divine hand was preparing the way for the Great
Reformation.

CHAPTER VI.

HUSS AND JEROME.

The gospel hud been planted in Bohemia as early as the-
ninth century. The Bible was translated, and public wor-
ship was conducted in the language of the people. But as
the power of the pope increased, so the "Word of God was
obscured. Gregory YII., who had taken it upon him 'Ho
pull down the pride of kings," was no less intent uj)on enslav-
ing the people, and accordingly a bull was issued forbidding
public worship to be conducted in the Bohemian tongue.
The pope declared that "God was pleased that his worship
should be celebrated in an unknown tongue, and that a
neglect of this rule had given rise to many evils and here-
sies." Thus Rome decreed that the light of God's Word
should be extinguished, and the people should be shut up
in darkness. But Heaven had provided other agencies for
the preservation of the church. Many of the Waldenses
and Albigenses, driven by persecution from their homes in
France and Italy, came to Bohemia. Though they dared
not teach openly, they labored zealously in secret. Thus th&
true faith was preserved from century to century.

Before the days of Huss, there were men in Bohemia wha
rose up to condemn openly the corruption in the church
and the profligacy of the people. Their labors excited wide-
spread interest. The fears of the hierarchy were roused, and
persecution was opened against the disciples of the gospel.
Driven to worship in the forests and the mountains, they
were hunted by soldiers, and many were put to death. After
a time it was decreed that all who departed from the Rom>

(97)

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

ish worship should bo burned. But while the Christians
yielded up their lives, they looked forward to the triumph
of their cause. One of those who taught that "salvation
was only to be found by faith in the crucified Saviour,"
declared when dying, " The rage of the enemies of truth now
prevails against us, but it will not be forever; there shall
arise one from among the common people, without sword
or authority, and against him they shall not be able to pre-
vail." Luther's time was yot far distant; but already one
was rising, whose testimony against Kome would stir the
aiations.

John Huss was of humble birth, and was early left an
orphan by the death of his father. His pious mother, regard-
ing education and the fear of God as the most valuable of
possessions, sought to secure this heritage for her son. Huss
studied at the provincial school, and then repaired to the uni-
versity at Prague, receiving admission as a charity scholar.
He was accompanied on the journey to Prague by his mother;
widowed and poor, she had no gift of worldly wealth to be-
stow upon her son, but as they drew near to the great cit}",
she kneeled down beside the fatherless youth, and invoked
for him the blessing of their Father in Heaven. Little did
that mother realize how her prayer was to be answered.

At the university, Huss soon distinguished himself by his
untiring application and rapid progress, while his blameless
life and gentle, winning d'eportment gained him universal
esteem. He was a sincere adherent of the Romish Church,
and an earnest seeker for the spiritual blessings wliich it
professes to bestow. On the occasion of a jubilee, he went
to confession, paid the last few coins in his scanty store, and
joined in the processions, that he might share in the absolu-
tion promised. After completing his college course, he
entered the priesthood, and, rapidly attaining to eminence,
he soon became attached to the court of the king. He was
also made professor and afterward rector of the university
where he had received his education. In a few years the

mJSS AND JEROME.

humble charity scholar had become the pride of his country,
and his name was renowned throughout Euroi)e.

But it was in another field that Huss began the work of
reform. Several years after taking priest's orders he was
appointed preacher of the chapel of Bethlehem. The
founder of this chapel had advocated, as a matter of great
importance, the preaching of the Scriptures in the language
of the people. Notwithstanding Rome's opposition to this
practice, it had not been wholly discontinued in Bohemia.
But there was great ignorance of the Bible, and the worst
vices prevailed among the people of all ranks. These evils
Huss unsparingly denounced, appealing to the Word of
Ood to enforce the i)rinciples of truth and purity which he
inculcated.

A citizen of Prague, Jerome, Avho afterward l)ecame so
closely associated with IIuss, had, on returning from En-
gland, brought with him the writings of W'yclitl'e. The queen
of England, who had been a convert to Wjcliffc's teachings,
was a Bohemian princess, and through her influence also the
reformer's works were widoly circulated in her native coun-
try. These works Huss read with interest; he believed their
author to be a sincere Christian, and was inclined to regard
with favor the reforms which ho advocated. Already,
though he knew it not, Huss had entered upon a path
which was to lead him far awav from Home.

About this time there arrived in Prague two strangers
from England, men of learning, who had received the light,
and had come to spread it in this distant land. BeginniBg
with an open attack on the pope's supremacy, they were soon
silenced by the authorities; but being unwilling to relinquish
their purpose, they had recourse to other measures. Being
artists as well as preachers, they proceeded to exercise their
skill. In a place open to the pul)lic they drew two pictures.
One represented the entrance of Christ into Jerusaleni, " meek,
and sitting upon an ass,"^ and followed by his disciples in
travel-worn garments and with naked feet. The other pict-

ii.iatt. 21:5.

100

THE GRFAT CONTROVERSY.

ure portrayed a pontifical procession, — the pope arrayed in
his rich robes and triple crown, mounted n})on a horse mag-
nificently adorned, preceded by trumpeters, and followed by
cardinals and prelates in diizzling array.

Here was a sermon which arrested the attention of all
classes. Crowds came to gaze upon the drawings. Nono
could fail to read the moral, and many were deei)ly im-
pressed by the contrast between the meekness and humility
of Christ the Master, and the pride and arrogance of the
pope, his professed servant. There was great commotion in
Prague, and the strangers after a time found it necessary,
for their own safety, to depart. But the lesson they had
taught was not forgotten. The pictures made a deep im-
pression on the mind of Huss, and led him to a closer study
' of the Bible and of Wycliffe's writnigs. Though he was not
prepared, even yet, to accept all the reforms advocated by
Wycliffe, he saw more clearly the true character of the
papacy, and with greater zeal denounced the pride, the
ambition, and the corruption of the hierarchy.

From Bohemia the light extended to Germany; for dis-
turbances in the University of Prague caused the withdrawal
of hundreds of German students. Many of them had re-
ceived from Huss their first knowledge of the Bible, and on
their return they spread the gospel in their fatherland.

Tidings of the work at Prague were carried to Rome, and
Huss was soon summoned to appear before the pope. To
obey would be to expose himself to certain death. The king
and queen of Bohemia, the university, members of the no-
bility, and officers of the government, united in an appeal to
the pontiff that Huss be permitted to remain at Prague, and
to answer at Rome by deputy. Instead of granting this
request, the pope proceeded to the trial and condemnation
of Huss, and then declared the city of Prague to be under
interdict.

In that age this sentence, whenever pronounced, created
widespread alarm. The ceremonies by which it wes accom.-

HUSS AND JEROME.

101

2>aiiied were well adapted to strike terror to a people who
looked upon the pope as the representative of God himself,
holding the keys of Heaven and hell, and possessing power
to invoke temporal as well as spiritual judgments. Jt was
believed that the gates of Heaven were closed against the
region smitten with interdict; that until it should please
the i»ope to remove the ban, the dead were shut out from
the abodes of bliss. In token of this terrible calamitv, all
the services of religion were suspended. The churches were
closed. Marriages were solemnized in the church-yard.
The dead, denied burial in consecrated ground, were in-
terred, without the rites of sepulture, in the ditches or the
fields. Thus by measures which appealed to the imagina-
tion, Rome essayed to control the consciences of men.

The city of Prague was filled with tumult. A large class
denounced Huss as the cause of all their calamities, and
demanded that he be given up to the vengeance of Rome.
To quiet the storm, the reformer withdrew for a time to his
native village. Writing to the friends whom he had left at
Prague, he said: "If I have withdrawn from the midst of
you, it is to follow the precept and example of Jesus Christ,
in order not to give room to the ill-minded to draw on them-
selves eternal condemnation, and in order not to be to the
pious a cause of affliction and persecution. I have retired
also through an apprehension that impious priests might
continue for a longer time to prohibit the preaching of the
AVord of God amongst you; but I have not quitted you to
deny the divine truth, for which, with God's assistance, I am
willing to die." Huss did not cease his labors, but traveled
through the surrounding country, preaching to eager crowds.
Thus the measures to which the pope resorted to suppress
the gospel, were causing it to be the more widely extended.
"We can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth." ^

" The mind of Huss, at this stage of his career, would seem
to have been the scene of a painful conflict. Although the
church was seeking to overwhelm him by her thuuder-bolts,

»2Cor. 13:8.

he had not renounced her authority. The Roman Church
wa::; still to him the spouse of Christ, and the pope was the
representative and vicar of God. What IIuss was warring
against was the abuse of authority, not the principle itself.
This l)rought on a terrible conflict between the convictions
of his understanding and the claims of his conscience. If
the authority was just and infallible, as he believed it to be,
how came it that he felt compelled to disobey it? To obey,
he saw, was to sin ; but why should obedience to an infalli-
ble church lead to such an issue? This was the problem he
could not solve; this was the doubt that tortured him from
hour to hour. The nearest approximation to a solution,
which he was able to make, was that it had happened again,
as once before in the days of the Saviour, that the priests of
the church had become wicked persons, and were using their
lawful authority for unlawful ends. This led him to adopt
for his own guidance, and to preach to others for theirs, the
maxim that the precepts of Scripture, conveyed through
the understanding, are to rule the conscience; in other
words, that God speaking in the Bible, and not the church
speaking through the priesthood, is the one infallible guide."

When after a time the excitement in Prague subsided,
Huss returned to his chapel of Bethlehem, to continue with
greater zeal and courage the preaching of the Word of God.
His enemies were active and powerful, but the queen and
many of the nobles were his friends, and the people in great
numbers sided with him. Comparing his pure and elevat-
ing teachings and holy life with the degrading dogmas
which the Komanists preached, and the avarice and de-
bauchery which they practiced, many regarded it an honor
to be on his side.

Hitherto Huss had stood alone in his labors; but now
Jerome, who while in England had accepted the teachings
of Wycliffe, joined in the work of reform. The two were
hereafter united in their lives, and in death they were not
to be divided.

MUSS AND J K ROME.

103

Brilliancy of genius, eloquence and learning — gifts that
win popular favor — were possessed in a j)re-ennnent degree
by Jerome; but in. those qualities which constitute real
strength of character, Huss was the greater. His calm judg-
ment served as a restraint upon the impulsive spirit of Je-
rome, who, with true humility, perceived his worth, and
yielded to his counsels. Under their united labors the reform
was more rapidly extended.

God permitted great light to shine upon the minds of
these chosen men, revealing to them many of the errors of
Rome; but they did not receive all the light that was to be
given to the world. Through these, his servants, God was
leading the people out of the darkness of Romanism; but
there were many and great obstacles for them to meet, and
he led them on, step by step, as they could bear it. They
were not prepared to receive all the light at once. Like the
full glory of the noontide sun to those who have long ( velt
in darkness, it would, if presented, have caused them to turn
away. Therefore he revealed it to the leaders, little by little^
as it could be received by the people. From century to
century other faithful workers were to follow, to lead the
people on still farther in the path of reform.

The schism in the church still continued. Three popes
were now contending for the supremacy, and their strife
fdled Christendom with crime and tumult. Not content
with hurling anathemas, they resorted to temporal weapons.
Each cast about him to j^urchase arms and to obtain soldiers.
Of course money must be had ; and to procure this, all the
gifts, offices, and blessings of the church were offered for
sale. The priests also, imitating their superiors, resorted to
simony and war to humble their rivals, and strengthen their
own power. "With daily increasing boldness, Huss thundered
against the abominations which were tolerated in the name of
religion: and the people openly accused the Romish leaders
as the cause of the miseries that overwhelmed Christendom.

Again the city of Prague seemed on the verge of a

104

THK GREAT CONTROVKRSY.

bloody conflict. As in former ages, God's servant was accused
as "he that troublctli Israel."^ The city was again placed
under interdict, and Huss withdrew to his native village.
The testimony so faithfully borne from his loved chapel of
Bethlehem was ended. He was to speak from a wider stage,
to all Christendom, before laying down his life as a witness
for the truth.

To cure the evils that were distracting Europe, a general
council was summoned to meet at Constance. The council
was called, at the desire of the emperor Sigismund, by one of
the three rival popes, John XXIII. The demand for a coun-
cil had been far from welcome to Pope John, whose character
and policy could ill bear investigation, even by prelates as
lax in morals as were the churchmen of those times. He
dared not, however, oppose the will of Sigismund.

The chief objects to be accomplished by the council were
to heal the schism in the church, and to root out heresy.
Hence the two anti-popes were summoned to appear before
it, as well as the leading propagator of the new opinions,
John Huss. The former, having regard to their own safety,
did not attend in person, but were represented by their dele-
gates. Pope John, while ostensibly the convoker of the
council, came to it with many misgivings, suspecting the
emperor's secret purpose to depose him, and fearing to
be brought to account for the vices which had disgraced
the tiara, as well as for the crimes which had secured it.
Yet he made his entry into the city of Constance with great
pomp, attended by ecclesiastics of the highest rank, and fol-
lowed by a train of courtiers. All the clergy and dignita-
ries of the city, with an immense crowd of citizens, went out
to welcome him. Above his head was a golden canopy,
borne by four of the chief magistrates. The host was car-
ried before him, and the rich dresses of the cardinals and
nobles made an imposing display.

Meanwhile another traveler was approaching Constance.
Huss was conscious of the dangers which threatened him.

1 1 Kings 18 : 17.

■■■<■

JJVSS AND JEROME.

105

He parted from his friends as if ho were never to meet
them again, and went on his journey feeUng tliat it was
leading him to tlie stake. Notwithstanchng ho had ob-
tained a safe-conduct from the king of Boliemia, and re-
ceived one also from the emjioror Sigismund while on his
journey, he made all his arrangements in view of the prob-
ability of his death.

In a letter addressed to his friends at Prague he said:
"I am departing, my brethren, with a safe-conduct from the
king, to meet my numerous and mortal enemies. ... I
confide altogether in the all-powerful God, in my Saviour;
I trust that ho will listen to your ardent prayers, that he
will infuse his prudence and his wisdom into my mouth, in
order that I may resist them ; and that he will accord mo
his Holy Spirit to fortify me in his truth, so that I may face
with courage, temptations, prison, and, if necessary, a cruel
death. Jesus Christ suffered for his well-beloved ; and there-
fore ought we to be astonished that he has left us his exam-
ple, in order that we may ourselves endure with patience all
things for our own salvation? He is God, and we are his
creatures; he is the Lord, and we are his servants; he is
Master of the world, and wo are contemptible mortals; — yet
he suffered ! Why, then, should we not suffer, also, particu-
larly when suffering is for us a purification? Therefore,
beloved, if my death ought to contribute to his glory, pray
that it may come quickly, and that he may enable me to
support all my calamities with constancy. But if it be bet-
ter that I return amongst you, let us pray to God that I
may return without stain, — that is, that I may not suppress
one tittle of the truth of the gospel, in order to leave my
brethren an excellent example to follow. Probably, there-
fore, you will never more behold my face at Prague; but
should the will of the all-powerful God deign to restore me
to you, let us then advance with a firmer heart in the knowl-
edge and the love of his law."

In another letter, to a priest who had become a disciple of

106

THE GREAT VOSTliOVERSY.

tho p^ospel, ITiiss spoke with (1<'('|) Imiiiility of his own errors,
accusing liinisclf of luiving felt jilcasurc in wearing ridi
apparel, and of having wasted hours in trilHng occui)ations.
lie then adde(l tliese toncinng aihnonitions: '' May tho glory
of God and the salvation of souls occupy thy mind, and not
the possession of henelices and estates. Hewaro of adorning
thy house more than thy soul; and ahove all, give thy care
to tho spiritual edilice. Be i)ious and Inunhle with tho poor,
and consume not thy suhstance in feasting. Shouldst thou
not amend thy life and refrain from sui)erfluities, I fear that
thou wilt be severely chastened, as I am myself. . . .
Thou knowest my doctrine, iov thou hast received my in-
structions from thy chihlhood; it is therefore useless for me
to write to thee any further. But I conjure thee, by tho
mercy of our J^ord, not to imitate me in any of tho vanities
into which thou hast seen me fall." On the cover of the
letter ho added: "I conjure thee, my friend, not to break
this seal, until thou slialt have acquired tho certitude that I
am dead."

On his journey, IIuss everywhere beheld indications of
the spread of his doctrines, and the favor with which his
cause was regarded. The people thronged to meet liim, and
in some towns the magistrates attended him through their
streets.

Upon arriving at Constance, IIuss was granted full liberty.
To the emperor's safe-conduct w\as added a personal assur-
ance of protection by the pope. But in violation of these
solemn and repeated declarations, the reibrmer was in a
short time arrested, by order of the pope and cardinals, and
thrust into a loathsome dungeon.

The pope, however, profiting little by his perfidy, was soon
after committed to the same prison. He had been proved
before the council to be guilty of the basest crimes, besides
murder, simony, and adultery, "sins not fit to be named."
So the council itself declared ; and he was finally deprived
of the tiara, and thrown into prison. The anti-popes also
M'ere deposed, and a new pontifi' was chosen.

'li
O

//r.s'.v Axn juRoMi:.

107

Though tin' jK)|)«' liiiiiMcIf IuhI Ix'cm guilty <»t' creator
crimes tliiiii IIiiss Imd ever cliar^cd upon tin- |H'i«'sts, ami
for wliicli he had dtiiiamird a reformation, yi't tlie saiiic
council wliieli <le;::raded (Ik* pontill" jiroceciled to crush the
rf.'foniiei'. Tiie im|»ri>oiiment of lluss excitecl ^'reat indijj;-
nation in IJohemia. I'owtTl'ul nohU-men adih'essed to the
cotmcil eaiiM'st protests a^jainst this out ra;^'t'. Th(; emjK'ror,
who was loth to permit the violation of a .safe-conduct,
oit[iosed the [iroceedin^s a;j:ainst him. IJut the enemies of
tlio reformer wero malignant and determined. They ap-
pealed to the em[)eror'.s prejudices, to his fi'ars, to his zenl
for tho church. They l>rought forward arguments of great
length to i)rove that ho was "pcrfcrfh/ at lihcrfij not fa hep faith
wiih a heretic,^* and that the council, being above tho emperor,
*^ could free him from Jiin word." Thus thi'y prevailed.

Enfeebled by illness and imprisonment — for the damp,
foul air of his dungeon bad brought on a feviT which nearly
ended bis life — Huss was at last brougbt before tbe council.
Loaded with cbains be stood in the presence of tbe emperor,
whose bonor and good laitb bad been i)ledged to jirotect bim.
During bis long trial ho linnly maintained tho truth, and
in the pre.sen'.'o of the a.ssembled dignitaries of C'burch and
State, be uttered a .solemn and faithful protest against the
corruptions of the bierarcby. When recjuired to cboose
whether be would recant bis doctrines or sutler deatb, be
accepted the martyr's fate.

Tbe grace of Clod sustained him. During the weeks of
suffering that paijsed before bis final sentence, Heaven's
peace tilled bis soul. " I write tbis letter," be said to a
friend, "in i)rison, and with my fettered band, expecting my
sentence of deatb to-morrow. . . . Wben, with the as-
sistance of .Jesus Christ, we sball meet again in tbe delicious
peace of the future life, you will learn how merciful God has
shown himself toward me — how effectually he has supported
me in the midst of my temptations and trials."

In the gloom of his dungeon he foresaw the triumph of

lOS

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

the true faith. Koturning in liis dreams to the chapel at
Prague where he liad preached the gospel, he saw the pope
and his bishops effacing the pictures of Christ which he had
painted on its walls. He was dee})ly troubled at the sight;
but the next day his grief was changed to joy, as he beheld
many artists come to replace the figures in greater numbers
and brighter colors. Their work ended, the painters ex-
claimed to the crowd gathered eagerly about them, "Now
let the po})cs and bishops come! They shall never efface
them more!" Said the reformer, as he related his dream,
" I am certain that the image of Christ will never be effaced.
They have wished to destroy it, but it will be imprinted
anew on the hearts of men by much better preachers than
myself."

For the last time, Huss was brought before the council.
It was a vast and brilliant assembly, — the emperor, the
princes of the empire, the royal deputies, the cardinals, bish-
ops, and priests, and an immense crowd who had come as
spectators of the events of the day. From all parts of Chris-
tendom had been gathered the witnesses of this first great
sacrifice in the long struggle by which liberty of conscience
was to be secured.

Being called upon for liis final decision, Huss declared
his refusal to abjure, and fixing his penetrating glance upon
the monarch whose plighted word had been so shamelessly
violated, he declared tluit of his own free will he had ap-
peared before the council, " under the jmblic faith and pro-
tection of the emf)eror here present." A deep flush crim-
soned the face of Sigismund as the eyes of all in the assembly
turned upon him.

Sentence having been pronounced, the ceremony of degra-
dation began. The bishops clothed their prisoner in the
sacerdotal habit, and as he took the priestly robe, he said,
" Our Lord Jesus Christ was covered with a white robe by
way of insult, when Herod had him conducted before Pilate."
Being again exhorted to retract, he replied, turning toward

NUSS AND JEROME.

109

the people, " Witli wliat face, then, should I hehold the
lieavens? llow sliould I look on those nmltitiides of men
to "whom I have preached the pure gospel? No; I esteem
their salvation more than this poor body, now appointed
unto death." The vestments were removed one bv one, each
bishop pronouncing a curse as ho performed his part of the
ceremony. Finally a crown or mitre, on which were painted
frightful figures of demons, and bearing the inscription,
"The Arch-IIeretic," was placed upon his head. " Most joy-
fully," he said, "will I wear this crown of sliamo for thy
sake, Lord Jesus, who for mo didst wear a crown of thorns."

When he was thus arrayed, the prelates devoted his soul
to Satan. Huss, looking heavenward, exclaimed, " I do com-
mend my spirit into thy hands, Lord Jesus, for thou hast
redeemed me."

He was now delivered up to the secular authorities, and
led away to the place of execution. An immense proces-
sion followed, hundreds of men at arms, priests and bishops
in their costly robes, and the inhalntants of Constance.
When he had been fastened to the stake, and all was ready
for the fire to bo lighted, the martyr was once more exhorted
to save himself by renouncing his errors. " What errors,"
said IIuss, "shall I renounce? I know myself guilty of
none. I call God to witness that all that I have written or
preached has been with the view of rescuing souls from sin
and perdition; and, therefore, most joyfully will I confirm
with my blood that truth which I have written and
preached."

When the flames kindled about him, he began to sing,
" Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me," and so con-
tinued till his voice was silenced forever.

Even his enemies were struck with his heroic bearing.
A zealous papist, describing the martyrdom of IIuss, and of
Jerome, who died soon after, said: "Both bore themselves
with constant mind when their last hour approached. They
prepared for the fire as if they were going to a marriage

110

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

feast. They uttered no cry of pain. When the flames rose,
they began to sing hymns; and scarce could the vehemence
of the fire stop their singing."

Wlien tlio body of Huss had been wholly consumed, his
ashes, with the soil upon which they rested, were gathered up
and cast into the Rhine, and thus borne onward to the ocean.
His persecutors vainly imagined that they had rooted out
the truths ho preached. Little did they dream that the ashes
that day borne away to the sea were to be as seed scattered in
all the countries of the earth; that in lands 3'et unknown it
would vield abundant fruit in witnesses for the truth. The
voice which had spoken in the council hall of Constance had
wakened echoes that would be heard through all coming
ages. Huss was no more, but the truths for which he died
could never perish. His example of faith and constancy
would encourage multitudes to stand firm for the truth, in
the face of torture and death. His execution had exhibited
to the whole world the perfidious cruelty of Rome. The
enemies of truth, though the}^ knew it not, had been further-
ing the cause which they vainly sought to destroy.

Yet another stake was to be set up at Constance. The
blood of another witness must testify for the truth. Jerome,
upon bidding farewell to Huss on his departure for the
council, had exhorted him to courage and firmness, declaring
that if he should fall into any peril, he himself would fly to
his assistance. Upon hearing of the reformer's imprison-
ment, the faithful disciple immediately prepared to fulfill his
promise. Without a safe-conduct he set out, with a single
companion, for Constance. On arriving there he was con-
vinced that he had only exposed himself to peril, without
the possibility of doing anything for the deliverance of Huss.
He fled from the city, but was arrested on the homeward
journey, and brought back loaded Avith fetters, and under
the custody of a band of soldiers. At Ms first appearance
before the council, his attempts to reply to the accusations
brought against him were met with shouts, "To the flames

ffUSS AND JEROME.

Ill

with him! to the flames! " He was thrown into a dungeon,
chained in a position which caused him great suffering, and
fed on bread and water.

After some montlis the cruehies of liis imprisonment
brouglit upon Jerome an ilhiess that threatened liislife, and
liis enemies, fearing that ho miglit escape tliem, treated him
with less severity, though lie remained in priscm for one
year. The death of IIuss had not resulted as the papists had
hoped. The violation of his safe-conduct had roused a storm
of indignation, and as the safer course the council deter-
mined, instead of burning Jerome, to force him, if possible,
to retract. Ho was brought before the assembly, and offered
the alternative to recant or to die at the stake. Death at the
beginning of his imprisonment would have been a mercy,
in comparison with the terrible sufferings which he had
undergone; but now, weakened by illness, by the rigors of
his prison-house, and the torture of anxiety and suspense,
separated from his friends, and disheartened by the death
of PIuss, Jerome's fortitude gave way, and he consented to
submit to the council. He pledged himself to adhere to
the Catholic faith, and accepted the action of the council in
condemning the doctrines of Wycliffe and Huss, excepting,
however, the "holy truths" which they had taught.

By this expedient, Jerome endeavored to silence the voice
of conscience and escape his doom. But in the solitude of
his dungeon he saw more clearly what he had done. He
thouglit of the courage and fidelity of Huss, and in contrast
pondered upon his OAvn denial of the truth. He thought of
the divine jSIastcr whom he had pledged himself to serve,
and who for his sake endured the death of the cross. Before
his retraction he had found comfort, amid all his sufferings,
in the assurance of God's favor ; but now remorse and douljt
tortured his soul. He knew that still other Retractions must
be made before he could be at peace with Kome. The path
upon which he was entering could end only in complete
apostasy. His resolution was taken : to escape a brief period
of suffering he would not deny his Lord.

Soon lie was again brought belbro the council. Ilis sub-
mission had not satisfied his judges. Their thirst for blood,
Avholted by the death of IIuss, clamored for fresh victims.
Only by an unreserved surrender of the truth could Jerome
preserve his life. But he had determined to avow his faith,
and follow his brother martyr to the flames.

lie renounced his former recantation, and, as a dying
man, solemnly required i\\\ opj)ortunity to make his defense.
Fearing the effect of his words, the prelates insisted that he
should merely affirm or deny the truth of the charges
brought against him. Jerome protested against such cruelty
and injustice. "You have held me shut up three hundred
and forty days in a frightful prison," he said, " in the midst
of filth, noisomencss, stench, and the utmost want of every-
thing. You then bring me out before you, and lending an
ear to my mortal enemies, you refuse to hear me. If you be
really wise men, and the lights of the world, take care not
to sin against justice. As for me, I am only a feeble mortal;
my life is but of little importance; and M^hen I exhort you
not to deliver an unjust sentence, I speak less for myself
than for vou."

His request was finally granted. In the presence of his
judges, Jerome kneeled down and prayed that tlie Divine
Spirit might control his thoughts and words, that he miglit
speak nothing contrary to the truth or unworthy of his
Master. To him that day was fulfilled the promise of God
to the first disciples; "Ye shall be brought before governors
and kings lor my sake ; . . . but when they deliver you
up, take no thought liow or what ye shall speak; for it
shall bo given you in that same hour what ye shall speak;
for it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father
which speaketh in you."^ The words of Jerome excited
astonishment and admiration, even in his enemies. For a
whole year he had been immured in a dungeon, unable to
read or even to see, in great physical suffering and mental
anxiety. Yet his arguments were presented with as much

» Matt. 10 : IS-CO.

IirSS AXD JEROME.

113

clearness and power as if lie liad had nndistnrbed opportu-
nity for study. lie pointed his hearers to the k)ng lino of
holy men who had been condemned by unjust judges. In
almost every generation have been those who, while seeking
to elevate the })eoplo of their time, have been reproached
and cast out, but who in later times have been shown to be
deserving of honor. Christ himself was condemned as a
malefactor at an unrighteous tribunal.

At his retraction, Jerome had assented to the justice of the
sentence condemning IIuss; he now declared his r'^)entance,
and bore witness to the innocence and holiness of the mar-
tyr. "I knew John Huss from his childhood," he said.
"He was a most excellent man, just and holy; he was con-
demned, notwithstanding liis innocence. ... I also — I
am ready to die. I will not recoil before the torments that
are prepared for me by my enemies and false witnesses, who
will one day have to render an account of their impostures
before the great God, whom nothing can deceive."

In self-reproach for his own denial of the truth, Jerome
continued: " Of all the sins that I have connnitted since my
youth, none weigh so heavily upon my mind, and cause me
such poignant remorse, as that which I conmiittcd in this
fatal place, when I approved of the ini(piitous sentence
rendered against AVycliffe, and the holy martyr, John ITuss,
my master. Yes, I confess it frcmi my heart ; and declare
with horror that I disgracefully quailed, when, through a
dread of death, I condemned their doctrines. I therefore
supplicate Almighty God to deign to pardon mo my sins,
and this one in particular, the most heinous of all." Point-
ing to his judges, ho said firmly: *' You condemned AVyclifTe
and IIuss, not for having shaken the doctrine of the church,
but simply because they branded with reprobation the scan-
dals of the clergy, — their pomp, their pride, and all the vices
of the prelates and i)riests. The things that they have af-
firmed, and which are irrefutable, I also think and declare
like them."

114

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

His words were interrupted. The prelates, trembling
with rage, cried out, " What need have Ave of further proof? "
**Away with the most obstinate of heretics!"

Unmoved l)y the tempest, Jerome exclaimed: "What! do
you suppose that I fear to die? You have lield me a wliole
year in a frightful dungeon, more horrible than death itself.
You have treated me more cruelly than a Turk, Jew, or
pagan, and my flesh has literally rotted off my bones alive;
and y(^t I make no complaint, for lamentation ill becomes a
man of heart and spirit; but I cannot but express my aston-
ishment at such great barbarity toward a Christian."

Again the storm of rage burst out; and Jerome was hur-
ried away to prison. Yet there were some in the assembly
upon whom his words had made a deep impression, and
who desired to save liis life. H was visited by dignitaries
of the church, and urged to suumit himself to the council.
The most brilliant prospects were presented before him as
the reward of renouncing his opposi '.ion to Rome. But like
his Master, when offered the glory of the world, Jerome re-
mained steadfast.

" Prove to me from the Holy Writings that I am in error,"
he said, "and I will abjure it."

"The Holy Writings!" exclaimed one of his tempters, "is
everything to be judged by them? Who can understand
them until the church has interpreted them?"

"Are the traditions of men more worthy of faith than the
gospel of our Saviour?" replied Jerome. "Paul did not
exhort those to whom he Avrote to listen to the traditions of
men, but said, 'Search the Scriptures.'"

" Heretic," was the response, " I repent having pleaded so
long with you. I see that you are urged ou by the devil."

Erelong sentence of condemnation was passed upon him.
He was led out to the same spot upon which Huss had
yielded up his life. He went singing on his way, his coun-
tenance lighted up with joy and peace. His gaze was fixed
upon Christ, and to him death had lost its terrors. When

^ h

\ \f

—1

•>

wUmA

(-^

, ,

■^H

■H

^r\

%Lk

£^/*

th(
hii
tlu
he

a 1
on
ah
coi

tyi

up
So
th(
ex
att
da

tio

th;

th
a

hii
tri
th
de
tic
sti
th
th

ne
ui
m

IIUSS AND JEROME.

115

tho executioner, about to kindle the pile, stepped behind
him, tho martyr exclaimed, "Come forward boldly; apply
the fire before my face. Had I been afraid, I should not be
here."

Ilis last words, uttered as tho flames rose about him, were
a prayer. " Lord, Almighty Father," ho cried, " have pity
on me, and pardon mo my sins, for thou knowest that I have
always loved thy truth." His voice ceased, but his lips
continued to move in prayer.

When the fire had done its work, tho ashes of the mar-
tyr, with the earth upon which they rested, were gathered
up, and, like those of Huss, were thrown into the Rhine.
So perished God's faithful light-bearers. But the light of
the truths which they proclaimed, — the light of their heroic
example, — could not be extinguished. As well might men
attempt to turn back the sun in its course as to prevent tho
dawning of that day which was even then breaking upon
the world.

The execution of Huss had kindled a flame of indigna"
tion and horror in Bohemia. It was felt by the whole nation
that he had fallen a prey to the malice of the priests and
the treachery of the emperor. He was declared to have been
a faithful teacher of the truth, and the council that decreed
his death was charged with the guilt of murder. His doc-
trines now attracted greater attention than ever before. By
the papal edicts the writings of Wycliffe had been con-
demned to the flames. But those that had escaped destruc-
tion were now brought out from their hiding-places, and
studied in connection with the Bible, or such parts of it as
the people could obtain, and many were thus led to accept
the reformed faith.

The murderers of Huss did not stand quietly by and wit-
ness the triumph of his cause. The pope and the emperor
united to crush out the movement, and the armies of Sigis-
mund were hurled upon Bohemia.

But a deliverer was raised up. Ziska, who soon after the

I
I

IIG

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

opening of the war becamo totally blind, yet who was one of
the ablest generals of his age, was the leader of the Bohe-
mians. Trusting in the help of God and the righteousness
of their cause, that people withstood the mightiest armies
that could be brought against them. Again and again the
emperor, raising fresh armies, invaded Bohemia, to bo igno-
rainiously repulsed. The Hussites were raised above the
fear of death, and nothing could stand against them. A
few years after the opening of tho war, the brave Ziska
died ; but his place was filled by Procopius, who was an
e(pially brave and skillful general, and in some respects a
more able leader.

The enemies of the Bohemians, knowing that the blind
warrior was dead, deemed the opportunity favorable for
recovering all that they had lost. Tho pope now proclaimed
a crusade against the Hussites, and again an immense force
was precipitated upon Bohemia, but only to suffer terrible
defeat. Another crusade was proclaimed. In all the papal
countries of Europe, men, money, and munitions of war
were raised. Multitudes flocked to the papal standard,
assured that at last an end would be made of the Hussite
heretics. Confident of victory, the vast force entered Bohe-
mia. The peoj^le rallied to repel them. The two armies
approached each other, until only a river lay between them.
The allies were greatly superior in numbers, yet instead of
advancing boldly to attack the Hussites, they stood as if
spell-bound, silently gazing upon them. Then suddenly a
mysterious terror fell upon the host. Without striking a
blow that mighty force broke and scattered, as if dispelled
by an unseen power. Great numbers were slaughtered by
the Hussite army, which pursued the fugitives, and an im-
mense booty fell into the hands of the victors, so that the
war, instead of impoverishing, enriched the Bohemians.

A few years later, under a new pope, still another crusade
was set on foot. As before, men and means were drawn
from all tho papist countries of Europe. Great were the

imSS AND JEROME.

117

inducements held out to tlioso "wlio whould engage in tliis per-
ilous cnterj)rise. Full forgiveness of the most heinous crimes
was insured to every crusader. All Avho died in the war
wcro jiromised u rich reward in Heaven, and those who sur-
vived were to reap honor and riches on the field of battle.
Again a vast army was collected, and crossing the frontier
they entered Boliemia. The Hussite forces fell back before
them, thus drawing the invaders farther and farther into
the country, and leading them to count the victory already
won. At last the army of Procopius made a stand, and,
turning ui)on the foe, advanced to give them battle. The
crusaders, now discovering their mistake, lay in their encamp-
ment awaiting the onset. As the sound of the approaching
force was heard, even before the Hussites were in sight, a
panic again fell upon the crusaders. Princes, generals, and
common soldiers, casting away their armor, fled in all direc-
tions. In vain the pa])al legate, who was the leader of the
invasion, endeavored to rally his terrified and disorganized
forces. Despite his utmost endeavors, he himself was swept
along in the tide of fugitives. The rout v.'as complete, and
again an immense booty fell into the hands of the victors.

Thus the second time a vast army, sent forth by the most
powerful nations of Europe, a host of brave, Avarliko men,
trained and ecpiipped for battle, fled without a blow, before
the defenders of a small and hitherto feeble nation. Here
was a manifestation of divine power. The invaders were
smitten with a supernatural terror. Ho who overthrew the
hosts of Pharaoh in the Red Sej , who put to flight the armies
of Midian before Gideon and his three hundred, who in one
night laid low the forces of the proud Assyrian, had again
stretched out his hand to wither the power of the oppressor.
*' There were they in great fear, where no fear was; for God
hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee;
thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised
them. "'

The papal leaders, despairing of conquering by force, at

iPs. 53:5.

118

Tin: am: AT coxtrovkusy.

last resorted to diplomacy. A coinproniiso was entered into,
that while jtrolessin;,^ to ^rant to tlu! Bohemians fnu-dom of
conscience, really hetraycd thcin into the power of Konie,
The liohemians had speeilied four points as the condition of
})eaee with Jvonie: '^^Fhe free })reaching of the Bihle; the ri;;lit
of tho whole church to hoth the brea<l and tiie wine in tho
connnunion, and tlu^ use of the mother-tongue in divino
worship; the exclusion of the clergy from all secular ollices
and authority; an<l in cases of crime, tlie jurisdiction of tiio
civil courts over clergy and laity alike. Tho i)apal author-
ities at last agr(>ed to acce[)t tho four articles, stipulating,
liowever, that tlie right of explaining them, of deciding \ipon
their exact meaning, should belong to the church. On tins
basis a treaty was entered into, and Konu^ gained by dissim-
ulation and fraud what sho had failed to gain by conflict;
for, jdacing her own interpretation upon the Hussite articles,
as upon tho Bible, she could pervert their meaning to suit
her own puri)oses.

A largo class in Bohemia, seeing that it betrayed their
liberties, could not consent to the compact. Dissensions and
divisions arose, leading to strife and bloodshed among them-
selves. In this strife the noble Procopius fell, and the lib-
erties of Bohemia perished.

Sigismund, tho betrayer of IIuss and Jerome, now became
king of Bohemia, and, regardless of hi.s oath to support the
rights of tho Bohemians, lie proceeded to establish popery.
But lie had gained littlo by his subservience to Rome. For
twenty years his life had bedYi filled with labors and perils.
His armies had been wasted and his treasuries drained by a
long and fruitless struggle; and now, after reigning one
year, ho died, leaving his kii^gdom on the brink of civil war,
and bequeathing to posterity a name branded with infamy.

Tumults, strife, and bloodshed were protracted. Again
foreign armies invaded Bohemia, and internal dissension
continued to distract the nation. Those who remained
faithful to the gospel were subjected to a bloody persecution.

J/rsS AXD JEROME.

119

Ah tlioir loniKT hrctlinMi, cntoring into c'oni|imt with Homo,
iiiil)il)i'(l lii'i' orrorM, tlioso who udlu'rod to the unciciit tuith
liiul toniuid tlu'insclvcs into a distinct chiircli, taking tho
name of " Unitod lircthron." Tiiisait drew upon tlicm
niaU'ilit'tions from all classos. Yet their firmness was un-
shaken. ForcHsd to lind refuge in the woods and eaves, they
still assend)le(l to read (iod's Word and unite in his worsliip.

Througii messengers secretly sent out into dillerent coun-
tries, they learned that hero and there were isolate(l con-
fessors of tho truth — a f(!W in this city and a few in that,
tho ohject, like themselves, of persecution; and that amid
tho mountfuns of tho Alps was an ancient church, resting
on the foundations of Scrii)ture. This intelligence wms n^-
ceived with groat joy, and a c;orrespoiideuco was opened
with the Waldensian Thristians.

Steadfast to the gospel, the liohemians waited through the
night of their persecution, in the darkest liour still turning
their eyes toward the horizon like men who watch for tho
morning. "Their lot was cast in evil days, hut tluy re-
membered tho words first uttered by IIuss, and repeated ])y
Jerome, that a century must revolve before tho day should
break. These were to tho Hussites what tho words of Joseph
were to tho tribes in tho house of bon(hige: ' f die, and God
will surely visit you, and bring you out.'" About the year
1470 persecution ceased, and there followed a period of com-
I)arative prosperity. When "tho end of the century arrived,
it found two hundred churches of tho * United Brethren' in
Bohemia and Moravia. So goodly was the remnant which,
escaping tho destructive fury of fire and sword, was p( r-
mitted to see the dawning of that day which Huss had fore-
told."

CHAPTER VTT.

LUTHER'S SEPARATION FROM ROME.

Foremost among those who wore called to lead the church
from the darkness of popery into the light of a purer faith,
stood Martin Luther. Zealous, ardent, and devoted, know-
ing no fear but the fear of God, and acknowledging no foun-
dation for religious faith but the Holy Scriptures, Luther
was the man for his time; through him, God accomplislied
a great worJc for the reformation of the church and the en-
lightenment of the world.

Like the first heralds of the gospel, Luther sprung from
the ranks of poverty. Llis early years were spent in the
humble home of a (Torir.an peasant. By daily toil as a
miner, his father earned the '.leans for his education. He
intended him for a la wye i; but God purposed to make liim
a builder in the groat temple ^Iiat was rising so slowly
through the centuries. Hardshi}), privation, and severe
discipline Avere the school in which Infinite AVisdom pre-
]3ared Luther for the important mission of his life.

Luther's father was a man of strong and active mind,
and groat force of character, honest, resolute, and straight-
forward. He was true to his convictions of duty, let the
consequences be what they might. His sterling good sense
led him to regard the monastic system with distrust. He
was highly displeased wlion Luther, without his consent,
entered a nionastery; and it was two years before the father
was reconciled to his son, and oven then his opinions re-
mained the same.

Luther's i)arents bestowed great care upon the education
and training of their children. They endeavored to instruct

(120)

Calvin.
Melancthox.

LUTUER.

P'auel
Fkedekick of Saxoxy.

t
I

e
c

I
h

P
n

c
r

t
}

a
1
1

LUTHER'S SEPARATION^ FROM ROME.

121

them in the knowledge of God and the practice of Christian
virtues. The father's prayer often ascended in tlie hearing
of his son, that the child might remember the name of the
Lord, and one day aid in the advancement of liis trutli.
Every advantage for moral or intellectual culture which
their life of toil permitted them to enjoy, was eagerly im-
proved by tlicse parents. Tlieir efforts were earnest and
persevering to prepare their children for a life of piety and
usefulness. With their firmness and strength of character
they sometimes exercised too great severity ; but the reformer
himself, though conscious that in some respects they had
erred, found in their discipline more to approve than to con-
demn.

At school, where he was sent at an early age, Luther was
treated with harshness and even violence. So great was the
poverty of his parents, that upon going from home to school
in another town he was for a time obliged to obtain his food
by singing from door to door, and he often suffered from
hunger. The gloomy, superstitious ideas of religion then
prevailing filled him with fear. He would lie down at
night with a sorrowful heart, looking forward with trembling
to the dark future, and in constant terror at the thought of
God as a stern, unrelenting judge, a cruel tyrant, rather than
a kind heavenly Father. Yet under so many and so great
discouragements, Luther pressed resolutely forward toward
the high standard of moral and intellectual excellence which
attracted his soul.

He thirsted for knowledge, and the earnest and practical
character of his mind led him to desire the solid and useful
rather than the show)'' and superficial. When, at the ago
of eighteen, he entered tlie University of Erfurt, his situa-
tion was more favorable and his prospects brighter than in
his earlier years. His parents having by thrift and industry
acquired a competence, they were able to render him all
needed assistance. And the influence of judicious friends
had somewhat lessened the gloomy effects of his former

122

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

training. Ho applied himself to the study of the best
authors, diligently treasuring tlieir most weighty tlioughts,
and making the wisdom of the Aviso his own. Even under
the harsh discipline of his former instructors, ho had early
given promise of distinction; and with favorable influences
his mind rapidly developed. A retentive memory, a lively
imagination, strong reasoning ; ^^wers, and untiring ^plica-
tion, soon placed him in tlie foremost rank among ii, j asso-
ciates. Intellectual discipline ripened his understanding, and
aroused an activity of mind and a keenness of perception
that were preparing him for the conflicts of his life.

The fear of the Lord dwelt in the heart of Luther, ena-
bling him to maintain his steadfastness of purpose, and lead-
ing him to deep humility beforo God. He had an abiding
sense of has dependence upon divine aid, and he did not
fail to begin each day with prayer, while his heart was con-
tinually breathing a petition for guidance and support. " To
pray well," he often said, " is the better half of study,"

While one day examining the books in the library of the
university, Luther discovered a Latin Bible. Such a book lie
had never before seen. He was ignorant even of its exist-
ence. He had heard portions of the Gospels and Epistles,
which were read to the people at public worship, and he
supposed that these were the entire Bible. Now, for the
first time, he looked upon the whole of God's Word. With
mingled awe and wonder he turned the sacred pages; with
quickened pulse and throbbing heart he read for himself the
words of life, pausing now and then to exclaim, " Oh, if God
would give me such a book for n:y own ! " Angels of Heaven
were by his side, and rays of liglit from tlie throne of God
revealed the treasures of trutli to his understanding. He
had ever feared to offend God, but now the deep conviction
of his condition as a sinner took hold upon him as never
before.

An earnest desire to bo free from sin and to find peace
with God, led him at last to enter a cloister, and devote him-

sel

ert

hi^

tie

LUTHER'S SEPARATION FROM ROME.

123

self to a monastic life. Hero lio was required to perforin the
lowest drudgery, and to beg from house to house. lie was
at an ago when respect and appreciation arc most eagerly
craved, and these menial offices were deeply mortifying to
his natural feelings; but ho patiently endured this humilia-
tion, believing that it was necessary because of his sins.

Every moment that could bo spared from his daily duties
he employed in study, robbing himself of sleep, and grudg-
ing even the time spent at his scanty meals. Above every-
thing else he delighted in the study of God's Word. He
had found a Bible chained to the convent wall, and to this
he often repaired. As his convictions of sin deepened, he
sought by his own works to obtain pardon and peace. Ho
led a most rigorous life, endeavoring, by fasting, vigils, and
scourgings, to subdue the evils of his nature, from which
the monastic life had brought no release. He shrank from
no sacrifice by which he might attain to that purity of heart
which would enable him to stand approved before God. " I
was indeed a pious monk," he afterward said, " and followed
the rules of my order more strictly than I can express. If
ever monk could attain Heaven by his monkish \v^orks, I
should certainly have been entitled to it. If I had continued
much longer, I should have carried my mortifications even to
death." As the result of this painful discipline, he lost
strength, and suffered from fainting spasms, from the effects
of which he never fully recovered. But with all his efforts,
his burdened soul found no relief. Ho was at last driven to
the verge of despair.

When it appeared to Luther that all was lost, God raised
up a friend and helper for him. The pious Staupitz opened
the Word of God to Luther's mind, and bade him look away
from himself, cease the contemplation of infinite punishment
for the violation of God's law, and look to Jesus his sin-
pardoning kSaviour. "Instead of torturing yourself on ac-
count of your sins, cast yourself into ilio arms of your Re-
deemer. Trust in him, — in the righteousness of his life, — in

\ I

124

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

the atonement of his death. Listen to the Son of God. He
became man to give you the assurance of divine favor."
" Love liim who has first loved you." Thus spoke this mes-
senger of mercy. His words made a deep impression upon
Luther's mind. After many a struggle with long-cherishr d
errors, he was enabled to grasp the truth, and peace came to
his troubled soul.

Luther was ordidned a priest, and was called from the
cloister to a professorship in the University of Wittenberg.
Here he applied himself to the study of the Scriptures in
the original tongues. He began to lecture upon the Bible;
and tlie book of Psalms, the Gospels, and the Epistles were
opened to the understanding of crowds of delighted listeners.
Staupitz, his friend and superior, urged him to ascend the
pulpit, and preach the Word of God. Luther hesitated, feel-
ing himself unworthy to speak to the people in Christ's
stead. It was only after a long struggle that he yielded to
the solicitations of his friends^. Already he was mighty in
the Scriptures, and the grace of God rested upon him. His
eloquence captivated his hearers, the clearness and power
with which he presented the truth convinced their under-
standing, and his fervor touched their hearts.

Luther was still a true son of the papal church, and had
no thought that he would ever be anything else. In the
providence of God he was led to visit Rome. He pursued
his journey on foot, lodging at the monasteries on the way.
At a convent in Italy he was filled with wonder at the
wealth, magnificence, and luxury that he witnessed. En-
dowed with a princely revenue, the monks dwelt in splendid
apartments, attired themselves in the richest and most costly
robes, and feasted at a sumptuous table. With painful mis-
givings Luther contrasted this scene wdth the self-denial and
hardship of his own life. His mind was becoming perplexed.

At last he beheld in the distance the seven-hilled city.
With deep emotion he prostrated himself upon the earth,
exclaiming, "Holy Rome, I salute theel" He entered the

ci
re
m

LUTHER'S SEPARATION FROM ROME.

125

city, visited the churches, listened to tlie marvelous tales
rej)cated by priests and monks, and performed all tlie cere-
monies required. Everywhere he looked upon scenes that
filled him with astonishment and horror. lie saw that
iniquity existed among all classes of the clergy. lie heard
indecent jokes from prelates, and was filled with horror at
their awful ])rofanity, even during mass. As ho mingled
with the monks and citizens, he met dissipation, debauchery.
Turn where he would, in the place of sanctity he found prof-
anation. " It is incredible," he wrote, " what sins and atroc-
ities are committed in Rome; they must be seen and heard
to be believed. So that it is usual to say, * If there be a hell,
Rome is built above it. It is an abyss whence all sins pro-
ceed.'"

By a recent decretal, an indulgence had been promised by
the pope to all who should ascend upon their knees " Pilate's
staircase," said to have been descended by our Saviour on
leaving the Roman judgment-hall, and to have been mirac-
ulously conveyed from Jerusalem to Rome. Luther was
one day devoutly climbing these steps, when suddenly a
voice like thunder seemed to say to him, "The just shall
live by faith." ^ He sprung upon his feet, and hastened from
the place, in shame and horror. That text never lost its
power upon his soul. From that time he saw more clearly
than ever before the fallacy of trusting to human works for
salvation, and the necessity of constant faith in the merits of
Christ. His eyes had been opened, and were never again to
be closed, to the delusions of the papacy. When he turned
his face from Rome, he had turned away also in heart, and
from that time the separation grew wider, until he severed
all connection with the papal church.

After his return from Rome, Luther received at the Uni-
versity of Wittenberg the degree of doctor of divinity. Now
he was at liberty to devote himself, as never before, to the
Scriptures that he loved. He had taken a solemn vow to
study carefully and to preach with fidelity the Word of God,

iRom. 1:17.

126

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

not the sayings and doctrines of the popes, all the days of
his life. He was no longer the mere monk or professor, but
the authorized herald of the Bible. He had been called as
a shepherd to feed the flock of God, that were hungering
and thirsting for the truth. He firmly declared that Chris-
tians should receive no other doctrines than those which
rest on the authority of the Sacred Scriptures. These words
struck at the very foundation of papal supremacy. They
contained the vital principle of the Reformation.

Luther saw the danger of exalting human theories above
the Word of God. He fearlessly attacked the speculative
infidelity of the schoolmen, and opposed the philosophy and
theology which had so long held a controlling influence
upon the people. He denounced such studies as not only
worthless but pernicious, and sought to turn the minds of
his hearers from the sophistries of philosophers and theolo-
gians to the eternal truths set forth by prophets and apostles.

Precious was the message which he bore to the eager
crowds that hung upon his words. Never before had such
teachings fallen upon their ears. The glad tidings of a
Saviour's love, the assurance of pardon and peace through
his atoning blood, rejoiced their hearts, and inspired within
them an immortal hope. At Wittenberg a light was kin-
dled whose rays should extend to the uttermost parts of the
earth, and which was to increase in brightness to the close
of time.

But light and darkness cannot harmonize. Between truth
and error there is an irrepressible conflict. To uphold and
defend the one is to attack and overthrow the other. Our
Saviour himself declared, "I came not to send peace, but a
sword.'" Said Luther, a few years after the opening of the
Keformation, " God does not conduct, but drives me forward.
I am not master of my own actions. I would gladly live in
repose, but I am thrown into the midst of tumults and rev-
olutions." He was now about to be urged into the contest.

The Roman Church had made merchandise of the grace

^Matt. 10:34.

LUTHER'S SEPARATIOiV FROM ROME.

127

of God. The tables of the inoney-chaiigers' were set up
beside her altars, and the air resounded with the shouts of
buyers and sellers. Under tlio plea of raising funds for the
erection of St. Peter's church at Kome, indulgences for sin
were publicly offered for sale by the authority of the pope.
By the price of crime a tenii)le was to bo built up for God's
worshij), — the corner-stone laid with the wages of iniquity.
But the very means adojjted for Home's aggrandizement
provoked the deadliest blow to lier power and greatness. It
was this that aroused the most determined and successful of
the enemies of popery, and led to the battle which shook
the papal throne, and jostled the triple crown upon the
pontiff''s head.

The official appointed to conduct the sale of indulgences
in Germany — Tetzel by name — had been convicted of the
basest offenses against society and against the law of God;
but having escaped the punishment due to his crimes, he
was employed to further the mercenary and unscrupulous
projects of the pope. With great effrontery he repeated the
most glaring falsehoods, and related marvelous tales to de-
ceive an ignorant, credulous, and superstitious people. Had
they possessed the Word of God, they would not have been
.thus deceived. It was to keep them under tlio control of
the papacy, in order to swell the jiower and wealth of hvv
ambitious leaders, that the Bible had been withheld from
them.

As Tetzel entered a town, a messenger went before him,
announcing, "The grace of God and of the holy father is at
your gates." And the people welcomed the blas|)hcmous
pretender as if he were God himself come down from Heaven
to them. The infamous traffic was set up in the church, and
Tetzel, ascending the pulpit, extolled indulgences as the most
precious gift of God. He declared that by virtue of his cer-
tificates of pardon, all the sins which the purchaser should
afterward desire to commit would be forgiven him, and that
"even repentance was not indispensable." More than this,

' Matt. 21 : 12.

128

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

lio ussurod liis hearers that the indulgences had power to
save not only the living hut the dead; that the very moment
the money should clink against the hottom of his chest, tiie
soul in whose hclialf it had been paid would escape from
purgatory and make its way to Heaven.

When Simon Ahigus offered to jiurchaso of the apostles
the power to work miracles, Peter answered liim, "Thy
money perish witli thee, because thou hast thought that the
gift of God may be purchased with money." ' But Tetzel's
offer was grasped by eager thousands. Gold and silver flowed
into his treasury. A salvation that could be bought with
money was more easily obtained than that which requires
repentance, faith, and diligent efibrt to resist and overcome sin.

The doctrine of indulgences had been opposed by men of
learning and piety in the Romish Church, and there were
many who had no faith in j)retensions so contrary to both
reason and revelation. No prelate dared lift his voice
against this iniquitous traffic, but the minds of men were
becoming disturbed and uneasy, and many eagerly inquired
if God would not work through some instrumentality for the
purification of his church.

Luther, though still a papist of the sCxditest sort, was filled
with horror at the blasphemous assumptions of the indul-
gence-mongers. Many of his own congregation had purchased
certificates of pardon; and they soon began to come to their
pastor, confessing their various sins, and expecting absolu-
tion, not because they were penitent and wished to reform,
but on the ground of the indulgence. Luther refused them
absolution, and warned them that unless they should repent
and reform their lives, they must perish in their sins. In
great perplexity they repaired to Tetzel with the complaint
that their confessor had refused his certificates; and some
boldly demanded that their money be returned to them.
The friar was filled with rage. He uttered the most terrible
curses, caused fires to be lighted in the public squares, and

^Acts 8:2a

eti

of
so
ac

Lrrrr/jR's skparation from no.)//:.

129

dcclarod tlint ho had orders from the popo"to burn tlio her-
etics who (hired opi)Ose liis most holy iiuhil^ences."

Lutlier now entered hohlly u})on liis work as a champion
of tlio trutli. His voice was heard from the pulpit in earnest,
solemn warning. He set ]«efore the people the oll'ensivc char-
acter of sin, and taught them that it is impossible for man,
by liis own works, to lessen its guilt or eva<le its punishment.
Nothing but repentance toward Clod and faith in T'hrist can
save the sinner. The grace of Christ cannot be purchased;
it is a free gift. Ho counseled the people not to buy tho
indulgences, but to look in faith to a crucified Iledeemer. He
related his own painful experience in vainly seeking l)y
humiliation and penance io secure salvation, and assured
his licarers that it was by looking away from himself and
believing in Christ that ho found peace and joy.

As Tetzel continued his traffic and his impious pretensions,
Luther determined upon a more eflectual 2>rotest against those
crying abuses. An occasion soon offered. Tho castle church
of Wittenberg possessed many relics, wiiich on certain holy
days wore exhibited to tho people, and full remission of sins
was granted to all who then visited the church and made
confession. Accordingly on those days the people in groat
numbers resorted thither. One of the most important of
those occasions, the festival of "All-Saints," was approaching.
On the preceding day, Luther, joining tho crowds that were
already making their way to the church, posted on its door
a paper containing ninety-five propositions against the doc-
trine of indulgences. He declared his willingness to defend
these theses next day at the university, against all who should
see fit to attack them.

His propositions attracted universal attention. They were
read and re-read and repeated in every direction. Great
excitement was created in the university and in the whole
city. By these theses it was shown that the power to grant
the pardon of sin, and to remit its penalty, had never been com-
mitted to the pope or to any other man. The whole schemt

;

ino

THE GREAT COyTROVEKSV.

was n farce, — an artifice to extort money by ])layinp upon
tlio siijKTstilioiis of" tli(> people, — a devices of Satan lo destroy
the kouIh of all who should trust to its lying ]iretensions. It
was jdso clearly shown that the gospel of Christ is the most
valuahlo treasure of tho church, and that the graco of Cod,
tlicrein revealed, is freely bestowed upon all who seek it by
repentance and faith.

Luther's theses challenged discussion; but no one dared
accef)t tho challenge. Tho questions which he j>roposcdhad
in a few days spread through all (Jerniany, and in a few
weeks they had sounded throughout Christendom. Ahmy
devoted Romanists, who liad seen and lamented tho terrible
iniquity i)revailing in the church, but had not known how
to arrest its progress, read tho i)ropositions with great joy,
recognizing in them tho voice of Cod. They felt that the
Lord had gracionsly set liis hand to arrest tho rapidly swell-
ing tide of corrni)tion that was issuing from the see of Rome.
Princes and magistrates secretly rejoiced that a check was to
bo put upon the arrogant power which denied the riglit of
appeal from its decisions.

But the sin-loving and superstitions multitudes were terri-
fied as the sophistries that had soothed their fears were swept
away. Crafty ecclesiastics, interrupted in their work of sanc-
tioning cri' ae, and seeing their gains endangered, were enraged,
and rullit 1 to uphold their ])rctcnsions. The reformer had
bitter accusers to meet. Some charged him with acting
hastily and from impulse. Others accused him of presump-
tion, declaring that he was not directed of God, but was act-
ing from pride and forwardness. " Who does not know," he
responded, "tliat one can seldom advance a new idea with-
out having some appearance of pride, and without being
accused of exciting quarrels? Why "were Christ and all the
martyrs put to death? — Because they appeared proud dcspis-
ers of tho wisdom of the times in w'hich they lived, and
because they brought forward new truths without having
first consulted the oracles of the old oninions."

■^ I

H
M

"t
33
O
H
W
r/j
H

o
r;
r
o
w

.m'

fO]

ho
be

CO]

tal
tio
lik
effi
bo
wi
fro
ho
da
to 1
Ch
the
wo
pec
Ro
tre;
lu>
pie
alo
ev(
the
ra}
op]
]
op]
doi
sel
wr

LUTHER'S SEPARATION FROM ROME.

131

Again he declared: " What I am doing will not be effected
by the prudence of man, but by the counsel of God. If the
work be of God, who shall stop it? If it bo not, who shall
forward it? Not my will, not theirs, not ours, but thy will,
holy Father who art in Heaven!"

Though Luther had been moved by the Spirit of God to
begin his work, he was not to carry it forward without severe
conflicts. The reproaches of his enemies, their misrepresen-
tation of his purposes, and their unjust and malicious reflec-
tions upon his character and motives, came in upon him
like an overwhelming flood; and they were not without
effect. He had felt confident that the leaders of the people,
both in the church and in the schools, would gladly unite
with him in efforts for reform. Words of encouragement
from those in high position had inspired him with joy and
hope. Already in anticipation he had seen a brighter day
dawning for the church. But encouragement had changed
to reproach and condemnation. Many dignitaries, both of
Church and State, were convicted of the truthfulness of his
theses; but they soon saw that the acceptance of these truths
would involve great changes. To enlighten and reform the
people would be virtually to undermine the authority of
Rome, to stop thousands of streams now flowing into her
treasury, and thus greatly to curtail the extravagance and
luxury of the papal leaders. Furthermore, to teach the peo-
ple to think and act as responsible beings, looking to Christ
alone for salvation, would overthrow the pontiff's throne, and
eventually destroy tlieir own authority. For this reason
they refused the knowledge tendered them of God, and ar-
rayed themselves against Christ and the truth by their
opposition to the man whom he had sent to enlighten them.

Luther trembled as he looked upon himself, — one man
opposed to the mightiest powers of earth. He sometimes
doubted whether he had indeed been led of God to set him-
self against the authority of the church. " Who was I," he
writes, "to oppose the majesty of the pope, before whom the

132

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

kings of the earth and the whole world trembled ? "

one can know what I suffered in those first two years, and
into what dejection and even despair I was often plunged."
But he was not left to become utterly disheartened. When
human support failed^ ho looked to God alone, and learned
that he could lean in perfect safety upon that all-powerful
arm.

To a friend of the Reformation Luther wrote : " Wo cannot
attain to the understanding of Scripture either by study or
by strength of intellect. Therefore your first duty must be
to begin with prayer. Entreat the Lord to deign to grant
you, in his rich mercy, rightly to understand his Word.
There is no other interpreter of the Word but the Author of
that Word himself. Even as he has said, 'They shall all be
taught of God.' Hope nothing from your study and the
strength of your intellect; but simply put your trust in God,
and in the guidance of his Spirit. Believe one who has
made trial of this matter," Here is a lesson of vital impor-
tance to those who feel that God has called them to present
to others the solemn truths for this time. These truths will
stir the enmitv of Satan, and of men who love the fables that
he has devised. In the conflict with the powers of evil,
there is need of something more than strength of intellect
and human wisdom.

A\ hen enemies appealed to custom and tradition, or to
the assertions and authority of the pope, Luther met them
with the Bible, and the Bible only. Here were arguments
which they could not answer; therefore the slaves of formal-
ism and superstition clamored for his blood, as the Jews had
clamored for the blood of Christ. " He is a heretic," cried
the Roman zealots; " it is a sin to allow him to live an hour
longer! Away with him at once to the scaffold!" But
Luther did not fall a prey to their fury. God had a work
for him to do, and angels of Heaven were sent to protect
him. Many, however, who had received from Luther the
precious light, were made the objects of Satan's wrath, and
for the truth's sake fearlessly suffered torture and dearli.

I if

iiti

LUTHER'S SEPARATION FROM ROME.

133

,lie
nd

Luther's teachings attracted tlie attention of tliouglitful
minds throughout all Germany. From his sermons and
writings issued beams of light ^^ilich awakened and illumi-
nated thousands. A living faith was taking the place of
the dead formalism in which the cb.ureli had so long been
held. The people were daily losing confidence in the super-
stitions of Romanism. Tlie barriers of prejudice were giving
way. The Word of God, by which Luther tested every
doctrine and every claim, was like a two-edged sword, cut-
ting its way to the hearts of the people. Everywhere there
was awakening a desire for spiritual progress. Everywhere
was such a hungering and thirsting after righteousness as
had not been known for ages. Tlie eyes of the people, so
long directed to human rites and earthly mediators, were
now turning, in penitence and faith, to Christ and him cru-
cified.

This widespread interest aroused still further the fears of
the papal authorities. Luther received a summons to ap-
pear at Rome to answer to the charge of heresy. The com-
mand filled his friends with terror. They knew full well
the danger that threatened him in that corrupt city, already
drunk with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. They pro-
tested against his going to Rome, and requested that he
receive his examination in Germany.

This arrangement Avas finally effected, and the pope's
legate was appointed to hear the case. Li the instructions
communicated by the pontiff" to this official, it was stated
that Luther had already been declared a heretic. The legate
was therefore charged to " prosecute and reduce him to sub-
mission without delav." If he should remain steadiest, and
the legate should fail to gain possession of his person, he
was empowered to "prosci-ibe him in all places in Germany,
to put away, curse, and excommunicate all who were
attached to him." And further, the pope directed his
legate, in order entirely to root out the pestilent heresy, to
excommunicate all, of whatever dignity in Church or State,

I I

'■ I

134

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

except the emperor, who should neglect to seize Luther and
his adherents, and deliver them up to the vengeance of Rome.

Here is displayed the true spirit of popery. Not a trace
of Christian jirinciplc, or even of common justice, is to be
seen in the whole document Luther was at a great dis-
tance from Rome; he had had no opportunity to explain or
defend his position; yet before liis case had been investigated,
he was summarily i)ronounced a heretic, and, in the same
day, exhorted, accused, judged, and condemned; and all this
by the self-styled holy father, the only supreme, infallible
authority in Churcli or State!

At this time, when Luther so much needed the sympathy
and counsel of a true friend, God's providence sent Melanc-
thon to Wittenberg. Young in years, modest and diffident
in his manners, Melancthon's sound judgment, extensive
knowledge, and winning eloquence, combined with the
purity anrl uprightnesH of his character, won universal admi-
ration and esteem. The brilliancy of his talents was not
more marked than his gentleness of disposition. He soon
became an earnest disciple of the gospel, and Luther's most
trusted friend and valued supporter; his gentleness, caution,
and exactness serving as a complement to Luther's courage
and energy. Their union in the work added strength to the
Reformation, and was a source of groat encouragement to
Luther.

Augsburg had been fixed upon as the place of trial, and
the reformer seL out on foot to perform the journey thither.
Serious fears w^ere entertained in his behalf. Threats had
been made openly that he would be seized and murdered
on the way, and his friends begged him not to venture. They
even entreated hnu to leave Wittenberg for a time, and find
safety wdth those who would gladly protect him. But he
would not leave the position where God had placed him.
He must continue faithfully to maintain the truth, notwith-
standing tlie storms that were beating upon him. His
language was: "lam like Jeremiah, a man of strife and

LUTHER'S SEPARATION FROM ROME.

135

contention ; but the more they increase their threatenings,
the more they multiply my joy. . . . They have already
torn to pieces my honor and my good name. All I have
left is my wretched body; let them have it; they will then
shorten my life by a few hours. But as to my soul, they
shall not have that. He who resolves to bear the word of
Christ to the world, must expect death at every hour."

The tidings of Luther's arrival at Augsburg gave great
satisfaction to the papal legate. The troublesome heretic
who was exciting the attention of the whole "\\ orld seemed
now in the power of Rome, .id the legate determined that
he should not escape. The reformer had failed to provide
himself with a safe-conduct. His friends urged him not to
appear before the legate without one, and they themselves
undertook to procure it from the emperor. The legato in-
tended to force Luther, if possible, to retract, or, failing in
this, to cause him to be conveyed to Rome, to share the fate
of Huss and Jerome. Therefore through his agents ho
endeavored to induce Luther to appear without a safe-con-
duct, trusting himself to his mercy. This the reformer firmly
declined to do. Not until he had received the document
pledging him the emperor's protection, did he appear in the
presence of the papal ambassador.

As a matter of policy, the Romanists had decided to
attempt to win Luther by an appearance of gentleness. The
legate, in his interviews with him, professed great friendli-
ness ; but he demanded that Luther submit im[)licitly to the
authority of the church, and yield every point, without argu-
ment or question. He had not rightly estimated the character
of the man with whom he had to deal. Luther, in reply,
expressed his regard for tlie church, his desire for the truth,
his readiness to answer all objections to what he had taught,
and to submit his doctrines to the decision of certain lead-
ing universities. But at the same time he protested against
the cardinal's course in requiring him to retract without
having proved him in error.

t i

136

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

The only response was, "Recant, recant." The reformer
showed that his position was sustained by the Scriptures,
and firmly declared that he could not renounce the truth.
The legate, unable to reply to Luther's arguments, over-
whelmed him with a storm of reproaches, gibes, and flat-
tery, interspersed with quotations from tradition and the say-
ings of the Fathers, granting the reformer no opportunity to
speak. Seeing that the conference, thus continued, would be
utterly futile, Luther finally obtained a reluctant permission
to present his answer in writing.

" \\\ so doing," said he, writing to a friend, " the oppressed
find double gain ; first, what is written may bo submitted to
the judgment of others; and second, one has a better chance
of working on the fears, if not on the conscience, of an arro-
gant and babbling despot, who would otherwise overpower
by his imperious language." At the next interview, Luther
presented a clear, concise, and forcible exposition of his
views, fully supported by many quotations from Scripture.
This paper, after reading aloud, he handed to the cardinal,
who, however, cast it contemptuously aside, declaring it to
be a mass of idle words and irrelevant quotations. Luther,
fully roused, now met the haughty prelate on his own
ground, — the traditions and teachings of the church — and
utterly overthrew his assumptions.

AVhcn the prelate saw that Luther's reasoning was unan-
swerable, he lost all self-control, and in a rage cried out:
" Retract, or I will send you to Rome, there to appear before
the judges commissioned to take cognizance of your case. I
will excommunioate you and all your partisans, and all who
shall at any time countenance you, and will cast them out
of the church." And he finall}'' declared, in a haughty and
angry tone, " Retract, or return no more."

The reformer promptly withdrew with his friends, thus
declaring plainly that no retraction was to be expected from
him. This was not what the cardinal had purposed. He had
flattered himself that by violence he could awe Luther to

LUTHER S SEPARATION FROM ROME.

137

submission. Now, left alone witli his supporters, he looked
from one to another, in utter chagrin at the unexpected
failure of his schemes.

Luther's efforts on this occasion were not without good
results. The large assembly present had opportunity to
compare the two men, and to judge for themselves of the
spirit manifested by them, as 'well as of the strength and
truthfulness of their positions. How marked the contrast!
The reformer, simple, humble, firm, stood up in the strength
of God, having truth on his side; the j)opc's representative,
self-important, overbearing, haughty, and unreasonable, was
"without a single argument from the Scriptures, yet vehe-
mently crying, " Retract, or be sent to Rome for punishment."

Notwithstanding Luther had secured a safe-conduct, the
Romanists were plotting to seize and imprison him. His
friends urged that as it was useless for him to prolong his
stay, he should return to Wittenberg without delay, and that
the utmost caution should be observed in order to conceal
his intentions. He accordingly left Augsburg before day-
break, on horseback, accompanied only by a guide furnished
him by the magistrate. With many forebodings he secretly
made his way through the dark and silent streets of the city.
Enemies, vigilant and cruel, "were plotting his destruction.
Would he escape the snares prepared for him? Those were
moments of anxiety and earnest prayer. He reached a small
gate in the wall of the city. It was opened for him, and
with his guide he passed tlnough without hindrance. Once
safely outside, the fugitives hastened their flight, and before
the legate learned of Luther's departure, he was beyond the
reach of his persecutors. Satan and his emissaries were
defeated. The man whom they had thought in their power
"was gone, escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowler.

At the ncM's of Luther's escape, the legate was over-
whelmed with surprise and anger. He had expected to
receive great honor for his wisdom and firmness in dealing
with this disturber of the church ; but his hope was disap-

138

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

pointed. Ho gave expression to his wratli in a letter to
Frederick, the Elector of Saxony, hitterly denouncing Lu-
ther, and demanding that Frederick send the reformer to
Rome or banish him from Saxony.

In defense, Luther urged that the legate or the pope show
him his errors from the Scriptures, and pledged himself in
the most solemn mann.er *o renounce his doctrines if they
coald be shown ^o contradict the Word of God. And he
expressed his gi jd 'o God that he had been counted
worthy to suffer in o holy ; cause.

The elector had, as yet, iittle knowledge of the reformed
doctrines, but ho was deeply impressed by the candor, force,
and clearness of Luther's words; and, until the reformer
should bo proved to be in error, Frederick resolved to stand
as his protector. In reply to the legate's demand he wrote:
"Since Doctor Martin has appeared before you at Augsburg,
you should bo satisfied. Wo did not expect that you would
endeavor to make him retract without having convinced
him of his errors. None of the learned men in our prin-
cipality have informed us that Martin's doctrine is im-
pious, antichristian, or heretical. Wo must refuse, therefore,
either to send Luther to Rome or to expel him from our
States."

The elector saw that there was a general breaking down
of the moral restraints of society. A great work of reform
was needed. The complicated and expensive arrangements
to restrain and punish crime would be unnecessary if men
but acknowledged and obeyed the requirements of God and
the dictates of an enlightened conscience. He saw that Lu-
ther was laboring to secure this object, and he secretly
rejoiced that a better influence was making itself felt in the
church.

He saw also that as a professor in the university Luther
was eminently successful. Only a year had passed since
the reformer posted his theses on the castle church, yet there
was already a great falling off in the number of pilgrims

LUTHER'S SEPARATION FROM ROME.

139

that visited the church at the festival of All-Saints. Rome
had heen deprived of worshipers and ollerings, but their
place was fdled by another class, who now came to Witten-
berg, — not pilgrims to adore her relics, but students to fill
her halls of learning. The writings of Luther had kindled
everywhere a new interest in the Holy Scriptures, and not
only from all parts of Germany, but from other lands,
students flocked to the university. Young men, coming in
sight of Wittenberg for the fir.st time, would "raise their
hands to heaven, and bless God for having caused the
light of truth to shine forth from Wittenberg, i > h former
ages from Mount Zion, that it might pcnetrat" to ,. ) most
distant lands."

Luther was as yet but partially converted from +ho errors of
Romanism. But as he compared the Holy Curacies with the
papal decrees and constitutions, he was fill ' with wonder.
" I am reading," he wrote, " the decretals of the popes, and
. . . . I know not whether the pope is antichrist him-
self, or whether he is his apostle; so misrepresented and even
crucified does Christ appear in them." Yet at this time
Luther was still a supporter of the Roman Church, and
had no thought that he would ever separate from her com-
munion.

The reformer's writings and his doctrine were extending to
every nation in Christendom. The work spread to Switzer-
land and Holland. Copies of his writings found their way
to France and Spain. In England 'his teachings were
received as the word of life. To Belgium and Italy also the
truth had extended. Thousands were awakening from their
death-like stupor to the joy and hope of a life of faith.

Rome became more and more exasperated by the attacks of
Luther, and it was declared by some of his fanatical oppo-
nents, even by doctors in Catholic universities, that he who
should kill the rebellious monk would be without sin. One
day a stranger, with a pistol hidden under his cloak, ap-
proached the reformer, and incmired why he went thus

140

Tin: UliKAT CONriWVKRSY.

alone. " I am in the hands of God," answered Luther. " IIo
is n»y help and my shield. What can man do unto me?"
Upon liearing these words, the stranger turned pale,and fled
away, as from the i)resenco of the angels of Heaven.

Home was bent upon the destruction of Luther; but Ciod
was his defense. His doctrines were heard everywhere, — in
<.'onvents, in cottages, in the castles of tlio nobles, in the uni-
versities, in the palaces of kings; and noble men were rising
on every liand to sustain his efforts

It was about this time that Luther, reading the works of
IIuss, found that the great truth of justification by faith,
Avhicli he liimself was seeking to uphold and teach, had been
held by the Bohemian reformer. " We liave all," said Luther,
*' I*aul, Augustine, and myself, been Hussites without know-
ing it." " God will surely visit it upon the world," he con-
tinued, "that the truth was })reached to it a century ago, and
burned."

In an appeal to the emperor and nobility of Germany in
behalf of the Reformation of Christianity, Luther wrote
<,'oncerning the pope : " It is monstrous to see him who is
called the vicar of Christ, displaying a magnificence un-
rivaled by that of any emperor. Is this to represent the
poor and lowly Jesus or the humble St. Peter? The pope,
say they, is the lord of the world! But Christ, whose vicar
lie boasts of being, said, * My kingdom is not of this world.'
Can the dominions of a vicar extend beyond those of his
superior?"

He wrote thus of the universities: "I fear much that the
universities will be found to be great gates leading down to
hell, unless they take diligent care to explain the Holy
Scriptures, and to engrave them in the hearts of our youth.
I advise no one to place his child where the Holy Scriptures
are not regarded as the rule of life. Every institution where
the Word of God is not diligently studied, must become
•corrupt."

This appeal was rapidly circulated throughout Germany,

Lrrn/:R's skparatiox Fno.yr no mi:.

Ill

and exerted u i)()\verlul iiifliieiiee upon the i)eoj)l<\ Tho
wliolu nation was stirred, and multitudes were roused to
rally around tlio standard of reform. Luther's opponents,
burning with a desire for revenge, urged the j)opo to take
deeisivo measures against him. It was deereed that his
doctrines should be immediately condemned. Sixty days
were granted tho reformer and his adiierents, after which, if
they did not recant, they were all to be exconnnunieatcd.

That was a terrible crisis for the Reformation. For cent-
uries Kome's sentence of excommunication had struck terror
to powerful monarchs; it had fdled mighty empires with
woe and desolation. Those upon whom its condemnation
fell, were universally regarded with dread and horror; they
were cut off from intercourse with their fellows, and treated
as outlaws, to be hunted to extermination. Luther was not
blind to the tempest about to burst upon him ; but he stood
firm, trusting in Christ to be his sup})ort and shield. With
a martyr's faith and courage ho wrote: "What is about to
happen I know not, and I care not to know." "Wherever
the blow may reach me, I fear not. Not so much as a leaf
falls W'ithout the will of our Father; how nnich rather will
he care for us! It is a light matter to die for the Word,
since this Word, that was made flesh for us, hath himself
died. If we die with him, we shall live with him; and,
passing through that which ho has passed through before
us, we shall be where ho is, and dwell with him forever."

When the papal bull reached Luther, he said : " I despise
it, and resist it, as impious and false. . . , It is Christ
himself who is condemned therein." " I glory in the pros-
pect of suffering for the best of causes. Already I feel
greater liberty ; for I know now that the pope is antichrist,
and that his throne is that of Satan himself"

Yet the mandate of Rome was not wathout effect. Prison,
torture, and sword were weapons potent to enforce obedience.
The weak and superstitious trembled before the decree of the
pope, and while there w^as general sympathy for Luther,.

142

THE GREAT COj\TJiOV£Ii;sy,

many felt that llf(? was too dear to be riHkcd in the cause of
reform. Kverytliin^ sseenied to indicate tiiat tlie reformer's
v»'ork was al)out to close.

]Jut Luther was fearless still. Rome had hurled her
anathemas against him, and the world looked on, nothing
doubting that lie would j)erish or bo forced to yield. But
with terrible ])Owcr he (lun^ back upon herself the sentcnco
of condemnation, and publicly declared his determination
to abandon her forever. In the presence of a crowd of
students, doctors, and citizens of all ranks, Luther burned
the pope's bull, with the canon laws, tho decretals, and cer-
tain writings sustaining tho papal i)Ower. "My enemies
have been able by burning my books," he said, "to injure
the cause of truth in tho minds of some, and to destroy souls;
for this reason I consume their books in return. A serious
struggle has just commenced. Hitherto I have been playing
with tho pope; now I wage open war. I began this work
in God's name; it will be ended without me, and by his
might."

To the reproaches of Jiis enemies, who taunted him with
tho weakness of his cause, Luther answered : " Who knows
if God. has not chosen and called mo to perform this needed
work, and if these babblers ought not to fear that by despis-
ing me, they despise God himself? They say I am alone;
no, for Jehovaii is with me. In their sense, Moses was alone
at the departure from Egypt ; Elijah was alone in the reign
of King Ahab ; Isaiah was alone in Jerusalem ; Ezekiel was
alone in Babylon. Hear this, O Rome : God never selected
as a prophet either the high priest or any great personage ;
but rather, he chose low and despised men, once even the
shepherd Amos. In every age the saints have been com-
pelled to rebuke kings, princes, recreant priests, and wise
men at the peril of their lives." " I do not say that I also
nm a prophet ; but I do say that they ought to fear precisely
because I am alone, while on the siae of the oppressor are
numbers, caste, wealth, and mocking letters. Yes, I am

U'TIIFJi'S SKIWRATIOX FliOM liOMK.

alone ; but T stand screno, bocauHo .side by side with mo ih
the Word of God ; and with all tlioir boa«tod numbers,
tlii.s, llio grcatost of powers, is not with thum."

Yi't it was not without u t('rril)lo strutrjj^lo with himsolf
tlia( Lutlicr decided upon a linal separation from thiM-hureh.
It was a))out tliis time that \\v wnHe: " I feel more and mon*
cverv <hiv how dilUeuit it is to Uiv aside tiio scrupU\s whi(!h
one has imbibed in ciiildhood. Oh, how much pain it eost
mo, though I liad the 8eriptures on my side, to justify it to
myself that I should dare to make a stand alone against the
pope, and hold him forth as anticliristi What have the
tribulations of my heart not been! How many times have
I asked myself with bitterness that question which was so
frequent on the lips of the papists: 'Art thou alone wise?
Cm every one else be mistaken? IIow will it be, if, after
all, it is thyself who art wrong, and who art involving
in thy error so many souls, who will then be eternally
damned?' 'Twas so I fought with myself and with Satan,
till Christ, by his infallible Word, fortified my heart against
these doubts."

The pope had threatened Luther with excommunication
if he did not recant, and the threat was now fulfilled. A
new bull appeared, declaring the reformer's final separation
from the Romish Church, denouncing him as accursed of
Heaven, and including in the same condemnation all who
should receive his doctrines. The great contest had been
fully entered upon.

Opposition is the lot of all whom God employs to present
truths spe* ally applicable to their time. There was a pres-
ent truth ii, the days of Luther, — a truth at that time of
special importance; there is a present truth for the church
to-day. Ho who does all things according to the counsel of
his will, has been jDleased to place men under various cir-
cumstances, and to enjoin upon them duties peculiar to the
times in which they live, and the conditions under which
they are placed. If they would prize the light given them,

broader views of truth "would be opened before them. But
truth is no more desired by the majority to-(hiy than it was
by the papists who opposed Luther. There is the same
disposition to accej)! the tlieorics and traditions of men in-
stead of the Word of God as in former ages, Tlioso wlio
present tlie truth for this time shouUi not expect to be re-
ceived with greater favor than were earlier reformers. The
great controversy between truth and error, between Christ
and Satan, is to increase in intensity to the close of this
world's history.

Said Jesus to his disciples: " If ye wore of the world, the
world would love his own ; but because ye are not of the
world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the
world hateth you. Remember the w'ord that I said unto
you, The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they
have persecuted me, they w'ill also persecute you; if they
have kept my saying, th?y will keep yours also." ' And on
the othei* hand our Lord declared plainly: " Woe unto you,
when all men shall speak well of you ! for so did their fathers
to the false prophets." '^ The spirit of the world is no more
in harmony with the Spirit of Christ to-day than in earlier
times; and those who jireach the Word of God in its purity
will be received with no greater favor now than then. The
forms of opposition to the truth may change, the enmity
maybe less open because it is more subtle; but the si;me
antagonism still exists, and will be manifested to the end of
time.

1 John 15:19, 20. - Luke G : 23.

But

CHAPTER VI 1 1.

LUTHER BEFORE THE DIET.

A NEW emperor, Charles Y., liacl ascended tlio throne of
Germany, and tlie emissaries of Konio hastened to present
their oongratukitions,andin(kicethc monarch to employ liis
power against the Reformation. On the other liand, the
Elector of Saxony, to whom Charles was in great degree
indebted for his crown, entreated him to take no step against
Luther until lie should have granted him a hearing. The
emperor was thus placed in a })osition of great perplexity
and embarrassment. The i)apists would be satisfied with
nothing short of an imperial edict sentencing Luther to
death. The electov had declared firmly that "neither his
imperial majesty nor any one else had yet made it appear to
him that the reformer's writings had been refuted ;" there-
fore he requested "that Doctor Luther be furnished with a
safe-conduct, so that he might answer for himself before a
tribunal of learned, i)ious, and impartial judges."

The attention of all parties was now directed to the assem-
l)ly of the German States wliich convened at Worms .soon
after the accession of Charles to the empire. There were
important political (piestions and interests to be considered
by this national council; for the first time the princes of
Germany were to meet their youthful monarch in deliber-
ative assembly. From all parts of the Fatherland hatlcome
the dignitaries of Church and State. Secular lords, high-
born, powerful, and jealous of their hereditary rights;
princely ecclesiastics, flushed with their conscious superiority
in rank and power; courtly knights and their armed rc-
tainera; and ambaissadors I'roin foreign and distant lands — all

12 (145)

146

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

gathered ut Worms. Yet in that vast assembly the subject
that excited tlie deepest interest, was the cause of the Saxon
reformer.

Charles had previously directed tlio elector to bring Lu-
ther with him to the Diet, assuring him of protection, and
promising a free discussion, with competent persons, of the
questions in dispute. Luther was anxious to appear before
the emperor. His health was at this time much impaired;
yet he wrote to the elector: "If I cannot perform the jour-
ney to Worms in good health, I will be carried there, sick as
I am. For, since the emperor has summoned me, I cannot
doubt that it is the call of God himself. If they intend to
use violence against me, as they probably do, for assuredly
it is with no view of gaining information that they require me
to apfiiar before them, I place the matter in the Lord's hands.
He sill lives and reigns who preserved the three Israelites
in the fiery furnace. If it bo not his will to save me, my
life is of little consequence. Let us only take care that the
gospel be not exposed to the scorn of the ungodly, and let
us shed our blood in its defense rather than allow them to
triumph. Who shall say whether my life or my death
would contribute most to the salvation of my brethren?"
"Expect anything from me but flight or recantation. Fly
I cannot; still less can I recant."

As the news was circulated at Worms that Luther was to
appear before the Diet, a general excitement was created.
Aleander, the papal legate to whom the case had been spe-
cially intrusted, was alarmed and enraged. He saw that the
result would be disastrous to the papal cause. To institute
inquiry into a case in which the pope had already pronounced
sentence of condemnation, would be to cast contempt upon
the authority of the sovereign pontiff. Furthermore, ho was
apprehensive that tlio eloquent and powerful arguments of
this man might turn away many of the princes from the
cause of the pope. He tlierefore, in the most urgent manner
r'monstrfited with Charles against Luther's appearance at

LUTHER BEFORE THE DIET.

147

'^Y

ion
ras
of
he
or
at

Worms. About tliis time the bull declaring Luther's excom-
munication was published; and this, coupled with the repre-
sentations of the legate, induced the emperor to yield. lie
wrote to the elector that if Luther would not retract, he must
remain at Wittenberg.

Not content with this victory, Aleander labored with all
the power and cunning at his command to secure Luther's
condemnation. With a persistence worthy of a better cause,
he urged the matter u})on the attention of princes, prclatcp,
and other n .embers of the assembly, accusing the reformer
of sedition, rebellion, impiety, and blasphemy. But the
vehemence and passion manifested by the legate revealed
too plainly the spirit by which he was actuated. " Hatred
and thirst for vengeance," said a papist writer, " arc his mo-
tives, rather than true zeal for religion." The majority of
the Diet were more than ever inclined to regard Luther's
cause with favor.

With redoubled zeal, Aleander urged, upon the emperor
the duty of executing the papal edicts. But under the laws
of Germany this could not be done without the concurrence
of the princes, and, overcome at last by the legate's importu-
nity, CharL^s bade him present liis case to the Diet. " It
was a proud day for the nuncio. The assembly was a great
one; the cause was even greater. Aleander was to plead for
Rome, the mother and mistress of all churches; he was to
vindicate the princedom of Peter before the assembled prin-
cipalities of Christendom. He had the gift of eloquence,
and he rose to the greatness of the occasion. Providence
ordered it that Rome should ai)pear and plead by the ablest
of her orators in the presence of the most august of tri-
bunals, before she was condemned." With some misgiv-
ings those who favored the reformer looked forward to the
effect of Alcandcr's speech. The Elector of Saxony was not
present, but by his direction some of his councillors attended,
to take notes of the nuncio's address.

With all the power of learning and eloquence, Aleander

i4P

Tin: GREAT COXTROVERSY.

set himself to ovcrtlirow th(> truth. Charge after charge he
liurled against Luther as an enemy of tlie Clmreli and tlie
btate, the Hving and the dead, ck^rgy and hdty, councils
and private Christians. "There is enougli in the errors of
Luther," ho declared, "to warrant the burning of a Jiundred
thousand heretics."

In conclusion, he endeavored to cast contempt upon the
adherents of the reformed faith: " What are all these Luther-
ans? — A motley rabble of insolent granniiarians, corrupt
priests, dissolute monks, ignorant lawyers, and degraded
nobles, with the common people whom tluy have misled
and perverted. How greatly superior is the Catholic ])arty
in numbers, intelligence, and power! A unanimous decree
from this illustrious assembly will open the eyes of the
simple, show the unwary their danger, determine the wa-
vering, and strengthen the weak-hearted."

With such weapons the advocates of truth in every age
have been attacked. The same arguments are still urged
against all who dare to present, in opposition to establislie 1
errors, the [)lain and direct teachings of God's Word. " Wlio
are these preachers of new doctrines?" exclaim those who
desire a po})ular religion. "They ar ^uilearned, few in
numbers, and of the poorer class. ^'1 i hey claim to have
the truth, and to be the chosen people of God. They are
ignoralit and deceived. IIow greatly superior in iiumbers
^nd inlluence is our churcli! IIow many great and learned
men are among us! How much more power is on our side! "
These are the arguments that have a telling inlluence upon
the world , but they are no more conclusive now than in
the days of the reformer.

The Reformation did not, as many suppose, end with
J nther. It is to l)e continued to the close of this world's
history. Luiher had a great work to do in reflecting to
others the light which God had permitt(>d to shine upon
him; yet lie did not receive all the light which was to be
giv6L 1A.> the world. From that time to this, new light has

LUTHER BKl'^ORE THE DIET.

149

boon continually shining upon the Scriptures, and new
truths havo boon constantly unfolding.

Tho logato's address niado a dooi) impression upon tlio
Diet. Tlioro Avas no Luther present, with tho clear and con-
vincing truths of God's AVord, to vanquish the ])apal cham-
pion. No attempt was made to defend the reformer. Tliere
was manifest a general disposition not only to condemn him
and the doctrines which lio taught, but if possible to uproot
the heresy. Rome had enjoyed the most favoral)lc oppor-
tunity to defend her cause. All that she could say in lier
own vindication had been said. But the apparent victory
was the signal of defeat. Henceforth the contrast between
truth and error would be more clearly seen, as they should
take the field in open warfare. Never from that day would
Rome stand as secure as she had stood.

While most of the meml)ers of the Diet would not have
hesitated to yield up Luther to the vengeance of Rome, many
of them saw and deplored the existing depravity in the
church, and desired a suppression of the abuses suffered by
the German people in consequence of the corruption and
greed of the liierarchy. The legate had i)resented the })apal
rule in the most favorable light. Now the Lord moved
upon a menil)(^r of the Diet to give a true delineatl'>n of the
effects of papal tyranny. With noble firmness, Duke George
of Saxony stood up in that princely assembly, and specified
with terrible exactness the deceptions and aboninations of
popery, and their dire results. In closing he said: —

" These are but a few of the abuses which cry out against
Rome for redress. All shame is laid aside, and on(» object
alone incessantly pursued : money! evermore money ! so that
the very men whose duty it is to teach the truth, utter noth-
ing but falsehoods, and are not only tolerated but rewarded;
because the greater their lies, tho greater are tlieir gains.
This is the foul source from which so many corrupt streams
flow out on every side. Pronigacy and avarice go hand in
hand." "Alas! it is the scandal caused by tiv^ clergy that

\t..

150

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

plunges so many poor souls into everlasting perdition, A
thorough reform must be effected."

A more able and forcible denunciation of the papal abuses
could not have been presented by Luther himself; and the
fact that the speaker was a determined enemy of the re-
former, gave greater influence to his words.

Had the eyes of the assembly been opened, they would
have beheld angels of God in the midst of them, shedding
beams of light athwart the darkness of error, and opening
minds and hearts to the reception of truth. It was the
power of the God of truth and wisdom that controlled even
the adversaries of the Ilcformation, and thus prepared the
way f(jr the great work about to be accomplished. Martin
Luther was not present; but the voice of One greater than
Luther had been heard in that assembly.

A committee was at once appointed by the Diet to prepare
an enumeration of the papal oppressions that weighed so
heavily on the German people. This list, containing a
hundred and one specifications, was preseuied to the emperor,
with a request that he would take immediate measures for
the correction of these abuses. " What a loss of Christian
souls," said the petitioners, " what injustice, what extortion,
are the daily fruits of those scandalous practices to which
the spiritual head of ( hristendom affords his countenance.
The ruin and dishonor of our nation must be averted. We
therefore very humbly, but very urgently, beseech you to
sanction a general Keformation, to undertake the work, and
to carry it through.'

The coun' Ji now ;]omanded the reformer's appearance
before them. iS^otwithsianding the entreaties, protests, and
threats of Aleaader, *li'.- emperor at last consented, and
Luther was sunnnoned to appear before the Diet. With the
summons was issued a safe-conduct, insuring his return to a
place of security. These were borne to Wittenberg by a
herald, wlio was commissioned to conduct liim to Worms.

The frxcnds of Luther were terrified and distressed.

If!

LUTHER BEFORE THE DIET.

151

Knowing till) prejudico and enmity against liim, tlioy
feared that even his safe-con(hict would not bo respected,
and they entreated him not to imperil his life. IIo replied:
"The papists have little desire to see mo at Worms, but they
long for my condemnation and death. It matters not.
Pray not for me, but for the Word of God. . . . Christ
will give mo Ids Si)irit to overcome these ministers of Satan.
I despise them while I live; I will triumph over them by
my death. They are busy at Worms about com{)elling me
to recant. My recantation shall be this: I said formerly
that the pope was Christ's vicar; now I say that he is the
adversary of the Lord, and the apostle of tho devil."

Luther was not to make his perilous journey alone. Be-
sides tho imperial messenger, three of his firmest friends
determined to accompany him. !Melancthon earnestly de-
sired to join them. Ilis heart was knit to Luther's, and he
yearned to follow him, if need be, to prison or to death.
But his entreaties w^cre denied. Should Luther perish, the
hopes of the Reformation must center upon his youthful
co-laborer. Said the reformer as he parted from ^lelancthon,
" If I do not return, and my enemies put me to death, con-
tinue to teach; stand fast in the truth. Labor in my stead;
. . . if thy life bo spared, my death will matter little."
Students and citizens who had gathered to witness Luther's
departure were deeply moved. A multitude whoso hearts
had been touched by the gospel, bade hhn farewell with
weeping. Thus the reformer and his companions set out
from Wittenberg.

On the journey they saw that tho minds of \' ,q people
were oppressed l:)y gloomy forebodings. At some towns no
honors were proffered them. As they stopped for the night,
a friendly priest expressed his fears by holding up before
Luther the portrait of an Italian reformer who had suffered
martyrdom. The next day they learned that Luther's writ-
ings had been condemned at AVorms. Imperial messengers
were proclaiming the emperor's decree, and calling upon

152

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

the people to bring the proscribed works to tbe magistrates.
The herald, fearing for Luther's safely at the council, and
thinking that already his resolution might be shaken, asked
if he still wished to go forward. He answered, ''I will go on,
though I should be put under interdict in every town."

At Erfurt, Luther was received with honor. Surrounded
by admiring crowds, he passed through the streets that he
had often traversed with his beggar's wallet. He visited his
convent cell, and thought upon the struggles through which
the light now flooding Germany had been shed ujjon his
soul. He was urged to preach. This he had been forbidden
to do, but the herald granted him permission, and the friar
who had once been made the drudge of the convent, now
entered the pulpit.

To a crowded assembly he spoke from the words of Christ,
"Peace be unto you." " Philosophers, doctors, and writers,"
he said, "have endeavored to teach men the wav to obtain
everlasting life, and they have not succeeded. I will now
tell it to you." "God has raised one Man from the dead, the
Lord Jesus Christ, that he might destroy death, expiate sin,
and shut the gates of hell. This is the work of salvation.
Christ has Vii^nquished ! This is the joyful news! And we
are saved by his work, and not by our own. . . . Our
Lord Jesus Christ said, 'Peace be unto you! behold my
hands' — that is to say, Behold, man! it is I, I alone, who
have taken away thy sins, and ransomed thee; and now
thou hast, peace, saith the Lord."

He continued, showing that true faith will be manifested
by a holy life. "Since God has saved us, let us so order our
works that he may take pleasure in them. Art thou rich?
— let thy riches be the supply of other mens poverty. Art
thou poor? — let thy service minister to the rich. If thy
labor is for thyself aloni', ihe service thou offerest to God is
a mere pretense."

The people listened as if spell-bound. The bread of life
was broken to those starving souls. Christ was lifted up

LUTHER HE FORE THE DIET.

153

before tliem as above popes, lejjjutes, (Miiperors, and kin^s.
Luther made no referenee to Iiis own [)erilous position. lie
did not seek to make himself the objeet of tiiou^ht or sym-
pathy. In the contem|)hition of ('hri-st, he luid lost si^ht of
self. He hid beliind the Man of ( 'alvary, seeking only to
present Jesus as the sinner's Redeemer.

As the reformer proceeded on his journey, he was every-
where regarded with great intere.st. An eager multitude
thronged about him; and friendly voices warned him of the
purpose of the Romanists. " You will be burned alive," said
they, "and your body reduced to ashes, as was that of John
Huss." Luther answered, "Though they should kindle a
fire all the way from Worms to Wittenberg, whoso flames
should rise up to heaven, I would go through it in the name
of the Lord, and stand before tliem ; I would enter the jaws
of this behemoth, and break his teeth, confessing the Lord
Jesus Christ."

The news of his approach to Worms created great com-
motion. His friends trembled for his safety; his enemies
feared for the success of their cause. Strenuous efforts were
made to dissuade him from entering the city. At the insti-
gation of the papists he was urged to repair to the castle of
a friendly knight, where, it was declared, all difficulties could
be amicably adjusted. Friends endeavored to excite his
fears by describing the dangers that threatened him. All
their efforts failed. Luther, still unshaken, declared, " Though
there should be as many devils at Worms as there are tiles
on its roofs, I would enter."

Upon his arrival at Worms, a vast crowd flocked to the
gates to welcome him. So great a concourse had not as-
sembled to greet the em[)eror himself The excitement was
intense, and from the midst of the throng a shrill and plaint-
ive voice chanted a funeral dirge, as a warning to Luther of
the fate that awaited him. "God will be mv defense," said
he, as he alighted from his carriage.

The papists had not believed that Luther would really

154

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

vcnturo to appear iit Worms, and his arrival filled them
with consternation. Tiie emperor immediately sunnnoned
his councillors to consider what course should he pursued.
One of the l)isho[»s, a ri^id papist, declared: "We have lon^
consulted on this matter. Let your nuijesty rid yourself of
this man at once. Did not Si^ismund hrin^ John Ilussto
the stake? Wo are under no ohli^ation either to give or to
ohserve the safe-conduct of a heretic." "Not so," said the
emjjeror; "we nuist keep our promise." It was therefore
decided that the reformer should he heard.

All the city were eager to see this remarkahle man, and
a throng of visitors soon tilled his lodgings. Luther had
scarcely recovered from his recent illness; he was wearied
from the journey, which had occupied two full weeks; he
must prepare to meet the momentous events of the morrow,
and he needed quiet and repose. But so great was the
desire to see him, that ho had enjoyed only a few hours'
rest, when noblemen, knights, priests, and citizens gathered
eagerly about liim. Among th(>so were many of the nobles
who had so boldly demanded of the emperor a reform of
ecclesiastical abuses, and who, says Luther, " had all been
freed by my gospel." Enemies, as well as friends, came to
look upon the dauntless monk, but he received them with
unshaken calmness, replying to all with dignity and wisdom.
His bearing was firm and courageous. His pale, tiiii ^ace,
marked with the traces of toil and illness, wore a kindly
and even joyous expression. The solemnity and deep ear-
nestness of his words gave him a power that even his ene-
mies could not wholly withstand. Both friends and foes
were filled with wonder. Some were convinced that a divine
influence attended him; others declared, as had the Phari-
sees concerning Christ, " He hatli a devil."

On the following day, Luther was summoned to attend
the Diet. An imperial officer was appointed to conduct him
to the hall of audience; yet it was with difficulty that he
reached the i)lace. Every avenue was crowded with spec-

LUTUKR BKFOni: TIIK DIET.

155

tatoi-H, eager to look upon tlie monk who hud dared resist
tlie authority of the pope.

As lie was about to ent(>r the presence of liis judges, an
old general, the hero of many battles, said to him kindly,
''I'oor monk! poor monk! thou hast a march and u struggle
to go through, such as neither I nor many other ca})tains
have ever known in our most bloody battles. But if thy
cause bo just, and thou art sure of it, go forward in God's
name, and fi'ar nothing! lie will not forsake thee."

At length Luther stood before tlie council. The emperor
occupied the throne. He was surrounded by the most illus-
trious personages in the empire. Nevei had any man aj)-
peared in the presence of a more imposing assembly than
that before which Martin Luther was to answer for his faith.
"This appearance was of itself a signal victory over the
papacy. The pope had condemned the man, and he was
now standing before a tribunal which, by this very act, set
itself above the pope. The pope had laid him under an
interdict, and cut him off from all human society, and yet
he was summoned in respectful language, and received
before the most august assembly in the world. The poi)e
had condemned him to perpetual silence, and he was now
about to speak before thousands of attentive hearers drawn
together from the furthest parts of Christendom. An immense
revolution had thus been effected by Luther's instrumen-
tality. Rome was already descending from her throne, and
it was the voice of a monk that caused this humiliation."

In the presence c^ tliat powerful and titled assembly, the
lowly-born reformer seemed awed and embarrassed. Sev-
eral of the princes, observing his emotion, a})proachcd him,
and one of them whispered, "Fear not them which kill the
body, but are not al)le to kill the soul." Another said,
"When ye shall be brought before governors and kings for
My sake, it shall be given you, by the Spirit of your Father,
w^hat ye shall say." Thus the words of Christ were brought
by the world s great men to strengthen his servant in the
hour of trial.

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

I.I

Hi 125

^ 1^

■ 2.2

Z hi 12.0

I;
i

1 1

1.25 1 1.4 1 1.6

►

Photogr^hic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WIST MAIN STUiT

WiBSTIR.N.Y. 14580

(716) 873-4S03

%»

156

THE GkEAT CONTRO'^^ERSY.

Luther was conducted to a i)Osition directly in front of
the emperor's throne. A deep silence fell upon the crowded
assembly. Then an imperial officer arose, and, pointing to
a collection of Luther's writings, demanded that the reformer
answer two (questions, — whether he acknowledged them as
his, and whether he proposed to retract the opinions wliich
he had therein advanced. The titles of the books having
been read, Luther replied that as to the first question, ho
acknowledged the books to be his. "As to the second," ho
said, "seeing it is a question which concerns faith, the sal-
vation of souls, and the Word of God, which is the greatest
and most precious treasure either in Heaven or earth, it
would be rash and perilous for me to reply without reiiec-
tion. I might affirm less than the circumstances demand,
or more than truth requires; in either case I should fall
under the sentence of Christ: 'Whosoever shall deny me
before men, him will 1 also deny before my Father which is
in Heaven." For this reason I entreat your imperial
majesty, with all humility, to allow me time, that I may
answer without oilending against the Word of God."

In making this rec^uest, Luther moved wisely. His course
convinced the assembly that he did not act from passion or
impulse. Such calmness and self-command, unexpected in
one who had shown himself bold and uncompromising,
added to his power, and enabled him afterward to answer
with a prudence, decision, w'sdom, and dignity, that sur-
prised and disappointed his adversaries, and rebuked their
insolence and pride.

The next day he was to appear to render his final answer.
For a time his heart sunk within him as he contemplated
the forces that were combined against the truth. His ftiith
faltered ; fearfulness and trembling came upon him, and
horror overwhelmed him. Dangers multiplied before him,
his enemies seemed about to triumph, and the powers of
darkness to prevail. Clouds gathered about him, and seemed
to separate him from God. He longed for the assurance

^Matt. 10:33.

IS
H

of
led

t?3

t«)

P
b

g
tl

P^
fo

S(
h(

in
ro
to
su

hi
m
th

LUTHER BEFORE THE DIET.

157

that the Lord of hosts would bo with him. In anguish of
spirit lie threw himself with his face upon the earth, and
poured out those broken, heart-rending cries, which none
but God can fully understand.

"O God," he pleaded, "Almighty God everlasting! How
dreadful is the world ! Behold how it opens its mouth to
swallow me up, and how small is my faith in thee! ... If
I am to depend upon any strength of this world — all is
over. . . . The knell is struck. . . . Sentence is
gone forth. . . . O thou my God ! help me against all
the wisdom of this world. Do this, I beseech thee . . .
by thine own mighty power. . . . The work is not mine,
but thine. I have no business here. ... I have nothing
to contend for with the great men of the world. . . . But
the cause is thine, . . . and it is righteous and everlasting.
. . . O faithful and unchangeable God ! I lean not upon
man. . . . Whatever is from man is tottering, whatever
proceeds from him must fall. . . . Thou hast chosen me
for this work. . . . Therefore, O God, accomplish thine
own will; forsake me not, for the sake of thy well-beloved
Son, Jesus Christ, my defense, my buckler, and my strong-
hold."

An all-wise Providence had permitted Luther to realize his
peril, that he might not trust to his own strength, and rush
presumptuously into danger. Yet it was not the fear of per-
sonal suffering, a dread of torture or death, which seemed
immediately impending, that overwhelmed him with its ter-
ror. He had come to the crisis, "^nd he felt his insufficiency
to meet it. Througli his weakness the cause of truth might
suffer loss. Not for his own safety, but for the triumph of
the gospel, did he wrestle with God. Like Israel's, in that
night struggle beside the lonely stream, was the anguish and
conflict of his soul. Like Israel, he prevailed with God. In
his utter helplessness his faith fastened upon Christ, the
mighty deliverer. He was strengthened with the assurance
that he would not appear alone before the council. Peace

158

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

returned to his soul, and he rejoiced that he was permitted
to uplift the Word of God before the rulers of the nation.

With his mind stayed upon God, Luther prepared for the
struggle before him. lie thought upon the plan of his an-
swer, examined passages in his own writings, and drew from
the Holy Scriptures suitable proofs to sustain his position^:.
Then, laying his left hand on the sacred volume, which was
open before him, he lifted his right hand to heaven, and
vowed "to adl^.re constantly to the gospel, and to confess his
faith freely, even though he should be called to seal his tes-
timony with his l)lood."

When he was again ushered into the j)resence of the Diet,
his countenance bore no trace of fear or embarrassment.
Calm and peaceful, yet grandly brave and noble, he stood
as God's witness among the great ones of the earth. The
imperial officer now demanded his decision as to whether
he desired to retract his doctrines. Luther made his an-
swer in a subdued and humble tone, without violence or
passion. His demeanor was diffident and respectful; yet he
manifested a confidence and joy that suri)rised the assembly.

"Mo.st serene emperor, illustrious princes, most clement
lords," said Luther, " I this day appear before you in all hu-
mility, according to your coniiuand ; and I implore your
majesty, and your august highnesses, by the mercies of God,
to listen with favor to the defense of a cause which I am
well assured is just and right. If in my reply I do not use
the just ceremonial of a court, pardon mo, for I am not
familiar with its usages. 1 am but a poor monk, a child of
the cell, and I have labored only for the glory of God."

Then, proceeding to the question, he stated that his pub-
lished works were not all of the same character. Li some
he had treated of faith and good works, and even his ene-
mies declared them not only harmless but profitable. To
retract these w^ould be to condemn truths which all parties
confessed. The second class consisted of writings exposing
the corruptions and abuses of the papacy. To revoke these

LUTHER BEFORE THE DIET.

159

ise

works would strengthen the tyranny of Rome, and open a
wider door to many and great impieties. In tlio third chiss
V f Ids books he had attacked individuals who had defended
existing evils. Concerning these he freely confessed tiuit he
had been more violent than was becoming. lie did not
claim to bo free from fault; but even these books ho con M
not revoke, for such a course would end)olden the enemies
of trath, and they would then take occasion to crush God's
people with still greater cruelty.

"But as I am a mere n)an, and not God," he continued,
"I will defend myself as did Christ, who said, If I have
spoken evil, bear witness of the evil.' By tho mercy of God,
I implore your im})erial majesty, or any one else who
can, whoever he may be, to prove to mc from the writ-
ings of the prophets and apostles that I am in error. As
soon as I shall bo convinced, I will instantly retract all my
errors, and will bo the first to cast my books into the nre.
"What I have just said, will show that I have considered
and weighed the dangers to which I am exposing myself;
but far from being dismayed by them, I rejoice exceedingly
to see the gospel this day, as of old, a cause of trouble and
dissension. This is the character, the destiny, of God's
Word. Said Christ, * 1 came not to send peace, but a sv;ord.' '
God is wonderful and terrible in his counsels. Let us have
a care lest in our endeavors to arrest discords we be found to
fight against the holy Word of God, and bring down upon
our heads a frightful deluge of inextricable dangers, pres-
ent disaster, and everlasting desolation. ... I might
cite examples drawn from the oracles of God. I might
speak of Pharaohs, of kings of Babylon, or of Israel, who
were never more contributing to their own ruin than when,
by measures in appearance most prudent, they thought to
establish their authority. God ' removeth the mountains, and
they know not.'"*

Luther had spoken in German; ho was now requested to

^ Matt. 10:34. -•tJobU:C.

160

TUl:: GREAT CONTROVERSY.

repeat the same words in Latin. Thougli exhausted by the
previous effort, he complied, and again delivered his speech,
with the same clearness and energy as at the first. God's
providence directed in this matter. The minds of many of
the |)rinces were so blinded by error and superstition that
at the first delivery they did not see the force of Luther's
reasoning; but the repetition enabled them to perceive clearly
the points presented

Those who stubbornly cl .ed their eyes to ^hc light, and
determined not to be convinced of the truth, were enniged
at the power of Luther's words. As he ceased speaking,
the spokesman of the Diet said angrily, "You have not an-
swered the question. A clear and express reply is (lemauded.
Will you or will you not retract?"

The reformer answered : "Since your most serene majesty
and the princes require p. simple, clear, and direct answer, I
wi^ ! ; 'iveone, and it is t!iis: I cannot submit my faith eitherto
llie /Ope or to the councils, because it is as clear as noonday
that they have often fallen into error, and even into glaring
inconsistency with themselves. If, then, I am not convinced
by proof from Holy Scripture, or by cogent reasons; if I am
not satisfied by the very texts that I have cited, and if my
judgment is not in this way brought into subjection to God's
Word, I neither can nor will retract anything; for it cannot
be riglit for a Christian to speak against his conscience.
Here I take my stand ; I cannot do otherwise. God be my
help! Amen."

Thus stood this righteous man, upon the sure foundation
of the Word of God. The light of Heaven illuminated
his countenance. His greatness and purity of ^iiaracter, his
peace and joy of heart, were manifest to all as he testified
against the power of error, and witnessed to the superiority
of that faith that overcomes the world.

The whole assembly were for a time speechless with
amazement. At his first answer, Luther had spoken in a
low tone, with a respectful, almost submissive bearing. The

LUTHER BEFORE THE DIET.

161

Romanists had interpreted tliis as evidence that his courage
was beginning to fail. They regarded the request for delay
as merely the j)relude to his recantation. Charles himself,
noting, half contemptuously, the monk's worn frame, his
plain attire, and the simplicity of his address, had declared,
" This man will never make a iieretic of me." The courag >
and lirimiess which ho now displayed, as well as the power
and clearness of his reasoning, filled al pnrties with sur-
prise. TJie emperor, moved to admiratioi , exclaimed, "The
monk speaks with intrepid heart and unshaken courage."
Many of the German princes looked """ith pride and j'""
upon this representative of their nation.

The partisans of Komo had been worsted; their cause
appeared in a most unfavorable light. They sought to
maintain their power, not by appealing to the Scriptures,
but by a resort to threats, Rome's unfailing argument.
Said the spokesman of the Diet, " If you do not retract, the
emperor and the States of the empire will proceed to con-
sider how to deal with an obstinate heretic."

Luther's friends, who had with great joy listened to his
noble defense, trembled at these words; but the doctor him-
self said calmly, "May God be my helper! for I can retract
Mothing."

He was directed to withdraw from the Diet, while the
princes consulted together. It was felt that a great crisis
had come. Luther's persistent refusal to submit, might
affect the history of the cx arch for ages. It was decided to
give him one more opportunity to retract. For the last
time he was brouglit into the assembly. Again the question
was put, whether he would renounce his doctrines. " I have
no other answer to give," he said, "than I have already
given." It was evident that he could not be induced, eitlu r
by promises or threats, to yield to the mandate of Rome.

The papist leaders were chagrined that their power, which
had caused kings and nobles to tremble, should be thus
despised by a humble monk; they longed to make him feel

1C2

THE GREAT CONTliOVERSY.

their wrath by torturing his life away. But Liilher, uiuler-
standing his chmgor, had spoicon to all with Christian dig-
nity and cahnness. His words had been froo from i)ride,
jjassion, and misrepresentation. Ho had lost sight of him-
self, and of the great men surrounding him, and felt only
that he was in the presence of One infinitely superior to
po[)es, })relates, kings, and emperors. Christ had spoken
through Luther's testimony with a power and grandeur that
for the time inspired both friends and foes with awe and
wonder. The Spirit of God had been present in that eouiuil,
impressing the hearts of the chiefs of the empire. Several
of the }>rinces br>ldly acknowledged the justice of Luther's
cause. Many were convinced of the truth ; but with some the
impressions received were not lasting. There was another
class who did not at the time express their convictions, but
who, having searched the Scriptures for themselves, at a
future time became fearless supporters of the Reformation,

Tiio elector Frederick had looked forward anxiously to
Luther's appearance before the Diet, and with deep emotion
he listened to his S2)eech. With joy and pride he witnessed
the doctor's courage, firmness, and self-possession, and deter-
mined to stand more firmly in his defense. He contrasted
the parties in contest, and saw that th^ wisdom of jwpes,
kings, and prelates had been brought to naup;ht by the
power of truth. The papacy had sustained a defeat which
would bo felt among all nations and in all ages.

As the legato perceived the effect produced by Luther's
speech, he feared, as never before, for the security of the
Romish power, and resolved to employ every means at his
command to effect the reformer's overthrow. "With all the
eloquence and diplomatic skill for which he was so emi-
nently distinguished, he represented to the youthful emperor
the folly and danger of sacrificing, in the cause of an insig-
nificant monk, the friendship and suppoi-t of the powerful
see of Rome.

His words were not without effect. On the day following

LUTHER nilFORK THE DIET.

163

Luthcr'H aiiHWor, Clmrlos cauHCM] a nios.sap(» to be proscntod
to llio Diet, announcing his (U>torinination to carry oi!t tlio
policy of his predecessors to maintain and protect tlie Catli-
olic religion. Since Lutiicr liad refused to renounce his
errors, the most vigorous measures shouhl l)e emph)yed
against him and the heresii's lie taught. "A singh^ monk,
led astray hy his own madness, erects himself against the
faith of Christendom. 1 will sacrifice my kingdoms, my
I)owor, my friends, my treasure, my body and hlood, my
thoughts, and my life, to stay the further progress of this
impiety. I am about to dismiss the Augustine Luther, for-
bidding him to cause th(> least disturbance among the peo-
ple. I will then take measures against him and his adher-
ents, as oj)en heretics, by excomniui^'cation, interdict, and
evcrv means necessary to their destruction. I call on the
members of the States to comport themselves like faithful
Christians." Nevertheless the emperor declared that Lu-
ther's .safe-conduct must be respected, and that before proceed-
ings against him could bo instituted, ho must be allowed to
reach his home in safety.

Two conflicting opinions were now urged l)y the members
of the Diet. The emissaries and representatives of the pope
again demanded that the reformer's safe-conduct should be
disregarded. "The Rhine," they said, "should receive his
a.shcs, as it received those of John IIuss a century ago." But
princes of Cfcrmany, though themselves papists and avowed
enemies to Luther, protested against such a breach of public
faith, as a stain upon the honor of the nation. They pointed
to the calamities which ha<l followed the death of IIuss,
and declared that they dared not call down upon Germany,
and upon th'^ head of their youthful emperor, a rei)etitiou
of these terrible evils.

Charles himself, in answer to the ])ase proposal, said that
though faith should be banished from all the earth, it ought
to find refuge with princes. He was still further urged by
the most bitter of Luther's popish enemies to deal with the

164

77//; UREAT VUNTROVEliar,

rcrornu'r as Si)j;isinuii(l iuul »U'ult with Hush — jihainloii him
to [\h\ lucn-irs of tho church; l>ut, rccnliiii^ tiio scciic wiicu
Iluss in public asscinhly had pointed to his chains and
reminded the monarch of his pli^dited I'aitli, Charles V.
(K'chircd, " I wouhl not likt! to hhisli like Si^^ismund."

YetChnries had deliherately rejected the truths presented
by i.uther. "I am liiiuly resolved to tread in the Ibdisteps
of my ancestors," wrote the monarch. He had d«'cid<'d that
he would not step out of the path of custom, even to walk in
the ways of truth and righteousness, liecause his fatla-rs
did, he would uphold {\w pa|)acy, with all its cruelty and
corrujitiou. Thus he took his position, refusing to accept
any light in advance of what his fathers had received, or
to perform any duty that they had not performecl.

There are many at tho present day thus clinging to the
customs and traditions of their fathers. When the Lord
sends them additional light, they refuse to accept it, because,
not liaving lu'cn granted to their fathers, it was not received
by them. We are not placed where our fathers were; con-
sequently our duties and responsibilities are not the same
as theirs. We shall not bo approved of God in looking to
tho example of our fathers to determine our duty instead of
searching the Word of truth for ourselves. Our responsi-
bility is greater than was that of our ancestors. We are
accountable for tho light which they received, and which
was handed down as an inheritance for us, and wo are ac-
countable also for the additional light which is now shining
upon us from the Word of God.

Said Christ of the unbelieving Jews, " If I had not come
and spoken unto them, they had not had sin ; but now they
have no cloak for their sin." ' The same divine power had
spoken through Luther to the emperor and princes of Ger-
many. And as the light shone forth from God's "Word, his
Spirit pleaded for the last time with many in that assembly.
As Pilate, centuries before, permitted pride and popularity
to close his heart against the world's Redeemer; as the

> John 15: 22.

Li'TUKR lit: Font: rut: i>ikt.

105

trcmliliii;; Felix bade tlic int'ssciipT of trutli, "do tliy way
lor this time; wluii I liavo a coiivt'nicnt srasoii. I will call
lor llu'c;"' as tin; jiroiKl Aj^rippii conlrsscil, " Aliimst tluai
jitTsiuulcst iiu! to he a Christian, "' yet. turiM'tl away t'roiii the
lli'avi'ii-sciit in('ssa;;»', — so ha<l Charles \'., yielding to the
<lietal<'s of worldly pride and policy, tlecidcd to njeet tho
light of truth.

Kuniors ()f the designs against Lutln-r were widely cireii-
Itited, (uiusing great exiitenient thrctughout the city. The
reformer had made many friends, who, knowing the treach-
erous cruelty of Koine toward all tiiat dare(l e.\[)ose her cor-
ruptions, resolvecl that he should not he sacrificed. iFundnMJs
of nobles pledged themselves to ])rotect him. Not a few
openly denounced {\n^ royal messagi! as evincing a weak
submission to the controlling power of Rome. On the gates
of houses and in }aiblie places, placards were posted, s()mo
condenniing and others sustaining Luther. On (Mus <»f theso
were written merely tho signilicant word.s of tho wise man,
" Woo to thee, O la^id, when thy king is a child.'" Tho pop-
ular enthusiasm in Luther's favor throughout all (Jermany
convinced both tho emperor and tho Diet that any injustice
shown him would endanger tho pouco of tho empire, and
even tho stability of tho throne.

Frederick of Saxony maintained a studied reserve, care-
fully concealing his real feelings toward tla^ reformer, while
at the same time ho guarded him with tireless vigilance,
watching all his movements and all those of his enemies.
But there wore many who made no attempt to conceal
their sympathy with Luther. lie was visited by princes,
counts, barons, an<l other persons of distinction, both lay
and ecclesiastical. " Tho doctor's little room," wrote Spalatin,
"could not contain all who presented themselves." The peo-
ple gazed upon him as if ho were more than human. Even
those who had no faith in his doctrines, could not but admire
that lofty integrity which led him to brave death rather
than violate his conscience.

1 Acts 24: 25. 'Acts 2G: 28. » Eccl. 10: 16.

166

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

Earnest efforts were made to obtain Luther's consent to a
compromise witii Rome, Noljles and princes represented to
him that if he persisted in setting up his own judgment
against that of the church and the councils, he would soon
be banished from the empire, nnd then would have no de-
fense. To this appeal Lruthcr answered : " It is impossible
to preach the gospel of Christ without offense. AVhy, then,
should the fea^* of danger separate me from the Lord and
that divine AVord which alone is truth? No ; I would rather
give up my body, my blood, and my life."

Again he was urged to submit to the judgment of the
emperor, and then he would have nothing to fear. '' I con-
sent," said he in reply, " with all my heart, that Ine emperor,
the princes, and even the humblest Christian, should exam-
ine and judge my writings; but on one condition, that they
take God's Word for their guide. Men have nothing to do
but to render obedience to that. My conscience is in de-
pendence upon that Word, and I am the bounden subject of
its authority."

To another appeal he said, " I consent to forego my safe-
conduct, and resign my person and my life to the emperor's
disposal ; but as to the Wc^d of God — never ! " He stated
his willingness to submit to the decision of a general coun-
cil, but only on condition that the council be required to
decide according to the Scriptures. " In what concerns the
AVord of God and the faith," he added, " every Christian is
as good a judge as the pope, though supported by a million
councils, can be for him." Both friends and foes were at last
convinced that further effort for reconciliation would be
useless.

Had the reformer yielded a single point, Satan and his
hosts would have gained the victory. But his unwavering
firmness was the means of emancipating the church, and
beginning a new and better era. The influence of this one
man, who dared to think and act for himself in religious
matters, was to affect the church and the world, not only in

LUTHER BEFORE THE DIET.

167

his own time, but in all future genern*'ons. His firmness
and fidelity would strengthen all, to tuo close of time, who
should pass through a similar experience. The power and
majesty of God stood forth above the counsel of men, above
the mighty power of Satan.

Lutlior was soon commanded by the authority of the em-
peror to return home, and he knew that this notice would be
speedily followed by his condemnation. Threatening clouds
overhung his path; but as he departed from Worms, his
heart was filled with joy and praise. "Satan himself," said
he, "kept the pope's citadel; but Christ has made a wide
breach in it, and the devil has been compelled to confess that
Christ is mightier than he."

After his departure, still desirous that his firmness should
not be mistaken for rebellion, Luther wrote to the em-
peror. " God is my witness, who knoweth the thoughts," he
said, "that I am ready with all my heart to obey your
majesty through good or evil report, in life or in death, with
no one exception, save the Word of God, by which man
livcth. In all the affairs of this life my fidelity shall be
unshaken; for, in these, loss or gain has nothing to do with
salvation. But it is contrary to the will of God, that man
should be subject to man in that which pertains to eternal
life. Subjection in spirituals is a real worship, and should
be rendered only to the Creator."

On the journey from Worms, Luther's reception was even
more flattering than during his progress thither. Princely
ecclesiastics welcomed the excommunicated monk, and civil
rulers honored the man whom the emperor had denounced.
He was urged to preach, and, notwithstanding the imperial
prohibition, he again entered the pulpit. "I have never
pledged myself to chain up the Word of God," he said, " nor
will I."

He had not been long absent from Woi-ms, when the
pap:sts prevailed upon the emperor to issue an edict against
him. In this decree Luther was denounced as " Satan him-

1G8

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

self under tlie semblance of a man in a monk's hood." It
was commanded that as soon as his safe-conduct should ex-
pire, measures be taken to stoj) his work. All })ersons were
forbidden to harbor him, to give him food or drink, or by
word or act, in public or private, to aid or abet him. He was
to be seized wherever he might be, and delivered to tlie
authorities. His adherents also were to be imprisoned, and
their property confiscated. His writings were to be destroyed,
and finally, all who should dare to act contrary to this
decree were included in its condemnation. Tlie Elector of
Saxony, and the princes most friendly to Luther, had left
Worms soon after his departure, and the emperor's decree
received the sanction of the Liet. Now the Romanists were
jubilant. They considered the fate of the Reformation sealed.

God had provided a way of escape for his servant in this
hour of peril. A vigilant eye had followed Luther's move-
ments, and a true and noble heart had resolved upon his
rescue. It was plain that Rome would be satisfied with
nothing short of his death; only by concealment could he
be preserved from the jaws of the lion. God gave wisdom
to Frederick of Saxony to devise a plan for the reformer's
preservation. With the co-operation of true friends, the
elector's purpose was carried out, and Luther was effectually
hidden from friends and foes. Upon his homeward journey,
he was seized, separated from his attendants, and hurriedly
conveyed through the forest to the castle of Wartburg, an
isolated mountain fortress. Both his seizure and his con-
cealment were so involved in mystery tliat even Frederick
himself for a long time knew not whither he had been con-
ducted. This ignorance was not without design ; so long as
the elector knew nothing of Luther's whereabouts, he could
reveal nothing. He satisfied himself that the reformer was
safe, and with this knowledge he was content.

Spring, summer, and autumn passed, and winter came,
and Luther still remained a prisoner. Aleander and his
partisans exulted as the light of the gospel seemed about

LUTHER BE FORK THE DIET.

169

to be extinguished. But instead of this, the reformer was
filling liis lamp from the store-house of tnith; and its light
was to sliine forth with hrigliter radiance.

In the friendly security of the Wartburg, Luther for a
time rejoiced in liis release from the heat and turmoil of
battle. But he could not long find satisfaction in quiet and
repose. Accustomed to a life of activity and stern conflict,
he could ill endure to remain inactive. In those solitary
days, the condition of the church rose up before him, and
ho cried in dcsi)air, "Alas! there is no one, in this latter day
of Ilis anger, to stand like a wall before the Lord^ and save
Israel!" Again, his thoughts returned to liimself, and he
feaxed being charged with cowardice in withdrawing from
the contest. Then he reproached himself for his indolence
and self-indulgence. Yet at the same time lie was daily ac-
complishing more than it seemed possible for one man to do.
Ilis pen was never idle. While his enemies flattered them-
selves that he was silenced, they were astonished and con-
fused by tangible proof that he was still active. A host of
tracts, issuing from his pen, circulated throughout Germany.
He also performed a most important service for his coun-
trymen by translating the New Testament into the German
tongue. From his rocky Patmos he continued for nearly a
whole year to proclaim the gospel, and rebuke the sins and
errors of the times.

But it was not merely to preserve Luther from the wrath
of his enemies, nor even to afford him a season of quiet for
these important labors, that God had withdrawn his servant
from the stage of public life. There were results more pre-
cious than these to be secured. In the solitude and ob-
scurity of his mountain retreat, Luther was removed from
earthly supports, and shut out from human praise. He was
thus saved from the pride and self-confidence that arc so
often caused by success. By suffering and humiliation he
was prepared again to walk safely upon the dizzy heigbts to
which he had been so suddenly exalted.

170

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

As men rejoice in the freedom which the truth brings
them, they are inclined to extol those whom God has em-
ployed to break the chains of error and superstition. Satan
seeks to divert men's thoughts and affections from God, and
to fix them upon human agencies; he leads them to honor the
mere instrument, and to ignore the Hand that directs all the
events of providence. Too often, religious leaders who are
thus praised and reverenced lose sight of their dependence
upon God, and are led to trust in themselves. As a result,
they seek to control the minds and consciences of the peo-
ple, who are disposed to look to them for guidance instead
of looking to the Word of God. The work of reform is often
retarded because of this spirit indulged by its supporters.
From this danger, God would guard tl \ o cause of the Ref-
ormation. He desired that work to receive, not the impress
of man, but that of God. Theoyes of men had been turned to
Luther as the expounder of the truth; he was removed that
all eyes might be directed to the eternal Author of truth.

ngs
em-
tan
md
the
the
are
nee
ult,
•eo-
iad
ten

iTS.

:ef-

ess

lat

I— (
o

M
S
PiS

02
OQ

CHAPTER IX.

THE SWISS REFORMER.

In the clioice of instrumentalities for the reforming of the
churcli, the same divine phin is seen as in tliat for tlie plant-
ing of the church. The heavenly Teacher passed by the
greoi men of earth, the titled and wealthy, who were accus-
tomed to receive praise and homage as leaders of the people.
They were so proud and self-confident in their boasted supe-
riority that they could not be moulded to sympathize with
their fellow-men, and to become co-laborers with the humble
Man of Nazareth. To the unlearned, toiling fishermen of
Galilee was the call addressed, " Follow me, and I will make
you fishers of men."^ These disciples were humble and
teachable. The less they had been influenced by the false
teaching of their time, the more successfully could Christ
instruct and train them for his service. So in the days of
the Great Reformation. The leading reformers were men
from humble life, — men who were most free of any of their
time from pride of rank, and from the influence of bigotry
and priestcraft. It is God's plan to employ humble instru-
ments to accomplish great results. Then the glory will not
be given to men, but to Him who works through them to
will and to do of his own good pleasure.

A few weeks after the birth of Luther in a miner's cabin
in Saxony, Ulric Zwingle was born in a herdsman's cottage
among the Alps. Zwnigle's surroundings in childhood, and
his early training, were such as to prepare him for his future
mission. Reared amid scenes of natural grandeur, beauty,
and awful sublimity, his mind was early impressed with a
sense of the greatness, the power, and the majesty of God.

» Matt. 4:19. (171)

172

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

Tho history of tho bravo deeds achieved upon his native
mountains, kindled his youthful aspirations. And at tlio
side of his pious grandmother ho Ustencd to the few precious
Bible stories which she had gleaned from amid the legends
and traditions of the church. With eager interest ho heard
of the grand deeds of patriarchs and prophets, of the shep-
herds who watched their flocks on the hills of Palestine
where angels talked with them, of the Babe of Bethlehem
and the Man of Calvary.

Like John Luther, Zwingle's father desired an education
for his son, and the boy was early sent from his native val-
ley. His mind rapidly developed, and it soon became a
question where to find teachers competent to instruct him.
At the age of thirteen ho went to Bern, which then possessed
the most distinguished school in Switzerland. Here, how-
ever, a danger arose which threatened to blight the promise
of his life. Determined efforts were put forth by the friars
to allure him into a monastery. The Dominican and Fran-
ciscan monks were in rivalry for popular favor. This they
endeavored to secure by the showy adornments of their
churches, the pomp of their ceremonials, and the attractions
of famous relics and miracle-working images. The Domin-
icans of Bern saw that if they could win this talented young
scholar, they would secure both gain and honor. His ex-
treme youth, his natural ability as a speaker and a writer,
and his genius for music and poetry, would be more effective
than all their pomp and display, in attracting the people to
their services and increasing the revenues of their order.
By deceit and flattery they endeavored to induce Zwinglo to
enter their convent. Luther while a student at school had
buried himself in a convent coll, and he would have been
lost to the world had not God's providenco released him.
Zwingle was not permitted to encounter the same peril.
Providentially his father received information of the designs
of the friars. He had no intention of allowing his son to
follow the idle and worthless life of the monks. He saw

thit his future usefulness was at stake, and directed him to
return liome without dohiy.

^he command was obeyed; but tlio youtli could not be
long content in Jiis native valley, and he soon resumed his
Ftudies, repairing, after a tiiv.e, to Basel. It was hero that
'£iwingle first heard the gospel of God's free grace, Wittem-
bach, a teacher of the ancient languages, had, while studying
Greek and Hebrew, been led tife Holy Scriptures, and
thus rays of divine light wore shed into the minds of the
students under his instruction. He declared that there was
a truth more ancient, and of infinitely greater worth, than
the theories taught by schoolmen and philosophers. This
ancient truth was that the death of Christ is the sinner's
only ransom. To Zwingle thcje words were as the first ray
of light that precedes the dawn.

Zwingle was soon called from Basel, to enter upon his
life-work. His first field of labor was in an Alpine parish,
not far distant from his native valley. Having received
ordination as a priest, " he devoted himself with his whole
soul to the search after divine truth; for he was well aware,"
says a fellow-reformer, "how much he must know to whom
the flock of Christ is intrusted." The more he searched the
Scriptures, the clearer appeared the contrast between their
truths and the heresies of Rome. Pie submitted himself to
the Bible as the word of God, the only sufficient, infallible
rule. He saw that it must be its own interpreter. He dared
not attempt to explain Scripture to sustain a preconceived
theory or doctrine, but held it his duty to learn what is its
direct and obvious teaching. He sought to avail himself cf
every help to obtain a full and correct understanding of its
meaning, and he invoked i,he aid of the Holy Spirit, whicli
would, he declared, reveal it to all who sought it in sincerity
and with prayer.

"The Scriptures," said Zwingle, "come from God, not
from man. Even that God who enlightens will give thee to
understand that the speech comes from God. The Word of

174

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

God . . . cannot fail. It is briglit, it teaches itself, dis-
closes itself, it ilhinilnes the soul with ul' tion and
grace, comforts it in (lod, Immbles it, so tl.^L .u loses and
even forfeits itself, and embraces (fod." The truth of these
words Z\vin;;io himself had proved. Speaking of his ex-
I)erienco at this time, ho afterward wrote: "When I began
to give myself wholly up to the Holy Scriptures, pliilosophy
and tiieology (scholastic) would always keep suggesting
quarrels to me. At last I camo to this, that I thought,
'Thou must let all that lie, and learn the meaning of God
purely out of his ov/n simple Word.' Then I began to ask
God for his light, and the Scriptures began to be much
easier to me."

The doctrine preached by Zwingle was not received from
Luther. It was the doctrine of Christ. " If Luther preaches
Christ," said the Swiss reformer, " he does what I do. He
has led to Christ many more souls than I; — be it so. Yet
will I bear no other name than that of Christ, whose soldier
I am, and who alone is my head. Never has a single line
been addressed by me to Luther, or by Luther to me. And
why? — That it might be manifest to all how uniform is the
testimony of the Spirit of God, since we, who have had no
communication with each other, agree so closely in the
doctrine of Jesus Christ."

In 1516 Zwingle was invited to become a preacher in the
convent at Einsiedeln. Here lie was to have a closer view
of the corruptions of Rome, and was' to exert an influence
as a reformer that would be felt far beyond his native Alps.
Among the chief attractions of Einsiedeln was an image of
the virgin which was said to have the power of working
miracles. Above the gateway of the convent was the in-
scription, " Here may be obtained complete remission of
sins." Pilgrims at all seasons resorted to the shrine of
tlie virgin, but at the great yearly festival of its consecra-
tion, multitudes came from all parts of Switzerland, and even
from France and Germany. Zwingle, greatly afflicted at

THE SWISS REFORMER.

175

tho sight, seized tlio opportunity to proclaim liluTty through
tiio gospel to these hoiul-Hliu'es of superstition.

"Think not," ho suid, "that Clod is in this temple nmro
than in any other part of creation. Wherever he has lixed
your dwelling ho encompasses you, and hoars you. . . .
What power can there he in unprofitahle works, weary pil-
grimages, ollerings, prayers to tho virgin and the saints, to
secure you tho favor of (iod? What signify tho multiplying
of words in prayer? What eilieacy in tho cowl or shaven
crown, or priestly garments falling, and adorned with gold?
God looks upon tho heart — and our iieart is far off from God."
"Christ," he said, "who offered himself on the cross once for
all, is tho sacrifice and victim that satisfies for all eternity,
for tho sins of all believers."

To many listeners these teachings were unwelcome. It was
a bitter disappointment to them to be told that their toilsome
journey had been made in vain. Tho paisfjion freely offered
to them through Christ they could not comprehend. They
were satisfied with the old way to Heaven which P ime
had marked out for them. They shrank from the perple ity
of searching for anything better. It was easier to trust their
salvation to the priests and the pope than to seek for purity
of heart.

But another class received with gladness the tidings of
redemption through Christ. The observances enjoined by
Rome had failed to bring peace of soul, and in faith they
accepted the Saviour's blood as thoii' propitiation. These
returned to their homes to reveal io others the precious
light which they had received. The truth was thus carried
from hamlet to hamlet, from town to town, and the number
of pilgrims to the virgin's shrine greatly lessened. There
was a falling off in the offerings, and consequently in the
salary of Zwingle, which was drawn from them. But this
caused him only joy as he saw that the power of fanaticism
and superstition was being broken.

The authorities of the church were not blind to the work

176

TUK GREAT CONTROVKHSY.

whicli Zwiii^'lo was iitroiupli.sliing; luit for tlic presont they
foihoro to intcit'cn'. Ilopiiijjf yet toHccun^ liiiii to tlioircuuso,
they eiult'uvoivd to win liiin hy llultcrit's; ami mcainvliilo
tho truth was piiniii^ a l»oM upon tlio licartn of tlio pooplo.

Zwin^Mc's lal)ors at Kinsicdcln luul juvparcd liini for a
wiilcr lioM, an('i this lio was soon to outer. After throe years
liore, liu wan called to the odiee of preaehor in the cathedral
at Zurich. This wan then tiie most important town of tho
fcjwiss confederacy, and the inlluenco exerted hero would ho
"widelv felt. Tho ecclesiastics hv whose invitation he canio
to Zurich were, however, desirous of preventing any inno-
vations, and they accordinsfly ]>roccoded to instruct him as
to hif duties.

"You will uso your utmost diligence," they said, "in
collecting tho rcvoiuios of tho ciiupter — not overlooking tho
smallest item. You will exhort tho faithful, hoth from tho
pulpit and in tho confossioi\il, to 'niy all duos and tithes, and
to testify by their ofForings tho love which they bear to the
church. You will bo careful to increase tho income that
arises from tho sick, from masses, and in general from all
ecclesiastical ordinances." "As to tho administration of tho
sacraments, i>reaching, and personally watching over the
Hock,'-' added his instructors, "these also are among the du-
ties of tho i)riest. But for tho performance of these, you may
employ a vicar to act in your stead, — especially in preaching.
You are to administer tho sacraments only to persons of
distinction, and when especially called upon; you are not
allowed to administer them indiscriminately to people of
all ranks."

Zwingle listened in silence to this charge, and in reply,
after expressing Jiis gratitude for the honor of a call to this
important station, he proceeded to explain the course which
he proposed to adopt. " The history of Jesus," he said, " has
been too long kept out of the people's view. It is my pur-
pose to lecture upon the whole of the Gospel according to
St. Matthew, drawing from the fountains of Scripture alone^

THE SWISS REFOIiMKR.

177

soiindiiij^ ail its depths, ('ompuriii^ text with text, and [Hit-
ting up earnest and unccasinir prayers, that I may ho por-
njitte<l to (Uscovcr wliat is the mind of the Holy Spirit. It
Ih to the glory of (lod, to the jjraise of his oidy Son, to tho
salvation of souls, and their instruction in the true faith, that
1 desire to consecrate my ministry." Though .some of tho
ecclesiastics disapproved his plan, and en<leavore(l to dis-
suade him from it, ZwingU* remained steadfa.st. Ilcdcclared
tluit he was nhout to intrcKluce no n«'W method, l)ut tiie old
method employed l>y the church in earlier and purer times.

Already an interest had heen awakened in the truths ho
taught; and the people Hocked in great numbers to li.sten to
his preaching. Many who liad long since ceased to attend
service were among his hearers. He began his ministry by
opening tho Gosj>el.s, and reacHug and ex[)laining to Ids
liearers tho inspired narrative of tho life, teachings, and
death of Christ. Here, as at Einsiedeln, ho presented tlio
Word of God as tho onlv infallible authoritv, and tho deatli
of Christ as tho only complete sacrilico. "It is to Christ,"
he said, "that I wish to guide you, — to Chri.st, tho true
spring of salvation." Around tho preacher crowded the
people of all cla.sses, from statesmen and scholars to the
artisan and tho peasant. With deep interest they listened
to liis words. Ho not only proclaimed the otter of a free
salvation, but fearlessly rebuked tho evils and corru{)tion3
of the times. Many returned from tho cathedral i)raising
God. "This man," they said, "is a })roacher of tho truth.
Ho will be our Moses, to lead us forth from this Egyptian
darkness."

But though at first his labors were received with great
enthusiasm, after a time opposition arose. The monks set
themselves to hinder his work and condemn his teachings.
Many assailed him with gibes and sneers ; others resorted
to insolence and threats. But Zwingle bore all with pa-
tience, saying, "If wo would win souls to Christ, we mu.st
learn to shut our eyes against many things that meet us in
our way."

178

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

About this time a new agency came in to advance the
work of reform. One Lucian was sent to Zurich with some
cf Luther's writings by a friend of the reformed faith at
Basel, who suggested that the sale of these books might be a
powerful means of scattering the light. ''Ascertain," he
wrote to Zwingle, " whether this Lucian possesses a sufficient
share of discretion and address; if it shall appear that he
does, let him go from city to city, from town to town, from
village to village, nay, from house to house, all over Switzer-
land, carrying with him the writings of Luther, and espe-
cially the exposition of the Lord's prayer written for the
laity. The more it is known, the more purchasers will it
find." Thus the light found entrance.

At the time when God is preparing to break the shackles
of ignorance and superstition, then it is that Satan works
with greatest power to enshroud men in darkness, and to
bind their fetters still more firmly. As men were rising up
in different lands to present to the people forgiveness and
justification through the blood of Christ, Rome proceeded
with renewed energy to open her market throughout Chris-
tendom, offering pardon for money.

Every sin had its price, and men were granted free license
for crime, if the treasury of the church was kept well filled.
Thus the two movements advanced, — one offering forgive-
ness of sin for money, the other forgiveness through Christ;
Rome licensing sin, and making it her source of revenue ;
the reformers condemning sin, and pointing to Christ as the
propitiation and deliverer.

In Germany the sale of indulgences had been committed
to the Dominican friars, and was conducted bv the infamous
Tetzel. In Switzerland the traffic was put into the hands of
the Franciscans, under the control of Sampson, an Italian
monk. Sampson had already done good service to the
church, having secured immense sums from Germany and
Switzerland to fill the papal treasury. Now he traversed
Switzerland, attracting great crowds, despoiling the poor

THE SWISS REFORMER.

179

peasants of their scanty earnings, and exacting rich gifts
from the wealthy classes. But the influence of the reform
already made itself felt in curtailing, though it could not
stop, the traffic. Zwingle was still at Einsiedeln when Sam-
son, soon after entering Switzerland, arrived with his wares
at a neighboring town. Being apprised of his mission, the
reformer immediately set out to oppose him. The two did
not meet, but such was Zwinglc's success in exposing the
friar's pretensions that he was obliged to leave for other
quarters.

At Zurich, Zwingle preached zealously against the pardon-
mongers, and when Samson approached the place he was
met by a messenger from the council, with an intimation
that he was expected to pass on. He finally secured an en-
trance by stratagem, but was sent away without the sale of a
single pardon, and he soon after left Switzerland.

A strong impetus was given to the reform, by the appear-
ance of the plague, or the "great death," which swept over
Switzerland in the year 1519. As men were thus brought
face to face with the destrover, manv were led to feel how
vain and worthless were the pardons which they had so
lately purchased; and they longed for a surer foundation
for their faith. Zwingle at Zurich was smitten down; he
was brought so low that all hope of his recovery was relin-
quished, and the report was widely circulated that he w^as
dead. In that trying hour his hope and courage were un-
shaken. He looked in faith to the cross of Calvary, trusting
in the all-sufficient propitiation for sin. When he came
back from the gates of death, it was to preach the gospel
with greater fervor than ever before; and his words exerted
an unwonted power. The people welcomed with joy their
beloved pastor, returned to them from the brink of the
grave. They themselves had come from attending upon
the sick and the dying, and they felt, as never before, the
value of the gospel.

Zwingle had arrived at a clearer understanding of its

■'i «

180

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

truths, and had more fully experienced in himself its renew-
ing i)owcr. The fall of man and the plan of redemption
were the subjects upon which he dwelt. "In Adam," he
said, "wo are all dead, sunk in corruption and condemna-
tion." "But Christ has jjurchased for us an everlasting
deliverance." " Ilis i)assion is an eternal sacrifice, and has
a perpetual efficacy; it satisfies the divine justice forever
upon behalf of all who rely upon it with a firm, unshaken
faith." Yet he clearly taught that men are not, because of
the grace of Christ, free to continue in sin. "Wheresoever
there is faith in God, there God himself abides; and where-
soever God is, there is awakened a zeal which urges and
constrains men to good works."

Such was the interest in Zwingle's preaching that the
cathedral was filled to overflowing with the crowds that
came to listen to him. Little by little, as they could bear
it, he opened the truth to his hearers. He was careful not
to introduce, at first, points which would startle them and
create prejudice. His first work was to win their hearts to
the teachings of Christ, to soften them by his love, and keep
before them his example; and as they should receive +he
principles of the gospel, their superstitious beliefs and prac-
tices would inevitably bo overthrown.

Step by step the Reformation advanced in Zurich. In alarm
its enemies aroused to active opposition. One year before,
the monk of Wittenberg had uttered his "No" to the pope
and the emperor at Worms, and now everything seemed to
indicate a similar withstanding of the papal claims at Zu-
rich. Repeated attacks were made upon Zwingle. In the
popish cantons, from time to time, discii)les of the gospel
were brought to the stake, but this was not enough; the
teacher of heresy must be silenced. Accordingly the Bishop
of Constance dispatched three deputies to the Council of Zu-
rich, accusing Zwingle of teaching the people to transgress the
laws of the church, thus endangering the peace and good order
of society. If the authority of the church were to be set aside,

THE SWISS REFORMER.

181

he urged, universal anarchy would result. Zvvinglo replied
that he. had been for four years teacliing the gospel in Zu-
rich, "which was more quiet and peaceful than any other
town in tlie confederacy." "Is not then," he said, "Chris-
tianity the best safeguard of the general security'^"

The deputies had admonished tlio councillors to continue
in the church, out of which, they declared, there was no sal-
vation. Zwingle responded: "Tjct not this accusation move
you. The foundation of the church is the samo Rock, the
same Christ, that gave Peter his name because he confessed
him faithfully. In every nation whoever believes with all
his heart in the Lord Jesus is accepted of God. Here, truly,
is the church, out of which no one can be saved." As a
result of the conference, one of the bishop's deputies accepted
the reformed faith.

The council declined to take action against Zwingle, and
Rome prepared for a fresh attack. Tlie reformer, when ap-
prised of the plota of his enemies, exclaimed, "Let them
come on ; I fear them as the beetling cliff fears the waves
that thunder at its feet." The efforts of the ecclesiastics only
furthered the cause which they sought to overthrow. The
truth continued to spread. In Germany its adherents, cast
down by Luther's disappearance, took heart again, as they
saw the progress of the gospel in Switzerland.

As the Reformation became established in Zurich, its
fruits were more fully seen in the suppression of vice, and
the promotion of order and harmony. "Peace has her hab-
itation in our town," wrote Zwingle; "no quarrel, no hypoc-
risy, no envy, no strife. Whence can such union come but
from the Lord, and our doctrine, which fills us with the
fruits of peace and piety?"

The victories gained by the Reformation stirred the Ro-
manists to still more determined efforts for its overthrow.
Seeing how little had been accomplished by persecution in
suppressing Luther'u work in Germany, they decided to meet
the reform with its own weapons. They would hold a dis-

182

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

putation with Zwingle, and having the arrangement of
matters, they would make sure of victory by choosing, them-
selves, not only the place of the combat, but the judges that
should decide between the disputants. And if they could
once get Zwingle into their power, they would take care that
he did not escape thrm. The leader silenced, the move-
ment could speedily be crushed. This purpose, however,
was carefully concealed.

The disputation was appointed to be held at Baden ; but
Zwingle was not present. The Council of Zurich, suspect-
ing tiie designs of the papists, and warned by the burning
piles kindled in the popish cantons for confessors of the gos-
pel, forbade their pastor to expose himself to this peril. At
Zurich he was ready to meet all the partisans that Rome
might send; but to go to Baden, where the blood of martyrs
for the truth had just been shed, was to go to certain death.
(Ecolampadius and Haller were chosen to represent the
reformers, while the famous Doctor Eck, supported by a host
of learned doctors and prelates, was the champion of Rome.

Though Zwingle was not present at the conference, his
influence was felt. The secretaries were all chosen by the
jmpists, and others wore forbidden to take notes, on pain of
death. Notwithstanding this, Zwingle received daily a faith-
ful account of what was said at Baden. A student in attend-
ance at the disputation, made a record each evening of the
arguments that day presented. These papers two other stu-
dents undertook to deliver, with the daily letters of (Eco-
lampadius, to Zwingle at Zurich. The reformer answered,
giving counsel and suggestions. His letters were written by
night, and the students returned with them to Baden in the
morning. To elude the vigilance of the guard stationed at
the city gates, these messengers brought baskets of poultry
on their heads, and they were permitted to pass without
hindrance.

Thus Zwingle maintained the battle with his wily aritag-

'i¥

THE SWISS REFORMER.

183

onists. "He has labored more," said Myconius, "in medi-
tating upon and watching the contest, and transmitting his
advice to Baden, than he could have done by disputing in
the midst of his enemies."

The Romanists, flushed with anticipated triumph, had
come to Baden attired in their richest robes, and glittering
with jewels. They fared luxuriously, their tables spread
with the most costly delicacies and the choicest wines. The
burden of their ecclesiastical duties was lightened by gayety
and reveling. In marked contrast appeared the reformers,
who were looked upon by the people as little better than a
company of beggars, and whose frugal fare kept them but
short time at table. CEcolampadius' landlord, taking occa-
sion to watch him in his room, found him always engaged
in study or at prayer, and, greatly wondering, reported that
" the heretic was at least very pious."

At the conference, "Eck haughtily ascended a pulpit
superbly decorated, while the humble CEcolampadius, meanly
clad, sat facing his adversary, upon a rudely constructed
platform." Eck's stentorian voice and unbounded assur-
ance never failed him. His zeal was stimulated by the hope
of gold as well as fame; for the defender of the faith was to
be rewarded by a handsome fee. When better arguments
failed, he had resort to insults, and even to oaths.

CEcolampadius, modest and self-distrustful, had shrunk
from the combat, and he entered upon it with the solemn
avowal, " I recognize no other rule of judgment than the
Word of God." Though gentle and courteous in demeanor,
he proved himself able and unflinching. While the Roman-
ists, according to their wont, appealed for authority to the
customs of the chtirch, the reformer adhered steadfastly to
the Holy Scriptures. "In our Switzerland," he said, "custom
is of no force unless it be according to the constitution ; now
in all matters of faith, the Bible is our constitution."

The contrast between the two disputants was not without

184

THE GREAT dONTROVERSY.

effect. The calm, clear reasoning of the reformer, &o gently
and modestly presented, appealed to minds that turned in
disgust from Eck's boastful and boisterous assumptions.

The discussion continued eighteen days. At its close, the
papists with groat confidence claimed the victory. Most of
the deputies sided with Rome, and the Diet pronounced the
reformers vanquished, and declared that they, together with
Zwingle, their leader, were cut off from the church. But
the fruits of the conference revealed on which side the
advantage lay. The contest resulted in a strong impetus
to the Protestant cause, and it was not long afterward
that the important cities of Bern and Basel declared for
the Beformatiou.

ntly
d in

, the
3tof

the
vith
But

the
etus
'^ard

for

itl

S !

a:
<

CHAPTER X.

PROGRESS OF REFORM IN GERMANY.

Luther's mysterious disappearance excited consternation
throughout all Germany. Inquiries concerning him were
heard everywhere. The wildest rumors were circulated, and
many believed that ho had been murdered. There was
great lamentation, not only by his avowed friends, but by
thousands who had not openly taken their stand with the
Reformation. Many bound themselves by a solenm oath to
avenge his death.

The Romish leaders saw with terror to what a pitch had
risen the feeling against them. Though at first exultant at
the supposed death of Luther, they soon desired to hide
from the wrath of the people. His enemies had not been
so troubled by his most daring acts while among them as
they were at his removal. Those who in their rage had
sought to destroy the bold reformer, were filled with fear
now that he had become a helpless captive. " The only way
of extricating ourselves," said one, " is to light our torches,
and go searching through the earth for Luther, till we can
restore him to the nation that will have him." The edict
of the emperor seemed to fall powerless. The papal legates
were filled with indignation as they saw that it commanded
far less attention than did the fate of Luther.

The tidings that he was safe, though a prisoner, calmed
the fears of the people, while it still further aroused their
enthusiasm in his favor. His writings were read with greater
eagerness than ever before. Increasing numbers joined the
cause of the heroic man who had, at such fearful odds, de-
fended the Word of God. The Reformation was constantly

(185)

186

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

gaining in strength. The seed wliicli Lutlier luid sown
sj)rung up everywhere. Ili.s absence accomplisliecl a work
which liis presence would have failed to do. Other laborers
felt a new responsibility, now that their great loader was
removed. With new faith and earnestness they j)ressed for-
ward to do all in their {mwer, that the work so nobly begun
might not be hindered.

But Satan was not idle. PIo now attempted what he has
attempted in every other reformatory movement, — to deceive
and destroy the people by palming off upon them a counter-
feit in place of the true work. As there were false christs in
the first century of the Christian church, so there arose false
prophets in the sixteenth century.

A few men, deeply affected by the excitement in the re-
ligious world, imagined themselves to have received special
revelations from Heaven, and claimed to have been divinely
commissioned to carry forward to its completion the Refor-
mation which, they declared, had been but feebly begun
by Luther. In truth, they were undoing the very woik
which he had accomplished. They rejected the great prin-
ciple which was the very foundation of the Reformation, —
that the Word of God is the all-sufficient rule of faith and
practice; and for that unerring guide they substituted the
changeable, uncertain standard of their own feelings and
impressions. By this act of setting aside the great detector
of error and falsehood, the way was opened for Satan to con-
trol minds as best pleased himself.

One of these prophets claimed to have been instructed by
the angel Gabriel. A student who united with him forsook
his studies, declaring thai he had been endowed by God
himself with wisdom to expound his Word. Others who
were naturally inclined to fanaticism united with them.
The proceedings of these enthusiasts created no little excite-
ment. The preaching of Luther had aroused the people
■everywhere to feel the necessity of reform, and now some
really honest persons were misled by the pretensions of the
new prophets.

PROGRESS OF REFORM IN GERMANY.

187

The leaders of the movement proceeded to Wittenberg, and
urged their claims upon Melancthon and his co-hiborers.
Said they: "We are sent by God to teach the people. Wo
have received special revelations from (Jod himself, and
therefore know what is coming to pass. Wc are apostles and
prophets, and appeal to Doctor Luther us to the truth of
wliat we say."

The reformers were astonished and perplexed. This was
such an element as they had never before encountered, and
they knew not what course to pursue. Said Melancthon:
"There are indeed spirits of no ordinary kind in these m«'n;
but what spirits?" "On the one hand, let us Ixnvare of
quenching the Spirit of God, and on the other, of being
seduced by the spirit of Satan."

The fruit of the new teaching soon became a{)parent. The
people were led to neglect the Bible or to wholly cast it aside.
The schools were thrown into confusion. Students, spurn-
ing all restraint, abandoned their studies, and withdrew
from the university. The men who thought themselves
competent to revive and control the work of the Reforma-
tion, succeeded only in bringing it to the verge of ruin. The
Romanists now regained their confidence, and exclaimed
exultingly, "One more effort, and all will be ours."

Luther at the Wartburg, hearing of what had occurred*
said with deep concern, " I always expected that Satan would
send us this plague." He perceived the true character of
those pretended prophets, and saw the danger that threat-
ened the cause of truth. The opposition of the pope and
the emperor had not caused him so great peri)lexity and
distress as he now experienced. From the professed friends
of the Reformation had risen its worst enemies. The very
truths which had brought him so great joy and consolation
were being employed to stir up strife and create confusion in
the church.

In the work of reform, Luther had been urged forward
by the Spirit of God, and had been carried beyond himself.

188

THE GREAT CON TJiO VERS Y,

Ho hud not purposed to tuko such positions as ho tHd, or to
maivo so radical clian^os. Ho had boon hut tho instruiuont
in tho hand of inlinito j)owor. Yot Iio often tronil)lod for
tho result of his work. IIo had once said, "If I know that
my doctrine had injured ono hunuxn bciii^', however poor
and unknown, — whicli it could not, for it is tho very gos-
pel, — I would rather face death ten times over than not
retract it."

And now Wittenberg itself, the very center of the Refor-
mation, was fast fallini,^ under tho power of fanaticism and
lawlessness. This terrible conditic'Ti liad not resulted from
tho teachings of Luther; but throughout Germany his ene-
mies were charging it upon him. In bitterness of soul l»o
sometimes asked, "Can such bo tho end of this great work
of the Koformation?" Again, as ho wrestled with God in
prayer, peace flowed into his heart. "Tho work is not
mine, but thine own," ho said; "thou wilt not suflbr it to bo
corrupted by superstition or fanaticism." But tho thought
of remaining longer from the conflict in such a crisis, became
insupportable. lie determined to return to Wittenberg.

Without delay Ik^ set out on his perilous journey. He
was under tho ban of the empire. Enemies were at liberty
to take his life; friends were forbidden to aid or shelter him.
Tho imperial government was adopting the most stringent
measures against his adherents. But he saw that the work
of the gospel was imperiled, and in the name of the Lord he
went out fearlessly to battle for the truth.

In a letter to the elector, after stating his purpose to leave
tho Wartburg, Luther said: "Be it known to your highness
that I am repairing to Wittenberg under a protection more
powerful than that of an elector. I have no thought of so-
liciting the aid of your highness; and am so far from desiring
your protection that it is rather my purpose to protect your
highness. If I knew that your highness could or would
take up my defense, I would not come to Wittenberg. No
secular sword can advance this cause; God must do all,

PROaiiKSS OF KKFOliM m HERMANY.

189

without tho aid or ('o-o|)orntion of mnn. lie who has most
liiith is {\\i\ most availing (h'tcnsc."

ill a MCfoiwI litter, wiitd'ii oii tlm way to Wittonborg,
liUtlicr added: " Heliold iiic ready to Itear your liiglnicsM'
«lisa|»|»rol)ati<>M, and tlie au^T of tiie wiioli! world. Aro not
tlie \\'ittenl)er^^ers luy u\\\\ .slieep? Has not (Jod committed
tliem to /ay eare? and <ai^ljt 1 not, if need l)e, to hiy down
niv life for tliem? Besides, I dnad lest wo .should see,
throughout (Jerniany, a revolt by which (Jod Hhall punish
our nation."'

With great caution and humility, yet with decision and
iirmness, ho entered upon his work. " liy the Word," said
he, "we must refute and expel what has gained a placo and
induence by violence. 1 would not resort to force against
the super-stitious and unbelieving." "Let there bo no com-
j>ulsion. I have been laboring for liberty of conscience.
Liberty is of the very e.s.sence of faith."

It was soon noised through Wittenberg that Luther had
returned, and that he was to preach. The people flocked
from all directions, and the church was filled to overflowing.
Ascending the i>ulpit ho with great wisdom and gentleness
instructed, exhorted, and reproved. Touching the course of
some who had resorted to violent measures in abolishing
the mas.s, he said: —

" The ma.ss is a bad thing. God is opposed to it. It ought
to l)e abolished, and I would that everywhere the supper
of the gospel were established in its stead. But let none be
torn from it by force. Wo must leave results to God. It is
not ive that must work, but his Word. 'And why so?' you
will ask. Because the hearts of men aro not in my hand
as clay in the liand of the jjotter. We have a right to speak,
but none whatever to compel. Let us preach ; the rest belongs
to God. If I resort to force, what shall I gain? Grimace,
fair appearances, cramped uniformity, and hypocrisy. But
there will be no heartv sinceritv, no faith, no love. Where
these are wanting, all is wanting, and I would not give a

190

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

straw for such a victory. God does more by the simple
power of his Word than you and I and the whole world
could effect by all our efforts put together. God arrests the
heart, and that once taken, all is won."

"I am ready to preach, argue, write; but I will not con-
strain any one, for faith is but a voluntary act. Call to
mind what I have already done. I stood up against pope,
indulgences, and papists; but without violence or tumult.
I brought forward God's Word ; I preached and wrote, and
then I stopped. And while I laid mo down and slept, . .
the Word I had preacliod brought down the power of the
pope to the ground, so tli'it never prince or emperor had
dealt it such a blow. For my part I did next to nothing;
the power of the Word did tlio whole business. Had I
appealed to force, Germany miglit have been deluged with
blood. But what would have been the consequence? Ruin
and destruction of soul and body. Accordingly I kept quiet,
and let the Word run through the length and breadth of the
land."

Day after day, for a whole week, Luther continued to
preach to eager crowds. The Word of God broke the spell
of fanatical excitement. The power of the gospel brouglit
back the misguided people into the way of truth.

Luther had no desire to encounter the fanatics wliose
course had been productive of so great evil. He knew them
to be men of unsound judgment and undisciplined passions,
who, while claiming to be especially illuminated from Heaven,
would not endure the slightest contradiction, or even the
kindest reproof or counsel. Arrogating to themselves su-
preme authority, they re(|uired every one, without a ques-
tion, to acknowledge their claims. But as they demanded
an interview with him, he consented to meet them ; and so
successfully did he expose their pretensions, that the impos-
tors at once departed from Wittenberg.

The fanaticism was checked for a time; but several years
later it broke out with greater violence and more terrible

PROGRESS OF REFORM IN GERMANY.

191

results. Said Luther, concerning the leaders in this move-
ment : " To them the Holy Scriptures were but a dead letter,
iuid they all began to cry, 'The Spirit! the Spirit!' But
most assuredly I will not follow where their . spirit leads them.
May God in his mercy preserve me from a church in which
there are none but such saints. I wish to be in fellowship
with the humble, the feeble, the sick, who know and feel
their sins, and who sigh and cry continually to God from
the bottom of their hearts to obtain his consolation and
support."

Thomas Munzer, the most active of the fanatics, was a man
of considerable ability, which, rightly directed, would have
i-nabled him to do good; but he had not learned the first
]>rinciples of true religion. He imagined himself ordained
•of God to reform the world, forgetting, like many other
<_'iithusiasts, that the reform should begin with himself. He
was ambitious to obtain position and influence, and was un-
willing to be second, even to Luther. He declared that the
re formers, in substituting the authority of Scripture for that
of the pope, were only establishing a different form of popery.
He himself, he claimed, had been divinely commissioned to
introduce the true reform. "He who hath the Spirit," said
^lunzer, "hath true faith, although he should never once in
all his life see the Holy Scriptures."

The fanatical teachers gave themselves up to be governed
by impressions, regarding every thought and impulse as the
voice of God; consequently they went to great extremes.
8omo even burned their Bibles, exclaiming, "The letter
killcth, but the Spirit giveth life." Munzcr's teaching ap-
pealed to men's desire for the marvelous, while it gratified
their pride by virtually placing human ideas and opinions
above the Word of God. His doctrines were received by
thousands. He soon denounced all order in public worship,
and declared that to obey princes was to attempt to serve
both God and Belial.

The minds of the people, already beginning to throw off

111

192

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

the yoke of the papacy, were also becoming impatient under
the restraints of civil authority. Munzcr's revolutionary
teachings, claiming divine sanction, led them to break away
from all control, and give the rein to their prejudices and
passions. The most terrible scenes of sedition and strife fol-
lowed, and the fields of German v were drenched with blood.

The agony of soul which Luther had so long before ex-
perienced at Erfurt, now pressed upon him with redoubled
power as he saw the results of fanaticism charged upon the
Reformation. The papist princes declared — and man}' were
ready to credit the statement — that the rebellion was the
legitimate fruit of Luther's doctrines. Although this charge
was without the slightest foundation, it coulu not but cause
the reformer great distress. That the cause of trutli should
be thus disgraced by being ranked with the basest fanaticism,
seemed more than he could endure. On the other hand,
the leaders in the revolt hated Luther because he had not
only opposed their doctrines and denied their claims to
divine inspiration, but had pronounced them rebels against
the civil authority. In retaliation they denounced him as a
base pretender. He seemed to have brought upon himself
the enmity of both princes and people.

The Romanists exulted, expecting to witness the speedy
downfall of the Reformation; and they blamed Luther, even
for the errors which he had been most earnestly endeavoring
to correct. The fanatical part}', by falsely claiming to have
been treated with great injustice, succeeded in gaining the
sympathies of a large class of the people, and, as is often the
case with those who take the wror.g side, they came to be
regarded as martyrs. Thus the ones who were exerting
every energy in opposition to the Reformation were pitied
and lauded as the victims of cruelty and oppression. This
was the work of Satan, prompted by the same spirit of re-
bellion which was first manife3ted in Heaven.

Satan is constantly seeking to deceive men, and lead them
to call sin righteousness, and righteousness sin. How sue-

PROGRESS OF REFORM LV GERMANY.

193

cessful lias been his work ! How often censure and reproacli
are cast upon God's faithful servants because they will stand
fearlessly in defense of the truth! Men who are but agents
of Satan are praised and flattered, and even looked upon as
martyrs, while those who should bo respected and sustained
for their fidelity to God, are left to stand alonCj under sus-
picion and distrust.

Counterfeit holiness, spurious sanctiiication, is still doing
its work of deception. Under various forms it exhibits the
same spirit as in the days of Luther, diverting minds from
the Scriptures, and leading men to follow their own feelings
and im[)rcssions rather than to yield obedience to the law of
God. This is one of Satan's most successful devices to cast
reproach upon purity and truth.

Fearlessly did Luther defend the gospel from the attacks
which came from every quarter. The Word of God proved
itself a weapon mighty in every conflict. AV.th that Word
he warred against the usurped authority of the pope, and
the rationalist] '3 philosophy of the schoolmen, while he stood
firm as a rock against the fanaticism that sought to ally
itself with the Reformation.

Each of these opposing elements was in its own way set-
ting aside the Holy Scriptures, and exalting human wisdom
as the source of religious truth and knowledge. Rationalism
idolizes reason, and makes this the criterion for religion.
Romanism, claiming for her sovereign pontiff an inspiration
descended in unbroken line from the apostles, and unchange-
able through all time, gives ample opportunity for every
species of extravagance and corruption to bo concealed under
the sanctity of the apostolic commission. The inspiration
claimed by Munzer and his associates proceeded from no
higher source than the vagaries of the imagination, and its
influence was subversive of all authority, human or divine.
True Christianity receives the Word of God as the great treas-
ure-house of inspired truth, and the test of all inspiration.

Upon his return from the Wartburg, Luther completed

194

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

liis translation of the New Testament, and the gospel was
soon after given to the people of Germany in their own
language. This translation was received with great joy by all
who los^ed the truth; but it was scornfully rejected by those
who chose human traditions and the commandments of men.

The priests were alarmed at the thought that the common
people would now be able to discuss with them the precepts
of God's Word, and that their own ignorance would thus be
exposed. The weapons of their carnal reasoning were power-
less against the sword of the Spirit, Rome summoned all
her authority to prevent the circulation of the Scriptures;
but decrees, anathemas, and tortures were alike in vain.
The more she condemned and prohibited the Bible, the
greater was the anxiety of the people to know what it really
taught. All who could read were eager to study the Word
of God for themselves. The}^ carried it about with them,
tind read and re read, and could not be satisfied until they
had committed large portions to memory. Seeing the favor
with which the New Testament was received, Luther imme-
•diately began the translation of the Old, and published it in
parts as fast as completed.

Luther's writings were welcomed alike in city and in ham-
let. "Whatever Luthfr and his friends composed, others
disseminated far and wide. Monks who had been led to see
the unlawfulness of the monastic obligations, desirous of
exchanging a life of indolence for one of activity, but too
ignorant to be able themselves to proclaim tlie Word of God,
traversed the provinces, selling the writings of the reformer
and his friends. Germany was erelong overrun with these
enterprising colporters."

'.hese writings were studied with deep interest by rich and
poor, the learned and the ignorant. At night the teachers of
the village schools road them aloud to little groups gathered
at the fireside. With every effort, some souls would be con-
victed of the truth, and, receiving the word with gladness,
would in their turn tell the good news to others.

PROGRESS OF REFORM IN GERMANY.

195

The words of inspiration were verified : " The entrance of
thy words givotli light; it giveth understanding unto. the
simple.'" The study of the Scriptures was working a
mighty change in the minds and hearts of the people. The
papal rule had placed upon its subjects an iron yoke which
held them in ignorance and degradation. A superstitious
observance of forms had been scrupulously maintained ; but
in all their service the heart and intellect had had little part.
The preaching of Luther, seiting forth the plain truths of
God's Word, and then the Word itself, placed m the hands of
the common people, had aroused their dormant powers, not
only purifying and ennobling the spiritual nature, but im-
parting new strength and vigor to the intellect.

Persons of all ranks were to be seen with the Bible in
their hands, defending the doctrines of the Reformation.
The papists who had left the study of the Scriptures to the
priests and monks, now called upon them to come forward
and refute the new teachings. But, ignorant alike of the
Scriptures and of the power of God, priests and friars were
totally defeated by those whom they had denounced as
unlearned and heretical. "Unhappily," said a Catholic
writer, "Luther had persuaded his followers that their faith
ought only to be founded on the oracles of Holy Writ."
Crowds would gather to hear the truth advocated by men
of little education, and even discussed by them with learned
and eloquent theologians. The shameful ignorance of these
great men was made apparent as their arguments were met
by the simple teachings of God's Word. Laborers, soldiers,
women, and even children, were better acquainted with the
Bible teachings than were the priests and learned doctors.

The contrast between the disciples of the gospel and the
upholders of j^opish superstition was no less manifest in the
ranks of scholars than among the common people. " Op-
posed to the old defenders of the hierarchy, who had neg-
lected the acquirement of the languages and the cultivation
of literature, were generous-minded youths, most of them

»r8. 119:130.

19G

THE GREAT COrTROVERSY.

devoted to study and the investigicion of the Scriptures, and
acquainted with the literary treasures of antiquity. Gifted
with quickness of apprehension, elevation of soul, and in-
trepidity of heart, these youths soon attained such proficiency
that none could compete with them." " So that.on public
occasions, on which these youthful defenders of the Refor-
mation encountered the Romish doctors, their assaults were
carried on with an ease and confidence that embarrassed
the dullness cf their adversaries, and exposed them before
all to deserved contempt."

As the Romish clergy saw their congregations diminish-
ing, they invoked the aid of the magistrates, and by every
means in their power endeavored to bring back their hear-
ers. But the people had found in the new teachings that
which supplied the wants of their sou , and they turned
away from those who had so long fed them with the worth-
less husks of superstitious rites and human traditions.

When persecution was kindled against tho teachers of the
truth, they gave heed to the words of Christ, " When they
persecute you in this city, flee ye into another." ' The light
penetrated everywhere. The fugitives would find some-
where a hospitable door opened to them, and there abiding,
they would preach Christ, sometimes in the church, or, if
denied that privilege, in private houses or in the open air.
Wherever they could obtain a hearing was a consecrated
temple. The truth, proclaimed with such energy and assur-
ance, spread with irresistible power.

In vain both ecclesiastical and civil authorities were in-
voked to crush the heresy. In vain they resorted to impris-
onment, torture, fire, and sword. Thousands of believers
sealed their faith with their blood, and yet the work went
on. Persecution served only to extend the truth ; and the
fanaticism which Satan endeavored to unite with it, resulted
in makin'T niore clear the contrast between the work of Satan
and the work of God.

iMatt. 10:23.

CHAPTER XI.

PROTEST OF THE PRINCES.

One of the noblest testimonies ever uttered lor the Refor-
mation, was the Protest offered by the Christian princes of
Germany at the Diet of Spires in 1521). The courage, faith,
and firmness of those men of God, gaineil for succeeding
ages liberty of thought and of conscience. Their Protest
gave to the reformed church the name of Protestant; its
principles are the very essence of Protestantism.

A dark and threatening day had come for the Reforma-
tion. Notwithstanding the edict of Worms, declaring Luther
to be an outlaw, and forbidding the teaching or belief of his
doctrines, religious toleration had thus far prevailed in the
empire. God's i)rovidenco had held in check the forces that
opposed the truth. Charles V. was bent on crushing the
Reformation, but often as ho raised liis hand to strike, ho
had been forced to turn aside the blow. Again and again
the immediate destruction of all who dared to oj)poso them-
selves to Rome appeared inevitable; but at the critical mo-
ment the armies of the Turk appeared on the eastern frontier,
or the king of France, or even the pope himself, jealous of
the increasing greatness of the emperor, made war upon
him; and thus, amid the strife and tumult of nations, the
Reformation had been left to strengthen and extend.

At last, however, the papal sovereigns had stifled their
feuds, that they might make common cause against the
reformers. The Diet of Spires in 1520 had given each State
full liberty in matters of religion until the meeting of a
general council; but no sooner had the dangers passed which
secured this concession, than the emperor summoned a sec-

(197)

198

Tin: GREAT CONTROVERSY.

ond Diet to convenu at Spires in 1520 for the purpose of
crushing liercsy. The princes were to be induced, by peace-
able means if j)Ossiblc, to side against the Reformation; but
if tliese failed, Charles was f)repared to resort to the sword.

The papists were exultant. They ai)peared at Spires in
great numbers, and openly manifested their hostility toward
the reformers and all who favored them. Said Melancthon,
" We are the execration and the sweci)ings of the eartli ;
but Christ will look down on his j)oor people, and will pre-
serve them." The evangelical princes in attendance at the
Diet were forbidden even to have the gospel preached in
their dwellings. But the jicople of Spires thirsted for the
Word of God, and, notwithstanding the prohibition, thou-
sands flocked to the services held in the chapel of the Elector
of Saxony.

This hastened the crisis. iVn imperial message announced
to the Diet that as the resolution granting liberty of con-
science had given rise to great disorders, the emperor re-
quired that it be annulled. This arbitrary act excited the
indignation and alarm of the evangelical Christians. Said
one, "Christ has again fallen into the hands of Caiaphas and
Pilate." The Ilomanists became more violent. A bigoted
papist declared, "The Turks are better than tliQ Lutherans;
for the Turks observe fast-days, and the Lutherans violate
them. If we must, choose between the Holy Scriptures of
God and the old errors of the cliurch, we should reject the
former." Said Melancthon, "Every day, in full assembly,
Faber casts some new stone against the Gospellers."

Religious toleration had been legally established, and the
evangelical States were resolved to oppose the infringement
of their rights. Luther, being still under the ban imposed
by the edict of Worms, was not permitted to be present at
Spires; but his place was supplied by his co-laborers and
the princes whom God had raised up to defend his cause in
this emergency. The noble Frederick of Saxony, Luther's
former protector, had been removed by death; but Duke

PROTEST OF THE PRINCES.

19f>

Jolin, his brother and successor, had joyfully welcomed the
Reformation, and while a friend of peace, he displayed great
energy and courage in all matters relating to the interests
of the faith.

The priests demanded that the States which had accepted
the Reformation submit iini)licitly to Romish jurisdiction.
The reformers, on theotiier hand, claimed the liberty which
had previously been granted. They could not consent that
Rome should again bring under her control those States
that had with so great joy received the Word of (Jod.

As a compromise it was finally i)roposed that where the
Reformation had not become established, the edict of Worms
should bo rigorously enforced ; and that in the evangelical
States, where there would l)o danger of revolt, no new
reform should bo introduced, there should be no preaching
upon disputed points, the celebration of the mass should not
be opposed, and no Roman Catholic should be permitted to
embrace Lutheranism. This measure passed the Diet, to
the great satisfaction of the popish priests and prelates.

If this edict were enforced, the Reformation could neither
be extended where as yet it had not reached, nor be estab-
lished on a firm foundation where it already existed. Lib-
erty of speech would be prohibit(Ml. No conversions would
be allowed. And to these restrictions and prohibitions the
friends of the Reformation were required at once to submit.
The hopes of the world seemed about to bo extinguished.
The re-establishment of the papal worship would inevitably
cause a revival of the ancient abuses; and an occasion would
readily be found for completing the destruction of a work
that had already been shaken by fanaticism and dissension.

As the evangelical party met for consultation, one looked
to another in blank dismay. From one to another passed
the inquiry, "What is to be done?" Mighty issues for the
world were at stake. " Should the chiefs of the Reformation
submit, and accept the edict? How easily might the reform-
ers at this crisis, which was truly a tremendous one, have

200

THE Gli£AT CONTROVERSY.

.argULMl thenisclves into a wrong course! How many plaus-
ible pretexts and fair reasons might they have found for
submission! Tlu^ Lutheran princes were guaranteed the
free exercise of their religion. The same boon was extended
to all those of their subjects who, prior to the passin^r of the
measure, had endjniced the reformed views. Ought not
this to content them? Il(nv many perils would submission
avoid! On what unknown hazards and conflicts would
opposition launch them! Who knows what opportunities
the future may bring? Let us embrace peace; let us seize
the olive-branch Rome holds out, and close the wounds of
(iermany. With arguments like these might the reformers
liave justified their adoption of a course which would have
assuredly issued in no long time in the overthrow of their
cause.

"Happily they looked at the principle on which this arrange-
ment was based, and they acted in faith. What was that prin-
ciple? — It was the right of Rome to coerce conscience and for-
bid free inquiry. But were not themselves and their Prot-
estant subjects to enjoy religious freedom? — Yes, as a favor,
specially stipulated for in the arrangement, but not as a
right. As to all outside that arrangement, the great prin-
ciple of authority was to rule ; conscience was out of court,
Rome was infallible judge, and must be obeyed. The accept-
. ance of the proposed arrangement would have been a virtual
admission that religious liberty ought to be confined to
reformed Saxony ; and as to all the rest of Christendom, free
inquiry and the profession of the reformed faith were crimes,
and must be visited with the dungeon and the stake.
Could they consent to localize religious liberty? to have it
proclaimed that the Reformation had made its last convert,
had subjugated its last acre? and that wherever Rome bore
sway at this hour, there her dominion was to be perpetu-
ated? Could the reformers have pleaded that they were
innocent of the blood of those hundreds and thousands who,
.in pursuance of this arrangement, would have to yield up

PROTEST OF Tin: PlilXCKS.

201

their Hvoh in i)0|)isli lands? This would litivo boon to botray
at that HUpronio hour, tiio oauso of tho gospel, and the liber-
ties of Christondoni." Katiier would thev sacritiee their
dominions, their titles, and their own lives.

"Lot us reject this decree," said the princes. " In matters
of conscience tho majority has no power." The dejmties
<leclared that Germany was indebted to the decree of tolera-
tion for the peace which she enjoyed, and that its abolition
would fill the empire with troubles and divisions. "The
Diet is incompetent," said they, "to do more than preserve
religious liberty until a council meets." To protect liberty
of conscience is the duty of the State, and this is tholimitof
its authority in matters of religion. Every secular govorn-
mont that attempts to regulate or enforce religious observ-
ances by civil authority is sacrilicing the very j)rinciple for
which the evangelical Christians so nobly struggled.

The papists determined to put down what they termed
daring obstinacy. They began by endeavoring to cause
divisions among the supporters of the Reformation, and to
intimidate all who had not openly declared in its favor. The
representatives of the free cities were at last summoned before
the Diet, and required to declare whether they would accede
to the terms of the proposition. They pleaded for delay,
but in vain. When brought to the test, nearly one-half their
number sided with the reformers. Those who thus refused
to sacritiee liberty of conscience and the right of individual
judgment well knew that their position marked them for
future criticism, condemnation, and persecution. Said one
of the delegates, " \\^e must either deny the Word of God
or — be burned."

King Ferdinand, the emperor's representative at the Diet,
saw that the decree would cause serious divisions unless the
princes could be induced to accept and sustain it. He there-
fore tried the art of persuasion, well knowing that to employ
force with such men would only render them the more deter-
mined. He begged them to accept the decree, assuring them

202

THE GREAT CONTliOVERSY,

that such an act wouM ])o highly ^ratit'viii^ to tlio criiporor.
iiiit tlioso faithful men acknowlodjj^cil an authority ahovo
that of oartiily rulers, and they answcrcMl c ahuly, " We will
obey tho ('iniK'r(;r in everything that may contributo to
maintain pcaco and the honor of (Jod."

In the presonco of tho Diet, the kin^ at la.st announced
that the decree was about to be |>ubli.she(l as an imperial
edict, and thatth(> only c»)urse remaining for th(! elector and
hi.s friend.s was to submit to tho majority. Having thus
spoken, he withdrew from the assembly, giving the reformers
no opportunity for deliberation or reply. In vain they sent
messengers entreating him to return. Totheir remonstrances
ho answered only, "It is a settled affair; submission is all
that remains."

The imperial party were convinced that tho Christian
princes wouhl adhere to the Holy Scriptures as superior to
human <loctrines and refiuirements; and they knew that
wherever this principle was accepted, the papacy would
eventually bo overthrown. But, like thousands since their
time, looking only "at the things which are seen," they flat-
tered themselves that the cause of tho emperor and tho pope
was strong, and that of tho reformers weak. Had the re-
formers depended upon human aid alone, they would have
been as powerless as tho papists supposed. But though
weak in numbers, and at variance with Kome, they had
their strength. They a[)pealed from tho decision of the
Diet to the Scriptures of truth, and from the emperor of Ger-
many to tho King of Heaven and earth.

As Ferdinand had refused to regard their conscientious
convictions, tho princes decided not to heed his absence, but
to bring their Protest before the national council without
delay. A solemn declaration was therefore drawn up, and
presented to tho Diet: —

"Wo protest by these presents, before God, our only Crea-
tor, Preserver, Redeemer, and Saviour, and who will one day
be our Judge, as w'ell as before all men and all creatures,

n
►t

H
H

s
s

t— 1
K

" "lj^""''^(

^^I^J

■^1 \/ • .'f i V.,-

v>, «>

♦^. -p-/^-

..'^.

.-A' :^'^

$!E?^^'^iK- • L>

riiSR»»rif7^'

PROTEST OF THE PRINCES.

203

that \vc, for lis and our people, neither consent nor adhere in
any manner wliatevcr to the proposed decree in anything
tliat is contrary to God, to his Word, to our right conscience,
or to the salvation of our souls. . . . AVe cannot assert
that when Almighty God calls a man to his knowledge, he
dare not embrace that divine knowledge. . . . There is
no true doctrine but that which conforms to the Word of God.
The Lord forbids the teaching of any other faith. Tho
Holy Scriptures, with one text explained by other and
plainer texts, are, in all tilings necessary for the Christian,
easy to be understood, and adapted to enlighten. Wo are
therefore resolved by divine grace to maintain the pure
preaching of God's only Word, as it is contained in tho script-
ures of the Old and New Testaments, without anything
added thereto. This word is the only truth. It is the sure
rule of all doctrine and life, and can never fail or deceive
us. He wlio builds on this foundaiion shall stand against
all the powers of hell, v.'hilst all the vanities that are set up
against it shall fall before the face of God." "We therefore
reject tho yoke that is imposed upon us." "At the same
time Ave are in expectation that his imjjerial majesty will
behave toward us like a Christian prince who loves God
above all things; and we declare ourselves ready to pay
unto him, as well as unto 3'ou, gracious lords, all the affec-
tion and obedience that are our just and legitimate duty."

A deep impression was made upon the Di(>t. The major-
ity were filled with amazement and alarm at the boldness of
the protesters. The future appeared to them stormy and
uncertain. Dissension, strife, and bloodshed seemed inevit-
able. But the reformers, assure<l of tho justice of their
cause, and relying upon the arm of Onniipoteiice, were full
of courage and firmness.

Tho Protest denied the right of civil rulers to legislate in
matters between the soul and God, and declared with proph-
ets and ajKistles, "We ought to obey God rather than men."
It rejected also the arbitrary power of the church, and set

204

THE GREAT COXTROTERSY.

forth the unerring princii)le tliat all human teaching should
be in subjection to the oracles of God. The protesters had
thrown off the yoke of man's supremacy, and had exalted
Christ as supreme in the church, and his AVord in the pulpit.
The power of conscience was set above the State, and the
authority of the Holy Scri[)tures above the visible church.
The crown of Christ was uplifted above the pope's tiara
and the emperor's diadem. Tiio protesters had moreover
aftirmed their right to freely utter their convictions of truth.
They would not only believe and obey, but teach what the
Word of God presents, and they denied the right of priest
or magistrate to interfere. The Protest of Spires was a sol-
emn witness against religious intolerance, and an assertion
of the right of all men to worship God according to the dic-
tates of their own consciences.

The declaration had been made. It was written in the
memory of thousands, and registered in the books of Heaven,
where no effort of man could erase it. All evangelical
Germany adopted the Protest as the expression of its faith.
Everywhere men beheld in this declaration the promise of a
new and better era. Said one of the princes to the Prot-
estants of Spires, " May the Almighty, who has given you
grace to confess energetically, freely, and fearlessly, preserve
you in that Christian firmness until the day of eternity."

Had the Reformation, iifter attaining a degree of success,
consented to temporize to secure favor with the world, it
would have been untrue to God and to itself, and would thus
have insured its own destruction. The experience of those
noble reformers contains a lesson for all succeeding ages. Sa-
tan's manner of working against (Jod and his Word has
not changed; he is still as much opposed to the Scriptures
being made the guide of life as in the sixteenth century. In
our time there is a wide tleparture from their doctrines and
precepts, and there is need of a return to the great Prot-
estant principle, — the Bible, and the Bible only, as the rule
of faith and duty. Satan is still working through every

PROTEST OF THE PRINCES.

205

means whidi ho can control to destroy religious liberty.
The antichristian power which the protesters of Spires
rejected, is now with renewed vigor seeking to re-establish
its lost supremacy. The same unsM'crving adlierenco to the
Word of God manifested at that crisis of the Reformation, is
the only hope of reform to-day.

There appeared tokens of danger to the Protestants. There
were tokens, also, that the divine hand was stretched out to
protect the faithful. It was about this time that Melancthon
hurried his friend Gryna?us through the streets of Spires to
the Rhine, and urged him to cross the river without delay.
Grynieus, in astonishment, desired to know the reason for
thissudden flight. Said ^lelancthon, "An old man of grave
and solemn asi:)ect,but who is unknown to me, a})peared before
me, and said, ' In a minute the officers of justice will be
sent by Ferdinand to arrest Gryna^us.'" On the banks of
the Rhine, Melancthon waited until the waters of that stream
interposed between his beloved friend and those who sought
his life. When ho saw him on the other side at last, he
said, "lie is torn from the cruel jaws of tliose Avho thirst for
innocent blood."

Gryna}us had been on intimate terms with u leading papist
doctor; but, having been shocked at one of his sermons, he
went to him, and entreated that he would no longer war
against the trutli. The papist concealed his anger, but im-
mediately repaired to the king, and obtained from him
authority to arrest the protester. AVhen Melancthon re-
turned to his house, he was informed tliat after his depart-
ure officers in pursuit of Gryna'us had searched it from top
to bottom. He ever believed that the Lord had saved his
friend by sending a holy angel to give him warning.

The Reformation was to bo brought into greater prom-
inence before the mighty ones of the earth. The evangelical
princes had been denied a hearing by King Ferdinand; but
they were to be granted an opportunity to present their
cause in the presence of the emperor and the assembled

206

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

<ligiiitaries of Church and State. To quiet the dissensions
Aviiich disturbed the empire, Cliarles V., in tlie year follow-
ing the Protest of Spires, convoked a Diet at Augsburg, over
which he announced his intention to preside in i)erson.
Thither the Protestant leaders "vvcro summoned.

Great dangers threatened the Keforniition; but its advo-
cates still trusted their cause with God, and i)ledged them-
selves to be firm to the gospel. The Elector of Saxony was
urged by his councillors not to appear at the Diet. The
emperor, they said, required the attendance of the princes
in order to draw them into a snare. "Was it not risking
everything to shut oneself up within the walls of a city with
a powerful enemy?" But others nobly declared, " Let the
princes only comport tlicinselves with courage, and God's
cause is saved." "Our God is faithful; he will not abandon
us," said Luther. The elector set out, with his retinue, for
Augsburg. All were actpiainted with the dangers that
menaced him, and many went forward with gloomy counte-
nance and troubled heart. But Luther — wlio accompanied
them as far as Coburg — revived their sinking faith by sing-
ing the hymn, written on that journey, — "A strong tower is
our God." ISfany r.n nnxious foreboding was banished,
anany a heavy heart lightened, at the sound of the in:jpiring
strains.

The reformed princes liad determined upon having a
statement of their views in systematic form, witli the evi-
dence from the Scriptures, to present before the Diet; and
the task of its preparation was committed to Luther, Melanc-
thon, and their associates. This Confession was accepted by
the Protestants as an exposition of their faith, and they
assembled to affix their names to the important document.
It was a solemn and trvinc: time. The reformers were solic-
itous that tlieir cause sliould not be confounded with polit-
ical questions; they felt that the Reformation should exer-
cise no other influence tlian that wliich proceeds from
the Word of God, As the Christian })rinces advanced to

PROTEST OF THE PRIXCES.

207

fign the Confession, Meluncthon intori)osed, saying, "It is
for the tlieologians and ministers to propose these things,
A\hile tlie authority of the niiglity ones of earth is to be
reserved for other matters." "God forbid," replied John of
Saxony, "tluit you should exclude me. I am resolved to
do my duty, without being troubled about my crown. I
desire to confess the Lord. M}' electoral hat and robes are
not so precious to me as the cros« of Jesus Christ." Having
thus spoken he Avroto down his name. Said another of the
j)rinces as he took the pen, "If tiie honor of my Lord Jesus
Christ recpiires it, I am ready to leave my goods and life
behind me." "Rather would I renounce my subjects and
my States, rather would I (piit the country of my fathers,
staff in hand," he continued, "tlian to receive any other doc-
trine than is contained in this Confession." Such w^as the
faith and daring of those men of God.

The appointed time came to api)ear before the emperor.
Charles \ ., seated upon his throne, surrounded by the
electors an<l the princes, gave audience to the Protestant re-
formers. The confession of their faith was read. In that au-
gust asseml)ly the truths of the gospel were clearly set forth,
and the errors of the papal church were i)ointed out. Well
has that day been pronounced "the greatest day of the Refor-
mation, and one of the most glorious in the history of Chris-
tianity and of the world."

But a few years had passed since the monk of Witten-
berg stood alone at Worms before the national council.
^^)\v in his stead were the noblest and most powerful princes
of the eni[)ire. Luther had been forbidden to appear at
Augsburg, but he had Ijeen present by his words and
prayers. " I tiirill with joy," he wrote, ''that I have lived until
this hour, in which Christ has been i)ublicly exalted by such
illustriou.'-' ,'onfessors, andinso glorious an assembly. Herein
is fulfilled what the Scripture saith, 'I vvill declare thy testi-
mony in the presence of kings.'"

In the days of Paul, the gospel for which he was impris-

208

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

oiied was thus brought before the princes und nobles of
th^ imperial city. So on tliis occasion, "that which the em-
pe iV had forbidden to bo preached from the pulpit, was pro-
claimed in the palace; what many had regarded as unfit
even for servants to listen to, was heard with wonder by the
masters and lords of the empire. Kings and great men
were the auditory, crowned princes were the preachers, and
the sermon was the royal trutii of God." "Since the apos-
tolic age," says a writer, " there has never been a greater
work, or a more magnificent confession of Jesus Christ."

"All that the Lutherans have said is true, and we cannot
deny it," declared a papist bishop. " Can you by sound rea-
sons refute the Confession made by the elector and his
allies?" asked another, of Doctor Eck. "Not with the writ-
ings of the apostles and prophets," was the reply; "but with
the Fathers and councils I can." "I understand, then,"
responded the cjuestioner, " that the Lutherans are entrenched
in the Scriptures, and we are only outside." Some of the
princes cf Germany were won to the reformed faith. The
emperor himself declared that the Protestant articles were
but the truth. The Confession was translated into many
languages, and circulated through all Europe, and it lias
been accepted by millions in succeeding generations as the
expression of their faith.

God's faithful servants were not toiling alone. While
"principalities and powers and wicked s})irits in high places"
were leagued against them, the Lord did not forsake his
people. Could their eyes have been opened, they would
have seen as marked evidence of divine i)rosence and aid
as was granted to a prophet of old. When Elisha's servant
pointed his master to the hostile army surrounding them,
and cutting off all opportunity for escape, the prophet prayed,
"Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see."' And,
lo,the mountain was filled with chariots and horses of fire, the
army of Heaven stationed to protect the man of God. Thus
did angels guard the workers in the cause of the Reformation.

» 2 Kings 6: 17.

PROTEST OF THE PRINCES.

209

One of the princii)les most firmly maintained by Luther
was that there should bo no resort to secular power in sup-
port of the Reformation, and no appeal to arms for its de-
fense. He rejoiced that the gospel was confessed by princes
of the empire; but when they proposed to unite in a defensive
league, he declared that " the doctrine of the gospel should
be defended by God alone. The loss men meddle in the
work, the more striking would l)o God's intervention in its
behalf. All the political precautions suggested were, in his
view, attributable to unworthy fear and sinful mistrust."

When powerful foes were uniting to overthrow the re-
formed faith, and thousands of swords seemed about to bo
unsheathed against it, Luther wrote: "Satan is raging;
ungodly priests take counsel together, and wo are threatened
with war. Exhort the people to contend earnestly before
the throne of the Lord, by faith and prayer, that our adver-
saries, being overcome by the Spirit of God, may be con-
strained to peace. The most urgent of our wants — the very
first thing we have to do, is to pray; let the people know
that they are at this hour exposed to the edge of the sword
and the rage of the devil; let them prayy

Again, at a later date, referring to the league contemplated
by the reformed piinces, he declared that the only weapon
employed in this warfr.re should be "the sword of the
Spirit." He wrote to the Elector of Saxony: "We cannot
in our conscience approve of the proposed alliance. Our
Lord Christ is mighty enough, and can well find ways and
means to rescue us from danger, and bring the thoughts of
the ungodly princes to nothing. . . . Christ is only try-
ing us whether we are willing to obey his word or no, and
whether we hold it for certain truth or not. We would
rather die ten times over than that the gospel should be a
cause of blood or hurt by any act of ours. Let us rather
patiently suffer, and, as the psalmist saj^s, be accounted as
sheep for the slaughter; and instead of avenging or defend-
ing ourselves, leave room for God's wrath." " The cross of

II'

210

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

Christ must be borne. Let your highness be without fear.
We shall do more by our prayers than all our enemies by
their boastings. Only let not your hands be stained with
the blood of your brethren. If the emperor requires us to
be given up to his tribunals, we arc ready to appear. You
cannot defend the faith ; each one should believe at his own
risk and j)eril."

From the secret place of prayer came the power that shook
the world in the Great Reformation. There, with holy calm-
ness, the servants of the Lord set their feet upon the rock of
his promises. During the struggle at Augsburg, Luther did
not fail to devote tiiree hours each day to prayer; and these
were taken from that portion of the day most favorable to
study. In the privacy of his chamber he was heard to
pour out his soul before God in words full of adoration,
fear, and hope, as if speaking to a friend. " I know that
thou art our Father and our God," he said, "and that thou
wilt scatter the persecutors of thy children; for thou art thy-
self endangered with us. All this matter is thine, and it is
only by thy constraint that we have put our hands to it.
Defend us, then, O Father!" To Melancthon, who was
crushed under the burden of anxiety and fear, he wrote:
"Grace and peace in Clirist! In Christ, I say, and not in the
world. Amen! I hate with exceeding hatred those extreme
cares which consume you. If the cause is unjust, abandon
it; if the cause is just, why should wo belie the promises of
Him who commands us to sleep without fear?" "Christ
will not be wanting to the work of justice and truth. He
lives, he reigns; what fear, then, can we have?"

God did listen to the cries of his servants. He gave to
princes and ministers grace and courage to maintain the
truth against the rulers of the darkness of this world.
Saith the Lord, " Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner-stone,
elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be
confounded." ' The Protestant reformers had built on Christ,
and the gates of hell could not prevail against them.

U Peter 2: 6.

CHAPTER XII.

THE FRENCH REFORMATION.

The Protest of Spires and the Confession at Augsburg,
M'hich marked the triumph of the Reformation in Germany,
were followed by years of conflict and darkness. Weakened
by divisions among its supporters, and assailed by powerful
foes, Protestantism seemed destined to be utterly destroyed.
Thousands sealed their testimony with their blood. Civil
war broke out; the Protestant cause was betrayed by one of
lis leading adherents; the noblest of the reformed princes
fell into the hands of the emperor, and were dragged as
captives from town to town. But in the moment of his
apparent triumph, the emperor was smitten with defeat.
He saw the prey wrested from his grasp, and he was forced
at last to grant toleration to the doctrines which it had been
the ambition of his life to destroy. Ho hud staked his king-
dom, his treasures, and life itself, uj)on the crushing out of
the heresy. Now he saw his armies wasted by battle, his
treasuries drained, his many kingdoms threatened by revolt,
while everywhere the faith which he had vainly endeavored
to suppress, was extending. Charles V. had been battling
against omnipotent power. God had said, "Let there be
light," but the emperor had sought to keep the darkness
unbroken. His purposes had failed, and in premature old
age, worn out with the long struggle, he abdicated the
throne, and buried himself in a cloister.

In Switzerland, as in Germany, there came dark days for
the Reformation. While many cantons accepted the re-
formed faith, others clung with blind persistence to the
creed of Rome. Their persecution of those who desired to
receive the truth, finally gave rise to civil war. Zwingle

(211)

1 i

212

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

and many who had united with him in reform, fell on the
bloody field of Cappel. Gicolampadius, overcome by these
terrible disasters, soon after died. Rome was triumphant,
and in many places seemed about to recover all that she had
lost. But lie whose counsels are from everlasting had not
forsaken his cause or his people. His hand would l)ring
deliverance for them. In other lands he had raised up
laborers to carry forward the reform.

In France, before the name of Luther had been heard as
a reformer, the day had already begun to break. One of
tho first to catch the light was the aged Lefevre, a man of
extensive learning, a professor in tho University of Paris,
and a sincere and zealous papist. In his researches into
ancient literature his attention was directed to the Bible^
and he introduced its study among his students. Lefevre
was an enthusiastic adorer of the saints, and he had un-
dertaken to prepare a history of the saints and martyrs,
as given in the legends of the church. This was a work
which involved great labor, but he had already made con-
siderable progress in it, when, thinking that lie might obtain
useful assistance from the Bible, he began its study with
this object. Here indeed he found saints brought to view,
but not such as figured in the Ilomish calendar. A flood of
divine light broke in upon his mind. In amazement and
disgust he turned away from his self-appointed task, and
devoted himself to the Word of God. The precious truths
which he there discovered, he soon began to teach. In 1512,
before either Luther or Zwinglo had begun the work of
reform, Lefevre wrote: "It is God who gives us, by faith,
that righteousness which by grace justifies unto eternal life."
Dwelling upon the mysteries of redemption, he exclaimed,^
"Oh, the unspeakable greatness of that exchange, — the Sin-
less One is condemned, and he who is guilty goes free ; the
Blessing bears the curse, and the curse is brought into bless-
ing; the Life dies, and the dead live; the Glory is whelmed
in darkness, and he who knew nothing but confusion of face
is clothed with glory."

THE FliEXCTI REFORM A TWN.

213

And wliilo tc'iichijip^ tliat tho glory of snlvation belongs
eoh'ly to Go<i, lie also (hrlarcil that the duty of olu'ditMico
belong."-: to man. "If thou art a nicinbcr of Christ's chuiv'h,"
Ijc said, "tliou art a nicnibcr of his body; if thou art of his
body, then thou art full of tho divine nature." "Oh, if men
could l)Ut enter into the understanding of this privilege,
how purely, chastely, and liolily, would they live, and how
conteni[)tible, when com[)ared with the glory within them, —
that glory which tho eye of flesh cannot see, — wouhl thoy
deem all the glory of this world."

There were some among Lefevre's students wlio listened
eagerly to his words, and who, long afti'r tho teacher's voice
should 1)0 silenced, were to continue to declare the truth.
♦Such was William Farel. Tho son of i)ious })arents, and
educated to accept with implicit faith the teachings of the
church, lie might, with tho apostle Paul, liave declared con-
cerning himself, "After tho most straitest sect of our religion
I lived a Pharisee."' A devoted Romanist, lie burned with
zeal to destroy all who should daro to oppose the church.
" I would gnash my teeth like a furious wolf," lie afterward
said, referring to this period of his life, "when I heard any
one speaking against the pope." lie had been untiring in
his adoration of the saints, in company with Lefevre making
the round of the churches of Paris, worshiping at the altars,
and adorning with gifts the holy shrines. But these observ-
ances could not bring peace of soul. Conviction of sin
fastened upon him, which all the acts of penance that he
practiced, failed to banish. As a voice from Heaven, he
listened to the reformer's words: "Salvation is of grace.
The Innocent One is condemned, and the criminal is acquit-
ted." " It is the cross of Christ alone that openeth the gates
of Heaven, and shutteth the gates of hell."

Farel joyfully accepted the truth. By a conversion like
that of Paul, he turned from the bondage of tradition to the
libertv of the sons of God. " Instead of the murderous heart
of a ravening wolf," he came back, he says, "quietly, like a

'Acts 20:5.

214

TUIJ UHKAT CONTROVERSY,

meek and luinnk'ss lainb, liuvin^ liis heart entirely with-
drawn from the pope, and ^iven to Jesus Clirist."

While Lefevro continued to spread the lijrjit among liis
students, Farel, as zealous in the cause of Christ as ho had
been in that of the poi»e, went forth to declare the truth in
public. A difi^nitarv of the church, the bishop of Meaux,
soon after united with them. Other teachers who ranked
high for their ability and learning, joined in ])ro('laiming the
j^ospel, and it won adherents among all classes, from the
homes of artisans and peasants to the palace of the king.
The .sister of Francis I., then the reigning monarch, accej>ted
the reibrme<l faith. The king lums(>lf, and the (lueen mother,
appeared for a time to regard it with favor, and with high
hopes the ref(>rmers looked forward to the time when France
should he won to the gospel.

But their hopes were not to bo realized. Trial and por-
.sccution awaited the disciples of Christ. This, however,
was mercifully veiled from their eyes. A time of peace
intervened, that they might gain strength to meet the tempest;
and the Reformation made rapid i)r()gress. The bishoi) of
Meaux labored zealously in his own diocese to instruct both
the clergy and the people. Ignorant and immoral priests
were removed, and, so far as possible, replaced by men of
learning and piety. The bishop greatly desired that his
people might have access to the Word of God for themselves,
and this was soon accomplished. Lefevre undertook the
transhition of the New Testament, and at the very time
when Luther's German Bible was issuing from the press in
Wittenberg, the French New Testament was published at
Meaux. The bishop spared no labor or expense to circulate
it among his parishes, and soon the peasants of Meaux were
in possession of the Holy Scriptures.

As travelers perishing from thirst welcome with joy a
living water-spring, so did these souls receive the message of
Heaven. The laborers in tlie field, the artisans in the work-
shop, cheered their daily toil by talking of the precious

THE FHKXril UK FOR MA T/OX.

215

truths of tho Hible. At evening, iiistoa<l of rosortinpf to tlie
wine shops, tlicy assomlth'd in each «»thor's lioiius to read
ChhVs Word and join in prayer and praise. A ^M'cat ciiango
was soon nianitest in thcso connimnitics. Though hclong-
ing to tho linnii)lost chiss, an nnlcarncd and hard-working
peasantry, tiio reforming, nplifting power of (Hvini; graeo was
seen in their lives. ]Iund)ie, loving, and holy, they stood as
witnesses to what tlic gospel will accomplish for those who
receive it in sincerity.

Tho light kindled at Meaux shed its beams afar. Every
day the number of converts was increasing. The rage of
tho hierarchy was for a time held in check by the king, who
despised tho narrow bigotry of the monks ; but the papist
leaders finally prevailed. Now tho stake was set up. The
bishop of Meaux, forced to choose between the fire and recan-
tation, accepted the easier path; hnt notwithstanding tho
leaderVs fall, his flock remained steadfast. Many witnessed
for tho trnth amid the flames. By their courage and fidelity
at tho stake, these humble Christians spoke to thousands
who in days of peace had never heard their testimony.

It was not alone tho humble and tho })Oor, that amid
suffering and scorn dared to bear witness for Christ. In the
lordly halls of tho castle and the palace, there were kingly
souls by whom truth was valued above wealth or rank or
even life. Knightly armor concealed a loftier and more
steadfast spirit than did the bishop's robe and mitre. Louis
do Berquin was of noble birtli. A bravo and courtly knight,
ho was devoted to study, polished in manners, and of blame-
less morals. "He was," says a writer, "a great follower of
the papistical constitutions, and a great hearer of masses
and sermons." "And he crowned all his other virtues by
holding Lutheranism in special abhorrence." But, like so
many others, providentially guided to the Bible, he was
amazed to find there, not the teachings of j)opery,but the
doctrines of Luther. Henceforth he gave himself, with
entire devotion, to the cause of the gospel.

216

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

"The most learned of the nobles of France," his genius
and eloquence, his indomitable courage and heroic zeal, and
his influence at court — for he was a favorite with the king —
caused him to be regarded l)y many as one destined to be the
reformer of liis country. Said Beza, "Berquin would have
been u second Luther, had ho found in Francis I. a second
elector." "He is worse than Luther," cried the papists.
More dreaded he was indeed by the Romanists of France.
Tliey thrust him in 2)risMri as a heretic, but he was set at
liberty by the king. For years the struggle continued.
Francis, wavering between Home and the Reformation,
alternately tolerated and restrained the fierce zeal of the
monks. Berquin was three times imprisoned by the papist
authorities, only to be released by tlie monarch, who, in
admiration of his genius and his nobility of character,
refused to sacrifice him to the malice of the hierarchy.

Berquin was rei)eatedly warned of tl»o danger that threat-
ened him in France, and urged to follow the steps of those
who had found safety in voluntary exile. The timid and
time-serving Erasmus — who with all the splendor of his
scholarship failed of that moral greatness which holds life
and honor subservient to truth — wrote to Berquin: "Ask to
be sent as ambassador to some foreign country; go and
travel in Germany. You know Beda and such as he — he is
a thousand-headed monster, darting venom on every side.
Your enemies are named legion. Were your cause better
than that of Jesus Christ, they will not let you go till tliey
have m.iserably destroyed you. Do not trust too much to
the king's protection. At all events, do not compromise me
with the faculty of theology."

But as dangers thickened, Berquhi's zeal only waxed the
stronger. So far from adopting the politic and self-serving
counsel of Erasmus, he determined upon still bolder meas-
ures. He would not only stand in defense of the truth, but
he would attack error. The charge of heresy which the
Romanists were seeking to fasten upon him, ha would rivet

THE FRENCH REFORM A TIOX.

217

upon them. Tlie most active and bitter of his op[»onents
were tlie learned doctors and monks of the theological
department in the great iniiversity of Paris, one of the liigii-
est ecclesiastical authorities both in the cit^' and the nation.
From the writings of these doctors, Berquin drew twelve
propositions which he publicly declared to bo contrary to
the Bible, and therefore heretical; and he ai)pealed to the
king to act as judge in the controversy.

The monarch, not loth to bring in contrast the power and
acutencss of the opposing champions, and glad of an oj)por-
tunity of humbling the pride of tiiese haughty monks, bade
the Romanists defend their cause by the Bible. This weapon,
they well knew, would avail them little; imprisonment, tort-
ure, and the stake were arms which they better understood
to wield. Now the tables were turned, and they saw them-
selves about to fall into the pit into which they had hoped
to plunge Berquin. In amazement they looked about them
for some way of escape.

Just at this time an image of the virgin, standing at the
corner of one of the public streets, was found mutilated.
There was great excitement in the city. Crowds of people
flocked to the i)lace, with expressions of mourning and
indignation. The king also was deeply moved. Here was
an advantage winch the monks could turn to good account,
and they were quick to improve it. "These are the fruits
of the doctrines of Berquin," they cried. "All is about to be
overthrown, — religion, the laws, the throne itself, — by this
Lutheran conspiracy."

Again Berquin was apprehended. The king withdrew
from Paris, and the monks were thus left free to work their
will. The reformer was tried, and condemned to die, and lest
Francis should even yet interpose to save him, the sentence
was executed on the very day it Avas pronounced. At noon
Berquin was conducted to the place of death. An innnenso
throng gathered to witness the event, and there were many
who saw with astonishment and misgiving that the victim

218

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

had been chosen from the best and bravest of the noble
famihes of France. Amazement, indignation, scorn, and
bitter hatred darkened the faces of that surging crowd; but
upon one face no sliadow rested. The martyr's tliouglits
were far from that scene of tumult ; he was con.scious only
of tlie 2)resence of his Lord.

Tiie wretched tumbiil upon which he rode, the frowning
faces of his persecutors, the dreadful death to which ho was
going, — these he heeded not; He who liveth and was
dead, and is alive forevermorc, and hath the keys of death
and of hell, was beside him. Berquin's countenance was
radiant with the light and peace of Heaven. He had
attired himself in goodly raiment, wearing "a cloak of
velvet, a doublet of satin and damask, and golden hose."
He was about to testify to his faith in presence of the King
of kings and the witnessing universe, and no token of
mourning should belie his joy.

As the procession moved slowly through the crowded
streets, the people marked with wonder the unclouded peace,
the joyous triumph, of his look and bearing, "He is," they
said, "like one who sits in a temple, and meditates on holy
things."

At the stake, Berquin endeavored to address a few words
to the people, but the monks, fearing the result, began to
shout, and the soldiers to clash their arms, and their clamor
dnnvned the martyr's voice. Thus in 1529, the highest
literary and ecclesiastical authority of cultured Paris "set
the i)opulace of 1793 the base example of stifling on the
scaffold the sacred words of the dying."

Berquin was strangled, and his body was consumed in
the flames. The tidings of his death caused sorrow to the
friends of the Reformation throughout France. But his
example was not lost. " We too are ready," said the wit-
nesses for the truth, " to meet death cheerfully, setting our
eyes on the life that is to come."

During the persecution at Meaux, the teachers of the

THE FRENCH REFORMA TION.

219

reformed faith were deprived of their liceii'ie to preach, and
they departed to other fiehls. Lcfevro after a time made his
way to Germany. Farcl returned to his native town in East-
ern France, to spread tlio light in the home of his childhood.
Already tidings had been received of what was going on at
Meaux, and the truth, which he taught with fearless zeal,
found listeners. Soon the authorities were roused to silence
him, and he was banished iVom the city. Though he could
no longer labor publicly, he traversed the plains and vil-
lages, teaching in private dwellings and in secluded mead-
ows, and finding shelter in the forests and among the rocky
caverns which had been his haunts in boyhood. God was
preparing him for greater trials. "Crosses, persecution, and
the lying-in-wait of Satan, of which I had intimation, were
not wanting," he said; "they were even much more than I
could have borne in my own strength; but God is my
Father; he has ministered, and will forever minister, to me
all needful strength."

As in apostolic days, i)ersecution had " fallen out rather
unto the furtherance of the gospel." ' Driven from Paris and
Meaux, ' ' they that were scattered abroad went everywhere
preaching the Word.'"' And thus the light found its way
into many of the remote j^rovinces of France.

God was still preparing workers to extend his cause. In
one of the schools of Paris was a thoughtful, quiet youth,
already giving evidence of a powerful and i)enetrating mind,
and no less marked for the blamelessness of his life than for
intellectual ardor and religious devotion. His genius and
application soon made him the pride of the college, and it
was confidently anticipated that John Calvin would become
one of the al)lest and most honored defenders of the church.
But a ray of divine light penetrated even within the walls
of scholasticism and superstition by which Calvin was
inclosed. He heard of the new doctrines with a shudder,
nothing doubting that the heretics deserved the fire to which

1 Phil. 1:12. « Acts 8: 4.

220

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

they were given. Yet all unwittingly ho was brought face
to face with the heresy, and forced to test the power of liom-
ish theology to combat the Protestant teaching.

A cousin of Calvin's, who had joined the reformers, was in
Paris. The two kinsmen often met, am,'' discussed together
the matters that were disturbing Christendom. ''There are
but two religions in the world," said Olivetan, the Protestant.
"The one class of religions are those which men have
invented, in all of which man saves himself by ceremonies
and good works; the other is that one religion which is
revealed in the Bible, and which teaches , en to look f(jr
salvation solely to the free grace of God." " I will have
none of your new doctrines," exclaimed Calvin ; " think you
that I have lived in error all my days?"

But thoughts had been awakened in his mind which he
could not banish at will. Alone in his chamber he pon-
dered upon his cousin's words. C'jnviction of sin fastened
upon him; he saw himself, without an intercessor, in the
presence of a holy and just Judge. The mediation of saints,
good works, the ceremonies of the church, all were powerless
to atone for sin. He could see before him nothing but the
blackness of eternal despair. In vain the doctors of the
church endeavored to relieve his woe. Confession, penance,
were resorted to in vain; they could not reconcile the soul
with God.

While still engaged in these fruitless struggles, Caivin,
chancing one day to visit one of the public squares, wit-
nessed there the burning of a heretic. He was filled with
wonder at the expression of peace which rested upon the
martyr's countenance. Amid tho tortures of that dreadful
death, and under the more terrible condemnation of tliQ
church, he manifested a faith and courage which the young
student painfully contrasted with his own despair and
darkness, while living in strictest obedience to the church.
Upon the Bible, he knew, the heretics rested their faith. He
determined to study it, and discover, if he could, the secret
of their joy.

THE FRENCH nEFORMATION.

221

In tho Biblo ho found Christ. " Father," ho cried, '■ his
sacrificG has appeased thy wrath; his blood has washed
away my impurities; his cross lias borno my curse; his death
has atoned for me. ^Vo had devised for ourselves m-any use-
less follies, but thou hast placed thy Word before mo like a
torch, and thou hast touched my lieart, in order that I may
hold in abomination all other merits save thoso of Jesus."

Calvin liad been educated for the priesthood. AVhen
only twelve years of ago ho had been appointerl to tho
chaplaincy of a small church, and his head had been shorn
by the bishop in accordance with the canon of tho church,
lie did not receive consecration, nor did he fullill the duties
of a priest, but ho became a member of tlio clergy, holding
the title of his office, and receiving an allowance in consider-
ation thereof.

Kow, feeling that ho could never become a priest, he
turned for a time to tho study of law, but finally abandoned
this i">urpose, and determined to devote his life to tho gospel.
But he hesitated to become a public teacher. He was nat-
urally timid, and was burdened with a sense of the weighty
responsibility of tho position, and ho desired to still devote
himself to study. Tho earnest entreaties of his friends, how-
ever, at last won his consent. ""Wonderful it is," he said,
" that one of so lowly an origin should bo exalted to so great
dignity."

Quietly did Calvin enter upon his work, and liis words
were as tho dew falling to refresh tho earth. He had left
Paris, and was now in a provincial town under tho protection
of the princess Margaret, who, loving tho gospel, extended
her protection to its disciples. Calvin was still a youth, of
gentle, unpretentious bearing. Ilis work began with tho
people at their homes. Surrounded by tho members of tho
household, he read the Bible, and opened the truths of salva-
tion. Those who heard the message, carried the good news
to others, and soon tho teacher passed beyond the city to the
outlying towns and hamlets. To both tho castle and the

222

THE GREAT COXTROYERiiY.

cabin he found entrance, and he went forward, laying the
foundation of churches that were to yield fearless witnesses
for the truth.

A few months and he was again in Paris. There was
unwonted agitation in the circle of learned men and schol-
ars. The study of the ancient languages had led men to
the Bible, and many whose hearts were untouched by its
truths were eagerly discussing them, and even giving battle
to the champions of Romanism. Calvin, though an able
combatant in the fields of tlioological controversy, had a
higher mission to accomplish tlian thatof these noisy school-
men. The minds of men were stirred, and now was the
time to open to them the truth. While the halls of tlie uni-
versities were filled with the clamor of theological disputa-
tion, Calvin was making his way from house to house,^
opening the Bible to the people, and speaking to them of
Christ and him crucified.

In God'/i providence, Paris was to receive another invita-
tion to accept the gospel. The call of Lefevre and Farel
had been rejected, but again the message was to bo heard
by all classes in that great capital. The king, influenced by
political considerations, had not yet fully sided with Rome
against the Reformation. jNhirgaret still clung to the hope
that Protestantism was to triumph in France. She resolved
that the reformed faitli should bo preached in Paris. Dur-
ing the absence of tiie king, slio ordered a Protestant min-
ister to preach in the churches of the city. Tliis being for-
biddc by the papal dignitaries, the princess threw open the
palace. An a[)artment was fitted up as a chai)el, and it was
announced that every day, at a specified hour, a sermon
would be preached, and the people of every rank and sta-
tion were invited to attend. Crowds flocked to the service.
Not only the chapel, but the ante-chambers and halls were-
thronged. Thousands every day assembled, — nobles, states-
men, lawyers, merchants, and artisans. I'he king, instead of
forbidding the assemblies, ordered that two of the churches
of Paris should be opened. Never before had the city been

TIIK FRENCH REFORM A TION.

223

so moved by the Word of God. Tlic spirit of life fr<»iii
Heaven seemed to be breathed upon the people. Temper-
ance, purity, order, and indu.stry were taking the place of
drunkenness, licentiousness, strife, and idleness.

But the liierarchy were not idle. The king still refused
to interfere to stop the preaching, and they turned to the
populace. No means were spared to excite the fears, the
prejudices, and the fanaticism of the ignorant and supersti-
tious multitudes. Yielding blindly to her false teachers,
Paris, like Jerusalem of old, know not yie time of her visita-
tion, nor the things which belonged unto her peace. For
two years the Word of (lod was preached in the capital; but
while there were many who accepted the gospel, the majority
of the people rejected it. Francis had made a show of toler-
ation, merely to serve his own purposes, and the })apist8 suc-
ceeded in regaining the ascendency. Again the ciiurches
"Were closed, and the stake was set up.

Calvin was still in Paris, preparing himself by study,
meditation, and prayer, for his future labors, and continuing
to spread the light. At last, however, susi)icion fastened
upon him. The authorities determined to bring him to the
flames. Regarding himself as secure in his seclusion, he
had no thought of danger, when friends came hurrying to
his room with the news that officers were on their wav to
arrest him. At the instant a loud knocking was heard at
the outer entrance. There was not a moment to be lost.
Some of his friends detained the officers at the door, while
others assisted the reformer to lot himself down from a
window, and he rapidly made his way to the outskirts of the
city. Finding shelter in the cottage of a laborer who was a
friend to the reform, he disguised himself in the garments
of his host, and, shouldering a hoe, started on his journey.
Traveling southward he again found refuge in the domin-
ions of Margaret.

Here for a few months he remained, safe under the pro-
tection of powerful friends, and engaged, as before, in study.
But his heart was set upon the evangelization of France, and

224

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

he could not long remain injictive. As soon as the storm
had somewhat abated, he sought a now field of labor in
Poitiers, w'here was a university, and where already the
new opinions had found favor. Persons of all classes gladly
listened to the gospel. Tiiere was no public preaching, Init
in the home of the chief magistrate, in his own lodgings,
and sometimes in a public gai'den, Oi Iviu opened the words
of eternal life to those who (';> i <jd *o listen. After a time,
as th(> number of hearers inci •led; li was thought safer to
assemble outside tli^ city. A cave in "• .0 side of a deep
and narrow gorge, where trees and overhanging rocks made
the seclusion still more complete, was chosen as the place of
meeting. Little companies, leaving the city by different
routes, found their way hither. In this retired spot the Bible
was read and explained. Here the Lord's Supper was cele-
brated for the first time by the Protestants of France. From
this little church several faithful evangelists were sent out.

Once more Calvin returned to Paris. He could not even
yet relinquish the hope that France as a nation would
accept the Reformation. But he found almost every door
of labor closed. To teach the gospel was to take the direct
road to the stake, and he at last determined to depart to
Germjmy. Scarcely had he left France when a storm burst
over the Protestants, that, had he remained, must surely
have involved him in the general ruin.

The French reformers, eager to see their country keeping
pace with Germany and Switzerland, determined to strike a
bold blow against the superstitions of Rome, that should
arouse the whole nation. Accordingly placards attacking
the mass w'ere in one night posted all ov(?r France. Instead
of advancing the reform, this zealous but ill-judged move-
ment brought ruin, not only upon its propagators, but
upon the friends of the reformed faith throughout France.
It gave the Romanists what they had long desired, — a
pretext for demanding the utter destruction of the heretics
as agitators dangerous to the stability of the throne and
the peace of the nation.

THE FRENCH REFORMA TJOK

2?5

By some secret hand — whether of uidiscreet friend or wily
foe was never known — one of the j)hicards was atlaelied to
the door of the kind's [trivatc chamber. The monarcli was
filled with horror. In this paper, snperstitions that had
received the veneration of ages were attacked with an nn-
sparing hand. And the unexampled boldness of obtruding
tliese jdain and startling utterances into the royal presence,
aroused the wrath of the king. In his amazement lie stood
for a little time trembling and speechless. Then his rago
found utterance in the terrible words: "Let all ])e ?ized;
and let Lutheranism be totally exterminated." The *ie as
cast. The king had determined to throw liimseK mil" -ni
the side of Rome.

Measures were at once taken for the arrest of ev ry Lu-
theran in Paris. A poor artisan, an adherent of t ' o reformed
faith, who had been accustomed to summon ti o believers
to their secret assemblies, was seized; and with the threat of
instant death at the stake, was commanded to conduct the
papist emissary to the home of every Protestant in the city.
He shrunk in horror from the btise proposal, but at last fear
of the flames prevailed, and he consented to become the
betrayer of his brethren. Preceded by the host, and sur-
rounded by a train of priests, incense-bearers, monks, and
soldiers, Morin, the royal detective, with the traitor, slowly
and silently passed through the streets of the city. The
dononstration was ostensibly in honor of the " holy sacra-
ment," an act of expiation for the insult put upon the mass
by the i)rotesters. But beneath this pageant a deadly pur-
pose was concealed. On arriving opposite the house of a
Lutheran, the betrayer made a sign, but no word was uttered.
The procession halted, the house was entered, the family were
dragged -forth and chained, and the terrible company went
forward in search of fresh victims. " Xo house was spared,
great or small, not even the colleges of the University of
Paris. Morin made the whole city quake." " The reign of
terror had begun."

The victims were put to death with cruel torture, it being

22G

TJIi: GREAT CONTROVERSY.

specially ordered that the fire should bo lowered, in order to
prolong their agony. But they died as conquerors. Their
constancy was unshaken, their j)eaco unclouded. Their per-
secutors, jjowerless to move their infloxiblo firmness, felt
themselves defeated. "The scaffolds were distributed o\'er
all the quarters of Paris, and the burnings followed on suc-
cessive days, the design being to spread the terror of heresy
by spreiuling tlie executions. The advantage, however, in
the end, remained with the gospel. All Paris was enabled
to sec what kind of men tho new opinions could produce.
There is no pul[)it like tho martyr's pile. Tho serene joy
that lighted up the faces of these men as they passed along
to the i)laco of execution, their heroism as they stood amid
the bittcT flames, their meek forgiveness of injuries, trans-
formed, in instances not a few, anger into pity, and hate into
love, and pleaded with resistless eloquence in behalf of the
gospel."

Tho priests, bent upon keeping the popular fury at its
height, circulated the most terrible accusations against the
Protestants. They were -charged with plotting to massacre
tho Catholics, to overthrow tho government, and to murder
tho king. Not a shadow of evidence could be produced in
support of the allegations. Yet these prophecies of evil were
to have a fulfillment; under far different circumstances,,
however, and from causes of an opposite character. The
cruelties that were inflicted upon tho innocent Protestants by
the Catholics accumulated in a weight of retribution, and in
after-centuries wrought the very doom they had predicted
to be impending, upon tho king, his goverinnent, and sub-
jects; but it was brought about by infidels, and by the papists
themselves. It was not the establishment, but the suppres-
sion of Protestantism, that, three hundred years later, was
to bring upon Franco these dire calamities.

Suspicion, distrust, and terror now pervaded all classes of
society. Amid the general alarm it was seen how deep a hold
the Lutheran teaching had gained upon the minds of men

THE FRENCH REFORMA TION.

227

who stood higliest for education, influcnct', and excellcnco of
character. Positions of trust and honor were suddenly found
vacant. Artisans, printers, schohirs, professors in {\\v, uni-
versities, authors, and even courtiers, disap[)eared. Hun(h'('ds
fled from Paris, self-constituted exiles from their native land,
in many cases thus giving the first intimation that they
favored the reformed faith. The papists looked al)()ut them
in amazement at thought of the unsuspected heretics that
had heen tolerated among them. Their rage spent itself
upon tlio multitudes of humbler victims who wer<> within
their power. The prisons were crowded, and the very air
seemed darkened with the smoke of burning piles, kindled
for the confessors of the gospel.

Francis I. had gloried in being a leader in the great
movement for the revival of learning which marked the
opening of tho sixteenth century. lie had delighted to
gather at his court men of letters from every country. To
his love of learning and his contempt for the ignorance and
superstition of the monks was due, in part, at least, the degree
of toleration that had been granted to tho reform. But,
inspired with zeal to stamp out heresy, this patron of learn-
ing issued an edict declaring printing abolished all over
France! Francis I. presents one among the many exam-
ples on record showing that intellectual culture is not a
safeguard against religious intolerance and persecution.

France by a solemn and public ceremony was to commit
herself fully to the destruction of Protestantism. The j)riests
demanded that the affront offered to high Heaven in the
condemnation of the mass, bo expiated in blood, and that
the king, in behalf of his people, publicly give his sanction
to t^e dreadful work.

The 21st of January, 1535, was fixed upon for the awful
ceremonial. The superstitious fears and bigoted hatred of
the whole nation had been roused. Paris was thronged
with the multitudes that from all the surrounding country
crowded her streets. The day was to be ushered in by a

22H

THE GREAT COiXTIiOVEIiSV.

vast Jiiid imposing proct'ssion. Alon^j; tlio lino of inarcli tho
houses were (lrap(!(l in inoiirning. At intervals altars were
erected, and betbro every <loor was a lighted torch in honor
of tho "holy sacranKHit." Before daybreak the procession
lbrin(Hl, at the palace of the kin^. After th(5 crosses and
baiuuM's of tlu^ parishes, came citizens, walkin*^ two and two,
and bearing lighted torches. Tho four orders of friars fol-
lowed, each in its own peculiar dress. T\nm canio a vast
collection of famous relics. Following these rodo lordly
ecclesiastics in tlu>ir purple and scarlet robes and jeweled
adornings, a gorgeous and glittering array.

The host was borno under a sphnidid canopy, supported
by four princes of liighest rank. After them walked the
monarch, divested of his crown and royal robe, with uncov-
ered head and downcast eyes, and bearing in his hand a
lighted taper. Thus the king of Franco a[)peared publicly
as a i)enitent. At every altar ho bowed down in humilia-
tion, not for the vices that deliled his soul, nor the innocent
blood that stained his hands, but for tho deadly sin of his
subjects who had dared to condemn tho mass. Following
him came tlio (pieen and tho dignitaries of State, also walk-
ing two and two, each with a lighted torch.

As a part of the services of the day, tho monarch him-
self addressed tho high officials of the kingdom in the great
hall of the bishop's palace. With a sorrowful countenance
he appeared before them, and in words of moving eloquence
bewailed the " crime, the blasphemy, the day of sorrow and
disgrace," that had come ui)on tho nation. And ho called
upon every loyal subject to aid in tho extirpation of tho
pestilent heresy that threatened France with ruin. " As true,
^lessieurs, as I am your king," he said, "if I knew one of my
own limbs spotted or infected with this detestal)le rottenness,
I would give it to you to cut off. . . . And, further, if I
saw one of my children defiled by it, I would not spare
him. ... I would deliver him up myself, and would
sacrifice him to God." Tears choked his utterance, and the

THE FRENCH REFORMA TION.

229

wholo assembly wept, with one accord exclaiming, " We will
live and die in the Catholic religion."

Terrible had become the darkness of the nation that had
rejected the light of truth. "The grace tliat bringcth salva-
tion " had appeared; but France, after beholding its power
and holiness, after thousands luid been drawn by its divine
beauty, after cities and hamlets had been illuminated by its
radiance, had turned away, choosing darkness rather than
light. They had put from them the heavenly gift, when it
was offered them. They had called evil good, and good evil,
till they had fallen victims to their willful self-deception.
Now, though they might actually believe that they were doing
God service in persecuting his people, yet their sincerity did
not render them guiltless. The light that would have saved
them from deception, from staining their souls with blood-
guiltiness, they had willfully rejected.

A solemn oath to extirpate heresy was taken, in the great
cathedral where, nearly three centuries later, the " Goddess of
Reason" was to be enthroned by a nation that had forgotten
the living God. Again the procession formed, and the rep-
resentatives of France set out to begin the work which they
had sworn to do. At intervals along the homeward route,
scaffolds had been erected for the execution of heretics, and
it was arranged that at the approach of the king the pile
should be lighted, that he might thus be witness to the whole
terrible spectacle. The details of ohe tortures endured by
these witnesses for Christ are too harrowing for recital ; but
there was no wavering on the part of the victims. On being
urged, to recant, one answered, " I only believe in what the
prophets and apostles formerly preached, and what all the
company of the saints believed. My faith has a confidence
in God which will resist all the power of hell."

Again and again the procession halted at the places of
torture. Upon reaching their starting-point at the royal pal-
ace, the crowd dispersed, and the king and the prelates with-
drew, well satisfied with the day's proceedings, and congrat-

230

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

ulating themselves that the work now begun would bo con-
tinued to the complete destruction of heresy.

The gospel of peace which France had rejected was to be
only too surely rooted out, and terrible Avould be the rosult.<.
On the 21st of January, 1793, two hundred and fifty-eight
years from the very day that fully committed Franco to the
j)ersocution of the reformers, another jn'ocession, with a far
dill'erent purpose, })asscd through the streets of Paris. "Again
the king was the chief figure; again there were tumult
and shouting; again there was heard the cry for more vic-
tims; again there were black scaffolds; and again the scenes
of the day were closed by horrid executions; Louis XVI.,
struggling hand to hand with his jailers and executioners,
was dragged forward to the block, and there held down by
main force tiH the ax had fallen, and his dissevered head
fell on the scaffold." Nor was the king the only victim;
near the same spot two thousand and eight hundred human
beings perished by the guillotine during the bloody days of
the reign of terror.

The Reformation hact ])resented to the world an open
Bible, unsealing the procc})ts of the law of God, and urging
its claims upon the consciences of the people. Infinite
love had unfolded to men the statutes and principles of
Heaven. God had said, *' Keep therefore and do them ; for
this is your wisdom and your nnrlerstanding in the sight of
the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say,
Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding peo-
ple.'" When France rejected the gift of Heaven, she
sowed the seeds of anarchy and ruin; and the inevital)le
outworking of cause and effect resulted in the Kovolution
and the reign of terror.

Long before the persecution excited by the placards, the
bold and ardent Farol had been forced to flee from the land
of his birth. He repaired to Switzerland, and by his labors,
seconding the work of Zwingle, he helped to turn the scale
in fa,vor of the Reformation. His later years were to be

'Deut. 4:6.

THE FRENCH REFORMA TION.

231

spent here, yet he continued to exert a decided influence
upon the reform in France. During the first years of his
exile, his efforts were especially directed to spreading the
gospel in his native country. lie spent considerable time in
preaching among his countrymen near the frontier, Avhere
with tireless vigilance he watched the conflict, and aided
by his words of encouragement and counsel. With the
assistance of other exiles, the writings of the German reform-
ers were translated into the French language, and, together
with the French Bible, were printed in large quantities. By
colporters, these works were sold extensively in France.
They were furnished to the colporters at a low price, and
thus the profits of the work enabled them to continue it.

Farel entered upon his work in Switzerland in the humble
guise of a school-master. Repairing to a secluded parish,
he devoted himself to the instruction of children. Besides
the usual branches of learning, he cautiously introduced
the truths of the Bible, hoping through the children to
reach their parents. There were some who believed, but
the priests came forward to stop the work, and the super-
stitious country people were roused to oppose it. "That
cannot be th;i gospel of Christ," urged the priests, "seeing
the preaching of it does not bring peace but war." Like
the first disciples, when persecuted in one cit}^ ho fled to
another. From village to village, from city to city, he went;
traveling on foot, enduring hunger, cold, and weariness, and
everywhere in peril of his life, He preached in the market-
places, in the churches, sometimes in the pulpits of the ca-
thedrals. Sometimes he found tlie church empty of hearers;
at times his preaching was interrupted by shouts and jeers,
again he was pulled violently out of the pulpit. More than
once he was set upon by the rabble, and beaten almost to
death. Yet he pressed forward. Though often repulsed,
with unwearying persistence he returned to the attack; and,
one after another, he saw towns and cities which had been
.strongholds of popery, opening their gates to the gospel.

232

THE GREAr CONTROVERSY.

The Vi'lie parish where he had first labored, soon accepted
the rciormed faith. The cities of Morat and Neuchatel also
renounced the Romish rites, and removed the idolatrous
images from their churches.

Farel had long desired to plant the Protestant standard
in Geneva. If this city could be won, it would be a center
for the Reformation in France, in Switzerland, and in Italy.
"With this object before him, he had continued his labors
until many of the surrounding towns and hamlets had been
gained. Then with a single companion he entered Geneva.
But only two sermons was ho permitted to preach. The
priests, having vainly endeavored to secure his condemna-
tion by the civil authorities, summoned him before an eccle-
siastical council, to which they came with arms concealed
under their robes, determined to take his life. Outside the
hall, a furious mob, with clubs and swords, was gathered to
mak'> sure of his death if he should succeed in escaping
the council. The presence of magistrates and an armed
force, however, saved him. Early next morning he was
conducted, with his companion, across the lake to a place of
safety. Thus ended his first effort to evangelize Geneva.

For the next trial a lowlier instrument wa*? -^'^osen, — a
young man, so humble in appearance that li- •,* s coldly
treated even by the professed friends of reform. But what
could such a one do where Farel had been rejected? How
could one of little courage and experience withstand the
tempest before which the strongest and bravest had been
forced to flee? "Not by might, nor by power, but by my
Spirit, saith the Lord." ^ " God hath chosen the weak things
of the world to confound the things which are mighty."
" Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men ; and the
weakness i God is stronger than men." *

Froment began his ' 'ork as a school-master. The truths
which he taught the children at school, they repeated at
their homcL-. Soon the parents cnme to hear the Bible
explained, unti' +)]' ichool-room was filled with attentive

» Zecl< 4:6. n Cor. 1 : 127, 25.

THE rRENCH REFORMATION.

233

listeners. New Testaments and tracts were freely distributed,
and they reached many who dared not come openly to
listen to the new doctrines. After a time this laborer also
was forced to flee; but the truths lie tauglit liad taken hold
upon the minds of the people. The Reformation had been
planted, and it continued to strengthen and extend. The
preachers returned, and through their labors the Protestant
worship was finally established in Geneva.

The cit}^ had already declared for the Reformation, when
Calvin, after various wanderings and vicissitudes, entered
its gates. Returning from a last visit to his birthplace, he
was on his way to Basel, when, finding the direct road occu-
pied by the armies of Charles V., he was forced to take the
circuitous route by Geneva.

In this visit, Farel recognized the hand of God. Though
Geneva had accepted the reformed faith, yet a great work
remained to be accomplished here. It is not as communi-
ties but as individuals that men are converted to God;
the work of regeneration must be wrought in the heart
and conscience by the power of the Holy Spirit, not by
the decrees of councils. While the people of Geneva had
cast off" the authority of Rome, they were not so ready to
renounce the vices that had flourished under her rule. To
establish here the pure principles of the gospel, and to pre-
pare this people to fill worthily the position to which Rrovi-
dence seemed calling them, was no light task.

Farel was confident that he had found in Calvin one
whom he could unite with himself in this work. In the
name of God ho solemnly adjured the young evangelist to
remain and labor here. Calvin drew back in alarm. Timid
and peace-loving, he shraidc from contact with the bold,
independent, and even violent spirit of the Geuevese, The
feebleness of his health, together with his studious habits,
led him to seek retirement. Believing that by his pen ho
could best serve -the cause of reform, he desired to find a
quiet retreat for study, and there, through the press, instruct

234

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

and build up the churches. But Farel's solemn admonition
camo to him as a call from Heaven, and lie dared not refuse.
It seemed to him, he said, "that the hand of God was
stretched down from Heaven, that it laid hold of him,
and fixed him irrevocably to the place ho was so impatient
to leave."

At this time great perils surrounded the Protestant cause.
The anathemas of the pope thundered against Geneva, and
mighty nations threatened it with destruction. How was
this little city to resist the powerful hierarchy that had so
often forced kings aiid emperors to submission? How could
it stand against the armies of the world's great conquerors?

Throughout Christendom, Protestantism was menaced by
formidable foes. The first triumphs of the Reformation
past, Rome summoned new forces, hoping to accomplish its
destruction. At this time, the order of the Jesuits was
created, the most cruel, unscrupulous, and powerful of all
the champions of popery. Cut off from every -irthly tie
and huni.in interest, dead to the claims of natural affection,
reason and conscience wholly silenced, they knew no rule,
no tio, but that of their order, and no duty but to extend its
power. The gospel of Christ had enabled its adherents to
meet danger and endure suftVring, undismayed by cold,
hunger, toil, and poverty, to uphold the banner of truth in
face of the rack, the dungeon, and the stake. To combat
these forces, Jesuitism inspired its followers with a fanaticism
that enabled them to endure like dangers, and to oppose to
the pjwer of truth all the wecjpons of deception. There was
no crime too great iov them to commit, no deception too
base for them to practice, no disj.':uise too difficult for them
to assume. Vowed to perpetual j>overty and humility, it
was their studied aim to secure wealth and power, to be
devoted to the overthrow of Protestantism, and the re-
establishment of the ]>apal suijiemacy.

When appearing as members of their order, they wore a
garb of sanctity, visiting prisons and hospitals, ministering

THE FRENCir REFORMA TIOK

235

to the sick and the poor, professing to have renounced the
world, and bearing tlie sacred name of Jesus, who went
about doing good. But under this bUuneless exterior the
most criminal and deadly purposes were concealed. It was
a fundamental principle of the order that the end justifies
the means. By this code, lying, theft, perjury, assassination,
were not only pardonable but commendable, when they
served the interests of the church. Under various disguises
tho Jesuits worked their way into ofHces of State, climbing
up to be the counselors of kings, and shaping the policy of
nations. They became servants, to act as spies upon their
masters. They established colleges for the sons of princes
and nobles, and schools for the common people ; and tho
children of Protestant parents were drawn into an observance
of po[)ish rites. All the outward pomp and display of the
Romish worship was brought to bear to confuse the mind,
and dazzle and captivate the imagination; and tlius the lib-
erty for which the fathers had toiled and bled was ])etrayed
by the sons. The Jesuits rapidly si^read themselves over
Europe, and wherever they went, there followed a revival of
popery.

To give them greater power, a bull was issued re-estab-
lishing tho Inquisition. Notwithstanding tlio general a])hor-
rence with which it was regarded, even in Catholic countries,
this terrible tribunal was again set up by popish rulers, and
atrocities too terrible to bear the light of day were repeated
in its secret dungeons. In many countries, thousands upon
thousands of the very flower of tiie nation, the purest and
noblest, che most intellectual and highly educated, pious and
devoted pastors, industrious and patriotic citizens, brilliant
scholars, talented artists, skillful artisans, were slain, or forced
to flee to other lands.

Such ■were the means which Rome liad invoked to quench
the light of the Reformation, to withdraw from men the
Bible, and to restore the ignorance and superstition of tho
Dark Ages. But under God's blessing and the labors of those

23(;

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

noble men whom he had raised uj) to succeed Luther, l*rotcst-
antism was not overthrown. Not to tlio favor or arms of
princes was it to owe its strength. The smallest countries, the
Immblest and least powerful nations, became its strongholds.
It was little Geneva in the midst of mighty foes plotting her
destruction; it was Holland on her sand-banks by the North-
ern Sea, wrestling against the tyranny of Spain, then the
greatest and most o})ulcnt of kingdoms; it was bleak, sterile
Sweden, that gained victories fen* the Reformation.

For nearly thirty years, Calvin labored at (Jeneva; first
to establish there a churcli adhering to the morality of the
Bible, and then for the advancement of the Reformation
throughout Europe. Ilis course as a public leader was not
faultless, nor were his doctrines free from error. But he was
instrumental in promulgating truths that were of special
importance in his time, in maintaining the principles of
Protestantism against the fast-returning tide of popery, and
in promoting in the reformed churches simplicity and purity
of life, in place of the pride and corruption fostered under
the Romish teaching.

From Geneva, puLHcations and teachers went out to
spread the reformed doctrines. To this point tlie persecuted
of all lands looked for instruction, counsel, and encourage-
ment. The city of Calvin became a refuge for the hunted
reformers of all Western Europe. Fleeing from the awful
tempests that continued for centuries, the fugitives came
to the gates of Geneva. Starving, wounded, bereft of home
and kindred, they "were warmly welcomed and tenderly
cared for ; and finding a home here, they blessed the city of
their adoption by their skill, their learning, and their piety.
Many who sought here a refuge returned to their own
countries to resist the tyranny of Rome. John Knox, the
brave Scotch reformer, not a few of the English Puritans,
the Protestants of Holland, and the. Huguenots of France,
carried from Geneva the torch of truth to lighten the dark-
ness of their native land.

CHAPTER XIII.

IN THE NETHERLANDS AND SCANDINAVIA.

In the Netherlands the papal tyranny very early called
forth resolute protest. Seven hundred years before Luther's
time, the Roman pontiff was thus fearlessly impeached by
two bishops, who, having been sent on an embassy to Rome,
had learned the true character of the "holy see:" "God has
made his queen and spouse, the church, a noble and ever-
lasting provision for her family, with a dowry that is neither
fading nor corruptible, and given her an eternal crown and
scepter; all which benefits, you, like a thief, intercept. You
set up yourself in the temple as God; instead of a shepherd,
you have become as a wolf to the sheep. You would have
us believe you supreme bishop; you are rather a tyrant. . .
AVhcreas you ought to be a servant of servants, as you call
yourself, you intrigue to become lord of lords. . . . You
bring the commands of God into contempt. . . . The
Holy Ghost is the builder of all churches as far as the earth
extends. The city of our God, of which wo are citizens,
reaches to all parts of the heavens; and it is greater than
the city, by the holy prophets named Babylon, which pre-
tends to be divine, equals herself to Heaven, and boasts that
her wisdom is immortal; and finally, though without reason,
that she never did err, nor ever can."

Others arose from century to century to echo this protest.
And those early teachers, who, traversing different lands,
and known by various names, bore the character of the
Vaudois missionaries, and spread everywhere the knowledge
of the gospel, penetrated to the Netherlands. Their doctrines
spread rapidly. The Waldensian Bible they translated in

(237;

238

THE ORE AT CONTROVERSY.

verse into the Diitth lan^uago. "There is," they said^
"great advantage in it; no Jests, no fahles, no trifles, no
deceits, naught l)ut words of truth. Tlu-re is, indeed, liere
and there a hard crust, hut even in this tlie marrow and
sweetness of wliat is good and holy niay easily l)o dis-
covered." Thus wrote the friends of the ancient faith, in
the twelftli century.

Now hegan the Koniish persecutions, hut in tlie midst of
fagots and torture the helievers continued to multi[)ly, stead-
fastly declaring tliat the Bihle is the only infallihle author-
ity in religion, and that "no man should be coerced to
believe, hut should bo won by preaching."'

The teachings of Luther found a congenial soil in the
Ketherlands, and earnest and faithful men arose to preach
the gospel. From one of the provinces of Holland came
Menno Simons. Educated a Roman Catholic, and ordained
to the priesthood, ho was wholly ignorant of the Bible, and
he would not read it, for fear of being beguiled into heresy.
When a doid>t concerning the doctrine of transubstantiation
forced itself upon liini, ho regarded it as a temptation from
{^alan, and by prayer and confession sought to free himself
from it; but in vain. By mingling in scenes of dissipation
he endeavored to silence the accusing voice of conscience ;
but without avail. After a time he was led to the study of
the New Testament, and this with Luther's writings caused
him to accept the reformed faith. Ho soon after witnessed
in a neighboring village the beheading of a man who was
put to death for having been rebaptized. This led him to
study the Bible in regard to inflint baptism. Pie couhl find
no evidence for it in the.Scriptures, but saw that repentance
and faith are everywhere re(|uirod as the condition of receiv-
ing baptism.

Menno withdrew from the Roman Church, and devoted
his life to teaching the truths which he had received. In
both Germany and the Netherlands a class of fanatics had
risen, advocating absurd and seditious doctrines, outraging

IN THE NErilERLAXnS AXD SrAXDlXAVfA. 239

order nnd docencv, nnd prooc^odin^ to violrnco and insiirroc-
tion. Miiiino saw tlio liorrihU* results to wliicli tlicso iiiovo-
monts would inevitably lead, and lie strenuously op[H)sed
the erroneous teacliinj^s and wild schemes of the fanatics.
There were many, however, who had l)een misled by these
fanatics but who had renounced their pernicious doctrines;
and there were still remaining many descendants of tho
ancient Christians, the fruits of the Waldensian teachintj.
Amon^ these classes Menno labort'd with great /.eal and
success.

For twonty-five years he traveled, with his wife ;iiid chil-
dren, en(hiring great hardships and privations, and fre-
quently in peril of his life. lie traversed tho N(>therlands
and Northern (Jermany, laboring chiefly among the humbler
classes, but exerting a widespread inlluence. Naturally
eloquent, though })ossessing a limited education, ho was a
man of unwavering integrity, of humble si>irit and gentle
manners, and of sincere and earnest i)iety, exemplifying in
his own life the precepts which he taught, and ho com-
manded the confidence of tho peo[)le. His followers were
scattered and oppressed. They suffered greatly from being
confounded with the fanatical Munsterites. Yet great num-
bers were converted under his labors.

Nowhere were the reformed doctrines more generally
received than in tho Netherlands. In few countries did
their adherents endure more terrible persecution. In Ger-
many Charles V. had banned the Keformation, and ho would
gladly have brought all its adherents to the stake; but the
princes stood up as a barrier against his tyranny, hi the
Netherlands his power was greater, and persecuting edicts
followed each other in ([u"ck succession. To read the Bible,
to hear or preach it or even to speak conc(n*ning it, was to
incur the penalty of death by the stake. To pray to God in
secret, to refrain from bowing to an image, or to sing a psalni,
was also punishable with death. Even those who should
abjure their errors, were condemned, if men, to die by the

^^^

VJLfc, '^V \^\%fc

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

^ >^fe.

1.0

I.I

1^128 |Z5

2.0

140

IL25 i 1.4

^%^^'>
w

^;i

'^>

.«^

Hiotpgraphic

SdeRces

Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. MSSO

(716) 872-4S03

ri>^

?v<

' ^o.

"9)^

240

Tin: GREAT CONTROVERSY.

sword; if women, to bo buried alive. Those wlio remained
steadfast, sometimes suffered the same punishment. Thou-
sands perished under the reign of Charles and of Philip II.

At one time a whole family was brought before the in(|uis-
itors, charged with remaining away from mass, and worship-
ing at home. On his examination as to their practices i:i
secret, the youngest son answered, " We fall on our knees,
and pray that God will enlighten our minds and pardon
our sins. We pray for our sovereign, that his reign may be
prosperous and his life happy. We l)ray for our magistrates,
that God may preserve th(>m." Some of the judges were
deeply moved, yet the father and one of his sous were
condemned to the stake.

The rage of the persecutors was equaled by the faith of
the martyrs. Not only men but delicate women and young
maidens displayed unflinching courage. "Wives would
take their stand by their husband's stake, and while he was
enduring the iire they would whis})er words of solace, or
sing psalms to cheer him." " Young maidens would lie
down in their living grave as if they were entering into
their chamber of nightly sleep; or go forth to the scaflbld
and the fire dressed in their best apparel, as if they were
going to their marriage."

As in the days when paganism sought to destroy the
gospel, "the blood of .the Christians was seed." Persecution
served to increase the nuniber of witnesses for the truth.
Year after year the monarch, stung to madness by the un-
conquerable determination of the people, urged on his cruel
work; but in vain. Under the noble William of Orange,
the Revolution at last brought to Holland freedom to wor-
ship God.

In the mountains of Piedmont, on the plains of France
and the shores of Holland, the progress of the gospel was
marked with the blood of its disciples. But in the countries
of the North it found a peaceful entrance. Students at
Wittenberg, returning to their homes, carried the reformed

IN- THE NETHERLANDS AND SCANDINA VIA, 241

faith to Scandinavia. The publication of Luther's writings
also spread the light. The simple, hardy people of the
North turned from the corruption, the pomp, and the super-
stitions of Rome, to welcome the purity, the simplicity, and
the life-giving truths of the Bible.

Tau.sen, "the reformer of Denmark," was a peasant's son.
Tlie boy early gave evidence of vigorous intellect ; he thirsted
for an education; but this was denied him ])y the circum-
stances of his parents, and he entered a cloister. Here the
purity of his life, together with his diligence and fidelity,
won the favor of his superior. Examination showed him to
possess talent that promised at some future day good service
to the church. It was determined to give him an education
at some one of the universities of Germany or the Nether-
lands. Tiio young student was granted permission to choose
a school for himself, with the one proviso, *bat he must not
go to Wittenberg. The scholar of the church was not to
be endangered by the poison of heresy. So said the friars.

Tausen went to Cologne, which was then as now one of
the strongholds of Romanism. Here he soon became dis-
gusted with the mysticisms of the schoolmen. About the
same time ho obtained Luther's writings. He read them
with wonder and delight, and greatly desired to enjoy the
personal instruction of the reformer. But to do .so he must
risk giving offense to his monastic superior, and forfeiting
his support. His decision was soon made, and erelong he
was enrolled as a student at Wittenberg.

On returning to Denmark he again repaired to his cloister.
No one as yet suspected him of Lutheranism; he did not
reveal his secret, but endeavored, without exciting the preju-
dices of his companions, to lead them to a purer faith and a
holier life. He opened the Bible, and explained its true
meaning, and at last preached Christ to them as the sinner's
righteousness and his only hope of salvation. Great was the
wrath of the prior, who had built high hopes upon him as a
valiant defender of Rome. Ho was at once removed from

242

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

his own monastery to aiiotliLT, and conlinod to his cell, under
strict supervision.

To tlio terror of his new guardians, seveial of the monks
soon doclarcd tlioinsolvesconverts to Protestantism. Througli
the bars of liis cell, Tansen had communicated to his com-
panions a knowledgo of the truth. Had tho.sc Danish
fathers been skilled in the church's plan of dealing with
heresy, Tausen's voice would never again have been heard;
but instead of consigning him to a tomb in some under-
ground dungeon, they expelled him from the monastery.
Now they were [)owerless. A royal edict, just issued, offered
protection to the teachers of the new doctrine. Tausen
began to preach. The churches were opened to him, and the
2)eoplo thronged to listen. Other.-; also were i)reaching the
AVord of God. The Ncnv Testament, translated into the
Danish tongue, was widely circulated. The efforts made by
l)api.sts to overthrow the work resulted in extending it, and
erelong Denmark declared its acceptance of the reformed
faith.

In Sweden, also, young men wlio had drunk from the well
of AVittenberg carried the water of life to their countrymen.
Two of the leaders in the Swedish Reformation, Olaf and
Laurentius Petri, the sons of a blacksmith of Orebro, studied
under Luther and Ah>lancthou, and the truths which they
thus learned tlu^y were diligent to teach. Like the great
reformer, Olaf aroused the people by his zeal and elo-
quence, while Laurentius, like !Mclancthon, was lennied,
thoughtful, and calm. Both were men of ardent piety, of
high theological attainments, and of unflinching courage in
advancing the truth. Papist opposition was not lacking.
The Catholic priests stirred up the ignorant and superstitious
people. Olaf Petri was often assailed by the mob, and u[)on
several occasions barely escaped Avith his life. These reform-
ers were, however, favored and protected by the king. Un-
der the rule of the Romish ('hurch, the people were sunken
in poverty, and ground down by oppression. They were

Ill

7.V THE NETHER LA NDF; AND SCANDINAVIA. 243

destitute of the Scriptures, and having a religion of mere
signs and ceremonica, which convoyed no light to the mind,
they were returning to the superstitious beliefs and pagan
practices of their heathen ancestors. The nation was divided
info contending factions whose perpetual strife increased the
misery of all. The king determined upon a reformation in
the State and the church, and ho welcomed these able assist-
ants in the battle against Rome.

In presence of the monarch and tho leading men of
Swed(>n, (31af Petri with great ability defended the doc-
trines of tho reformed faith against the Romish champions.
He declared that the teachings of the Fathers are to be
received only when in accordance with tho Scriptures; that
the essential doctrines of the faith are presented in tho Bible
in a clear and simple manner, so that all men may under-
stand them. Christ said, "My doctrine is not mine, but Ilis
that sent me,"' and Paul declared that should ho preach
any other gospel than that which ho had received, he would
be accursed.* "How, then," said the reformer, "shall others
presume to enact dogmas at their pleasure, and impose them
as things necessary to salvation?" He showed that the
decrees of the church are of no authority when in opposi-
tion to the commands of God, and maintained the great
Protestant principle, that " the Bible, and the Bible only," is
tho rule of faith and practice.

This contest, though conducted upon a stage compara-
tively obscure, serves to "show us the kind of men that
formed the rank and file of the army of the relormeis.
When we confine our attention to such brilliant ceniers as
Wittenberg and Zurich, and to such illustrious names as
those of Luther and Melancthon, of Zwinglo and Qicolam[)a-
dius, we are apt to be told that these wore the leaders of the
movement, but the subordinates were not like them. Well,
we turn to tho obscure theater of Sweden, and tho Innnble
names of Olaf and Laurentius Petri — from the nuisters to' the

* John 7: ll>.

*Gal. 1:8.

244

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

disciples — what do we find? Not illiterate, sectarian, noisy-
controversialists — far from it; we see men who had studied
the Word of God, and who knew well how to wield the weap-
ons with which the armory of the Bible supplied them;
scholars and theologians, who won an easy victory over the
sophists of the schools, and the dignitaries of Rome."

As the result of this disputation, the king of Sweden
accepted the Protestant faith, and not long afterward the
national assembly declared in its favor. The New Testa-
ment had been translated by Olaf Petri into the Swedish
language, and at the desire of the king the two brothers
undertook the translation of the whole Bible. Thus for the
first time the people of Sweden received the Word of God
in their native tongue. It was ordered by the Diet that
throughout the kingdom ministers should ex[)lain the Script-
ures, and that the children in the schools should be taught
to read the Bible.

Steadily and surely the darkness of ignorance and super-
stition was dispelled by the blessed light of the gospel.
Freed from Romish oppression, the nation attained to
strength and greatness it had never reached before. Swe-
den became one of the bulwarks of Protestantism. A cent-
ury later, at a time of sorest peril, this small and hitherto
feeble nation — the only one m Europe that dared lend a
helping hand — came to the deliverance of Germany in the
terrible struggles of the thirty years' war. All Northern
Europe seemed about to be brought again under the tyr-
anny of Rome. It was the armies of Sweden that enabled
Germany to turn the tide ot popish success, to win toleration
for the Protestants — Calvinists as well as Lutherans — and to
restore liberty of conscience to those countries that had
accepted the Reformation.

Oopyrighted 1880.

TiNDALK.
LAT!MER.
WiSHAKT.

Knox.
Ridley.

CUANMBR.

CHAPTER XTV.

LATER ENGLISH REFORMERS.

While Luther was opening a closed Bibio to the people
of Germany, Tyndule was inip}llod by the Spirit of God to
do the same for England. W3 cliffe's Bible liad been trans-
lated from the L:itin text, wiiich contained many errors. It
had never been printec^ and the cost of maniip'^^'pt copies
•was so great that few but wealthy men or nobles could pro-
cure it, and, furthermore, being strictly proscribed by the
church, it. had had a comparatively narrow circulation. In
151G, a year before the appearance of Luther's theses, Erasmus
liad published his Greek and Latin version of the New
Testament. Now for the first time the Word of God was
printed in the original tongue. In this work many errors
of former versions were corrected, and the sense was more
clearly rendeied. It led many among the educated classes
to a better knowledge of the truth, and gave a new impetus
to the work of reform. But the common people were still,
to a great extent, debarred from God's Word. Tyndale was
to complete the work of ^7ycliffe in giving the Bible to his
countrymen.

A diligent student and an earnest seeker for truth, he had
received the goji ol from the Greek Testament of Erasmus,
He fearlessly preached his convictions, urging that all doc-
trines be tested by the Scriptures. To the papist claim that
the church had given the Bible, and the church alone could
explain it, Tyndale responded, " Do you know who taught
the eagles to find tiieir prey? That same God teaches his
hungry children to find their Father in his Word. Far from
having given us the Scriptures, it is you who have hidden
19 (245)

246

tuj: great controvkrsy.

tlicni from us; it is you who burn those who teuch them;
ami if you could, you would burn the Scriptures tlieja-
sclves."

Tyndule's |»ri'tiching excited great interest; many accepted
the truth. iUit the priests were on the alert, and no sooner
had lio left the Held than they by their threats and misrep-
resentations endeavored to destroy his work. Too often they
.succeeded. "Alas!" ho exclaimed, "what is to be dono?
While I am sowing in one place, the enemy ravages the
field I have just left. I cannot bo everywhere. Oh! if
Christians possessed the Holy Scriptures in their own tongue,
they could of themselves withstand these sophists. With-
out the Bible it is impossible to establish the laity in the
truth."

A new purpose now took possession of his mind. "It was
in the language of Israel," said he, " that the psahns were
sung in the temj)lo of Jehovah; and shall not the gospel
speak the language of England among us? . . . Ought
the church to have less light at noonday than at the dawn?
. . . Christians must read the New Testament in their
mother-tongue." The doctors and teachers of the church
disagreed among themselves. Only by the Bible could men
arrive at the truth. "One holdeth this doctrine, another
that. . . . Now each oi these authors contradicts the
other. How then can we distinguish him who says right
from him who says wrong? . . . How? . . . Verily,
by God's Word."

It was not long after that a learned Catholic doctor,
engaging in controversy with him, exclaimed, " It were bet-
ter for us to be without God's law than without the pope's."
Tyndale replied, "I defy the pope and all his laws; and if
God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy who
driveth the plow to know more of the Scriptures than you do."

The purpose which he had begun to cherish, of giving to
the people the New-Tostament Scriptures in their own lan-
guage, was now confirmed, and he immedialely applied him-

LA TKIi EXGLISll REFORMERS.

247

self to tlio work. Driven from his home by persecution, he
went to London, and tlioro for a time pursued Ids labors
undisturljod. But n^ain the violence of the papists forced
him to lice. All Kii;j;land sctMued closed against him, and
lie resolvi'd to seek siicltcr in (icnnany. Here he began the
printing of the English New Testament. Twice the work
was «top[)('«l; but wiicn forbidden to print in one city, he
went to another. At last he made his way to Worms, where,
a few years before, Luther had defended the gospel before
the Diet. In that ancient city were many friends of the
lleformation, and Tyndale thert; prosecuted his work with-
out further hindrance. Three thousand copies of the New
Testament were soon finished, and another edition followed
iu the same year.

AVith great earnestness anc^ perseverance ho continued his
labors. Notwithstanding the English authorities had guarded
their ports with the strictest vigilance, the Word of God
was in various wjiys secretly conveyed to London, and thence
circulated throughout the country. The papists attempted
to suppress the truth, but in vain. The bishop of Durham
at one time bought of a bookseller who was a friend of
Tyndale, his whole stock of Bibles, for the purpose of destroy-
ing them, supposing that this would greatly hinder the
work. But, on the contrary, the money thus furnished, pur-
chased material for a new and better edition, which, but for
this, could not have been published. When Tyndale was
afterward made a prisoner, his liberty was offered him on
condition that he would reveal the names of those who had
helped him meet the ex[>ense of printing his Bibles. He
replied that the bishop of Durham had done more than
any other person; for by paying a large price for the books
left on hand, he had enabled him to go on with good courage.

Tyndale was betrayed into the hands of his enemies, and
at one time suffered imprisonment for many months. He
finally witnessed for his faith by a martyr's death ; but the
weapons which he prepared have enabled other soldiers to do
battle through all the centuries even to our time.

248

THE CmREAT COi\TliOVi:nSY.

Latimer iimiiitaiiR'(l from tliu pulpit tiuit llic liildc <»iij;iit
to bo rrad in the Iaiijj;iia^(' of tiio poople. "Tlic Autlior of
Holy Scriptiin'," said he, " i.s (Jod liimsclf, and this Scri|>tur('
partakes of tlu; mi^lit and eternity of its Author. Tliero is
neither kin^ nor emperor that is not hound to ohey it. Let
as hewaro of those l)y-paths of human tradition, full of
stones, hrand)les, and uprooted trees. Let us follow the
straight road of the Word. It does not eoneern us what the
Fathers have done, but rather what thev ought to have
done."

Barneh and Frith, the taithful friends of Tyndale, arose to
defend the truth. The Uidleys and Cranmer followed.
These leaders in the English Reformation were men of
learning, and most of tiiem had been highly esteemed for
zeal or piety in the Romish communion. Their opposition
to the papacy was the result of their knowledge of the errors
of the " holy sec." Their acquaintance with the mysteries of
Babylon, gave greater |)ower to their testimonies against her.

"Do you know," .said Latimer, "who is the mo.st diligent
bishop in England? I see you listening and hearkening
that I should name him. I will tell you. It is the devil
He is never out of his diocese; you shall never find him
idle. Call for him when you will, he is over at home, he is
ever at the plow. You yliall never find him remiss, I war-
rant you. Where tiie devil is resident, there away with
books, and up with candles; away with Bibles, and up with
beads ; away with the light of the gospel, and up with the
light of wax tapers, yea, at noonday; down with Christ's
cross, up with the purgatory pick-purse; away with clothing
the naked, the poor, the impotent; up with the decking of
images and the gay garnishing of stones and stocks; down
with God and his most holy Word; up with traditions,
human councils, and a blinded pope. Oh that our prelates
would be as diligent to sow the corn of good doctrine as
Satan is to sow cockle and darnel ! "

The grand principle maintained by these reformers — the

LATFR FSaiJSJI REFOliMEIiS.

219

same that had \n'v\\ licM by tlie W'aldcnsrs, l»y Wyclitro, hy
John IIiiss, hy I.ulhcr. Zwiiij^'U', and tliosc who united witli
tlu'iii — was tlio inlallihh' autlioiity of th«' lluly Scriptures
UH a ruK' of faith ami practice They denied llie ri^j^ht (if
popes, councils, Fathirs, and kin^s, to control tlie conscienco
in matters of relijj;ion. 'I'he iJihIe was tlieir authority, and
by its teacliin^ they tested all doctrines and all claims.

Fiiith in <iod and his Word sustained these holy men as
lliey yicMed up the'r lives at tla^ stake. "Be of ^ood com-
fort," exclaime<l Latimer to his fel!<>w-martyr as th(» llames
were about to silence their voices, " wo shall this daylight
such a candle in England as, I trust, by (rod's grace shall
never be put out."

In Scotland the seo«ls of truth scattered by (.'oluniba and
his co-laborers had never been wholly destroyed. For hun-
dreds of years after the churches of Hngland submitted to
Rome, those of Scotland maintained their freedom. In the
twelfth century, however, [»opery became established hero,
and in no country did it exercise a more ab.solute sway.
Nowhere was the darkness dee{)cr. Still there came rays of
light to pierce the gloom, and give })romise of the coming
day. The Lollards, coming from Kngland with the Bible
and the teachings of Wvclifi'e, did much to preserve the
knowledge of the gospel, and every century had its witnesses
and martyr.s.

With the opening of the Great Reformation camo the
writings of Luther, and then Tyndale's English New Testa-
ment. Unnoticed by the hierarchy, these messengers silently
traversed the mountains and valleys, kindling into new life
the torch of truth so nearly extinguished in Scotland, and
undoing the work which Rome for four centuries of oppres-
sion had done.

Then the blood of martyrs gave fresh impetus to the
movement. The papist leaders, suddenly awakening to the
danger that threatened their cause, brought to the stake
some of the noblest and most honored of the sons of Scotland.

250

THE GREAT COX TRO VERS K

lis

They did but erect a pulpit, from wlilch the words of these-
dying witnesses were hoard throughout the land, thrilling
the souls of the people with an undying purpose to cast off
the shackles of Rome.

Hamilton and Wishart, princely in character as in l)irth,.
with a long lino of humbler disciples, yielded up tiieir lives
at the stake. But from the burning pile of Wishart there
came one whom the flames were not to silence. — one who
under God was to strike the death-knell of popery in Scot-
land.

John Knox had turned awt^.y from the 'raditions iiud
mysticisms of the church, to feed upon the truths of CJod's
Word, and the teaching of Wishart had confirmed his:
determination to forsake the communion of Rome, and join
himself to the persecuted reformers.

Urged by his companions to take the office of preacher,
he shrunk with trembling from its responsibility, and it was
only after days of seclusion and painful conflict with himself
that ho consented. But having once accepted the position,
he pressed forward witli inflexible determination and un-
daunted courage as long as life continued. This true-hearted
reformer feared not the face of man. The fires of martyr-
dom, blazing around him, served only to quicken liis zeal to
greater intensity. With the tyrant's ax held menacingly
over his head, ho stood his ground, striking sturdy blows
on the right hand and on the left to demolish idolatry.

When brought face to face with the queen of Scotland, in
whoso presence the zeal of many a leader of the Protestants
had abated, John Knox bore unswerving witness for tho
truth. He was not to be won by caresses; he quailed not
before threats. The queen charged him with heresy. He
had taught tho people to receive a religion prohibited by
the State, she declared, and had thus transgressed God's
command enjoining subjects to obey their princes. Knox
answered firmly: —

"As right religion received neither its origin nor its

LA TER EXGLISir REFORMERS!.

251

authority from princes, but from the eternal God alone, so
are not subjects bound to frame their religion according to
the tastes of their princes. For oft it is that princes, of all
others, are the most ignorant of God's true religion. If all
the seed of Abraham had been of the religion of Pharaoh,
whose subjects they long ■were, I pray you, madam, what
religion would there liave been in the Avorld? And if all in
the days of the apostles had ))cen of the religion of tho
Roman emperors, I pray you, madam, what religion would
there have been now upon tlio earth? . . . And so,
madam, you may perceive that subjc^ls are not bound to
Iho religion of their princes, although they are commanded
to give them reverence."

Said Mary, " You interpret the Scripture in one way, and
they [the Romish teachers] interpret it in another; whom
shall I believe, and who shall be judge?"

"You shall believe God, who plainly speaketh in his
"Word," answered the reformer; "and farther than the Word
teaches you, ye shall believe neither the one nor the other.
The Word of God is plain in itself, and if in any one place
there bo obscurity, tho Holy Ghost, who never is contrary to
himself, explains tho same more clearly in other places, so
that there can remain no doubt l)ut unto such as are obsti-
nately ignorant." Such were the truths that the fearless
reformer, at tho peril of his life, spoke in the ear of royalty.
With the same undaunted courage he kept to his purpose,
praying and lighting tho battles of the Lord, until Scotland
was free from i)opery.

In England tho establishment of Protestantism as the
national religion diminished, but did not wholly stop perse-
cutioi!. While many of the doctrines of Rome had been
renounced, not a few of its forms were retained. Tho su-
premacy of tho pope was rejected, but in his placo the mon-
arch v.as enthroned as the head of the church. In the
service of tho church there was still a wide departure from
the purity and simplicity of the gospel. The great principle

252

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

of religious toleration was not as yet understood. Though
the horrible cruelties which Rome employed against heresy
were resorted to but rarely by Protestant rulers, yet the right
of every man to worship God according to the dictates of his
own conscience was not acknowledged. All were required
to accept the doctrines and observe the forms of worship
prescribed by the established church. Dissenters suffered
persecution, to a greater or less extent, for hundreds of 3'ears.

In tlie seventeenth century thousands of pastors were
expelled from their positions. The people were forbidden,
on pain of heavy fines, imprisonment, and banishment, to
attend any religious meetings except such as were sanc-
tioned by the church. Those faithful souls who could not
refrain from gatliering to worship God, were compelled to
meet in dark alleys, in obscure garrets, and, at some seasons,
in the woods at midnight. In the sheltering depths of the
forest, a temple of God's own building, those scattered and
persecuted children of the Lord assembled to pour out their
souls in prayer and praise. But despite all their precautions,
many suffered for their faith. The jails were crowded. Fam-
ilies were broken up. Many were banished to foreign lands.
Yet God was with his people, and persecution could not pre-
vail to silence their testimony. ]\Iany were driven across
the ocean to America, and here laid the foundations of
civil and religious liberty which have been the bulwark
and glory of this country.

Again, as in apostolic days, persecution turned out to the
furtherance of the gospel. In a loathsome dungeon crowded
with profligates and felons, John Bunyan breathed the very
atmosphere of Heaven, and there he wrote liis wonderful
allegory of the pilgrim's journey from the land of destruc-
tion to the celestial city. For two hundred years that voice
from Bedford jail has spoken with thrilling power to the
hearts of men. Bunyan's " Pilgrim's Progress" and "Grace
Abounding to the Chief of Sinners" have guided many feet
into the path of life.

LA TER EXaUSTT RE FOR. VERS.

253

Baxter, Flavel, Alleinc, and other men of talent, eduea-
tion, and deep Christian experience, stood up in valiant de-
fense of the faith which was once delivered to the saints.
The work accomplished hy these men, proscribed and out-
lawed by the rulers of this world, can never perish. Flavel's
"Fountain of Life" and "Method of Grace" have taught
thousands how to commit the keeping of their souls to
Christ. Baxter's " lieformed Pastor" has proved a blessing
to many who desire a revival of the work of God, and his
"Saint's Everlasting Rest" has done its work in leading souls
to the "rest that remaineth for the people of God."

A hundred years later, in a day of great spiritual dark-
ness, Whitefield and the Wesleys appeared as light-bearers
for God. Un(l(}r the rule of the established church, the peo-
ple of England had lapsed into a state of religious declen-
sion hardlv to be distinguished from heathenism. Natural
religion was the favorite stu<ly of the clergy, and included
most of their theology. The higher classes sneered at piety,
and prided themselves on being above what they called its
fanaticism. The lower classes were grossly ignorant, and
al)andoned to vice, while the church had no courage or faith
to any longer support the downfallen cause of truth.

The great doctrine of justification by fiith, so clearly
taught by Luther, had been almost wholly lost sight of, and
the Romish principle of trusting to good works for salvation,
had taken its place. Whitefield and the Wesleys, who were
members of the established church, were sincere seekers for
the favor of God, and this they had been taught was to be
secured by a virtuous life and an observance of the ordi-
nances of religion.

A\'lien Charles Wesley at one time fell ill, and anticipated
that death was approaching, he was asked upon what he
rested his hope of eternal life. His answer was, " I have used
my best endeavors to serve God." As the friend who had
put the question seemed not to be fully satisfied with his
unswer, Wesley thought, "What! are not my endeavors a

254

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

sufficient ground of hope ? Would he rob me of my endeav-
ors? I have nothing else to trust to." Such was the dense
darkness that had settled down on the church, hiding the
atonement, robbing Christ of his glory, and turning the
minds of men from their only hope of salvation, — the blood
of the crucified Redeemer.

Wesley and his associates were led to see that tme religion
is seated in the heart, and that God's law extends to the
thoughts as well as to the words and actions. Convinced of
the necessity of lioliness of heart, as well as correctness of
outward deportment, they set out in earnest upon a new life.
By the most diligent and prayerful efforts they endeavored
to subdue the evils of the natural heart. They lived a life
of self-denial, charity, and humiliation, observing with great
rigor and exactness every measure which they thought
could be helpful to them in obtaining what they most de-
sired, — that holiness which could secure the favor of God.
But they did not obtain the object which they sought. In
vain were their endeavors to free themselves from the con-
demnation of sin or to break its power. It was the same
. struggle which Luther experienced in his cell at Erfurt. It
was the same question which had tortured his soul, — "How
should man be just before God?'"

The fires of divine truth, well-nigh extinguished upon
the altars of Protestantism, were to be rekindled from the
ancient torch handed down the ages by the Bohemian Chris-
tians. After the Reformation, Protestantism in Bohemia had
been trampled out by the hordes of Rome. All who refused
to renounce the truth were forced to flee. Some of these,
finding refuge in Saxony, there maintained the ancient faith.

It was from the descendants of these Christians that light
came to Wesley and his associates.

John and Chai'les Wesley, after being ordained to tlie
ministry, were sent on a mission to America. On board the
ship was a company of Moravians. Violent storms were
encountered on the passage, and John Wesley, brought face

1 Job 9: 2.

LA TER ENGLISH REFORMERS.

255

to face with death, felt that he had not tlie assurance of
peace with God. But the Germans, on the contrary, mani-
fested a cahnness and trust to which he was a stranger.

" I had long before," he says, " observed the great seriousness
of their behavior. Of their humility they had given con-
tinual proof, by performing those servile offices for the other
passengers which none of the English would undertake ; for
which they desired and would receive no pay, saying, it
was good for their proud hearts, and their loving Saviour
had done more for them. And every day had given them
occasion of showing a meekness which no injury could
move. If they were pushed, struck, or thrown down, they
rose again and went away; but no complaint was found in
their mouth. There was now an opportunity of trying
whether they were delivered from the spirit of fear, as well
as from that of pride, anger, and revenge. In tlie midst of
the psalm wherewith their service began, the sea broke over,
split the mainsail in pieces, covered tlie ship, and poured
in between the deck as if the great deep had already
swallowed us up. A terrible screaming began among the
English. The Germans calmly sung on. I asked one of
them afterward, 'Were you not afraid ? ' He answered, *I
thank God, no.' I asked, 'But were not your women and
children afraid?' He replied mildly, ' No; our women and
children are not afraid to die.'"

Upon arriving in Savannah, Wesley for a sliort time almde
with the Moravians, and was deei)ly impressed with their
Christian deportment. Of one of their religious services,
in striking contrtist to the lifeless formalism of the Church
of England, ho wrote: " The great simplicity as well as solem-
nity of the whole almost made me forget the seventeen
hundred years between, and imagine myself in one of those
assemblies where form and state were not; but Paul, the
tent-maker, or Peter, the fisherman, presided; yet with the
demonstration of the Spirit and of power."

On his return to England, Wesley, under the instruction

256

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

of a Moruvian proaclior, arrived at a clearer imderstandin^
of Bil)lo faitli. JIc was convinced that he must renounce all
dependence upon his own works for salvation, and must
trust wholly to the "Lamb of God that taketh away the sin
of the world." At a meeting of the Moravian society in
London, a statement was read from Luther, describing the
change which the Si)irit of God works in the heart of the
believer. As Wesley listened, faith was kindled in his soul.
"I felt my heart strangely warmed," lie says. " I felt I did
trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance
was given mo that ho had taken away my sins, even mine,
and saved me from the law of sin and death."

Through long years of wearisome and comfortless striving,
— years of rigorous self-denial, of reproach and humiliation,
— ^Wesley had steadfastly adhered to his one purpose of
seeking God. Now he had found liim ; and he found ihat
the grace which he had toiled to win by prayers and fasts,
by almsdeeds and self-abnegation, was a gift, "without
money, and without price."

Once established in the faith of Christ, his whole soul
burned with the desire to spread everywhere a knowledge of
the glorious gospel of God's free grace. "I look upon all
the world as my parish," he said, "in whatever part of it I
am, I judge it meet, right, and my bounden duty, to declare
unto all that are willing to hear, the glad tidings of sal-
vation."

He continued his strict and self-denying life, not now as
the ground, but the result of faith ; not the root, but the fruit
of holiness. The grace of God in Christ '" . the foundation
of the Christian's liope, and that grace will be manifested
in obedience. Wesley's life was devoted to the preacning
of the great truths which he had received, — justification
through faith in the atoning blood of Christ, and the
renewing power of the Holy Spirit upon the heart, bringing
forth fruit in a life conformed to the example of Christ.

Whitefield and the Wesleys hud been prei)ared for their

Baxter.
Miller.

Wesley.

Bin VAN.

WlIITEFIELD.

'^Sff'.

#«•

LA TER ENGLISIT REFORMERS.

257

work by lor»^ and sharp personal convictions of their own
lost condition; and that they might bo able to enduro hard-
ness as good soldiers of Christ, they had been subjected to
the fiery ordeal of scorn, derision, and persecution, both in
the university and as they were entering the ministry. They
and a few othery who sympathized with them were con-
temptuously called Methodists by their ungodly fellow-stu-
dents, — a name which is at the present time regarded as
honorable by one of the ' irgest denominations in England
ii.nd America.

As members of the Church of England, they were strongly
attached to her forms of worship, but the Lord had presented
before them in his Word a higher standard. The Holy
Spirit urged them to preach Christ and him crucified. The
power of the Highest attended their labors. Thousands
were convicted and truly converted. It was necessary that
these sheep be protected frori ravening wolves. Wesley had
no thought of forming a new denomination, but he organ-
ized them under what was called the Methodist Connection.

Mysterious and trying was the opposition which these
preachers encountered from the established church ; yet God,
in his wisdom, had overruled events to cause the reform to
begin within the church itself. Had it come wholly from
without, it would not have penetrated where it was^o much
needed. But as the revival preachers were churchmen, and
labored within the pale of the church wherever they could
find opportunity, the truth had an entrance where the doors
would otherwise have remained closed. Some of the clergy
were roused from their moral stupor, and became zealous
preachers in their own parishes. Churches that had been
petrified by formalism were quickened into life.

In Wesley's time, .^s in ali ages of the church's history,
men of different gifts performed their appointed work.
They did not harmonize upon every point of doctrine, but
all were moved by the Spirit of God, and united in the ab-
sorbing aim to win souls to Christ. The dififerences between

1 »

258

THE GREAT CUNTROVERSr.

Whitciiold aiul tiio Weslovs tlirctitcnod nt ono tinio to crotito
ulioimtioii; but as tlicy learned nioeknoss in tlic scIkh)! of
Christ, mutual lorbearanco and cliarit^' ' icilcd tliiiu.
Tlioy liud no tinio to dispute, ^vl^ilo erroi a...i ini(|uity were
teeming everywhere, and sinners were going down to ruin.

Tlio sc 'sants of Clod trod a rugged path. Men of inliu-
eneo and learning employed their j)owers against them. After
u tinio many of tho clergy manifested determined hostility,
and tho doors of tho churches wero closed against a pure
faith, and those who proclaimed it. The course of tho clergy
in denouncing them from tho ])ulpit, aroused the elements of
darkness, ignorance, and inif)uity. Again and again did
John Wesley escape death by a miracle of God's mercy.
When tho rago of the mob was excited against him, and
there seemed no way of escape, an angel in human form
camo to his side, tho mob fell back, and the servant of Christ
passed in safety from the jdace of danger.

Of his deliverance from tho enraged mob upon ono of
these occasions, Wesley said: "Many endeavored to throw
mo down while wo wero going down hill on a slippery i)ath
to tho town; as well judging that if I were once on tho
ground, I should hardly rise any more. But I made no
stumble at all, nor tho least slip, till I was entirely out of
their hands. Although many strove to lay hold on my
collar or clothes, to pull mo down, they could not fasten at
all ; only ono got fast hold of tho flap of my waistcoat, which
was soon left in his hand; tho other flap, in the pocket of
which was a bank-note, was torn but half off. A lusty man
just behind, struck at mo several times, with a large oaken
stick; with which if ho had struck mo once on the back part
of my head, it would have saved him further trouble. But
every time the blow was turned aside, T know not how; for
I could not move the right hand nor the left. Another
came rushing through the press, and raising his arm to
strike, on a sudden let it drop, and only stroked my head,

saying, ' What soft hair lie has.'

The very first men

LA TKR KNGLISn liKFOliMERS.

259

id,
len

whoso hearts were turned were the luM'oes of the town, the
cuptains of tho rabble on all occasions, one of them having
been a prize lighter at tho bear garden.

"By how gentle degrees does CJod prepare us for his will!
Two years ago, a i)iece of brick grazed my shoulders. It
was a year alter that tho stone struck me between the eyes.
Ltt.st month I received one blow, and this evening two; one
before we came into tho town, and one after we were gone
out: but both were as nothing; for though one man struck
me on the breast with all his might, and the other on the
mouth with such force that tho blood gushed out immedi-
ately, I felt no more pain from either of the blows than if
they had touched mo with a straw."

Tho Methodists of those early days — people as well as
preachers — endured ridicule and persecution, alike from
church-members and from tho 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 sneered vio-
lence 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 tho 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 tho path of holiness.

Said John Wesley, referring to the charges against him-
self 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, popeiy. This whole pretense has been already
cut up by the roots, it having been shown at large that

260

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

every brunch of this doctrince is the phiin doctrine of
Scripture interpreted by our own church. Therefore it can-
not bo false or erroneous, provided the Scripture bo true."
"Others allege that their doctrines are too strict; that 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. Hut 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 })lain texts: 'Thoushalt
love the Lord thy Ood with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy strength, an<l with all thy mind; and
thy neighbor as thyself.' ' ' Kvery idle word that men shall
speak, they sluill give account thereof in the day of Judg-
ment.'' 'Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever
ye do, do all to the glorv 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 deposition? — No; he
can abate nothing; he can soften nothing; he is constrained
to declare to all men, I may not bring down the Scriptures
to your taste. You must come up to it, or perish forever. The
popular cry is, The uncharitableness of these men ! Unchar-
itable, are they? h\ what res[)ect? Do they not feed the
hungry and clothe 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 who are of
their own way."

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

' Luke 10: 27. » Matt J 2 : 36. » 1 Cor. 10 : 31.

LA TEH ENOLlSn REFORMERS.

261

tluTctort' under no obligation to ohsorvo it; thut a believer
is freed from tbe "bondage of good workH." Otliers, tbougli
u<iniitting the perpetuity of the law, deelarcd that it was
unnecessary for ministers to exhort the people to obedieneo
of its precepts, since those whom (lod ha<l electe<l to salvation
wouhl, "by th(^ irresistible impulse of divine gra<'e, be led
to the practice of piety and virtue," whiK^ those who were
doomed to eternal reprobation "did not have it in their
power to obey the divine law."

Others, also holding that " the elect cannot fall from graco
or forfeit the divine favor," arrived at the .still more hideous
conclusion that "the wickcMl actions tlu>v commit are not
really .sinful, nor to bo considered as instances of the viola-
tion of the divine law, and that consef|uently they liave no
occasion either to confess their sins or to break them off by
repentance." Therefore, they declared that even one of the
vilest of sin.s, "considered universally an enormous violation
of the divine law, is not a .sin in the sight of God," if com-
mitted by one of the elect, "because it is one of the es.sential
and distinctive characteristics of tbe elect, that they cannot
do anything which is either displeasing to CJod or prohibited
by the law."

This mon.strous doctrine is essentially the same as the
Romish claim that "the pope can dispense above the law,
and of wrong make right, by correcting and changing laws;"
that "he can pronounce sentences and judgments in contra-
diction . . . to the law of God and man." Both reveal the
inspiration of the same master-spirit, — of him wlio, 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
cliaracter 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.

262

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

"The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared
to all irien." "This is good and acceptable in the sight of
God our Saviour, who will have all men to be saved, and to
come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God,
and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ
Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for a^/."' The Spirit of
God is freely bestowed, to enable every man to lay hold upon
the means of salvation. Thus Christ, "the true light,"
"lighteth every man that cometh into the world.'" Men fail
of salvation only through their own willful refusal of the
gift of life.

In answer to the claim that at the death of Christ the pre-
cepts of the decalogue had been abolished with the ceremo-
nial law, Wesley said: "The moral law, contained in the ten
commandments, and enforced by the prophets, he did not
take away. It was not the design of his coming to revoke
any part of this. This is a law which never can be broken,
which ' stands fast as the faithful witness in Heaven.' . . .
This was from the beginning of the world, being ' written
not on tables of stone,' but on the hearts of all the children
of men, when they came out of the hands of the Creator.
And, however the letters once written by the finger of God
are now in a groat measure defaced by sin, yet can they noi.
wholly be blotted out, while we have any consciousness oi
good and evil. Every part of this law must remain in force
upon all mankind, and in all ages; as not depending either
on time or place, or any other circumstances liable to change,
but on the nature of God, and the nature of man, and their
unchangeable relation to each other.

"'I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.' . . . With-
out question his meaning in this place is (consistently with
all that goes before and follows after), — I am come to estab-
lish it in its fullness, in spite of all the glosses of men; I am
come to place in a full and clear view whatsoever was dark
and obscure therein ; I am come to declare the true and full
import of every part of it; to show the length and breadth,

iTitus 2 :11; 1 Tim. 2:3-6. "John 1 :9.

■^

LA TER ENGLISH REEORMERS.

263

th,

the entire extent, of every coniniandmcnt contained therein,
and the heiglit and depth, the inconceivable i)urity and
spirituaUty of it in all its branches."

Wesley declared the perfect harmony of the law and the
gospel. "There is, therefore, the closest connection that can
be conceived, between the law and the gospel. On the one
hand, the law continually makes way for and points us to,
the gospel; on the other, the gospel continually leads us to a
more exact fulfilling of tlu law. The law, for instance,
requires us to love God, to love our neighbor, to be meek,
humble, or holy. We feel that we are not sufficient for
these things; yea, that 'with man this is impossible;' but we
see a promise of God to give us that love, and to make us
humble, meek, and holy; we lay hold of this gospel, of these
glad tidings; it is done to us according to our faith; and
the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us, ' through faith
which is in Christ Jesus.'"

"In the highest rank of the enemies of the gospel of
Christ," said Wesley, " are they who openly and explicitly
'judge the law' itself, and 'speak evil of the law;' who teach
men to break (to dissolve, to loose, to untie the obligation of)
not one only, whether of the least or of the greatest, but all
the commandments at a stroke." " The most surprising of
all the circumstances that attend this strong delusion, is that
they who are given up to it, really believe that they honor
Christ by overthrowing his law, and that they are magnifying
his office, while they are destroying his doctrine! Yea, they
honor him just as Judas did, when he said, 'Hail, Master,
and kissed him.' And he may as justly say to every one of
them, 'Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?' It is
no other than betraying him with a kiss, to talk of his blood,
and take away his croAvn; to set light by any part of his
law, under pretense of advancing his gospel. Nor inde(>d
can anyone escape this charge, who preaches faith in any
sucli a manner as either directly or indirectly tends to set
aside any branch of obedience; who preaches Christ so as to

264

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

disannul, or weaken in any wise, the least of the command-
ments of God."

To those who urged that " the preaching of the gospel
answers all the ends of the law," Wesley replied : " This we
utterly deny. It does not answer the very first end of the
law, namely, the convincing men of sin, the awakening those
who are still asleep on the brink of hell." The apostle
Paul declares that " by the law is the knowledge of sin ; "
" and not until man is convicted of sin, will he truly feel his
need of the atoning blood of Christ. . . . 'They that be
"whole,' as our Lord himself observes, ' need not a physician,
but they that are sick.' It is absurd, therefore, to oft'er a
physician to them that are whole, or that at least imagine
themselves so to be. You are first to convince them that
they are sick ; otherwise they will not thank you for yojir
labor. It is equally absurd to offer Christ to them whose
heart is whole, having never yet been broken."

Thus while preaching the gospel of the grace of God,
Wesley, like his Master, sought to " magnify the law, and
make it honorable." Faithfully did he accomplish the work
given him of God, and glorious w^ere the results wh'ch he
was permitted to behold. At the close of his long life of
more than fourscore years — above half a century spent in
itinerant ministry — his avowed adherents numbered more
than half a million souls. But the multitude that through
his labors had been lifted from the ruin and degradation of
sin to a higher and a purer life, and the number who by his
teaching had attained to a deeper and richer experience, will
never bo known till the whole family of the redeemed shall
be gathered into the kingdom of God. His life presents a
lesson of priceless worth to every Christian. Would that the
faith and humility, the untiring zeal, self-sacrifice and devo-
tion of this servant of Christ, might be reflected in the
churches of to-day 1

CHAPTER XV

THE BIBLE AND THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.

In the sixteenth century the Reformation, presenting an
open Bible to the people, had sought admission to all the
countries of Europe. Some nations welcomed it with glad-
ness, as a messenger of Heaven. In other lands, popery
succeeded, to a great extent, in preventing its entrance; and
the light of Bible knowledge, with its elevating influences,
was almost wholly excluded. In one country, though the
light found entrance, it was not comprehended by the dark-
ness. For centuries, truth and error struggled for the mas-
tery. At last the evil triumphed, and the truth of Heaven
was thrust out. " This is the condemnation, that light is
come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than
light." ' The nation was left to reap the results of the course
which she had chosen. The restraint of God's Spirit was
removed from a people that had despised the gift of his
grace. Evil was permitted to come to maturity. And all
the world saw the fruit of willful rejection of the light.

The war against the Bible, carried forward for so many
centuries in France, culminated in the scenes of the Revo-
lution. That terrible outbreaking was but the legitimate
result of Rome's suppression of the Scriptures. It presented
the most striking illustration which the world has ever
witnessed, of the working out of the papal policy, — an illus-
tration of the results to which for more than a thousand
years the teaching of the Roman Church had been tending.

The suppression of the Scriptures during the period of
papal supremacy was foretold by the prophets; and the

1 John 3 : 19.

(266)

266

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

Revelator points also to tlie terrible results that were to
accrue especially to France from the domination of "the
man of sin,"

Said the angel of the Lord: "The holy city [the true
church] shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they
shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore
days, clothed in sackcloth. . . . And when they shall
have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out
of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and
shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies
shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is
called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
. . . And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice
over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to
another; because these two prophets torxHented them that
dwelt on the earth. And after three days and a half the
Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood
upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw
them."'

The periods here mentioned — "fort}^ and two months,''
and "a thousand two hundred and threescore days" — are
the same, alike representing the time in which the church
of Christ w^as to suffer oppression frojn Rome. The 1260
years of papal su})remacy began with the establishment of
the papacy in a, d. 538, and would therefore terminate in
1798. At that time a French army entered Rome, and
made the pope a prisoner, and he died in exile. Though a
new pope was soon afterward elected, the papal hierarchy
has never since been able to wield the power which it before
possessed.

The persecution of the church did not continue through-
out the entire period of the 12G0 years. God in mercy to
his people cut short the time of their fiery trial. In fore-
telling the "great tribulation" to befall the church, the
Saviour said, " Except those days should be shortened, there

1 Rev. 11:2-11.

^^PTW:^,

THE BIBLE 1 ND THE FRENCH RE VO L UTION. 267

should no flesh bo saved ; but for the elect's sake those
days shall be shortened." ' Through the influence of the
Reformation, the persecution was brouglit to an end prior
to 1798.

Concerning the two witnesses, the prophet declares further,
** These are the two olive-trees, and the two candlesticks
standing before the God of the earth." "Thy Word," said
the psalmist, "is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my
path."'' The two witnesses represent tlie Scriptures of the
Old and the New Testament. Both are important testimo-
nies to the origin and perpetuity of the law of God. Both
are witnesses also to the plan of salvation. The types, sacri-
fices, and prophecies of the Old Testament point forward to a
Saviour to come. The Gospels and Epistles of the New
Testament tell of a Saviour who has come in the exact
manner foretold by type and prophecy.

"They shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and t'ree-
score days, clothed in sackcloth." During the greater part
of this period, God's witnesses remained in a state of obscu-
rity. The papal power sought to hide from the people the
Word of truth, and set before them false witnesses to con-
tradict its testimony. When the Bible was proscribed by
religious aid secular authority; when its testimony was
perverted, and every effort made that men and demons could
invent to turn the minds of the people from it; When those
■who dared proclaim its sacred truths were hunted, betrayed,
tortured, buried in dungeon cells, martyred for their faith,
or compelled to flee to mountain fastnesses, and to dens and
caves of the earth, — then the faithful witnesses prophesied
in sackcloth. Yet they continued their testimony through-
out the entire period of 1260 years. In the darkest times
there were faithful men who loved God's Word, and were
jealous for his honor. To these loyal servants were given
wisdom, power, and authority to declare his truth during
the whole of this time.

^Matt. 24; 22.

"Rev. 11 :4; Pa. 119:105.

268

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

"And if liny man will liurt iheni, fire proceedetli out of
tlu'ir mouth, and devoureth tlieir enemies; and if any man
will hurt them, he must in this manner bo killed,'" Men
cannot with impunity trample upon the Word of God. The
meaning of this fearful denunciation is set forth in the clos-
ing chapter of the Revelation: "I testify unto every man
that heareth the words of the prophecy of this hook, If any
man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him
the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man
shall take away from the words of the book of this proi)hecy,
God shall take away Ids part out of the l)Ook of life, and out
of the holy city, and from the things which are written iu
this book." '

Such are the warnings which God has given to guard
men against changing in any manner that which he has
revealed or commanded. These solemn denunciations ap[)ly
to all who by their influence lead men to lightly regard the
law of God. They should cau&3 those to fear and tremble
who flippantly declare it a n.atter of little consequence
whether we obey God's law or not. All who exalt their own
opinions above divine revelation, all who would change the
plain meaning of Scripture to suit their own convenience,
or for the sake of conforming to the world, are taking upon
themselves a fearful responsibility. The written Woid, the
law of God, will measure the character of every man, and
condemn all whom this unerring test shall declare wanting.

"When they shall have finished [are finishing] their testi-
mony," The period when the two witnesses were to proph-
esy clothed in sackcloth ended in 1798. As they were
approaching the termination of their work in obscurity, war
was to be made upon them by the power represented as "the
beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit," In many
of the nations of Europe the powers that ruled in Church
and State had for centuries been controlled by Satan, through
the medium of the papacy. But here is brought to view a
new manifestation of Satanic power.

^ Rev. 11:5. « Rev. 22 : 18, 19.

TUE BTBL EAND THE FR ENCII REVOL UTION. 269

It had been Rome's policy, under u profession of reverence
Tor tlie Bible, to keep it locked up in an unknown tongue,
and hidden away from the people. Under her rule the wit-
nesses prophesied, "clothed in sackcloth." ]iut another
power — tlio beast from the bottondess pit — was to arise to
make open, avowed war upon the Word of God.

The "great city" in whose streets the witnesses are slain,
and where their dead bodies lie, "is spiritually Egypt."
Of all nations presented in Bible history, Egypt most
boldly denied the existence of the living God, and resisted
his connnands. No monarch ever ventured upon more open
and high-handed rebellion against the authority of Heaven
thaa did the king of Egypt. When the message was
brought him by Moses, in the name of the Lord, Pharaoh
proudly answered, "Who is Jehovah, that I should obey
his voice to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah, neither will
I let Israel go.'" This is atheism; and the nation rep-
resented by Egypt would give voice to a similar denial of
the claims of the living God, and would manifest a like
spirit of unbelief and defiance. The "great city" is also
compared, "spiritually," to Sodom. The corruption of
Sodom in breaking the law of God was especially manifested
in licentiousness. And this sin was also to be a pre-eminent
characteristic of the nation that should fulfill the specifica-
tions of this scripture.

According to the words of the prophet, then, a little before
the year 1798 some power of Satanic origin and character
would rise to make war upon the Bible. And in the land
where the testimony of God's two witnesses should thus be
silenced, there would be manifest the atheism of the Pharaoh,
and the licentiousness of Sodom.

This prophecy has received a most exact and striking ful-
fillment in the history of France. During the Revolution of
1793, "the world for the first time heard an assembly of
men, born and educated in civilization, and assuming the
right to govern one of the finest European nations, uplift

»Ex. 5:2.

270

THE GREAT CONritOVERSr.

their uiiittd voico to deny the most soloniii tnith which
man's soul receives, mid renounce unanimouslv the bcHt'f
and worsliij) of the Deity." "France is the (inly nation in
the world concerning which the authentic record survives,
that as a nation she lilted her hand in open rehellion
against the Author of the univers(\ Plenty of Masjdiemers,
plenty of infidels, there have been, and still continue to he,
in England, (jlermany, Sjiain, and elsewiiere; hut France
stands \x\n\.vi in the wtirld's history as the single State whicii,
by the decree of her legislative assendily, pronounced that
there was no (Jod, and of which the entire })o[)ulation of the
capital, and a vast majority elsewhere, women as well as
men, danced and sang with joy in accepting the announce-
ment."

France j)rcsented also the characteristic which esjiecially
distinguished Sodom. During the Ivevolution there was
manifest a state of moral debasement and corrujition simi-
lar to that which brought destruction upon the cities of the
j)lain. And the 1 Istorian presents together the atheism and
licentiousness of France, as it is given in the prophecy:
"Intimately connected with these laws affecting religion was
that which reduced the union of marriage — the most sacred
engagement which human beings can form, and the perma-
nence of which leads most strongly to the consolidation of
society — to a state of mere civil contract of a transitory char-
acter, which any two persons might engage in and cast loose
at pleasure. ... If fiends had set themselves at work
to discover a mode of most effectually destroying whatever is
venerable, graceful, or perniMucntin domestic life, and obtain-
ing at the same time an assurance that the mischief Avhich it
was their object to create should be perpetuated from one
generation to another, they could not have invented a more
effectual plan than the degradation of marriage. . . .
Sophie Arnoult, an actress famous for the Avitty things she
said, described the republican marriage as the 'sacrament of
adultery.' "

THE BIBLE AXD THE FltEXCU RE VOL UTIOX. 271

"Where also our Lord was <'rucifi('(l." This specification
of the [)ro[)hecy was also fulfilled by France. In no land
had the spirit of enmity against Christ been more strikinj:;ly
<lisplayed. In no country lia<l the truth encountered more
bitter and cruel opposition. In tho persecution which
Franco had visited upon the confessors of the gospel, she hud
crucified Christ in tho j)erson of his disciples.

Century after century tho blood of the saints liad been
shed. While tho Waldenscs laid down their lives U[)on the
mountains of Piedmont "I'or tho Word of CJod, and for the
testirtiony of Jesus Christ," similar witness to tho truth had
]jeen borne V)y their brethren, the Albi<^enses of I'rance. In
tho days of tho lieformation, its discii)les had been ])ut to
death with liorriblo tortures. King and nobles, high-born
women and delicate maidens, the }>rido and chivalry of the
nation, had feasted their eyes upon tho agonies of tho mar-
tyrs of Jesus. Tho brave Huguenots, battling for those rights
which the human lieart holds njost sacred, had poured out
their blood on many a hard-fought field. Tho Protestants
were counted as outlaws, a price was set upon their heads,
and they were hunted down like wild ])easts.

The "Church in the Desert," tho few descendants of the
ancient Christians that still lingered in France in tho eight-
eenth century, hiding away in the mountains of tho south,
still cherished tho faith of their fathers. As they ventured
to meet by night on mountain-side or lonely moor, tliey
were chased by dragoons, and dragged away to life-long
slavery in the galleys. "The purest, the most refined, and
the most intelligent of the French, were chained, in horrible
torture, amidst robbers and assassins." Others, more merci-
fully dealt with, were shot down in cold blood, as, unarmed
and helpless, they fell upon their knees in prayer. Hundreds
of aged men, defenseless women, and innocent children were
left dead upon the earth at their i)l ace of meeting. In travers-
ing the mountain-side or the forest, where they had been
accustomed to assemble, it was not unusual to find "at every

272

THK GREAT CONTROVKRSr.

four paces dond bodioH dottinp; tlio Hvvurd, and corpHcs hang-
ing suspended iVoui 11h> tri'es." Tlieir eouutry, " laid wasto
with tlio sword, the ax, the fa^ot, was converted into a vast,
gloomy wilderness." These atrocities were n<»i connnitted
during the Dark Ages, hub in that hrilliant era "when
.science was cultivated, and letters iluurislied ; when tho
divines of the court and tin; capital were learned andelixpient
men, who greatly alleeted the graces of meekness and
charity."

Ikit blackest in the black catalogue of crime, most horrible
among tho iiendish deeds of all the dreadful centurie.^, was
tho St. Bartholomew ^hissacre. The world still recalls with
shuddering horror tho scen(>s of that most cowardly and
cruel onslaught. The king of France, urgcMl on by Romish
priests and i)relates, lent his sanction to the dreadful work.
The great bell of the ])alace, tolling at dead of night, was a
signal for tho slaughter. Protestants by thousands, sleei)ing
quietly in their homes, trusting to the plighted honor of
their king, were dragged forth without a warning, and mur-
dered in cold blood.

Satan, in the person of the Roman zealots, led the van.
As Christ was the invisible leader of his people from Fgyp-
tian bondage, so was Satan the unseen leader of his sub'ccts
in this horrible .work of multij)lying martyrs. For seven
days the massacre was continued in Paris, the first throe
with inconceivable fury. And it was not confined to the
city itself, but by special order of tho king extended to all
provinces and towns where Protestants were found. Neither
age nor sex was resj)ected. Neither tho innocent babe nor
the man of gray hairs Mas spared. Noble and peasant, old
and young, mother and child, were cut down together.
Throughout France tho butchery continued for two months.
Seventy thousand of tho very flower of the nation perished.

" The pope, Gregory XIIL, received the news of the fate of
the Huguenots with unbounded joy. The wish of his
heart had been gratified, and Charles IX. was now his favor-

THE BIBLE A ND THE FRENCH RE VOL UTION. 273

ite son. Rome rang with rejoicings. The guns of the cas-
tle of ISt. Angelo gave fortli a joyous salute; the bells sounded
from every tower; bonfires blazed throughout the night;
and Gregory, attended by his cardinals and priests, led the
magnificent procession to the church of St. Louis, where
the cardinal of Lorraine chanted a Te Deum. The cry of the
dying host in France was gentle harmony to the court of
Rome. A medal was struck to commemorate the glorious
massacre; a picture, which still exists in the Vatican, was
jiainted, representing the chief events of St. Bartholomew.
The pope, eager to show his gratitude to Charles for his duti-
ful conduct, sent him the Golden Rose; and from the pul-
pits of Rome eloquent preachers celebrated Charles, Cath-
erine, and the Guises as the new founders of the papal
church."

The same master-spirit that urged on the St. Bartholomew
Massacre led also in the scenes of the Revolution. Jesus
Christ was declared to be an impostor, and the rallying cry
of the French infidels was, " Crush the Wretch," meaning
Christ. Heaven-daring blasphemy and abominable wicked-
ness went hand in hand, and the basest of men, the most
abandoned monsters of cruelty and vice, were most highly
exalted. In all this, supreme homage was i)aid to Satan;
while Christ, in his characteristics of truth, purity, and
unselfish love, was crucified.

" The beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall
make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill
them." The atheistical power that ruled in France during
the Revolution and the reign of terror, did wage such a war
upon the Bible as the world had nevf r witnessed. The
"Word of God was prohibited by the national assembly.
Bibles were collected and publicly burned with every pos-
sible manifestation of scorn. The law of God was trampled
under foot. The institutions of the Bible were abolished.
The weekly rest-day was set aside, and in its stead every
tenth day was deA'oted to reveling and blasphemy. Baptism

274

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

and the communion were prohibited. And announcements
posted conspicuously over the burial-places declared death
to be an eternal sleep,,

The fear of God was said to be so far from the beginning
of wisdom that it was the beginning of folly. All religious
worship was prohibited, except that of liberty and the
country. "The constitutional bishop of Paris was brought
forward to play the principal i)art in the most impudent and
scandalous farce ever enacted in the face of a national rep-
resentation. . . . He was brought forward in full pro-
cession, to declare to the convention that the religion which
he had taught so many years was, in every rcs^pect, a piece
of priestcraft, which had no foundation either in history or
in sacred truth. He disowned in solemn and explicit terms
the existence of the Deity, to whose worship he had been
consecrated, and devoted himself in future to the homage of
liberty, equality, virtue, and morality. He then laid on the
table his episcopal decorations, and received a fraternal
embrace from the president of the convention. Several
apostate priests followed the example of this prelate."

"And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over
them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another;
because these two proi)hets tormented them that dwelt on
the earth." Infidel France had silenced the reproving voice
of God's two witnesses. The Word of truth lay dead in
her streets, and those who hated the restrictions and require-
ments of God's law were jubilant. Men publicly defied
the King of Heaven. Like the sinners of old, they cried,
"How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the Most
High?"^

AVith blasphemous boldness almost beyond belief, one of
the priests of the new order said: "God, if you exist, avenge
your injured name. I bid you defiance! You remain
silent. You dare not launch your thunders! Who, after
this, will believe in your existence?" What an echo is this

Ps. 73:11.

THE BIBLE A ND THE FRENCH RE VOL UTION. 275

the

of the Pharaoh's demand: "Who is Jehovah, that I should
obey his voice? " " I know not Jehovah ! "

«" The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." * And
the Lord declares concerning the perverters of the truth,
*' Their folly shall he manifest unto all." * After France had
renounced the worship of the living God, "the high and
lofty One that inliabiteth eternity," it was only a little time
till she descended to degrading idolatry, by the worship of
the Goddess of Reason, in the person of a profligate woman.
And this in the representative assembly of the nation, and
by its highest civil and legislative authorities! Says the
historian : " One of the ceremonies of this insane time stands
unrivaled for absurdity combined with impiety. The doors
of the convention were thrown open to a band of musicians,
preceded by whom the members of the municipal body
entered in solemn procession, singing a hymn in praise of
liberty, and escorting, as the object of their future worship,
a veiled female whom they termed the Goddess of Reason.
Being brought within the bar, she was unveiled with great
form, and placed on the right hand of the president, when
she was generally recognized as a dancing girl of the opera.
. . . To this person, as the fittest representative of that
reason whom they worshiped, the national convention of
France rendered public homage. This impious and ridic-
ulous mummery had a certain fashion ; and the installation
of the Goddess of Reason was renewed and imitated through-
out the nation in such places where the inhabitants desired
to show themselves equal to all the heights of the Rev-
olution."

Said the orator who introduced the worship of reason:
"Legislative fanaticism has lost its hold; it has given place
to reason. AVe have left its temples; they are regenerated,
i'o-day an immense multitude are assembled under its gothic
roofs, which, for the first time, will re-echo the voice of truth.
There the French will celebrate the true worship, that of

1 Vs. 14 : 1.

="2 Tim. 3:9.

276

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

Liberty and Reason. Tliere wo will form new vows for the
prosperity of the armies of the Ke[)ublic; tlicro we will
abandon the worship of inanimate idols for that of Reason —
this animated image, the masterpiece of creation."

When the goddess was brought into the convention, the
orator took her by the hand, and turning to the assembly
said: "Mortals, cease to tremble before the powerless thun-
ders of a God whom your fears have created. Henceforth
acknowledge no divinity but Reason. I offer you its noblest
and purest image; if you must have idols, sacrifice only to
such as this. . . . Fall before the august senate of
freedom, veil of Reason."

" The goddess, after being embraced by the president, was
mounted on a magnificent car, and conducted, amidst an
immense crowd, to the ct'thedral of Notre Dame, to take the
place of the Deity. Then she was elevated on the high
altar, and received the adoration of all present."

This was followed, not long afterward, by the public burn-
mg of the Bible. And "the popular society of the museum
entered the hall of the municipality, exclaiming, Vive la
Raison! and carrying on the top of a polo the half-burned
remains of several books, among others the breviaries of the
Old and New Testament-, which 'expiated in a great fire,'
said the president, 'all tiie fooleries which they have made
the human race commit.'"

It was popery that had begun the work which atheism
was completing. The policy of Rome had wrought out
those conditions, social, political, and religious, that were
hurrying France on to ruin. A writer, speaking of the
horrors of the Revolution, says: "Those excesses are in truth
to be charged upon the throne and the church." In strict
justice they are to bo charged upon the church. Popery had
poisoned the minds of kings against the Reformation, as an
enemy to the crown, an element of discord that would be
fatal to the peace and harmony of the nation. It was the
genius of Rome that by this means inspired the direst cru-

I !

j !

THE BIBLE AND THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. 277

elty and the most galling oppression whicli proceeded from
the throne.

The spirit of liberty went with the Bible. Wherever the
gospel was received, the minds of the people were awakened.
They began to cast off the shackles that had held them
bondslaves of ignorance, vice, and suj)erstition. They began
to think and act as men. Monarchs saw it, and trembled
for their despotism.

Rome was not slow to inflame their jealous fears. Said

the pope to the regent of France in

1523:

<4 ril

This mania

[Protestantism] will not only destroy religion, but all prin-
cipalities, nobilities, laws, orders, and ranks besides." A few
years later a papist dignitary warned the king, " If you
wish to preserve your sovereign rights intact; if you wish to
keep the nations submitted to you in tranquillity, manfully
defend the Catholic faith, and subdue all its enemies by your
arms." Ana theologians appealed to the prejudices of the
people by declaring that the Protestant doctrine *' entices
men away to novelties and folly; it robs the king of the
devoted affection of his subjects, and devastates both Church
and State." Thus Rome succeeded in arraying France
against the Reformation. "It was to uphold the throne,
preserve the nobles, and maintain the laws, that the sword
of persecution was first unslieathed in France."

Little did the rulers of the land foresee tho results of that
fateful policy. The teaching of the Bible would have
implanted in the minds and hearts of the people those princi-
ples of justice, temp~rance, truth, equity, and benevolence
which are the vary corner-stone of a nation's prosperity.
"Righteousness exalteth a nation." Thereby "tlie throne is
established." ^ " The work of righteousness shall be peace ; "
and the efifect, " quietness and assurance forever." ^ He who
obeys the divine law will most truly respect and obey the laws
of his country. He who fears God will honor the king in the
exercise of all just and legitimate authority. But unhappy
France prohibited the Bible, and banned its disciples. Cent-

•Prov. U:34; 16:12.

"Isa. 32 : 17.

278

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

ury after century, men of principle and integrity, men of
intellectual acuteness and moral strength, wIkj liad the cour-
age to avow their convictions, and the faith to suffer for tho
truth, — for centuries these men toiled as slaves in tho gal-
leys, perished at the stake, or rotted in dungeon cells.
Thousands upon thousands found safety in flight; and this
continued for two hundred and fifty years after tho opening
of the Reformation,

"Scarcely was there a generation of Frenchmen during
that long period that did not witness the disciples of the gos-
pel fleeing before the insane fury of the persecutor, and car-
rying with them the intelligence, the arts, the industry, the
order, in which, as a rule, they pre-eminently excelled, to
enrich tho land in which they found an asylum. And in
proportion as they replenished other countries with these
good gifts, did they empty their own of them. If all that
was now driven away had been retained in France; if, dur-
ing these three hundred years, tho industrial skill of the
exiles had been cultivating her soil; if, during these three
Innidred years, their artistic bent had been improving her
manufactures; if, during these three hundred years, their
creative genius and analytic power had been enriching
her literature and cultivating her science; if their wisdom
had been guiding her councils, their bravery fighting her
battles, their equity framing her laws, and the religion
of the Bible strengthening tho intellect and governing the
conscience of her people, what a glory would at this day have
encompassed France! What a great, prosperous, and happy
country — a pattern to the nations — would she have been!

"But a blind and inexorable bigotry chased from her soil
every teacher of virtue, every champion of order, every hon-
est defender of the throne; it said to the men who would
have made their country a 'renown and glory' in the earth,
Choose which you will have, a stake or exile. At last the
ruin of the State was complete ; there remained no more-
conscience to be proscribed; no more religion to be dragged

TITE BIBLE A ND THE FREXCU RE VOL mOX. 27»

to the stake; no more patriotism to bo chased into Itani.sli-
ment." And the lievolution, witli all its horrors, was the
dire result.

"With the flight of the Huguenots a general decline set-
tled upon France. Flourishing nianulacturing cities fell
into decay; fertile districts returned to their native wildnesa;
intellectual dullness and moral declension succeeded a period
of unwonted progress. Paris became one vast almshouse,
and it is estimated that, at the breaking out of the Revo-
lution, two hundred thousand paupers claimed charity from
the hands of the king. The Jesuits alone flourished in the
decaying nation, and ruled with dreadful tyranny over
churches and schools, the prisons and the galleys."

The gospel would have brought to France the solution of
those political and social problems that baffled the skill of her
clergy, her king, and her legislators, and finally plunged the
nation into anarchy and ruin. But under the domination
of Rome, the people had lost the Saviour's blessed lessons of
self-sacrifice and unselfish love. They had been led away
from the practice of self-denial ff)r the good of otliers. The
rich had found no rebuke for their oppression of the poor,
the poor no help for their servitude and degradation. The
selfishness of the wealthy and powerful grew more and
more apparent and oppressive. For centuries the gretnl and
profligacy of the noble resulted ni grinding extortion toward
the peasant. The rich wronged the poor, and the poor hated
the rich.

In many provinces the estates were held by tlie nobles,
and the laboring classes were only tenants ; they were at the
mercy of their landlords, and were forced to submit to their
exorbitant demands. The burden of supporting both the
Church and the State fell upon the middle and lower classes,
who were heavily taxed by the civil authorities and by the
clergy. "The pleasure of the nobles was considered the
supreme law; the farmers and the peasants might starve, for
aught their oppressors cared. . . . The people were com-

280

Tin: GREAT CONTIiOVERSr.

pt'lled ut every turn to consult the exclusive interest of the
landlord. The lives of the agricultural laborers were lives of
incessant work and unrelieved misery; their complaints, if
they ever dared to com[)lain, were treated with insolent con-
tempt. The courts of justice would always listen to a noble as
against a i)easant; bribes were notoriously accepted by the
judges; and the merest caprice of the aristocracy had the
force of law, by virtue of this system of universal corruption.
Of the taxes wrung from the commonalty, by the secular
magnates on the one hand, and the clergy on the other, not
half ever found its way into the royal or episcoi>al treasury;
the rest was s(piandered in profligate self-indulgence. And
the men who thus impoverished their fellow-subjects were
themselves exempt from taxation, and entitled by law or cus-
tom to all the appointments of the State. The privileged
classes numbered a hundred and fifty thousand, and for their
gratification millions were condemned to hopeless and degrad-
ing lives."

The court was given u}) to luxury and profligacy. There
was little confidence existing between the people and the
rulers. Suspicion fastened upon all the measures of the
government, as designing and selfish. For more than half
a century before the time of the Revolution, the throne was
occupied by Louis XV., who even in those evil times was
distinguished as an indolent, frivolous, and sensual monarch.
With a depraved and cruel aristocracy and an impoverished
and ignorant lower class, the State financially embarrassed,
and the people exasperated, it needed no prophet's eye to
foresee a terrible impending outbreak. To the warnings of
his counselors the king was accustomed to reply, *' Try to
make things go on as long as I am likely to live; after my
death it may be as it will." It was in vain that the neces-
sity of reform was urged. He saw the evils, but had neither
the courage nor the power to meet them. The doom await-
ing France was but too truly pictured in his indolent and
selfish answer, — "After me the deluge!"

H SiYrrwrifFWi

essati

THE BIBLE AND THE FREXCIf HE VOL UTIOX. 281

By working upon the jealousy of the kings and tlio ruling
classes, Rome had influenced them to keep the peo{)le in
bondage, well knowing that the State would thus be weak-
ened, and i)ur{)osing by this means to fasten both rulers and
j)COple in her thrall. With far-sighted poliey she pereeivetl
that in order to enslave men efl'eetually, tiie shackles nuist bo
l)ound upon their souls; that the surest way to prevent them
from escaping their bondage was to render tiiem incapable
of freedom. A thousand-fold more terril)le than the physical
suffering which resulted from her policy, was the moral deg-
radation. Deprived of the Bihle, and abandonefl to the
teachings of bigotry and selfishness, the peo})le were shrou<led
in ignorance and superstition, and sunken in vice, so that
they were wholly unfitted for self-government.

But the outworking of all this was widely different from
what Rome had purposed. Instead of holding the masses in
a blind submission to her dogmas, her work resulted in
making them infidels and revolutionists. Romanism they
despised as priestcraft. They beheld the clergy as a party to
their oppression. The only god they knew was the god of
Rome; her teaching was their only religion. They regarded
her greed and cruelty as the legitimate fruit of the Bible
and the}^ would have none of it.

Rome had misrepresented the character of God, and per-
verted his requirements, and now men rejected both the
Bible and its Author. She had required a blind faith in her
dogmas, under the pretended sanction of the Scriptures. In
the reaction, Voltaire and his associates cast aside God's
Word altogether, and spread everywhere tfie poison of infi-
delity. Rome had ground down the people under her iron
heel; and now the masses, degraded and brutalized, in
their recoil from her tyranny cast off all restraint. Enraged
at the glittering cheat to which they had so long paid hom-
age, they rejected truth and falsehood together; and mistak-
ing license for liberty, the slaves of vice exulted in their im-
agined freedom.

282

THE URKAT CONTROVERSY,

At tlio oponin^ of tlio Itcvolution, by ti coiuv.ssio!! of tlio
king, tlic jK>()|)ki WITH gnintcd a rcpivsi'iitatioii cxcirding
tliatof tlio nohlt'sand tlic clergy combiiicd. Tliustlie balanco
of power was in tlieir hands; bnt tlioy were not prepared to
ust) it witii wisdom and moderation. Kager to reih'ess tlio
wrongs they had sulirnMJ, they deti'miinc^d to undertake tho
reeonstruetion of society. An oiitrage(l populace, whoso
minds were tilled with l)itter and long-treasured memories
of wrong, resolved to rc^volutionizo the state* of misery that
liad grown unbearable, and to r(>vengo themselves upon
those whom tlity regarded as the autiiors of their sufferings.
The o})pressed wrouglit out tlio lesson they liad learned
under tyranny, and became the oppressors of those who hud
o])prcssed them.

Unhappy Franco reaped in blood tho harvest she had sown.
Terrible wore tho results of lier submission to the controlling
power of Rome. Where France, under the influence of Ro-
manism, liad set up the first stake at the opening of the
Reformation, there the Revolution set up its first guillotine.
On tho very spot where the first martyrs to the Protestant
faith were burned in the sixteenth century, the first victims
were guillotined in the eighteenth. In repelling tho gospel,
which would have brought her healing, France had o})encd
the door to infidelitv and ruin. When the restraints of (Jod's
law were cast aside, it was found that the laws of man were
inadequate to hold in check the powerful tides of human
passion; and the nation swept on to revolt and anarchy.
Tlie war against the Bible inaugurated an era which stands
in the world's history as " Tho Reign of Terror." Peace and
liappiness were banished from the homes and hearts of men.
Ko one was secure. IIo who triumphed to-day was sus-
pected, condemned to-morrow. Violence and lust held un-
disputed sway.

King, clergy, and nobles were compelled to submit to the
atrocities of an excited and maddened people. Their thirst
for vengeance was only stimulated by the execution of the

THE BIBLE AND THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. 283

king; and those who had decreed his death, soon followed
him to the scaffold. A general slaughter of all suspected
of hostility to the Revolution was determined. The prisons
"were crowded, at one time containing more than two hun-
dred thousand captives. The cities of the kingdom were
filled with scenes of horror. One party of revolutionists was
against another party, and France became a vast field for
contending masses, swayed by the fury of their passions.
*' In Paris one tumult succeeded another, and the citizens
were divided into a medley of factions, that seemed intent
on nothing but mutual extermination." And to add to the
general misery, the nation became involved in a prolonged
and devastating war with the great powers of Europe. " The
country was nearly bankrupt, the armies were clamoring for
.arrears of pay, the Parisians were starving, the provinces
were laid waste by brigands, and civilization was almost
•extinguished in anarchy and license.''

All too well the people had learned the lessons of cruelty
and torture which Rome had so diligently taught. A day
of retribution at last had come. It was not now the disciples
•of Jesus that were thrust into dungeons and dragged to the
stake. Long ago these had perished or been driven into
exile. Unsi)aring Rome now felt the deadly power of those
wliom she had trained to delight in deeds of blood. " The
•example of persecution which the clergy of France had
exhibited for so many ages, was now retorted upon them
with signal vigor. The scaffolds ran red with the blood of
the priests. The galley's and the prisons, once crowded
"W'ith Huguenots, were now filled with their persecutors.
Chained to the bench and toiling at the oar, the Roman
Catholic clergy experienced all those woes which their church
had so freely inflicted on the gentle heretics."

" Then came those days when the most barbarous of all
•codes was administered by the most barbarous of all tribu-
nals; when no man could greet his neighbors, or say his
prayers . . . without danger of committing a capital
22

284

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

crime; when spies lurked in every corner; when the guil-
lotine was long and hard at work every morning ; when the
jails were filled as close as the holds of a slave-ship; when
the gutters ran foaming with blood into the Seine. . . .
While the daily wagon-loads of victims were carried to their
doom through the streets of Paris, the proconsuls, whom
the sovereign committee had sent forth to the departments,
reveled in an extravagance of cruelty unknown even in the
capital. The knife of the deadly machine rose and fell too
slow for their work of slaughter. Long rows of caj^tivea
were mowed down with grape-shot. Holes were made in
the bottom of crowded barges. Lyons was turned into a
desert. At Arras even the cruel mercy of a speedy death
was denied to the prisoners. All down the Loire, from
Saumur to the sea, great flocks of crows and kites feasted on
naked corpses, twined together in hideous embraces. No
mercy was shown to sex or age. The number of young
lads and of girls of seventeen who were murdered by that
execrable government is to be reckoned by hundreds. Ba-
bies torn from the breast were tossed from pike to pike along
the Jacobin ranks." In the short space of ten years, mill-
ions of human beings perished.

All this was as Satan would have it. This was what for
ages he had been working to secure. His policy is deception
from first to last, and his steadfast purpose is to bring woe and
wretchedness upon men, to deface and defile the workman-
ship of God, to mar the divine purposes of benevolence and
love, and thus cause grief in Heaven. Tlien by his deceptive
arts he blinds the minds of men, and leads them to throw
back the blame of his work upon God, as if all this misery
were the result of the Creator's plan. In like manner, when
those who have been degraded and brutalized through his
cruel power achieve their freedom, he urges them on to
excesses and atrocities. Then this picture of unbridled
license is pointed out by tyrants and oppressors as an illus-
tration of the results of liberty.

THE BIBLE AND THE FRENCH RE VOL UTION. 285

When error in one garb has been detected, Satan only
masks it in a different disguise, and multitudes receive it as
eagerly as at the first. When the people found Romanism
to be a deception, and he could not through this agency
lead them to transgression of God's law, he urged them to
regard all religion as a cheat, and the Bible a fable; and
casting aside the divine statutes, they gave themselves up to
unbridled iniquity.

The fatal error which wrought such woe for the inhab-
itants of France was the ignoring of this one great truth:
that true freedom lies within the proscriptions of the law of
God. " that thou ha<lst hearkened to my command-
ments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy right-
eousness as the waves of the sea." " There is no peace, saith
the Lord, unto the wicked." " But whoso hearkeneth unto
me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil."*

Atheists, infidels, and apostates oppose and denounce God's
law; but the results of their influence prove that the well-
being of man is bound up with his obedience of the divine
statutes. Those who will not read the lesson from the book
of God, are bidden to read it in the history of nations.

When Satan wrouglit through the Romish Church to
lead men away from obedience, his agency was concealed,
and his work was so disguised that the degradation and
misery which resulted were not seen to be the fruit of trans-
gression. And his power was so far counteracted by the
working of the Spirit of God, that his purposes were pre-
vented from read ling their full fruition. The people did
not trace the effect to its cause, and discover the source of
their miseries. But in the Revolution, the law of God was
openly set aside by the national council. And in the reign
of terror which followed, the working of cause and effect
could be seen by all.

When France publicly prohibited the Bible, wicked men
and spirits of darkness exulted in their attainment of the
object so long desired, — a kingdom free from the restraints

»l8a. 48:18, 22; Pro v. 1:33.

286

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

of tlio law of God. Because sentence against an evil work
was not speedily executed, thereioro the heart of the sons of
men was "fully set in them to do cvil."^ But the trans-
gression of a just and righteous law must inevitably result
in misery and ruin. Though not visited at once with
judgments, the wickedness of men\\as nevertheless sure '
working out their doom. Centuries of apostasy and crime
had been treasuring up wrath against the day of retribution;
and when their iniquity was full, the despisers of God
learned too late that it is a fearful thing to have worn out
the divine patience. The restraining Spirit of God, which
imposes a check upon the cruel i)Owcr of Satan, was in a
greal; measure nMuoved, and ho whoso only dc^light is the
wretchedness of men, was permitted to work his will. Those
who had chosen the service of rebellion, were left to reap its
fruits, until the land was filled with crimes too horrible for
2)en to trace. From devastated provinces and ruined cities
a terrible cry was heard, — a cry of bitterest anguish. France
was shaken as if by an earthquake. Religion, law, social
order, the family, the State, and the Church, — all were
smitten down by the impious hand that had been lifted
against the law of God. Truly spake the wise man : " The
wicked shall fall by his own wickedness." " Though a sin-
ner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet
surely I know that it shall bo well with them that fear God
which fear before him ; but it shall not be well with the
wicked." ' " They hated knowledge, and did not choose the
fear of the Lord;" "therefore shall they eat of the fruit of
their own way, and be filled with their own devices."'

God's faithful witnesses, slain by the blasphemous power
that "ascendeth out of the bottomless pit," were not long to
remain silent. " After three days and a half, the Spirit of
life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their
feet ; and great fear fell upon them which saw them." ' It was
in 1793 that the decree which prohibited the Bible passed the

»Eccl. 8:11-13.

» Prov. 1 : 29, 31.

"Rev. 11:11.

THE BIB LE AND THE FRENCH RE VOL UTIO N. 287

French Assembly. Three years and a lialf later a resolution
rescinding the decree, and granting toleration to the Script-
ures, was adopted by the same body. The world stood aghast
at the enormity of guilt which had resulted from a rejection
of the Sacred Oracles, and men recognized the necessity of
faith in God and his Word as the foundation of virtue and
morality. Saith the Lord, "AVhom hast thou ro])roac]ied
and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy
voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the
Holy One of Israel."^ "Therefore, behold, I will this once
cause them to know, I will cause liicm to know mine haijd
and my might; and they shall know that my name is
Jehovah.""^

Concerning the two witnesses the prophet declares further:
"And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto
them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in
a cloud; and their enemies beheld tliem."^ Since France
made war upon God's two witnesses, they have been hon-
ored as never before. In 1(S04 the British and Foreign Bible
Society was organized. Tliis was followed by similar organ-
izations, with numerous branches, ujwn the continent of
Europe. In 1810, the American Bible Society was founded.
When the British Society was formed, the Bible had been
printed and circulated in fifty tongues. It has since been
translated into more than two hundred languages and dia-
lects. By the efforts of Bible societies, since 1804, more
than 187,000,000 copies of the Bible have been circulated.

For the fifty years preceding 1792, little attention was
given to the work of foreign missions. Xo new societies
were formed, and there were but few churches that made
any effort for the spread of Christianity in heathen lands.
But toward the close of the eighteenth century a great
change took place. Men became dissatisfied with the results
of rational m, and realized the necessity of divine revela-
tion and experimental religion. The devoted Carey, who

Usa. 37:23.

2Jer. 16:21.

8 Rev. 11 : 12.

288

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

in 1793 became the first English missionary to India,
kindled anew the flame of missionaiy effort in England,
in America, twenty years later, the zeal of a society of stu-
dents, among whom was Adoniram Judson, resulted in the
formation of the American Board of Foreign Missions, under
whose auspices Judson Avent as a missionary from the United
States to Burmah. From this time tlio work of foreign mis-
sions attained an unjjrecedented growth.

The imi)rovements in i)riviting have given an impetus to
the work of circulating the Biule. The increased facilities
for communication between different countries, the breaking
down of ancient barriers of prejudice and national exclusive-
ness, and the loss of secular i)0wer by tlie pontiff of Rome,
have opened the way for tlie entrance of the Word of God.
For some years the Bible has been sold without restraint in
the streets of Home, and it has now been carried to every
part of the habitable globe.

The infidel Voltaire once boastingly said, " I am weary of
hearing people rci)eat that twelve men established the Chris-
tian religion. I will prove that one man may suffice to
overthrow it." A century has passed since his death. Mill-
ions have joined in the war upon the Bible. But it is so
far from being destroyed, that where there were a hundred
in Voltaire's time, there are now ten thousand, yes, a hundred
thousand copies of the Book of God. In the words of an
early reformer concerning tlie Christian church, "The Bible
is an anvil that has worn out many hammers." Saith the
Lord, "No weajjon that is formed against tliee shall prosper;
and every tongue tlir.t shall rise against thee in judgment
thou slialt condemn."^

"The "Word of our God shall stand forever." "All his
commandments are sure. Tliev stand fast forever and ever,
and are done in truth and uprightness." ^ Whatever is built
iipon the authority of man will be overthrown; but that
Avhich is founded upon the rock of God's immutable Word
shall stand forever.

1 laa. 54: 17. "Isa. 40:8; Vi. 111:7, 8.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE PILGRIM FATHERS.

The English reformers, wliile renouncing the floctrines
of lionianism, had retained many of its forms. Thus though
the authority and the creed of Rome were rejected, not a
few of her customs and ceremonies were incorporated into
the worship of the Church of England. It was claimed that
these things were not matters of conscience; that though
they were not commanded in Scripture, and hence were
non-essential, yet not being forbidden, they were not intrin-
sically evil. Their observance tended to narrow the gulf
which separated the reformed churches from Rome, and it
was urged that they would promote the acceptance of the
Protestant faith by Romanists.

To the conservative and compromising, these arguments
seemed conclusive. But there was another class that did
not so judge. The fact that these customs tended to bridge
the chasm between Rome and the Reformation, was in their
view a conclusive argument against retaining them. They
looked upon them as badges of the slavery from which they
had been delivered, and to which they had no disposition to
return. They reasoned that God has in his Word estab-
lished the regulations governing his worship, and that men
are not at liberty to add to these or to detract from them.
The very beginning of the great apostasy was in seeking to
supplement the authority of God by that of the church.
Rome began by enjoining what God had not forbidden, and
she ended by forbidding what he had explicitly enjoined.

Many earnestly desired to return to the purity and sim-
plicity which characterized the primitive church. They

(289)

290

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

regarded many of the established customs of tlie English
church as monuments of idolatry, and they could not in
conscience unite in her worship. But the church, being
supported by the civil authority, would j)ermit no dissent
from her forms. Attendance \\\nn\ her service was recpdred
by law, and iniauthorized assemblies for religious worship
were prohibited, under penalty of imprisonment, exile, and
death.

At the opening of the seventeenth century the monarch
who had just ascended the throne of England declared his
determination to make the Puritans "conform, or harry them
out of the land, or else worse." Hunted, persecuted, and
imprisoned, they could discern in the future no promise of
better days, and many yielded to the conviction that for
such as would servo God according to the dictates of their
conscience, "England had ceased forever to be a habit-
able spot." Some at last determined to seek refuge in Hol-
land. Difficulties, losses, and imprisonment were encoun-
tered. Their purposes were thwarted, and the}'- were betrayed
into the hands of their enemies. But steadfast perseverance
finally conquered, and they found shelter on the friendly
shores of the Dutch Republic.

In their flight they had left their houses, their goods, and
their means of livelihood. They were strangers in a strange
land, among a people of different language and customs.
They w^ere forced to resort to new and untrio<^i -occupations
to earn their bread. Middle-aged men, who had spent their
lives in tilling the soil, had now to learn mechanical trades.
But they cheerfully accepted the situation, and lost no
time in idleness or repining. Though often pinched with
poverty, they thanked God for the blessings which were still
granted them, and found their joy in unmolested spiritual
communion. " They knew they were pilgrims, and looked
not much on those things, but lifted up their eyes to Heaven,
their dearest country, and quieted their spirits."

In the midst of exile and hardship, their love and faith

THE PILGRIM FATHERS.

291

waxed strong. They trusted the Lord's promises, and lio
did not fail them in timo of need. His angels were by tlieir
side, to encouriigo and support thom. And when Goil's
hand seemed pointing them across th.c sea, to a hind where
they might found for themselves a State, and leave to their
children the precious heritage of religious liberty, they
went forward, without shrinking, in the path of Providence.

God had permitted trials to come upon his peo[)lo to pre-
pare them for the accomplishment of his gracious purpose
toward them. The church had been brought low, that she
might bo exalted. God was about to display his power in
her behalf, to give to the world another evidence that ho
will not forsake those who trust in him. He had overruled
events to cause the wrath of Satan and the plots of evil men
to advance his glory, and to bring his people to a place of
security. Persecution and exile were opening the way to
freedom.

When first constrained to soparato from the English church,
the Puritans had joi4i6d themselves together by a solemn
covenant, as the Lord's free people, "to walk in all his ways,
made known or to be made known to them." Here was
the true spirit of reform, the vital principle of Protestantism.
It was with this purpose that the Pilgrims doparted from
Holland to find a home in the New World. John Robinson,
their pastor, who was providentially prevented from accom-
panying them, in his farewell address to the exiles said: —

" Brethren, we are now erelong to part asunder, and the
Lord knoweth whether I shall live ever to see your faces
more; but whether the Lord hath appointed that or not, I
charge you before God and his blessed angels to follow me no
farther than I have followed Christ. If God should reveal
anything to you by any other instrument of his, be as ready
to receive it as you ever were to receive any truth by my min-
istry ; for I am very confident that the Lord hath more truth
and light yet to break forth out of his Holy Word. For my
part, I cannot sufficiently bewail the condition of the reformed

292

TUB GREAT CONTROVERSY.

churches, wlio arc come to a period in religion, and will go
no farther than the instruments of their reformation. The
Lutherans cannot be drawn to go any fartlier than what
Luther saw, and the Calvinists, you see, stick fast where they
were left by that great man of God, who yet saw not all
things. This is a misery much to bo lamented; for though
they were burning and shining lights in their time, yet they
})enetrated not into the whole counsel of God, but were they
now living, would be as willing to embrace further light as
that which they first received.

"Remember j'our church covenant, in winch you have
agreed to walk in all the ways of the Lord, made known
or to be made known unto you. Remember your promi.se
and covenant with God and with one another, to receive
whatever light and truth shall be made known to you from
his written Word. But, withal, take heed, I beseech you,
what you receive as truth. Examine it, consider it, compare
it with other scriptures of truth before you receive it; for
it is not possible that the Christian world should come
so lately out of such thick antichristian darkness, and that
perfection of knowledge should break forth at once."

It was the desire for liberty of conscience that inspired the
Pilgrims to brave the perils of the long journey across the
sea, to endure the hardships and dangers of the wilderness,
and with God's blessing to lay, on the shores of America, the
foundation of a mighty nation. Yet honest and God-fearing
as they were, the Pilgrims did not yet comprehend the great
principle of religious toleration. The freedom which they
sacrificed so much to secure for themselves, they were not
equally ready to grant to others. "Very few, even of the
foremost thinkers and moralists of the seventeenth century,
had any just conception of tliat grand principle, the out-
growth of the New Testament, which acknowledges God as
the sole judge of human faith." The doctrine that God has
committed to the church the right to control the conscience,
and to define and punish heresy, is one of the most deeply

TJIF PILGRIM FATHERS.

293

rooted of pa{>ul crrorK. While the rofonners rcjoctod tho
creed of Rome, tlioy were not entirely free from her spirit of
intolerance. The dense darknes.s in wliieh, through tho
long age.s of her rule, })o])ery had enveloped all Christendom,
had nut even yet been wholly dissijKited. Said one of tho
leading ministers in tho colony of Massachusetts Bay: "It
■was toleration that made tho world anliehristian; and tho
church never took harm by the itunisliment of heretics."
Tho regulation wiis adopted by tho ctdonists, that only
church-members should have a voice in tho civil govern-
ment. A kind of State church was formed, all tho people
being reijuired to contribute to the suj)port of tho clergy, and
the magistrates being authorized to sup})ress heresy. Thus
the secular i)ower was in tho h-'nids of tho church. It was
not long before these measures le 1 to tlie inevitable result —
persecution.

Eleven years after the planting of the first colony, Roger
Williams camo to the New World, Like tho early Pilgrim.s,
ho came to enjoy religious freclom; but unlike them, he
saw — what so few in his timo had yet seen — that this free-
dom was tho inalienable right of all, whatever might be
tlieir creed. lie was an earnest seeker for truth, Avith Robin-
son holding it impossible that all the light from God's Word
had yet been received. Williams " was tho first person in
modern Christendom to assert, in its plenitude, the doctrine
of the liberty of conscience, tho equality of opinions before
the law." He declared it to be the duty of the magistrate
to restrain crime, but never to control tho conscience. " The
l)ublic or the magistrates may decide," he said, "what is
due from men to men, but when they attempt to prescribe
a man's duty to God, they are out of place, and there can
be no safety; for it is clear that if the magistrate has tho
power, ho may decree one set of opinions or beliefs to-day
and another to-morrow; as has been done in England by
different kings and queens, and. by tho different popes and
councils in the Roman Church; so that belief would be-
come a heap of confusion."

294

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

Attondunco at tlio services of the established ciuireh wa»
required under a penalty of fine or imprisonment. "Will-
iams reprobated the law; tho worst statute of tlie English
code was that which did but enforce attendanccj upon the
parish church. To compel men to unite with those of a
different creed, lie rej^arded as an open violation of their
natural rights; to drag to })ublic worship the irreligious and
the unwilling, seemed like recpiiring hyiH)crisy. 'No one/
he said, 'should be forced to worship, or to maintain a
worship, against his own consent.' 'AVhatI' exclaimed his
antagonist, nmazod at his tenets, 'is not the laborer worthy
of his hire?' 'Yes,' replied ho, 'from those who biro him.'"

Roger Williams was respected and belovi'd as a faithful
minister, a num of rare gifts, of unbending integrity and
true benevolence; yet his steadfast denial of tho right of
civil magistrates to authority over the church, and his
demand for religious liberty, could not ho, tolerated. The
application of this new doctrine, it was urged, would "sub-
vert tho fundamental state and government of tho country."
PIo was sentenced to banishment from the colonies, and
finally, to avoid arrest, ho was forced to tiee, amid tho cold
and storms of winter, into tho unbroken forest.

" For fourteen Aeeks," ho says, " I was sorel v tossed in a bit-
ter season, not knowing what bread or bed did mean." " But
tho ravens fed me in the w^ildcrness ; " and a hollow tree often
served him for a shelter. Thus ho continued his painful
flight through the snow and. the trackless forest, until he
found refuge with an Indian tribe whose confidence and
affection he had won while endeavoring to teach them th&
truths of tho gospel.

Making his way at last, after months of change and wan-
dering, to the shores of Narragansett Bay, he there laid the-
foundation of the first State of modern times that in the full-
est sense recognized the right of religious freedom. Tho
fundamental principle of Roger Williams' colony, was " that
every man should have the right to worship God according

THE PILGRIM FATHERS.

29fi

to the light of his conscience." Ilis little State, Rhode
Isliuid, lu'canie the u.syluiii of the opprcsHcd, and it increased
and prospered n».til its foundation priii('ij)les — civil and
religious liberty — bocuuio the corucr-stoiics of tliu Americuu
Kcpultlic.

In that grand old document wliich our forefathers set forth
as their bill of rights — the Declaration of Independence—
they declared: " We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created e([ual; that they are endowed by their
•Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these
ure life, liberty, and the pursuit of hai)[)iness." And the
Constitution guarantees, in the most explicit terms, the
inviolability of conscience: "No religious test shall ever be
required as a qualiticaticm to any ollice of public trust under
the United States." "Congress shall make no law respecting
an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof."

"The framers of the Constitution recognized the eternal
principle that man's relation to his God is above human
legislation, and his right of conscience inalienable. Reason-
ing was not necessary to establish this truth; we are con-
scious of it in our own bosom. It is this consciousness,
which, in defiance of human laws, has sustained so many
martyrs in tortures and flames. They felt that their duty to
God was superior to human enactments, and that man could
•exercise no authority over their consciences. It is an inborn
principle which nothing can eradicate."

As the tidings spread through the countries of Europe,
of a land where every man might enjoy the fruit of his own
labor, and obey the convictions of his conscience, thousands
flocked to the shores of the New World. Colonies rapidly
multiplied. " Massachusetts, by special law , offered free wel-
•come and aid, at the public cost, to Christians of any nation-
ality who might fly beyond the Atlantic * to escape from wars
or famine, or the oppression of their persecutors.' Thus the
fugitive and the down-trodden were, by statute, made the

296

TffE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

': II

guests of the commonwealth." In twenty years from the
first landmg at Plymouth, us many thousand Pilgrims were
settled in Now England.

To secure the object which they sought, "they were con-
tent to earn a bare subsistence by a life of frugality and
toil. They asked nothing from the soil but the reasonable
returns of their own labor. No golden vision threw a
deceitful halo around their path. . . . They were con-
tent with the slow but steady progress of their social polity.
They patiently endured the privations of the wilderness,
watering the tree of liberty with their tears, and with the
sweat of their brow, till it took deep root in the land."

The Bible was held as the foundation of faith, the source
of wisdom, and the charter of liberty. Its principles were
diligently taught in the home, in tlie school, and in the
church, and its fruits were manifest in thrift, intelligence,
purity, and temperance. One might bo for years a dweller
in the Puritan settlements, and not " see a drunkard, nor
hear an oath, nor meet a beggar." It was demonstrated
that the principles of the Bible are the surest safeguards of
national greatness. The feeble and isolated colonies grew
to a confederation of powerful States, and the world marked
with wonder the peace and prosperity of "a church with-
out a pope, and a State without a king."

But continually increasing numbers were attractel to the
shores of America, actuated by motives widely different from
those ot the first Pilgrims. Though the primitive faith and
purity exerted a widespread and moulding power, yet its
influence became less and less as the numbers increased of
those who sought only worldly advantage.

The regulation adopted by the early colonists, of per-
mitting only members of the church to vote or to hold
office in the civil government, led to most pernicious results.
This measure had been accepted as a means of preserv-
ing the purity of the State, but it resulted in the corrup-
tion of the church. A profession of religion being the

THE PILGRIM FATHERS.

297

condition of suffrage and office-holding, many, actuated
solely by motives of worldly policy, united with the church,
without a change of heart. Thus the churches came to
consist, to a considerable extent, of unconverted persons;
and even in the ministry were those who not only held
errors of doctrine, but who wore ignorant of the renewing
power of the Holy Spirit. Thus again was demonstrated
the evil results, so often witnessed in the history of the
church from the days of Constantino to the present, of
attempting to build up the church by the aid of the State,
of appealing to the secular power in support of the gospel of
Him who declared, "My kingdom is not of this world.'"
The union of the church with the State, be the degree never
so slight, while it may appear to bring the world nearer to
the church, does in reality but bring the church nearer to
the world.

The great principle so nobly advocated by Robinson and
Roger Williams, that truth is progressive, that Christians
should stand ready to accept all the light which may shine
from God's Holy Word, was lost sight of by their descend-
ants. The Protestant churches of America — and those of
Europe as well — so highly favored in receiving the blessings
of the Reformation, failed to press forward in the path of
reform. Though a few faithful men arose, from time to
time, to proclaim new truth, and expose long-cherished error,
the majority, like the Jews in Christ's day, or the papists in
the time of Luther, were content to believe as their fathers
had believed, and to live as they had lived. Therefore
religion again degenerated into formalism ; and errors and
superEtitions which would have been cast aside liad the
church continued to walk in the light of God's AVord, were
retained and cherished. Thus the spirit inspired by the
Reformation gradually died out, until there was almost as
great need of reform in the Protestant churches as in the
Roman Church in tlie time of Luther. There was the same
worldliness and spiritual stupor, a similar reverence for the

'John 18:36.

298

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

opinions of men, and substitution of human theories for the
teachings of God's Word.

The wide circulation of the Bible in the early part of the
nineteenth century, and the great light thus shed upon the
world, was not followed by a corresponding advance in
knowledge of rcx^ealod truth, or in experimental religion.
iSatan could not, as in former ageS; keep God's Word from
the people; it had been placed' within the reach of all; but
in order still to accomplish his object, he led many to value
it but lightly. Men neglected to search the Scriptures, and
thus they continued to accept false interpretations, and to
cherish doctrines which had no foundation in the Bible.

Seeing the failure of his efforts to crush out the truth by
persecution, Satan had again resorted to the plan of com-
promise which led to the great apostasy and the formation
of the Church of Rome. He had induced Christians to
ally themselves, not now with pagans, but with those who
by their devotion to the things of this world had proved
themselves to be as truly idolaters as were the worshipers of
graven images. And the results of this union were no less
pernicious now than in former ages; pride and extravagance
were fostered under the guise of religion, and the churches
became corrupted. Satan continued to pervert the doctrines
of the Bible, and traditions that were to ruin millions were
taking deep root. The church was upholding and defending
these traditions, instead of contending for "the faith which
was once delivered to the saints." Thus were degraded the
principles for which the reformers had done and suffered
so much.

CHAPTER XVII.

HERALDS OF THE MORNING.

One of tlie most solemn and yet most glorious truths
revealed in the Bible is that of Christ's second coming,
to complete the great work of redemption. To God's pil-
grim people, so long left to sojourn in "the region and
shadow of death," a precious, joy-inspiring hope is given
in the promise of His appearing, who is " the resurrection
and the life," to "bring home again his banished." The
doctrine of the second advent is the very key-note of the
sacred Scriptures. From the day when the first pair turned
their sorrowing steps from Eden, the children of faith have
waited the coming of the Promised One to break the destroy-
er's power and bring them again to the lost Paradise. Holy
men of old looked forward to the advent of the Messiah in
glory, as the consummation of their hope. Enoch, only the
seventh in descent from them that dwelt in Eden, he who
for three centuries on earth walked with his God, was per-
mitted to behold from afar the coming of the Deliverer.
" Behold," he declared, "the Lord cometh with ten thousands
of his saints, to execute judgment upon all." ' The patriarch
Job in the night of his affliction exclaimed with unshaken
trust: "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he sh.all
stand at the latter day upon the earth; ... in my flesh
shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes
shall behold, and not another."^

The coming of Christ to usher in the reign of righteous-
ness, has inspired the most sublime and impassioned utter-
ances of the sacred writers. The poets and prophets of the

1 Jude 14, 15. 2 Job 19 : 25-27.

(299)

300

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

Bible have dwelt upon it in words glowing with celestial
fire. The psalmist sung of the power and majesty of Israel's
King: "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath
shined. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence.
. . . He shall call to the heavens from abovo, and to the
earth, that he may judge his people."' "Let the heavens
rejoice, and let the earth be glad" "before the Lord; for he
Cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the
world with righteousness, and the peoi)]e with his truth."'

Said the prophet Isaiah: "Awake ana ing, ye that dwell
in dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth
shall cast out the dead." "Thy dead men shall live, to-
gether with my dead body shall they arise." "He will swal-
low up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away
tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall
he take away from off all the earth ; for the Lord hath spoken
it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God;
we have waited for him, and he wall save us. This is the
Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice
in his salvation." *

And Habakkuk, rapt in holy vision, beheld His appearing.
"God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount
Paran. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was
full of his praise. And his brightness was as the light."
" He stood, and measured the earth ; he beheld, and drove
asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were
scattered, the perpetual hills did bow; his ways ere ever-
lasting." " Thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy char-
iots of salvation." " The mountains saw thee, and they trem-
bled. . . The deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his
hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their habi-
tation; at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the
shining of thy glittering spear." " Thou wentest forth for
the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine
anointed." *

iPs. 60:2-4.

•Isa. 26:19; 25:8, 9.

"Ps. 96:11, 13.

«Hab. 3:3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11,13.

HERALDS OF THE MORNING.

301

AVhen the Saviour was about to be separated from his
disciples, lie comforted them in their sorrow with the assur-
ance that he would come again: "Lot not your heart be
troubled." " In my Father's house are many mansions."
*'I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare
a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto
myself" ^ " The Son of man shall come in his glory, and
all the holy angels with him. Then shall he sit u;>on the
throne of his glory, and before h^n shall be gathered all
nations." ^

The angels who lingered upon Olivet after Christ's ascen-
sion, repeated to the disciples the promise of his return:
*'This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,
shall m come in like manner as ye have seen him go into
heaven."^ And the apostle Paul, speaking by the Spirit of
inspiration, testified : " The Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and
with the trump of God."* Says the prophet of Patmos:
"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see
him."*

About his coming cluster the glories of that " restitution
of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all
his holy prophets since the world began."® Then the long-
continued rule of evil shall be broken; "the kingdoms of
this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his
Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever."^ "The glory
of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it
together." "The Lord God will cause righteousness and
praise to spring forth before all the nations," He shall be
*' for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the
residue of his people." *

It is then that the peaceful and long-desired kingdom of
the Messiah shall be established under the whole heaven.
*' The Lord shall comfort Zion ; he will comfort all her waste

»John 14:1-3.
*1 Thes3. 4:16.
'Rev. 11: 15.

■iMatt. 25:31,32.
SRev. 1 :7.

'Actsl :11.
8 Acts 3:21.

«Isa. 40:5; 61:llj 28:6.

302

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

1 ■ I

pln.ces, and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her
desert like the garden of the Lord." " The glory of Lebanon
shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon."
"Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy
land any more be termed Desolate; but thou shalt be called
My Delight, and thy land Beulah." "As the bridegroom
rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee." '

The coming of the Lord has been in all ages the hope of
his true followers. The Saviour's parting promise upon
Olivet, that he would come again, lighted up the future for
his disciples, filling their hearts with joy and hope, that
sorrow could not quench, nor trials dim. Amid suffering
and persecution, " the appearing of the great God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ " was the " blessed hope." "When the
Thessalonian Christians were filled with grief as they buried
their loved ones, who had hoped to live to witness the com-
ing of the Lord, Paul, their teacher, pointed them to the
resurrection, to take jjlace at the Saviour's advent. Then
the dead in Christ should rise, and together with the living
be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. "And so," he
said, " shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort
one another with these words." '^

On rocky Patmos the beloved disciple hears the promise,
"Surely, I come quickly," and his longing response voices
the prayer of the church in all her pilgrimage, " Even so,
come. Lord Jesus." ^

Fro._- the dungeon, the stake, the scaffold, where saints
and martyrs witnessed for the trutli, comes down the cent-
uries the utterance of their faith and hope. " Being assured
of Christ's personal resurrection, and consequently of tlieir
own at his coming, for this cause," says one of these Chris-
tians, "they despised death, and were found to be above it."
They were willing to go down to the grave, that they "might
rise free." They looked for the " Lord to come from Heaven
in the clouds with the glory of his Father," " bringing to the

1 Isa. 51 :3 ; 35 : 2 ; 62 : 4, 5 (margin). •' 1 Thesa. 4 : 16-18.

sRev. 22:20.

HERALDS OF THE MORNING.

803

just the times of the kingdom." The \Valdenses clierished
the same faith. AVychffe looked forward to tlie Redeemer's
appearing as the lioi)e of the church.

Luther dechired: "I persuade myself verily, that the day
of Judgment will not bo absent full three hundred years.
God will not, cannot, suffer this wicked world much longer."
"The great day is drawing near in which the kingdom of
abominations shall bo overthrown."

"This aged world is not far from its end," said Melanc-
thon. Calvin bids Christians "not to hesitate, ardently
desiring the day of Christ's coming as of all events most
auspicious;" and declares that "the whole family of the
faithful will keep in view that day." " We must hunger
after Christ, we must seek, contemidate," he says, "till the
dawning of that great day, when our Lord will fully mani-
fest the glory of his kingdom."

"Has not our Lord Jesus carried up our flesh into
Heaven?" said Knox, the Scotch reformer, "and shall he
not return? We know that he shall return, and that with
expedition." Ridley and Latimer, who laid down their
lives for the truth, looked in faith for the Lord's coming.
Ridley wrote: "The world without doubt — this I do believe,
and therefore I say it — draws to an end. Let us with John,
the servant of God, cry in our hearts unto our Saviour
Christ, Come, Lord Jesus, come."

"The thoughts of the coming of the Lord," said Baxter,
"are most sweet and joyful to me." " It is the work of faith
and the character of his saints to love his appearing and to
look for that blessed hope." " If death be the last enemy to
be destroyed at the resurrection, we may learn how earnestly
believers should long and pray for the second coming of
Christ, Avhen this full and final conquest shall be made."
"This is the day that all believers should long, and hope,
and wait for, as being the accomplishment of all the work
of their redemption, and all the desires and endeavors of
their souls." " Hasten, O Lord, this blessed day ! " Such was

304

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

the hope of the apostoHc church, of tlie "church in the wil-
derness," and of the reformers.

Prophecy not only foretells the manner and object of
Christ's coming, but presents tokens by which men are to
know when it is near. Said Jesus: "There shall be signs
in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars." ^ "The sun
shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
and thf^ stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are
in heaven shall be shake... Aivl then shall they see
the Son of man coming in the )\h\a "ith great power and
glory."' The Revelator thus deacribe& r> -) first of the signs
to precede the second advent: "There was a great earth-
quake ; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and
the moon become as blood."'

These signs were witnessed before the opening of the pres-
ent century. In fulfillment of this prophecy there occurred,
in the year 1755, the most terrible earthquake that has ever
been recorded. Though commonly known as the earth-
quake of Lisbon, it extended to the greater part of Europe,
Africa, and America. It was felt in Greenland, in the West
Indies, in the island of Madeira, in Norway and Sweden,
Great Britain and Ireland. It pervaded an extent of not
less than four million square miles. In Africa the shock
was almost as severe as in Europe. A great part of Algiers
was destroyed; and a short distance from Morocco, a village
containing eight or ten thousand inhabitants was swallowed
up. A vast wave swept over the coast of Spain and Africa,
engulfing cities, and causing great destruction.

It was in Spain and Portugal that the shock manifested
its extreme violence. At Cadiz the inflowing wave was said
to be sixty feet high. Mountains — some of the largest in
Portugal — "were impetuously shaken, as it were from the
very foundation; and some of them opened at their sum-
mits, which were split and rent in a wonderful manner,
huge masses of them being thrown down into the subjacent

» Luke 21: 26. » Mark 13 : 24-26. »iiev. 6:12.

HERALDS OF THE MORNING,

305

valleys. Flames are related to have issued from these
mountains."

At Lisbon "a sound of thunder was heard underground,
and immediately afterward a violent shock throw down the
greater part of that city. In the course of about six minutes
sixty thousand persons perished. The sea first retired, and
laid the bar dry, it then rolled in, rising fifty feet above its
ordinary level." "The most extraordinary circumstance
which occurred at Lisbon during the catastrophe, was the
subsidence of the new quay, built entirely of marble, at an
immense expense. A great concourse of people had collected
there for safety, as a spot where they might be beyo i tlie
reach of falling ruins; but suddenly the quay sunk dt n
with all the people on it, and not one of the dea> boJias
ever floated to the surface."

The shock of the earthquake " was instantly folio ed by
the fall of every church and convent, almost al' the large
and public buildings, and one-fourth of the houses. In about
two hours afterward, fires broke out in different quarters, and
raged with such violence for the space of nearly three days
that the city was completely desolated. The earthquake
happened on a holy day, when the churches and convents
were full of people, very few of whom escaped." " The terror
of the people was beyond description. Nobody wept; it was
beyond tears. They ran hither and thither, delirious with
horror and astonishment, beating their faces and breasts,
crying, ^ MlsericordirJ the world's at an end/' Mothers forgot
their children, and ran loaded with crucifixed images.
Unfortunately, many ran to the churches for protection ; but
in vain was the sacrament exposed; in vain did the poor
creatures embrace the altars; images, priests, and people were
buried in one common ruin." " Ninety thousand persons
are supposed to have been lost on that fatal day."

Twenty-five years later appeared the next sign mentioned
in the prophecy, — the darkening of the sun and moon.
What rendered this more striking was the fact that the

¥r

30G

TI/i: GREAT i'OXTIiOVKRSY.

time of its fulfillincnt liud been vlefinitely poiiuc*! out. In
the Siiviour'.s conversation ■with liis ilisei[)les upon Olivet,
after (le.<eril)ing tlie long i)erio(l of triiil for the ehurcii — the
1200 years of pajKil persecution, concerning wliicii lie iiad
promised tliat tlie tribulation should be sliortened — he thus
mentioned certain events to precede liis coming, and lixe(l
the time when the first of these should bo witnessed: " //<
those days, after tiiat tribulaiion, the sun shall be darkene(l,
and the moon shall not give her light."' The 1200 days, or
years, terminated in 1708. A quarter of a century earlier,
persecution hud almost wholly ceased. Between these two
dates, according to the words of Cln'ist, the sun was to be dark-
ened. On the loth of May, 1780, this i)rophecy was fultilled.

"Almost if not altogether alone as the most mysterious
and as yet unexi)lained phenomenon of its kind, . . .
stands the dark dav of Mav 10, 1780, — a most unaccount-
able darkening of the whole visible heavens and atmos-
phere in New England." That the darkness was not due
to an eclipse is evident from the fact that the moon was
then nearly full. It was not caused by clouds, or the thick-
ness of the atmosphere, for in some localities where the dark-
ness extended, the sky was so clear that the stars could be
seen. Concerning the inability of science to assign a satis-
factory cause for this manifestation, Herschel the astron-
omer declares: " The dark day in North America was one of
those wonderful phenomena of nature which philosophy is
at a loss to explain."

" The extent of the darkness was also very remarkable. It
was observed at the most easterly regions of New England;
westward, to the farthest part of Connecticut, and at Albany,
N. Y.; to the southward, it was observed all along the sea
coast; and to the north, as far as the xVmerican settlements
extended. It probably far exceeded those boundaries, but
the exact limits were never positively known. With regard
to its duration, it continued in the neighborhood of Boston
for at least fourteen or fifteen hours."

iMark 13:24.

Copyrighted 1893.

THE SIGNS OF HIS COMING.

HERALDS OF THE MORNING.

307

"The morning was clear ami ploasant, but about eight
o'clock there was observed au uncoinnioii appearauce in the
sun. There were no clouds, but the air was thick, having a
smoky appearance, and the sun shone with a pale, yellow-
ish hue, but kept growing darker and darker, until it was
hid from sight." There waa "midnight darkness at noon-
day."

"The occurrence brought intense alarm an<l distress to
multitudes of minds, as well as dismay to the whole brute
creation, the fowls Heoing bewildered to their roosts, and the
birds to their nests, and the cattle returning to their stalls."
Frogs and night hawks began their notes. The cocks crew as
at daybreak. Fanners were forced to leave their work in the
fields. Business was generally suspended, and candles were
lighted in the dwellings. "The Legislature of Connecticut
was in session at Hartford, but being unable io transact
business adjourned. Everything bore the appearance and
gloom of night."

The intense darkness of the dav was succeeded, i\\\ hour
or two before evening, by a partially clear sky, and the sun
appeared, though it was still obscured by the black, heavy
mist. But "this interval was followed by a return of the
obscuration with greater density, that rendered the first
half of the night hideously dark beyond all former experi-
ence of the probable million of people who saw it. From
soon after sunset until midnight, no ray of light from moon
or star penetrated the vault above. It was pronounced 'the
blackness of darkness!'" Said an eye-witness of the scene:
"I could not help conceiving, at the time, that if every
luminous body m the universe had been shrouded in impen-
etrable darkness-, or struck out of existence, the darkness
could not have b'^en more complete." Though the moon
that night rose to the full, "it had not the least effect to dis-
pel the death-like shadows." After midnight the darkness
disappeared, and the moon, when first visible, had the
appearance of blood.

308

THE GREAT COXTROVERSY.

The poet Wliittier thus speaks of thi.s memorable day: —

" 'Twas on a May-ilay of the far old year
Heveuteoii liundred eighty, that tliere fell
Over tlie bloom and sweet life of tlie spring,
Over the fresli earth, and tlie heaven of noon,
A horror of great darkness. "
" Men prayed, and women wept; all ears grew sharp
To hear the doom-blast of the trumpet shatter
The black sky."

May 19, 1780, stands in liistoiy as "The Dark Day."
Since the time of Moses, no period of darkness of equal
density, extent, and duration has ever been recorded. The
description of this event, as given b}^ the poet and the histo-
rian, is but an echo of the words of the Lord, recorded by
the prophet Joel, twenty-live hundred years previous to their
fulfillment: "The sun shall l)o turned into darkness, and the
moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the
Lord come.'"

Christ had bidden his peoj^le watch for the signs of his
advent, and rejoice as they should behold the tokens of their
coming King. "When these things begin to come to pass,"
he said, "then look up, and lift up your heads; for your
redemption draweth nigh." He pointed his followers to the
budding trees of spring, and said: "When they now shoot
forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is
no\," nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things
come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at
hand."^

But as the spirit of humility and devotion in the church
had given place to pride and formalism, love for Christ and
faith in his coming had grown cold. Absorbed in worldliness
and pleasure-seeking, the professed peo[)le of God were
blinded to the Saviour's instructions concerning the signs of
his appearing. The doctrine of the second advent had been
neglected; the scriptures relating to it were obscured l)y mis-
interpretation, until it^ was, to a great extent, ignored and
forgotten. Especially was this the ca.se in the churches of
America. The freedom and comfort enioved by all classes

1 Joel 2 : 31. 2 Luke 21 : 28, 30, 31.

HERALDS OF THE MO R XING.

nno

of society, tLe ambitious desire for wealth and luxury, Ijofj^et-
ting an absorbing deyotion to money-making, tlio eager
rush for pojHilarity and po\yer, which seemed to be witliin
the reach of all, led men to center their interests and hopes
on the things of this life, and to ])ut far in the future tliat
solemn day when the present order of things should pass
away.

When the Sayiour pointed out to his followers the signs
of his return, he foretold the state of backsliding that would
exist just i)rior to his second adyent. There would be, as in
the days of Noah, the actiyity and stir of worldly business
and pleasure-seeking — Ijuying, selling, planting, building,
marrying, and giying in marriage — with forgetfulness of God
and the future life. For those liying at this time, Christ's
admonition is: "Take heed to yourselyes, lest at anytime
your hearts bo overcharged with surfeitinjx, and drunken-
ness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you
unawares." "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye
may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that
shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."^

The condition of the church at this time is pointed out
in the Sayiour's words in the Reyelation: "Thou hast a
name that thou livest, and art dead." '^ And to those who
refuse to arouse' from their careless security, the solemn
warning is addressed : " If therefore thou shalt not watch, I
will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know
what iKHir I will come upon thee." '^

It was needful that men should bo awakened to their
danger; that they should be roused to prepare for the solenni
events connected with the close of probation. The prophet
of God declares: "The day of the Lord is great and very
terrible; and who can abide it?"' Who shall stand when
He appeareth who is "of purer eyes than to behold evil,
and cannot look on iniquity?"* To them that ciy, "]\ry
God, we know thee," yet have transgressed his covenant,

1 Luko 21 : 34, 36.
3Joel2:Il.

2 Rev. 3:1,3.
>ITah. 1:13.

! I

310

TUB GREAT CONTROVERSY,

and hastened after another god,^ liiding iniquity in their
hearts, and loving the patlis of unrighteousness, to these,
the day of the Lord is " darkness, and not Hght, even very
dark, and no brightness in it." '' " It sluill come to pass at
that time," saith the Lord, "that I will search Jerusalem with
candles, and punisli the men tluit are settled on their lees;
tliiit say in tlieir heart, The Lord will not do good, neither
Avill he do evil."^ "I will punish tlio world for their evil,
and tlie wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the
arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haugh-
tiness of the terrible." * " Neither their silver nor their
gold shall be able to deliver them;" "their goods shall
become a bootv, and their houses a desolation." *

Tlie pro'ihet Jeremiah, looking forward to this fearful
time, exclarned: " I am pained at my very heart." "I can-
not hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul,
the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. Destruction
upon destruction is cried." "

" That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress,
a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and
gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the
trumpet and alarm." ' " Behold, the day of the Lord cometh,

. . . to lay the land desolate, and lie shall destroy the
sinners thereof out of it." ®

In view of that great day the Word of God, in the most
solemn and impressive language, calls upon his people to
arouse from their spiritual lethargy, and to seek his face
with repentance and humiliation: "Blow ye the trumpet in
Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain. Let all
the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord
cometh, for it is nigh at hand." "Sanctify a fast, call a
solemn assembly. Gather the people, sanctify the congrega-
tion, assemble the elders, gather the children. . . . Let
the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out

'Hos. 8:2, 1; Ps. 16:4. •^Amos5:20. ^ Ze^h . \ : U .

<l8a. 13:11. 5 Zeph. 1 : 18, 13. «Jer. 4: 19, 20.

7Zeph. 1 :15, 16. «lsa. 13:9.

HERALDS OF THE MORNING.

311

of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord,
weep between the porch and the aUar." " Turn ye even to
me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping,
and with mourning. And rend your heart, and not your
garments, and turn unto the Lord your God; for he is gra-
cious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness."*

To prepare a people to stand in the day of God, a great
work of reform was to be accom^dished. God saw that many
of his professed pco})le were not building for eternity, and in
his mercy he was about to send a message of warning to
arouse them from their stupor, and lead them to make ready
for the coming of their Lord.

This warning is brought to view in Revelation 14. Here
is a threefold message represented as })roclainied by heav-
enly beings, and immediately followed by the coming of
the Son of man "to reap the harvest of the earth." The
first of these warnings announces tlie approaching Judg-
ment. The prophet beheld an angel flying " in the midst of
heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them
that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred,
and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God,
and give glory to him; for the hour of his Judgment is
come; and worship liim tliat made heaven, and earth, and
the sea, and tlie fountains of waters."^

This message is declared to l)e a part of the "everlasting
gospel." The work of preacliing tlie gospel has not been
committed to angels, but has l)(>en intrusted to men. Holy
angels have been employed iu di'octing this work, they
have in charge the great movc.nents for the salvation of
men; but the actual proclamation of the gospel is performed
by the servants of Christ upon the earth.

Faithful men, who were oi)edient to the promptings of
God's Spirit and the teachings of his Word, were to i)ro-
claim this warning to the world. They were those who
had taken heed to the " sure word of prophecy," the " light

1 Joel 2 : 1, 15-18, 12, 13. 'Rev. 14 : 6. 7.

..(

312

THE GREAT COXTROVERSY.

that shineth ill a, dark place, until the day dawn, and the
day-star arise.'" They had been seeking the knowledge of
God more than all liid treasures, counting it "better lluin
the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than tine
gold."'^ And the Lord revealed to them tlu^ great things of
the kinjrdom. "The secret of the Lord is with them that
fear him; and he Avill show them his covenant."^

It was not the leaders in the church wlio had an under-
standing of this truth, and engaged in its proclamation.
Had these been faithful watchmen, diligently and i)rayerfully
searching the Scriptures, they would liave known the time of
night; the pro})liecies would have opened to them the events
about to take i)lace. But they did not occupy tliis position,
and the message was given by another class. Said Jesus,
"Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon
you."' Those who turn away from the liglit which God has
given, or who neglect to seek it when it is within their reach,
are left in darkness. But the Saviour declares, " He that fol-
loweth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the
light of life."" Whoever is with singl-^ness of i)urpose seek-
ing to do God's will, earnestly heeding the 'i.o-ht already
given, will receive greater light; to that sctd some star of
heavenly radiance will be sent, to guide him into all truth.

At the time of Clirist's first advent, the priests and scribes
of tlie holy city, to wliom were intrusted the oracles of God,
might have discerned the signs of the times, and proclaimed
the coming of .the Promised One. The prophecy of Micah
designated his birthplace;" Daniel specified the time of his
advent.' God had committed these prophecies to the Jew-
ish leaders; they were without excuse if thc}^ did not know
and Mv' hire to the people that the jSIessiah's coming was at
hand. Their ign nance was the result of sinful neglect.
The Jc'vs were building monuments for the slain propheis
of God, while by their deferenci- to the great men of eartli
they were ot'.ying homage to the servants of Satan. Ab-

12 Pot. 1:1'!.
"^Jolin 8: 12.

•-'Prov. .S: 14.
6 Micah 5:2.

3Ps. 20:14.
'Daa. 9:25.

♦John 12:35.

^Mr

HERALDS OF THE MORNING.

313

of
th.

)CS
<(k1,
led
■ah

iiis

CW-
IKJW

ect.

lets

irth

Ab-

sorbed in tlioir ambitious strife for ])lace and power among
men, they lost sight of tlie divine lionors jjrolfered tliem In'
the King of Heaven.

With profound and reverent interest tlie eklers of Israel
should have been studying tlie plaee, the time, the eireum-
f^tances, of the greatest event in tlie worlds history, — the
coming of the Son of God to aeeomplish tlie redem})tion of
man. All the jn'oplc should have been watching and wait-
ing tluit they might be among the first to welcome the
world's Redeemer. But lo, at Bethlehem two weary trav-
elers from the hills of Nazareth traverse the whole length
of the narrow street to the eastern extremity of the town,
vainly seeking a jdace of rest and shelter for the night. No
doors are open to receive them. In a wretched hovel pre-
pared for cattle, they at last find refuge, and there the Sav-
iour of the world is born.

Heavenly angels had seen the glory which the Son of God
shared with the Father before the world was, and thev had
looked forward with intense interest to his ap[)earing on
earth as an event fraught \\'ith the greatest joy to all peo-
ple. Angels were appointed to carry the glad tidings to
those who were ])repared to receive it, and who would joy-
fully make it known to the inhabitants of the earth. Christ
had stooped to take upon himself man's nature; he was to
bear an infinite weight of woe as he should make hi- soul
an ottering for sin; yet angels desired that even in his
humiliation, the Son of the Highest might appear before men
with a dignity and glory befitting his character. Would
the great men of earth assemble at Israel's capital to greet
his coming? Would legions of angels present hhn to the
exjiectant company?

An angel visits the earth to see who are prepared to wel-
come Jesus. But he can discern no tokens of expectancy.
He hears no voice of praise and triumph that the period
of Messiah's coming is at hand. The angel hover.^ for a
time over the chosen city and the temple where the divine
24

m:\y i *: ■jjriif mtummim im' i iriTfAT ,

1 1"

lb:

314

27/7:.' GREAT CONTROVERSY.

presence was manifested for ages ; but even hero is the same
indifference. The priests, in their pomp and pride, are offer-
ing polhited sacrilices in tlio teui[)le. The Pliarisees are
with loud voices ad<lressing the people, or making b(jastful
prayers at the corners of the streets. In the palaces of kings,
in the assenil>lies of pliilosopliers, in the schools of the
rabbis, all are alike iniinindful of tlie wondrous fact wliicli
has filled all Heaven with joy and praise, that the Jiedeemer
of men is about io appear u[>on the earth.

There is no evidv'uce that Christ isex})ected,and no prepa-
ration for the Prince of life. In amazement the celestial mes-
senger is about to return to Heaven with the shameful tid-
ings, when ho discovers a grouj) of she})herds who are watch-
ing their flocks by night, and, as they gaze into the starry
heavens, are contemi)lating Die i)rophecy of a Messiali to
come to earth, and longing Jbv the advent of the world's
Redeemer, Hero is a company that are prepared to receive
the heavenly message. And suddenly the angci of the Lord
appeared, declaring the good tidings of great joy. Celestial
<:lory flooded all the plain, an ninum(>rable company of
angels was revealed, and as if the joy wcn-e too great for one
messenger to bring from Heaven, a multitude of voices
broke forth in tlie anthem wiilch all the nations of the saved
shall one day sing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace, good- will toward men."'

Oh, what a lessson is this wonderful story of Bethlehem f
How it rebukes our unbelief, our pride, and self-sufficiency.
How it warns us ^o bewaro, lest by our criminal indiffer-
ence wo also fail to discern the signs of the times, and there-
fore know not the day of our vi.-jitation.

It was not alone upon the hills of Judea, not among the
lowly shepherds only, that angels found the watchers for
Messiah's comipg In the land of the heathen also were
those that looked for him; they were wise men, rich and
noble, the philosophers of the East, Students of nature, the
magi had seen God in his liandiwork. From the Hebrew

' Luke 2: 14.

\t\

\n '

HERALDS OF THE MORNING.

315

he
for
ere
nd
the
:ew

Scriptures they hnd learned of the Star to arise out of Jacob,
ttud with eager desire they v/aited His coming, wlio should
bo not oidy the "Consolation of Israel," but a "Light to
lighten the Gentiles," and "for salvation unto the ends of
the earth." ' They W(»re seekers for light, and light from the
throne of God illumined the path for their feet. While tlie
priests and rabbis of Jerusalem, the a[)[)ointed guardians
and expounders of the truth, were shrouded in darkness,
the Heaven-sent star guided these Gentile strangers to the
birth[)laco of the new-born King.

It is "unto them that look for him" that Christ is to
"appear the second time, without sin unto salvation." ' Like
the tidings of the Saviour's birth, the message of the second
advent was not committed to the religious leaders of the peo-
ple. Tliey had failed to preserve their connection with God,
and had refused light from Heaven; therefore they were
not of the number described by the apostle Paul : " But ye,
brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake
you as a thief. Ye are all the children of liglit, and tlie
children of the day; we are not of tlie night, nor of dark-
ness."^

The watchmen upon the walls of Zion should have been
the first to catch the tidings of the Saviour's advent, the
first to lift their voices to proclaim him near, the first
to warn the people to prepare for his coming. But they
were ot ease, dreaming of peace and safety, while the peo-
ple were asleep in tlieir sins. Jesus saw his church, like
the barren fig-tree, covered witli pretentious leaves, yet *.:es-
titute of precious fruit. Tiiere was a I )oastful observance of
the forms of religion, Avhile the spirit of true humility, pen-
itence, and faitli — 'which alone could render the service
acceptable to God — was lacking. Instead of the graces of
the Spirit, there were manifested pride, formalism, vainglory,
.selfishness, oppression. A backsliding church closed their
eyes to the signs of the times. God did not forsake them, or

iLuke 2:2r), 32; Acts 13:47. ^Hel). O.CS. ^ i Thess. 5:4, 5.

316

THE GREAT COXTROVERSY.

i^uffor liis faithfulness to fail; but tlu\v dcpiU'tcMl from him,

ind

>par

atr(l tlu'iusclves froni his love, .Vs thcv rt^fuscd to

comjily with t!ie conditions, his promises ■were not fulliUed
to tlu-m.

Such is Iho sure result of n^'glect to appreciate and
improve the Ii>;ht and privilejjjes Avhich (iod Ijcstows. Tnless
the church will follow on in his o})ening i)rovidcnce, acce2)t-
hig every I'ay of light, performing every duty whii-h nuiy he
revealed, religion will inevitably degenerate int(3 the observ-
ance of forms, and the s})irit of vital godliness Avill disapi)ear.
This truth lias been repeatedly illustrated in the history of
the church. God requires of his people works of faith and
obedience corresponding to the blessings and ])rivileges
bestowed. Obedience requires a sacrifice and involves a
cross; and this is why so many of the i)rofessed followers of
Christ refused to receive the light from Heaven, and, like the
Jews of old, knew not the time of their visitation.^ Be-
cause of their pride and unbelief, the Lord passed them by
and revealed his truth to those who, like tlie shepherds of
Bethlehem and the Eastern magi, liad given heed to all the
light they had recei 'ed.

'Luke 19:44.

CHAPTER XVTII.

AN AMERICAN RIvFORMI-R.

Ax Ui»ri<ilit, lioiicst-lieartrd larnur, who liad Itccii Ictl to
d()ul)t the ihviiiu authority of tho ycri[)tuivs, yet who siii-
coroly desired to know the truth, was the man .specially
chosen of God to lead out in tho proelaniatinu of Christ's
second coming. Like many other reformers, William Miller
had in early life battled with i)overty, and had thus learned
the great lessons of energy and self-denial. The members
of the family from which ho sprung were characterized by
an independent, liberty-loving spirit, by cai)ability of endur-
ance, and ardent patriotism; traits which were also promi-
nent in Ids character. His father was a captain in the army
of the Revolution, and to the sacrifices which he made in
the struggles and sufferings of that stormy period, may be
traced the straitened circumstances of Miller's earlv life.

Ho had a sound physical constitution, and even in child-
hood gave evidence of more than ordinary intellectual
strength. As lie grew older, this became more marked. His
mind was active and well-developed, and he had a keen
thirst for knowledge. Though he did not enjo}'' the advan-
tages of a collegiate education, his love of study and a habit
of careful thought and close criticism rendered him a man
of sound judgment iwA comprehensive views. He possessed
an irreproachal;)le moral character and an enviable repu-
tation, being generally esteemed for integritv, thrift, and
benevolence, liy dint of energy and ap[»lication he early
acquired a competence, though his habits of study were still
maintained. He filled various civil and militarv offices
with credit, and the avenues to wealth and honor seemed

wide open to him.

(3171

Lttfi

318

77//; GREAT COiXTIiOVERSr.

His mother was a woman of sterling piety, and in clnld-
liood lie had been subjoet to religious impressions. ru(!arly
manhood, however, he was thrown into the society of deists,
whose influeneo was the stronger from the fact that they
were mostly good citi/.i'ns, and men of humane aud benev-
olent disposition. Liviug, as they did, in tlm midstof Chris-
tian iustilutions, their characters had been to some extent
moulded by their surroundiug.s. For the excellencies which
won them respect and eoulidcnce they were indebted to the
Bilde; and yet these good gifts were so perverted as to exert
an inllueneo against the Word of God. By association with
these men, Miller was led to adoi)t their sentiments. The
current interpretations of Heripturo i)resente(l difhculties
which seemed to him insurmountable; yet his new belief,
while setting aside the Bible, ollcred nothing better to take
its place, and ho remained far from satislled. He continued
to hold these views, liowover, for about twelve years. But at
the age of thirty-four, the Holy Spirit impressed his heart
with a sense of his condition as a sinner. He found in his
former belief no assurance of happiness l^eyond the grave.
The future was dark and gloomy. Ilcferring afterward to
his feelings at this time, he said : —

"Annihilation Avas a cold and chilling thought, and
accountability was sure destruction to all. The heavens
were as brass over my head, and the earth as iron under my
feet. Eternity — what was it? And death — why was it? The
more I reasoned, the further I was from demonstration.
The more I thought, the more scattered were my conclu-
sions. I tried to stop thinking; but my thoughts would not
be controlled. I was trulv wretched, but did not under-
s^'+nnd the cause. I murmured and complained, but knew
not of whom. I knew that there was a wrong, but knew
not where or how to lind the right. I mourned, but without
hope."

In this state he continued for some months. "Suddenly,"
he says, " the character of a Saviour was vividly impressed

AN A Mint WAN RKFOHMKR.

319

upon my miiKl. It seemed tluit tlien; mi^lit l»o a Ijeing 80
good nnd compussionato as to himself atone for our trans-
gressions, and thereby save us tVoui sull'ering tl>o ]»enalty of
«in. I iiiiiiieiliately felt liow lovely such u hcing must be,
aud iiuiifiincd that I eould east myself into the arms, and
trust iu the mercy, of such a One. But tlic! quc.'stiou arose,
Ilow can it be j)roved that such a beiii;,' does exist? Aside
tVoiu the Mihle, 1 found that I could \iy\ Ho evidene(M)f the
existence of such a Saviour, or even of a future; state."

"J saw that the Hibledid brin^^ to view just sueh a Saviour
as I nec(lcd ; and [ was jterplexcd to fin<l how an uninspired
book shouM dcveloj) ]»riuciples s(j perfectly adapted to the
Mants of a fallen world. I was eonstrained to admit that
the Scriptures must bo a revelation from ( lod. They became
my delight; and in Jesus I found a friend. 'J'he Saviour
became to me the chiefest among- ten thousand; and tlie
Scriptures, ■which before were dark and contradictory, now
became a lamp to my feet and a light U) my ])ath, ^Fy
mind became settled an([ satisiied. I found the J^ord God to
be a liock in the nndst of the ocean of life. The Bible now
became my chief study, and I can truly say, I searched it
Avith great delight. I found the half was never told me.
I wondered why I had not seen its beauty and glory before,
and marveled that I could ever have rejected it. I found
everything revealed that my heart could desire, and a rem-
edy for every disease of the soul. I lost all taste for other
reading, and applied my heart to get wisdom from God."

He now imblicly profes.scd his faith in the religion which
lie had despised. But Ids infidel associates were not slow to
bring forward all those arguments which lie himself had
often urged against the divine authority of the Scriptures.
He was not then ])repared to answer them; but ho reasoned,
that if the Bible is a revelation from God, it must be con-
sistent with itself; and that as it was given for man's instruc-
tion, it must bo adapted to his understanding. He deter-
mined to study the Scriptures for himself, and ascertain if
every apparent contradiction could not be harmonized.

1^!

■isJ

^ ^

^ \^ ^

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

I.I

UitTA 12.5

■u liiii 12.2

u
lit

U£ IZO

L25 i 1.4

*^v ^

^^»^^

•^:i»'

.'?>

Hiotographic

Sciences

Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WESSTBR.N.Y. 14580

(716) •72-4503

<^0

320

Tin: GREAT COXTROVERSY.

Endeavoring to lay aside all preconceived opinion.^, and
dispensing Avith commentaries, ho compared scripture with
scripture hy the aid of the marginal references and the con-
cordance. He pursued his study in a regular and method-
ical manner; heginning with Genesis, and reading verse hy
verse, he proceeded no faster than the meaning of the sev-
eral passages so unfolded as to leave him free from all
embarrassment. When he found anything obscure, it was
his custom to compare it with every other text which seemed
to have anv reference to the matter under consideration.
Every word was permitted to have its proper bearing \\\)0\\
the subject of the text, and if his view of it harmonized
with every collateral passage, it ceased to be a difficulty.
Thus whenever he met with a passage hard to be under-
stood, he found an explanation in some other portion of the
Scriptures. As he studied with earnest prayer for divine
enlightenment, that which had before appeared dark to his
understanding was made clear. He experienced the truth
of the psalmi.st's words, *'The entrance of Thy words giveth
light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.'"

With intense interest he studied the book of Daniel and
the Revelation, employing the same principles of interpreta-
tion as in the other scriptur':'s, and found, to his great joy,
that the prophetic symbols could be understood. He saw
that the prophecies, so far as they had been fulfilled, had
been fulfilled literally; that all the various figures, meta-
phors, parables, similitudes, etc., were either explained in
their immediate connection, or the terms in which they
were expressed were defined in other scriptures; and when
thus explained were to be literally understood. " Thus I was
satisfied," he says, " that the Bible was a system of revealed
truth so clearly and simply given that the wayfaring man,
though a fool, need not err therein." Link after link of the
chain of truth rewarded his efforts, as step by step he traced
down the great lines of prophecy. Angels of Heaven were
guiding liis mind and opening the Scriptures to his under-
standing.

»P3. 119:13a

AN AMERICA y REFORMER.

321

Taking the manner in which the prophecies Iiud been
fulfilled in the past, as a criterion by which to judge
of the fulfillment of those which were still future, ho be-
came satisfied that the popular view of the spiritual reign
of Christ — a temporal millennium before the end of the
world — was not sustained by the Word of God. This
doctrine, pointing to a thousand years of righteousness
and peace before the personal coming of the Lord, put
far off the terrors of the day of God. But, pleasing
though it may be, it is contrary to the teachings of Christ
and his apostles, who declared that the wheat and the
tares are to grow together until the harvest, the end of
the world ; * that " evil men and seducers shall wax worse
and worse ; " " that *' in the last days perilous times shall
come;"" and that the kingdom of darkness shall con-
tinue until tl o advent of the Lord, and shall be con-
sumed with the spirit of liis mouth, and be destroyed with
the brightness of his coming.* The doctrine of the world's
conversion and the spiritual reign of Christ was not held
by the apostolic church. It was not generally accepted
by Christians until about the beginning of the eighteenth
century. Like every other error, its results were evil. It
taught men to look far in the future for the coming of the
Lord, and prevented them from giving heed to the signs
heralding his approach. It induced a feeling of confidence
and security that was not well founded, and led many to
neglect the preparation necessary in order to meet their Lord.

Miller found the literal, personal coming of Christ to be
plainly taught in the Scriptures. Says Paul, " The Lord
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God."* And
the Saviour declares: " They shall see the Son of man coming
in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." *' For
as the lightning cometli out of the east, and shineth even
unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."*

» Matt. 13 : 30, 38-41. '2 Tim. 3 : 13, 1. "SThesa. 2:8.

* 1 Thess. 4 : 16. » Matt. C4 : 30, 27.

322

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

He is to bo accompanied by all the hosts of Heaven. ** The
Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels
"Nvith him." "And he shall send his angels with a great
sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect."'

At his coming the righteous dead will be rai.sed, and the
righteous living will bo changed. "We shall not all sleep,"
says I'muI, "butwc shall all be changed, in a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and
wo shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on
incorruption, and tliis mortal must put on immortality."*
And in his leticr to the Thessalonians, after describing the
coming of the Lord, ho fe:ays: "The dead in Christ shall rise
first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught
up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air; and so shall wo ever be with the Lord."'

Not until the personal advent of Christ can his people
receive the kingdom. The Saviour said: "When the Son
of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with
him, then shall lie sit upon the throne of his glory ; and
before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall sepa-
rate them one from another, as a shepherd dividoth his
sheep from the goats; and he shall set the sheep on his right
hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say
unto them on his right hand. Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world."* We hrve seen by the scriptures just given
that when the Son of man comes, the dead are raised incor-
ruptible, and the living are changed. By this great change
they are prepared to receive the kingdom; for Paul says,
" Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God ; nei-
ther doth corrui)tion inherit incorruption."* Man in his
present r*ate is mortal, corruptible; but the kingdom of God
will be incorruptible, enduring forever. Therefore man in
his present state cannot enter into the kingdom of God. But

^IThess. 4:16, 17.

»Matt. 25:31; 24:31.
« Matt. 25 : 31-34.

MCor. 13:61-53.
6 1 Cor. 15 : 50.

AN AMERICAN REFORMER.

323

when Jesus comes, he confers immortality upon liis jteople;
and then he calls them to inherit the kingdom, of which
they have hitherto been only heirs.

These and other scriptures clearly proved to Miller's mind,
that the events which were generally expected to take i)lace
before the coming of Christ, such as the universal reign of
peace, and the setting up of the kingdom of Clod upon the
earth, Avere to be subsequent to the second advent. Further-
more, all the signs of the times and the condition of the
world corresponded to the proi)hetic description of the last
days. He was forced to the conclusion, from tliD study of
Scripture alone, that the period allotted for the continu-
ance of the earth in its present state was about to close.

"Another evidence that vitally affected my mind," he
says, "was the chronology of the Scriptures. I found that
predicted events, which had been fulfilled in the past, often
occurred within a given time. The one hundred and twenty
years to the flood, CIcn. G:3; the seven days that were to pre-
cede it, with forty days of predicted rain, Gen. 7:4; the four
hundred years of the sojourn of Abraham's seed. Gen. 15:13;
the thiL-e days of the butler's and baker's dreams. Gen.
40:12-20; the seven years of Pharaoh's, Gen. 41:28-54; the
forty years in the wilderness. Num. 14:34; the three and a
half years of famine, 1 Kings 17:1;' the seventy years' cap-
tivity, Jer. 25:11; Nebuchadnezzar's seven times, Dan. 4:13-
16; and the seven weeks, threescore and two weeks, and the
one week, making seventy weeks, determined upon the Jews,
Dan. 9:24-27; the events limited by these times were all
once only a matter of prophecy, and were fulfilled in accord-
ance with the predictions."

When, therefore, he found in his study of the Bible, vari-
ous chronological periods that, according to his understand-
ing of them, extended to the second coming of Christ, he
could not but regard them as the " times before appointed,"
which God had revealed unto his servants. "The secret
things," says Moses, "belong unto the Lord our God; but

>See Luke 4: 25.

324

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

thoso things wliicli arc revealed belong unto us and to our
chiidron foi-cviT," ' and tiio Lord dociaivs by the i)r()[)lKt
Amos, that lio "will do nothing, but ho rovcaloth his secret
unto his servants the propliets."" Tiio stu<lents of God's
Word njay tlicn confidently expect to find the most stupen-
dous event to take i)laee in human history clearly 2)ointed out
in the Scriptures of truth.

"As I was fully convinced," says Miller, "tliat all Scripture
given by inspiration of God is profitable;' that it came not
at any time by the will of man, but was written as holy men
were moved by the Holy Ghost,* and was written 'for our
learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scri}>t-
ures might have hope,'* I could not but regard the chrono-
logical portions of the Bible as being as much entitled to our
serious consideration as any other portion of the Scriptures.
I felt therefore that in endeavoring to comi)rehend what God
in his mercy had seen fit to reveal to us, I had no right to
pass over the i)rophetic periods."

The i)ropiiecy which seemed most clearly to reveal the
time of the second advent was that of Dan. 8:14: " Unto two
thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanct-
uary be cleansed." Following his rule of making Scripture
ils own interpreter, Miller learned that a day in symbolic
prophecy represents a year;* he saw that the period of 2300
prophetic days, or literal years, would extend far beyond the
close of the Jewish dispensation, hence it could not refer to
the sanctuary of that dispensation. Miller accepted the
generally received view, that in the Christian age the earth
is the sanctuarv,and he therefore understood that the cleans-
ing of the sanctuary foretold in Dan. 8:14, represented the
purification of tlie earth by fire at the second coming of
Christ. If, then, the correct starting-point could be found
for the 2300 davs, he concluded that the time of the second
advent could be readilv ascertained. Thus would be revealed

» Dexit. 29 : 29.
«2Pet. 1 :21.

"^ Amos 3 : 7.
* Eom. ] 5 : '1.

"2 Tim. .S:1G.

"Xum. 14:34; Eze. 4:6.

AN" AMI'JRICAX RKFOIiMICR.

323

the time of that great consummation, *'tlio time when the
present state, witli all its i)ri(lo and j)o\V('i-, its pomp and
vanity, wickedness and oppression, would come to anen<l;
. . . wJjen tiie curse would l)e removed from off tiie earth,
Avlien death would be destroyed, reward be given to the
servants of God, to the prophets an<l saiuts, and all them
that fear his name, and those l)e destroyed who desirov the
arth."

With a new and deeper earnestness, Miller continued the
examination of the prophecies, whole nights as well as days
being devoted to the study of what now appeared of such
stupendous importance and all-absorbing interest. In the
eighth chapter of Daniel ho could find no clue to the start-
ing-point of the 2300 days; the angel Gabriel, though com-
manded to make Daniel understand the vision, gave him
only a i)artial explanation. As the terrible persecution to
befall the church war; unfolded to tlie prophet's vision,
physical strength gave way. He could endure no more,
and the ungel left him for the time. Daniel "fainted, and
was sick certain days." " And I was astonished at the vis-
ion," he says, "but none understood it."

Yet God had bidden his messenger, "Make this man
to understand the vision." That commission must be ful-
filled. In obedience to it, the angel, some time afterward,
returned to Daniel, saying, " I am now come forth to give
thee skill and understanding;" "therefore understand the
matter, and consider the vision." ' There was only one point
in the vision of chapter eight which had been loft unex-
plained, namely, that relating to time, — the period of the 2300
days; therefore, the angel, in resuming liis explanation,
dwells exclusively upon the subject of time: —

"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and
upon thy holy city. . . . Know therefore and under-
stand, that from the going forth of the commandmeiit to
restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince

1 Dan. 9:22, 23, 26-27.

326

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the
street shall bo built again, and tiie wall, even in troublous
times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah
be cut off, but not for himself. . . . And he shall confirm
the covenant witli many for one week; and in the midst of
the week he shall cause the sacrifice and tlie oblation to
cease."

The angel had been sent to Daniel for the express i)ur-
pose of exphdning to him the point which he had failed to
understand in the vision of the eighth chapter, the state-
ment relative tt) time, — "Unto two thousand and three
hundred days; llien siiall the sanctuary be cleansed." After
bidding Daniel "understand the matter, and consider the
vision," the very first words of the angel are, "Seventy weeks
are determined Ui)on thy people and upon thy holy city."
The word here translated "determined," literally signifies
" cut off." Seventy weeks, representing 490 years, are declared
by the angel to be cut off, as specially ])ertairiing to the Jews.
But from what were they cut off? As the 2300 days was
the only period of time mentioned in chapter eight, it nnist
be the period from which the seventy weeks were cut ott';
the seventy weeks must therefore be a part of the 2300 days,
and the two periods must begin together. The seventy weeks
were declared by the angel to date from the going forth of
the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem. If the
date of this commandment could be found, then the starting-
point for the great period of the 2300 daJ^s would be ascer-
tained.

In the seventh chapter of Ezra the decree is found.' In
its complete-'^ form it was issued by Artaxerxes, king of Per-
sia, B. c. 457. But in Ezra 6:14 the house of the Lord at
Jerusalem is said to have been built "according to the com-
mandment [margin, decree] of Cyrus, and Darius, and
Artaxerxes king of Persia." These three kings, in originat-
ing, re-affirming, and completing the decree, brought it to
the perfection required by the prophecy to mark the begin-

» Ezra 7 : 12-26.

AN AMERICAN REFORMER.

327

ning of tho 2300 years. Taking b, c. 457, the time wlien
the decree was tonipleted, as tho date of the commandment,
every specification of tho prophecy concerning tlio seventy
weeks was seen to liave been fulfilled.

"From the g'»i>ig forth of tho commandment to restoro
and to build Jerusalem unto the ^ressiah the Prince shall bo
seven weeks, and threescoio and two weeks," — namely, sixty-
nino woeks, or 4S3 years. Tho decree of Artaxerxes went
into effect in the autumn of n. c. 457. From this date, 483
vears eAtend to the autumn of a. d. 27.' At that timo this
jtrophecy was fulfilled. The word " Messiah •' signifies " tho
Anoiiiicd One." Ii\ tlic t.ntumn of a. d. 27, Christ was bap-
tized by Jolin, and received the anointing of tho Spirit. The
apostle Peter testifies that "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with tho Holy Ghost and with power."* And the Saviour
himself declared, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, be-
cause ho hath anointed me to preach the gospel to tho poor."*
After his baptism he came into Galilee, "preaching the gos-
pel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled."*

"And he shall confirm tho covenant with many for one
week." The " week " here brought to view is the last one of
the seventy; it is tho last seven years of the period allotted
especially to tho Jews. During this time, extending from
A. D. 27 to A. D. 34, Christ, at first in person, and afterward
by his disciples, extended the gospel invitation especially to
the Jews. As the apostles went forth with the good tidings
of the kingdom, the Saviour's direction was, "Go not into
the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans
enter ye not; but go rather to tho lost sheep of the house
of Israel."'

" And in tho midst of the week he shall cause the sacri-
fice and the oblation to cease." In a. d. 31, three and a half
years after his baptism, our Lord was crucified. With the
great sacrifice oiTered upon Calvary, ended that system, of
offerings which for four thousand years had pointed forward

^See Appendix, Note 3; also diagram opposite p. 328. ' Acts 10 : 38.
*Luke4:lS. < Mark 1 : 14, 15. ' Matt. 10 : 5. 6.

3'J8

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

to tho Lnnil) of Gotl. Type liiul mot antitypo, and all (ho
sacrificcH and oblations of tho coronionial sy.stoni woiv thoro
to coaso.

Tho Hovonty W(H'ks, or 41H) yoal•^^, oMj)ocially allottccl to the
Jews, ended, an wo have seen, in a. d. \\\. At tiuit time,
through tho aetion of tho Jewish Sanhedrim, tho nation
sealed it.s rejeetion of tho gospel, hy the martyrdom of
Stephen and tho persecution of the followers of (Jhrist. Then
tho message of salvation, no longer restricted to tho chosen
people, was given to the woild. The disciples, forced by
persecution to lieo from Jerusalem, " went everywhere preach-
ing tho Word." "Philip went down to the city of Samaria,
and preached Christ unto them." ' Peter, divinely guided,
opened the gospel to the centurion of Cesaren, tho God-
fearing Cornelius; and the ardent Paul, won to the faith of
Christ, was commissioned to carry tho glad tidings "far
hence unto the Gentiles."'

Thus far every specification of the prophecy is strikingly
fulfilled, and tho beginning of the seventy weeks is fixed
beyond question at n. c. 457, and their expiration in a. d. 31.
From this data there is no difficulty in finding the termina-
tion of the 2300 days. Tho seventy weeks — 490 days — hav-
ing been cut off from the 2300, there were 1810 days
remaining. After the end of 490 <lays, the 1810 days were
still to be fulfilled. From A. d. 34, 1810 years extend to
1844. Consequently the 2300 days of Dan. 8:14 terminate
in 1844. At the expiration of this great prophetic period,
upon the testimony of the angel of God, " the sanctuary shall
be cleansed." Thus the time of the cleansing of the sanct-
uary — which was almost universally believed to take place
at the second advent — was definitely pointed out.

Miller and his associates at first believed that the 2300 days
would terminate in the spring of 1844, whereas the prophecy
points to tho autumn of that year.^ The misapprehension
of this point brought disappointment and perplexity to

' Act^ 8 : 4, 5 ; 22 : 21. * Sec diagram, next page ; ulso Appendix, Note 3.

the

liS2sS

•J

AK AMKRICAK REFORMER.

829

those who liinl fixed upon the oiirlicr date as the tlnio of tlio
Lord's coming. Hut tlii.s did not in tlie least nflect the
strength of tiie ar^nineiit .showing that the 2.'J()0 days termi-
nated in the year ISU, and that the great event ri'i)resonted
by tJje cleansing of tlu^ sanctuary must then take ]»laco.

Entering ujion the study of the* Scriptures as he had done,
in onler to }»rove that they were a revelation from (rod,
Miller had not, at the outset, the slightest expectation of
reaching the conclusion at which he had now arrived, lie
liiniself could hardly credit the n^sults of his investigation.
But the Scripture evidence was too clear and forcible to bo
set asi«le.

He had devoted two years to the study of the Bible, when,
in 1S18, ho reached the solemn conviction that in about
twenty-fivo years Christ would appear for the rcdemi)tion of
Ins people. "I need not speak," says Miller, "of tho joy that
filled my heart in view of the delightful prospect, nor of tho
ardent longings of my soul for a participation in tho joys of
the redeemed. Tho Biblo was now to mo a new book. It
was indeed a feast of reason; ail that was dark, mystical, or
obscure, to me, in its teachings, had been dissipated from
my mind before tho clear light that now dawned from its
sacred pages; and oh, how bright and glorious the truth
appeared! All tho contradictions and inconsistencies I had
before found in tho Word were gone; and, although there
were many i)ortions of which I was not satisfied thai I had
a full understanding, yet so much light had emanated from
it to the illumination of my before darkened mind, that I
felt a delight in studying tho Scriptures which I had not
before supposed could bo derived from its teachings."

"With the solemn conviction that such momentous events
were predicted in the Scriptures to be fulfilled in so short a
space of time, tho question came home to me with miglity
power regarding my duty to the world in view of the evi-
dence that had affected my own mind." lie could not but
feel that it was his duty to impart to others the light which

330

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

he liad received. lie expected to encounter opposition from
tlie ungodly, but was confident tliat all Christians would
rejoice in the hope of meeting the Saviour whom they pro-
fessed to love. II is only fear was, that in their great joy at
the prospect of glorious deliverance, so soon to be consum-
mated, manv would receive the doctrine without sufficicntlv
examining the Scriptures in demonstration cf its truth. lie
therefore hesitated to present it, lest he should be in error,
and be the means of misleading others. lie was thus led to
review the evidences in support of the conclusions at which
he had arrived, niid to consider careful Iv everv diffici Itv
which pre:•'^ented itself to his mind. He found that objec-
tions vanished before the light of God's Word, as mist before
the rays of the sun. Five years spent thus, left him fully
convinced of the correctness of his position.

And now the duty of making known to others what he
believed to be so clearly taught in the Scrij)tures, urged
itself with new force ui)on him. " When I was about my
business," he said, ** it was continually ringing in my ears,
Go and tell the world of their danger. This text was con-
stantly occurring to me: 'When I say unto the wicked, O
wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to
warn the wicked from his wav, that wicked man shall die in
his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn
from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his
iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.'^ I felt that if
the wicked could be efFectuallv warned, multitudes of them
would repent; and that if they were not warned, their blood
might be required at my hand."

He began to present his views in private as he had oppor-
tunity, praying that some minister might feel their force
and devote himself to their promulgation. But he could
not banish the conviction that he had a personal dut/ to
perform in giving the warning. The words were ever recur-
ring to his mind, "Go and tell it to the world; their blood

'Eze. 33:8, 9.

AN AMERICAN REFORMER.

331

will I require at thy hand." For nine years he waited, the
b den still i)ressing upon his soul, until in 1831 he for the
firsit time })ubliely gave the reasons of his faith.

As Elisha was ealled from following his oxen in the field,
to receive the mantle of consecration to the prophetic office,
so was AVilliam Miller called to leave his plow, and open to
the people the mysteries of the kingdom of God. With
tremljling he entered ui)on his work, leading his hearers
down, step by step, through the i)roplietic periods to the
second appearing of Christ. "With every effort he gained
strength and courage as he saw the widespread interest
excited by his words.

It waf onlv at the solicitation of his brethren, in whose
words he heard the call of God, that Miller consented to
present his views in public. lie was now fifty years of age,
unaccustomed to public speaking, and burdened with a
sense of unfitness for the work before him. But from the
first his labors were blessed in a remarkable manner to the
salvation of souls. His first lecture was followed by a relig-
ious awakening, in which thirty entire families, with the
excepHon of two persons, were converted. He was immedi-
ately urged to speak in other placet., and in nearly every
place his labor resulted in a revival of the work of God.
Sinners were converted, Christians were roused to ,'.>i"ater
consecration, and deists and infidels were led to acknowledge
the truth of the Bible and the Christian religion. The
testimony of those among whom he labored was: "A class of
minds are reached by him that are not within the influence
of other men." "His preaching is calculated to arouse the
l)ublic mind to the great things of religion, and to check the
growing worldliness and sensuality of the age."

In nearly every town there were scores, in some, hundreds,
converted as the result of his preaching. In many places
Protestant churches of nearlv all denominations were thrown
open to him ; and the invitations to ?abor usually came from
the ministers of the several congregations. It was his

332

TUE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

invariable rule not to labor in any place to which ho had
not been invited, yet he soon found himself unable to comply
with half the requests that poured in upon him.

Many who did not accept his views as to tlie exact time of
the second advent, were convinced of the certainty and
nearness of Christ's coming and their need of preparation.
In some of the largo cities his work produced a marked
impression. Liquor-dealers abandoned the traffic, and
turned their shops into meeting-rooms; gambling dens were
broken up, infidels, deists, Universalists, and the most
abandoned profligates were reformed — some of whom had
not entered a house of worship for years. Prayer-meetings
were established by the various lenominations, in different
quarters, at almost every hour, business men assembling at
midday for prayer and praise. There was no extravagant
excitement, but an almost universal solemnity on the minds
of the people. His work, like that of the early reformers,
tended rather to convince tlie understanding and arouse the
conscience than merely to excite the emotions.

In 1833 Miller received a license to preach, from the Bap-
tist Church, of which he was a member. A large number of
the ministers of his denomination also approved his work,
and it was with their formal saii; tion tliat he continued his
labors.

He traveled and pveached unceasingl\% though his per-
sonal labors were confined principally to the New England
and Middle States. For several years hi;; expenses were met
wholly from his own private purse, and lie never afterward
received enough to meet the expense of travel to the places
where he was invited. Thus his public labors, so far from
being a pecuniary benefit, were a heavy tax upon his prop-
erty, which gradually diminished during this period of his
life. He was the father of a largo family, but as they were
all frugal and industrious, his farm sufficed for their main-
tenance as well as his own.

In 1833, two years after Miller began to present in pub-

Ay AMERICA!^ REFORMER.

333

lie the evidences of Christ's soon coming, tlio last of the
signs appeared which were promisetl by tlio Saviour as
tokens of liis second advent. Said Jesus, "Tho stars shall
fall from heaven."' And John in the Revelation declared,
as he beheld in vision the scenes that herald the day of God:
"The stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree
casteth her untimely figs, Avhen she is shaken of a mighty
wind."'^ This prophecy received a striking and impressive
fulfillment in the great meteoric shower of November 13,
1833. That was tlie most extensive and wonderful display
of falling stars which has ever been recorded; "the whole
firmament, over all the United States, being then, for hours,
in fiery commotion. No celestial phenomenon has ever
occurred in this country, since its first settlement, which was
viewed with such intense admiration by one class in the
community, or such dread and alarm by another." " Its
sublimity and awful beauty still linger in many minds.
. . . Never did rain fall much thicker than the meteors
fell toward the earth; east, west, north, and south, it was the
same. In a word, the whole heavens seemed in motion.
. . . The display, as described in Professor Silliman's
journal, was seen all over North America. . . . From
two o'clock until broad daylight, the sky being perfectly
serene and cloudless, an incessant play of dazzlingly brill-
iant luminosities was kept up in the whole heavens."

" No language indeed can come up to the splendor of that
magnificent display ; no one who did not witness it can form
an adequate conception of its glory. It seemed as if the
whole starry heavens had congregated at one point near the
zenith, and were simultaneously shooting forth, with the
velocity of lightning, to every part of the horizon; and yet
they were not exhausted — thousands swiftly followed in the
track of thousands, as if created for the occasion." "A
more correct picture of a fig-tree casting its figs when blown
by a mighty wind, it is not possible to behold."

» Matt. 24:29. » Rev. 6: 13.

; i

334

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

On the day following its appearance, Henry Dana Ward
wrote thus of the wonderful phenomenon: " No pliilosoplier
or scliolar has told or recorded an event, I suppose, like that
of yesterday morning. A prophet eighteen hundred years
ago foretold it exactly, if we will he at the trouble of under-
standing stars falling to mean falling stars, in the only
sense in which it is possible to be literally true."

Thus was displayed the la.st of those signs of his coming,
concerning which Jesus bade his disciples, "AVhen ye shall
see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors."'
After these signs, Jolin beheld, as the groat event next im-
pending, the heavens departing as a scroll, while the eartli
quaked, mountains and islands removed out of their places,
and the wicked in terror sought to flee from the presence of
the Son of man.

Many who witnessed the falling of the stars, looked upon
it as a herald of the coming Judgment, — "an awful type, a
sure forerunner, a merciful sign, of that great and dreadful
day." Thus the attention of the people was directed to the
fulfillment of prophecy, and many were led to give heed to
the warning of the second advent.

In the year 1840, another remarkable fulfillment of proph-
ecy excited widespread interest. Two years before, Josiali
Litch, one of the leading ministers preaching the second
advent, published an exposition of Revelation 9, predicting
the fall of the Ottoman empire, and specifying not only the
year but the very day on which this would take place. Ac-
cording to this exposition, w^hich was purely a matter of
calculation on the prophetic periods of Scripture, the Turk-
ish government would surrender its independence on the
eleventh day of August, 1840. The prediction was widely
published, and thousands watched the course of events with
eager interest.

At the very time specified, Turkey, through her ambas-
sadors, accepted the protection of the allied powers of Eu-
rope, and thus placed herself under the control of Christian

> Matt. 24 : 33.

AN AMERICAN RfJFOR.VER.

335

nations. Tlie event exactly fulfilled the prediction. When
it became known, multitudes were convinced of the correct-
ness of the principles of prophetic interpretation adopted by
Miller and his associates, and a wonderful impetus was given
to the Advent movement. Men of learning and position
united with Miller, both in preaching and publishing his
views, and from 1840 to 1844 the work rajjidly extended.

William Miller possessed strong mental powers, discii)lined
by thought and study; and he added to these the wisdom of
Heaven, by connecting himself with the Source of wisdom.
He was a man of sterling worth, who could not but command
respect and esteem wherever integrity of character and
moral excellence were valued. Uniting true kindness of
heart with Christian humility and the power of self-control,
he was attentive and affiible to all, ready to listen to the
opinions of others, and to weigh their arguments. Without
passion or excitement, he tested all theories and doctrines by
the Word of God; and his sound reasoning, and thorough
knowledge of the Scriptures, enabled him to refute error and
expose falsehood.

Yet he did not prosecute his work without bitter opposi-
tion. As with earlier reformers, the truths which he pre-
sented were not received with favor by popular religious
teachers. As these could not maintain their i)osition by the
Scriptures, they were driven to resort to the sayings and
doctrines of men, to the traditions of the Fathers. But the
Word of God was the only testimony accepted by tlie
preachers of the Advent truth. "The Bible, and the Bible
only," was their watchword. The lack of Scripture argu-
ment on the part of their opponents was supplied by ridicule
and scoffing. Time, means, and talents were employed in
maligning those "whose only offense was that they looked
with joy for the return of their Lord, and were striving to
live holy lives, and to exhort others to prepare for his
appearing.

Earnest were the efforts put forth to draw away the minds

336

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

of the people from the subject of the second aJvtnt. It was
made to appear a sin, something of wliich men should bo
ashamed, to study the prophecies which relate to the coming
of Christ and the end of the world. Thus the popular min-
istry undermined faith in the Word of God. liit'ir teaching',
made men infidels, and many took license to walk after
their own ungodly lusts. Then the autliors of the evil
charged ifc all upon Adventists.

While drawing crowded houses of intelligent and attentive
hearers, Miller's name was seldom mentioned by the relig-
ious press except by way of ridicule or denunciation. The
careless and ungodly, emboldened by the position of religious
teachers, resorted to opprobrious epithets, to base and blas-
phemous witticisms, in their efforts to heap contumely upon
him and his work. The gray-headed man who had left a com-
fortable homo to travel at his own expense from city to city,
from town to town, toilii.<r unceasingly to bear to the world
the solemn warning of the Judgment near, was sneeringly
denounced as a ftinatic, a liar, a speculating knave.

The ridicule, falsehood, and abuse heaped upon him
called forth indignant remonstrance, even from the secular
press. To treat a subject of such overwhelming majesty and
fearful consequences, with lightness and ribaldry, was de-
clared by worldly men to be not merely to sport with the
feelings of its advocates, but " to make a jest of the day of
Judgment, to scoff at God himself, and to mock the terrors
of his Judgment-bar,"

The instigator of all evil sought not only to counteract
the effect of the Advent message, but to destroy the mes-
senger himself. Miller made a practical application of
Scripture truth to the hearts of his hearers, reproving their
sins, and disturbing their self-satisfaction, and his plain and
cutting words aroused their enmity. The opposition man-
ifested by church-members toward his message, emboldened
the baser classes to go to greater lengths; and enemies
plotted to take his life as he should leave the place of

AN AMERICAN REFORMER.

33T

meeting. But lioly angels were in tlio tlirong, and one of
these, in the form of a man, took tlio arm of this servant
of the Lord, and led him in safety from the angry mob.
His work was not yet done, and Satan and his emissaries
were disappointed in their purpose.

Despite all opposition, the interest in the Advent movement
had continued to increase. From scores and hundreds, the
congregations had grown to as many thousands. Largo
accessions had been made to the various churches, but after
a time the spirit of opposition was manifested even against
these converts, and the churches began to take discii)linary
steps with those who had embraced Miller's views. This
action called forth a response from Ids ]ien, in an address to
Christians of all denominations, urging that if his doctrines
were false he should be shown his error from the Scriptures.

" What have we believed," he said, " that wc have not been
commanded to believe by the Word of God, which you
yourselves allow is the rule, and the only rule, of our faith
and practice? What have we done that should call down
such virulent denunciations against us from pulpit and press,
and give you just cause to exclude us [Adventists] from
your church and fellowship?" "If vre are wrong, pray
show us wherein consists our wrong. Show us from the
Word of God that we are in error; we haye had ridicule
enough ; that can never convince us that we arc in the wrong;
the Word of God alone can change our views. Our conclu-
sions have been formed deliberately and prayerfully, as we
have seen the evidence in the Scriptures."

From age to age the warnings which God has sent to the
world by his servants have been received with like incre-
dulity and unbelief. When the iniquity of the antediluvians
moved him to bring a flood of waters upon the earth, he first
made known to them his purpose, that they might have
opportunity to turn from their evil ways. For a hundred
and twenty years was sounded in their ears the warning to
repent, lest the wrath of God be manifested in their destruc-

338

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

tion. But the message secincJ to tliem an idle tale, and
they believed it not. Kinboldened in their wickedness, Ihey
mocked the messenger of God, made light of his entreaties,
and even accused him of presumi)tion. How daro one
man stand up against all the great men of tiie earth? If
Noah's message were true, why did not all the world see
it and believe it? One man's assertion against thf; w isdom
of thousands I They would not credit the wariaig, nor
would they seek slielter in the ark.

Scoffers pointed t^ the things of nature, — to the unyarying
succession of the seasons, to the blue skies that had never
poured out rain, to the green f Jda refreshed by the soft
dews of night, — and they cried out, "Doth he not speak
parables?" In contempt they declared the preacher of
righteousness to be a wild enthusiast; and they went on,
more eager in their i)ursuit of pleasure, more intent upon
their evil ways, than ever before. But their unbelief did
not hinder the predicted event. God bore long with their
wickedness, giving them ample opportunity for repentance;
but at the appointed time his judgments were visited upon
the rejecters of his mercy.

Christ declares that there will exist similar unbelief con-
cerning his second coming. As the people of Noah's day
" knew not until the flood came and took them all away ; so,"
in the words of our Saviour, * jhall also the coming of the
Son of man be."' When the professed people of God are
uniting Avith the world, living as they live, and joining with
them in forbidden pleasure; when the luxury of the world
becomes the luxury of the church; when the marriage bells
are chiming, and all are looking forward to many years of
worldly pros2)erity, — then, suddenly as the lightning flashes
from the heavens, will come the end of their bright visions
and delusive hopes.

As God sent his servant to warn the world of the cr ining
flood, so he sent chosen messengers to make known the
nearness of the final Judgment. And as Noah's contem-

1 Matt. C4 :3a.

AN AMERTCAN REFORMER.

339

con-
day

; so,"

the

are

I with

^orld

Ibells

irs of

Lshes

sious

ling

the

Item-

poraries laughed to scorn the predictions of the preacher of
righteousness, so in Miller's day nmny, even of the professed
peoi)lo of God, scoffed at the words of warning.

And why were the doctrine and preaching of Christ's
second coming so unwelcome to the cliurches? While to
the wicked the advent of tiie Lord brings woe and dcsola-
Ton, to the righteous it is fraught with joy and hope. This
great truth had been the consolation of God's faithful ones
through all the ages; why had it become, like its Author,
"a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense" to his professed
people? It was our Lord himself who promised his disci-
ples, " If I go and prepare a place for you, I will coino, again,
and receive you unto myself."' It was the compassionate
Saviour, who, anticipating the loneliness and sorrow of his
fol'owers, commissioned angels to comfort them with the
assurance that he would come again in person, even as he
went into heaven. As the disciples stood gazing intently
upward to catch the last glimpse of him whom they loved,
their attention was arrested by the words, " Ye men of Gali-
lee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus,
which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in
like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."" Hope
was kindled afresh by the angels* message. The disciples
"returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually
in the temple, praising and blessing God."' They were not
rejoicing because Jesus had been separated from them and
they were left to struggle with the trials and temptations of
the world, but because of the angels' assurance that he would
come again.

Tiie proclamation of Christ's coming should now be, as
when made by the angels to the shepherds of Bethlehem,
good tidings of great joy. Those who really love the Sav-
iour cannot but hail with gladness the announcement
founded upon the Word of God, that he in whom their hopes
of eternal life are centered, is coming again, not to be in-

1 John 14 -.S. «Aotal:ll. ' Luke 24 : 52, 53.

840

THE GRKAT CONTROVERSY,

eulted, desp'"' ' ad rejected, us at liis first advent, but in
power and ^.i.,,to redeem liis j)eople. It is those who do
not iovo the Saviour, tliat desire liiiu to remain away; and
there can be no more conehisive evi<lence tiiat the cliurches
liave departed from God tlian tlie irritation and animosity
excited by this Ileaven-scnt message.

Those who acee})ted tiio Advent doctrine were roused to
tlie necessity of repentance and luimiliation before God.
Many had long been lialting between Christ and the world;
"now they felt that it was time to take a stand. The thijigs
of eternity assumed to them an unwonted reality. Heaven
was brought near, and they felt themselves guilty before
God. Christians were quickened to new spiritual life. They
were made to feel that time was short, that what they had
to do for their fellow-men must be done quickly. Earth
receded, eternity seemec' to open before them, and the soul,
with all that pertains to its immortal weal or avoc, was felt
to eclipse every temporal object." The Spirit of God rested
upon them, and gave power to their earnest appeals to their
brethren, as well as to sinners, to prepare for the day of God.
The silent testimony of their daily life was a constant rebuke
to formal and unconsecrated church-members. These did
not wish to bo disturbed in their pursuit of pleasure, their
devotion to money-making, and their ambition for worldly
honor. Hence the enmity and opposition excited against
theAdvent faith and those who proclaimed it.

As the arguments from the prophetic periods were found
to be impregnable, opposers endeavored to discourage inves-
tigation of the subject, by teaching that the prophecies were
.sealed. Thus Protestants followed in the steps of Romanists.
While the papal church withholds the Bible from the peo-
ple, Protestant churches claimed that an important part of
the sacred AVord — and that the part which brings to view
truths specially applicable to our time — could not be under-
.stood.

Ministers and people declared that the prophecies of

AN AMKRicAX ni:FoiiMi:ii

linst

)und
ives-
Iwere
liists.
,peo-
irtof

ider-

Daniel luul the Ilovolatioii wore iiicompn'lu'nHihlti my.sU'rics.
Itut C'lirist (JiroctcMl his disciples to the words of tho j)roj)li('t
])anit'l coiu'orniiijj; events to tuko place in their time, and
said, "Whoso readcth, let him vuderdamiy^ And tlio asser-
tion that tho Revelation is a mvsterv, not to he understood,
is contradicted hy tlio very title of tiie hook: "The Uevela-
tion of Jesus Christ, which (lod gave unto him, to show unto
Ids servants things which must shortly come to pass. . . .
lih.'XHcd is ho that readdh, and they that hear Iho words of
this pro])hecy, and hrp those things which are written
therein; for tho time is at hand."^

Says tho i)rophet: "Blessed is he that readeth" — there are
those who will not read ; tho hlessing is not for them. "And
they that hear" — there are some, also, who refuse to hear
anything concerning the prophecies; tho hlessing is not for
this class. " And keo]) those things which are written therein "
— many refuse to heed the warnings and instructions con-
tained in the Revelation. None of these can claim the hless-
ing promised. All who r Mcule tho suhjects of the prophecy,
iind mock at the symho. s here solemnly given, all who
refuse to reform their lives, an<l prepare lor the coming of
the Son of man, will be unblest.

In view of the testimony of Inspiration, how dare men
teach that the Revelation is a mystery, beyond the roach of
liuman understanding? It is a mystery revealed, a book
opened. The study of tho Revelation directs the mind to
the prophecies of Daniel, and both present most important
instruction, given of God to men, concerning events to take
place at tho close of this world's history.

To John were opened scenes of deep and thrilling interest
in the experience of tho church, lie saw the position,
dangers, conflicts, and final deliverance of the people of God.
He records the closing messages which are to ripen the
harvest of tho earth, either as sheaves for tho heavenly gar-
ner or as fagots for the fires of destruction. Subjects of vast

'Matt. 24:15. Uiev. 1:1-3.

iin|>ortaiu'i> wcvp revealed to him, esjurially ftn" the last
t'inircii, tliat tliose who should turn from error to truth
mi^dithe instrueteti eoiieeruin;; the perils and eoulIiel> he-
fore them. None necfi he; in darkness in rej^janl to what is
coming ii|)on the earth.

Wiiy, tiien, this widespread i^'noranee eoneernin;; an
im|)ortant part of Holy Writ? AVhy tiiis general reluctance
to investipite its teaching's? It i.s tho result of a .studieil
effort of tiio jtrinco of darknes.s to conceal from men that
which reveals his deceptions. For this rea.son, Christ the
Kevelator, foreseeing thc^ warfare that would ho wa^ed
against the study of tho Kevelation, j»ronouncod a hlessin^
uj)on all who should read, hour, and obsiorvu tho words of
tho prophecy.

CHAPTER XIX.

LIGHT THROUGH DARKNEvSS.

TiiK work of Ciod in tlio earth itri'scnts, i'roiu ago to nge,
n striking similarity in evorv great rel'orination or religious
movement. The principles of God's dealing with men aro
ever the same. The important movements of tlio present
have their parallel in those of the past, and the experience
of the church in former ages has lessons of great value for
our own time.

No truth is more clearly taught in the Bible than that
God by his Holy S])irit es])ecially directs his servants on
earth in the great movements for the carrying forward of
the A\ ork of salvation. Men aro instruments in the hand of
God, employed by liim to accomplish his purposes of grace
and mercy. Each lias liis part to act; to each is granted a
measure of light, adapted to the necessities of his time, and
sufticient to enable him to perform the work which God has
given him to do. But no man, however honored of Heaven,
has ever attained to a full understanding of the great i)lan
of redemption, or even to a perfect api)reciation of the
divine purpose in the work for his own time. Men do not
fully understand what God would accomplish by the work
which he gives them to do; they do not comprehend, in all
its bearings, the message which they utter in his name.

"Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find
out the Almighty unto perfection?" " My thoughts are not
your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saitli the
Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are
my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than
your tlioughts." "I am God, and there is none like me,

26 <343)

!■!

344

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

(ieclaring the end from the hcginniiig, and from ancient
times the tilings that are not yet done."'

Even the i)rophets who were favored with the special
illumination of the Si)irit, did not fully comprehend the
import of the revelations committed to them. The meaning
was to ho unfolded, fiom age to age, as the people of God
should need the instruction therein contained.

Peter, writing of the salvation hrought to light through
the gospel, says: Of this salvation "the prophets have in-
quired and searched diligently, who proidicsied of the grace
that should come unto you; 8QivvQ\\mg ichat, ov what manner
of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify,.
when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and
the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed^
that not unto themselves^ hut unto ns they did minister." '

Yet while it was not given to the prophets to understand
fully the things revealed to them, they earnestly sought
to obtain all the light which God had been pleased ta
make manifest. They "inquired and searched diligently,"
"searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of
Christ which was in them did signify." What a lesson to
the people of God in the Christian age, for whose benefit
these prophecies were given to his servants! "Unto whom
it was revealed that not unto themselves, but unto us they
did minister." Witness those holy men of God as they
"inquired and searched diligently " concerning revelations
given them for generations that were yet unborn. Contrast
their holy zeal with the listless unconcern with which the
favored ones of later ages treat this gift of Heaven. What
a rebuke to the ease-loving, world-loving indifference which
is content to declare that the prophecies cannot be under-
stood.

Though the finite minds of men are inadequate to enter
into the counsels of the Infinite One, or to fully understand
the working out of his purposes, yet often it is

3cause of

iJob. 11

Isa. 55 : 8. 9 : 46 : 9. 10.

-i 1 Pet 1 : 10-12.

Coprrighted 1891.

THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DISCIPLES.

LIGHT THROUGH DARKNESS.

345

some error or neglect on their own j^art, that the}' so dimly
comprehend the messages of Heaven. Not infrequently the
minds of the people — and even of God's servants — are
blinded by human opinions, the traditions and false teach-
ing of men, so that they are able only partially to grnsp the
great things which he has revealed in his AVord. Thus it
was with the disciples of Christ, even when the Saviour was
with them in person. Their minds liad become imbued
with tlie popular conception of the Messiah as a temporal
prince, who was to exalt Israel to the throne of universal
empire, and they could not understand the meaning of his
words foretelling his sufferings and death.

Christ himself had sent them forth with the message,
"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;
repent ye, and believe the gospel."' That message was based
on the prophecy of Daniel 9. The sixty-nine weeks were
declared by the angel to extend to " the Messiah the Prince,"
and with high hopes and joyful anticipations the disciples
looked forward to the establishment of Messiah's kingdom
at Jerusalem, to rule over the whole earth.

They preached the message which Christ had committed
to them, though they themselves misapprehended its mean-
ing. While their announcement was founded on Dan. 9 : 25,
they did not see, in the next verse of the same chapter, that
Messiah was to be cut off. From their very birth their
hearts had been set upon the anticipated glory of an earthly
empire, and this blinded their understanding alike to the
specifications of the prophecy and to the words of Christ.

They performed their duty in presenting to the Jewish
nation the invitation of mercy, and Xl m, at the very time
when they expected to see their Lord ascend the throne of
David, they beheld him seized as a malefactor, scourged,
derided, and condemned, and lifted up on the cross of Cal-
vary. What despair and anguish wrung the liearts of those
disciples during the days while their Lord was sleeping in
the tomb!

»Markl : 15.

346

THE GREAT COXTROVERSY.

Christ had como ut tho exact time and in the manner
foretold by i)ro})hecy. The testimony of Scripture had been
fulfilled in every detail of his ministr}-. lie had preached
the message of salvation, and "his word was with power."
The liearts of liis hearers had witnessed tliat it was of
Heaven. Tlie Word and the Sjurit of God attested the
divine commission of liis Hon.

Tho disciples still clung with undying affection to their
beloved Master. And yet their minds were shrouded in
uncertainty and doubt. In their anguish they did not then
recall the words of Christ pointing forward to his sufiering
and death. If Jesus of Xazareth liad been the true Messiah,
would they liave been thus plunged in grief and disappoint-
ment? This was tho question that tortured their souls,
while the Saviour lay in his sepulchcr during the hopeless
hours of that Sabbath which intervened between his death
and his resurrection.

Though the night of sorrow gathered dark about these
followers of Jesus, yet were they not forsaken. Saith the
prophet: "When I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light
unto me. . . . He will bring me forth to the light, and
I shall behold his righteousness." " Yea, the darkness hideth
not from thee; but the night shineth as the day; the dark-
ness and the light are both alike to thee." God hath spoken:
"Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness." "I
will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will
lead them in patlis that they have not known. J will make
darkness light before them, end crooked things straight.
These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them."'

Tlie announcement which had been made by the disciples
in the name of the Lord was in every particular correct,
and the events to which it pointed were even then taking
place. "The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at
hand," had been their message. At tho expiration of " the
time" — the sixty-nine weeks of Daniel 9, which were to ex-

» Micah 7 : 8, 9; Ps. 135? : 12; 112:4; laa. 42 : 16.

fflpl^-

tend to tlio Messiah, " the Anointed Une"— Christ had re-
ceived the anointing of the Si)irit, after his haptism by JohLt
in Jordan. And the " kingdom of God " which they had
declared to be at hand, was cstablislied by the death of
Christ. This kingdom was not, as tliey had been taught to
believe, an earthly empire. Nor was it tliat future, immor-
tal kingdom which shall be set up when "the kingdom and
dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the
whole heaven, shall bo given to the pcoi>l'^ of the saints of
the Most High;" that everlasting kingdom, in which "all
dominions shall servo and obey him.'" As used in the
Bible, the expression "kingdom of God" is employed to des-
ignate both the kingdom of grace and the "■ i.gdom of glory.
The kingdom of grace is brought to view by Paul in the
Epistle to the Hebrews. After })ointing to Clirist, the com-
passionate intercessor who is "touched with the feeling of our
infirmities," the apostle says, " Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne oj grace, ihai we may obtain mercy, and find
grace." "■* The throne of grace represents tlie kingdom of grace;
for the existence of a throne implies the existence of a king-
dom. In many of his parables, Christ uses the expression,
"the kingdom of Heaven," to designate the work of divine
grace upon the hearts of men.

So the throne of glory represents the kingdom of glory,
and this kingdom is referred to in the Saviour's words,
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the
holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of
his glory; and before him shall be gathered all nations."'
This kingdom is yet future. It is not to be set up until the
second advent of Christ.

The kingdom of grace was instituted immediately after
the fall of man, when a plan was devised for the redemption
of the guilty race. It then existed in the purpose and by
the promise of God ; and through faith, men could become
its subjects. Yet it was not actually established until the

> Dau. 7 : tl7. * Heb. 4:16. » Matt. 25 : 31, 32.

348

Tin: GREAT CONTROVERSY.

deatli of Christ. Even jifter entering upon Ins cartlily mis-
sion, the Saviour, wearied with tiie stubbornness and ingrat-
itude of men, might have drawn baek from tlio sacriliee of
Calvary. In CJethsemane tlie cup of woe tremblinl in Ids
hand. He might even tlien liave wiped the blood-sweat from
his brow, and have left the guilty race to perish in their
iniquity. Had he done this, there could have been no
redemption for fallen men. But when the Saviour yielded
up his life, and with his expiring breatli cried out, "It is
finished," then the fulfillment of the plan of redemption was
assured. The promise of salvation made to the sinful pair
in Eden was ratified. The kingdom of grace, which had
before existed by the promise of God, was then established.

Thus the death of Christ — the very event which the dis-
ciples had looked upon as the final destruction of their hope
— was that which made it forever sure. While it had
brought them a cruel disappointment, it was the climax of
proof that their belief had been correct. The event that
had filled them with mourning and despair, was that which
opened the door of hope to every child of Adam, and in
which centered the future life and eternal happiness of all
God's faithful ones in all the ages.

Purposes of infinite mercy were reaching their fulfill-
ment, even through the disappointment of the disciples.
While their hearts had been won by the divine grace and
power of His teaching, who " spake as never man spake," yet
intermingled with the pure gold of their love for Jesus, was
the base alloy of worldly pride and selfish ambitions. Even
in the passover chamber, at that solemn hour when their
Master was already entering the shadow of Gethsemane,
there was "a strife among them, wliich of them should be
accounted the greatest."^ Their vision was filled with the
throne, the crown, and the glory, while just before them lay
the shame and agony of the garden, the judgment-hall, the
cross of Calvary. It was their pride of heart, their thirst for
worldly glory, that had led them to cling so tenaciously to

» Luke 22 : 24.

the false teachinj^ of tlioir time, and to pass imhoodod the
Saviour's words showing ti)o true nature of liis kiu^^doiu,
and pointing forward to Ids agony and death. And these
errors resuUed in the trial — shari) but needful — whieh was
permitted for their correetion. Though the disciples had
mistaken the meaning of tlieir message, and had failed to
realize their expectations, yet they had i)reached the warning
given them of God, and the Lord would reward their faith,
and honor their obedience. To them was to be intrusted
the work of heralding to all nations the glorious gospel of
their risen Lord. It was to prepare them for this work,
that the experience which seemed to them so bitter had
been permitted.

After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples on
the way to Emmaus, and "beginning at Moses and all the
prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the
things concerning himself ' The hearts of the disciples
were stirred. Faith was kindled. They were "begotten
again unto a lively hope," even before Jesus revealed him-
self to them. It was his purpose to enlighten their under-
standing, and to fasten their faith upon the "sure word of
prophecy." He wished the truth to take firm root in their
minds, not merely because it was supported by his personal
testimony, but because of the unquestionable evidence pre-
sented by the symbols and shadows of the typical law, and
by the prophecies of the Old Testament. It was needful for
the followers of Christ to have an intelligent faith, not only
in their own behalf, but that they might carry the knowledge
of Christ to the world. And as the very first step in impart-
ing this knowledge, Jesus directed the disciples to "Moses
and the prophets." Such was the testimony given by the
risen Saviour to the value and importance of the Old-Testa-
ment Scriptures.

AVhat a change was wrought in the hearts of the disci-
ples, as they looked once more on the loved countenance of
their Master ! ^ In a more complete and perfect sense than

1 Luke 24 : 27.

350

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

ever before, they hud "found him, of whom Moses in the
law, and tlio prophets, did write." The uncertainty, the
anguish, the despair, gave place to perfect assurance, to
uncloudc'^ faith. What marvel that after his ascension
they "were continually in the temple, i)raising and bless-
ing God " The peoi)le, knowing only of the Saviour's igno-
minious death, looked to see in their faces the expression
of sorrow, confusion, and defeat; but they saw tliero gladness
and triumph. What a preparation these disciples had
received for the work before them ! They had passed through
the deepest trial which it was ])ossible for them to experience,
and had seen how, when to human vision all was lost, the
word of God had been triumphantly accomplished. Hence-
forward what could daunt their fiiitli, or chill the ardor of
their love? In the keenest sorrow they had "strong consola-
tion," a hope which was as " an anchor of the soul, both sure
and steadfast." ' They had been witness to the wisdom and
poorer of God, and they were " persuaded, that neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature" would be able to separate them from " the
love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." " In all
these things," they said, " we are more than conquerors
through Him that loved us."' "The AVord of the Lord
•^ndureth forever."* And "who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even
at the right hand of God, v/ho also maketh intercession
for us." *

Saith the Lord: "My people shall never be ashamed."'
"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the
morning."* When on his resurrection day these disciples
met the Saviour, and their hearts burned within them as they
listened to his words; when they looked upon the head
and hands and feet that had been bruised for them ; when,
before his ascension, Jesus led them out as far as Bethany,

»Heb. 6:18, 19.
^Bom. 8 : 34.

» Rom. 8 : 38, 39, 37.
6Joel2:26.

MPet. 1:25.
«P8. 80:5.

LIGHT THROUGH DARKNESS.

351

»5

|es

in,

and, lifting up liis handu in blessing, bade them, "Go ye into
all the world, and preach the gospel," adding, "Lo, I am
with you ahvay;'" when on tlio day of Pentecost the prom-
ised Comforter descended, and the power from on high was
gi'/en, and the souls of the believers thrilled with the con-
scious presence of their ascended T^ord, — then, even though,
I'ke his, their i»athway led through sacrifice and martyrdom,
would they liave exchanged tlie ministry of the gospel of
his grace, with the " crown of righteousness'' to be received
at his coming, for the glory of an earthly throne, which
had been the hope of their earlier discipleship? lie who is
"able to do exceeding abundantly above all that wo ask or
think," had granted them, with the fellowship of His suffer-
ings, the communion of his joy, — the joy of " bringing many
sons unto glory," joy unspeakable, "an eternal weight of
glory," to which, says Paul, "our light affliction, which is
but for a moment," is "not worthy to be compared."

The (experience of the disciples who ]>reachcd the "gospel
of the kingdom" at the first advent of Christ, has its coun-
terpart in the experience of those who proclaimed the mes-
sage of his second advent. As the disciples went out preach-
ing, " The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand,"
so Miller and his associates proclaimed that the longest and
last prophetic period brought to view in the Bible was about
to expire, that the Judgment was at hand, and the everlast-
ing kingdom was to be ushered in. The preaching of the
disciples in regard to time was based on the seventy weeks
of Daniel 9. The message given by Miller and his associates
announced the termination of the 2300 days of Dan. 8 : 14,
of which the seventy weeks form a part. The preaching of
each was based upon the fulfillment of a different portion of
the same great prophetic jjeriod.

Like the first disciples, William Miller and his associates
did not, themselves, fully comprehend the import of the
message which they bore. Errors that had been long estab-
lished in the church prevented them from arriving at a cor-

1 Mark 16 : 15 ; Matt 28 : 20.

352

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

rect interpretation of an important point in tho ])roplieey.
Therefore, thon^^h tliey proelalnied the nieswa^o wliieii (Jod
luul eonunittcd to them to ])e ^iven to tlie worhi, yet th roll ji^h
a misapprehen^^ion of its meaning, they siill'eretl tli>*a[»point-
ment.

In exphiining Dan. <S: 14, " Unto two thonsand and tliree
liundrod days, then siiall the sanetnary be cleansed," Miller,
as 1ms been stated, adopted tho generally received view that
the earth is the sanctuary, and he believed that tho cleansing
of tho sanctuary rej)resented tho purification of tho earth by
iiro at the coming of the Lord. When, therefore, he found
that the close of the 2300 days was definitely foretold, he
concluded that this revealed the time of the second advent.
His error resulted from accepting the popular view as to
what constitutes tho sanctuarv.

In the typical system, — which was a shadow of the sacri-
fice and priesthood of Christ, — the cleansing of the sanct?-
uary was the last service performed by the high priest in the
yearly round of ministration. It was the closing work of
the atonement, — a removal or putting away of sin from
Israel. It prefigured the closing work in the ministration
of our High Priest in Heaven, in the removal or blotting
out of the sins of liis people, which are registered in the
heavenly records. This service involves a work of investi-
gation, a work of judgment; and it immediately precedes
the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven with power
and great glory; for when he comes, every case has been
decided. Says Jesus, " My reward is with me, to give every
man according as his work shall be." ' It is this work of
judgment, immediately preceding the second advent, that is
announced in the first angel's message of Rev. 14: 7: "Fear
God, and give glory to him ; for the hour of his Judgment
is come."

Those who proclaimed this warning gave the right mes-
sage at the right time. But as the early disciples declared,
" The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand,"

» Rev. 22 : 12.

LIGHT Til ROUGH DARKNESS.

353

ant

based on the }ir()|»lii'C'y of Daniel 0, while they failed to per-
ceive that the death of the MeHsiah was foretold in the same
seripture, ho Miller and his asMoeiateH preached the niessago
hased on Dan. <S:14 and Rev. 14:7, and failed to see that
there were still other messages brought to view in Revela-
tion 14, whieh were also to he given before the advent of the
Lord. As the disciples were mistaken in regard to the king-
dom to be set up at the end of the seventy weeks, so Advent-
ists were mistaken in ri^gard to the event to take place at
the expiration of the 2300 days. In both cases there was an
acceptance of, or rather an adherence to, po})ular errors that
blinded the mind to the truth. Both classes fulfilled the
will of God in delivering the message which he desired to
be given, and both, tlirough their own misapprehension of
their message, suffered disappointment.

Yet God accomplished his own beneficent purpose in per-
mitting the warning of the Judgment to })o given just as it
was. The great day was at hand, and in his j)rovidenco the
people were brought to the test of a definite time, in order
to reveal to them what was in their hearts. The message
was designed for the testing and purification of the church.
They were to be led to see whether their affections were set
upon this world or upon Christ and Heaven. They pro-
fessed to love the Saviour; now they were to prove their
love. Were they ready to renounce their worldly hopes
and ambitions, and welcome with joy the advent of their
Lord ? The message was designed to enable them to discern
their true spiritual state; it was sent in mercy to arouse
them to seek the Lord with repentance and humiliation.

The disappointment also, though the result of their own
misapprehension of the message which they gave, w^as to be
overruled for good. It would test the hearts of those who
had professed to receive the warning. In the face of their
disappointment, would they rashly give up their experience,
and cast away their confidence in God's ^\'ord ? or would they,
in prayer and humility, seek to discern where they had

354

Tin: (HtKAT CONTROVERSr,

failed t<»c(mij)r('li«'ii(l tlioHi^nificimccof tho propliocy? IIow
iimiiy had iiu)V(mI iVoiii fear, or from impulse and excite-
ment? How many were iiaU'-liearted atid nnhelieving?
Multitudes jtrofessed to lovo tiio app<'arinj^ of the Lord.
When ealleil to cndun^ tin; .scofl's and reproach <»f tiic* world,
and tho test of delay and disappointment, woidd tiiey
renouneo tho faith? Heeauso they did n(»t imme(liately
understand tho dealinjjjs of (lod with them, would they cast
aside truths sustained by tin; clearest testimony of ids Word?

This test would reveal tho strength of those who with real
faith liad obeyed what they beliove<l to be the teaching of
tho Word and tho Spirit of Uod. It would teach them, as
only such an oxperienco could, tho danger of acce[»ting tho
theories and inter})retations of men, instead of making tho
Biblo its own interpreter. To tho children of faith tho per-
plexity and sorrow resulting from their error, would work
the nooded correction. They would bo led to a closer study
of tho prophetic word. They would bo taught to examine
more carefully tho foundati(m of their faith, and to reject
everytliing, however widely accepted by tho Christiiiu world,
that was not founded upon tho Scriptures of truth.

With these believers, as with tho first disciples, that which
in tho hour of trial seemed dark to their understanding,
would afterward bo made plain. When they should see tho
"end of tho Lord," they would know that notwithstanding
the trial resulting from their errors, his purposes of love
toward them had been steadily fultilling. They would learn
by a blessed experience that ho is "very j)itiful, and of ten-
der mercy;" that all his paths "are mercy and truth unto
such as keep his covenant and his testimonies!."'

lio

•o

■11

in-

Ito

CHAPTER XX.

A (^RI'AT RI'LKUOrS AWAKIvXIXO.

A GREAT )vli<:ji<)iis iiwakiMiiii^ uikUt tlio proclimiatioii of
Christ's soon coniiiig, is foretold in the j>r(»[)liofy of tlu! lirst
aiigol's niesstigo of Revolution 14. An an;^el is .seen Hying
"in tho midst of heaven, having the everlasting g«»s{)el to
preach unto tliem that dwell on tho earth, and to every
nation, and kindred, and tongue, and })eoj>le." " With a loud
voice" ho proclaims tho message, " Fear (}od, and give glory
to him; for tho lionr of Ids Judgment is come: and worship
him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and tho
fountains of waters.'"

The fact that an angel is said to h(; the herald of this warn-
ing, is significant. By tho purity, the glory, and the power
of the heavenly messenger, divine wisdom has been pleased
to represent tho exalted character of the work to bo accom-
plished by the message, and the power and glory that wore
to attend it. And tho angel's flight " in the midst of heaven,"
tho "loud voice" with which the warning is uttered, and
its promulgation to all "that dwell on the earth," — "to
every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people," — give
evidence of the rapidity and wt)rld-wid(( extent of tho move-
ment.

The message itself sheds light as to the time when this
movement is to take })laco. It is declared to be a part of
the "everlasting gospel;" and it announces tho opening of
the Judgment. The message of salvation has been preached
in all ages; but this message is a part of the gospel which
could be proclaimed only in the last days, for only then

Ulev. 14:0, 7.

(355)

35G

TUE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

would it be true that the liour of Judgment had come. The
propliccies present a succession of events leading down to
the opening of the Judgment. This is especially true of the
book of Daniel. But that i)art of liis propluxjy which re-
lated to the last days, Daniel was bidden to close up and
seal "to the time of the end." Not till we reach this time
could a message concerning the Judgment be proclaimed,
based on a fulfillment of these prophecies. But at the time
of the end, says the prophet, " many shall run to and fro,
and knowledge shall be increased."'

The apostle Paul warned the church not to look for the
coming of Christ in his day. "That day shall not come,"
he says, "except there come a falling away first, and that
man of sin be revealed."* Not till after the great apostasy,
and the long period of the reign of the " man of sin," can we
look for the advent of our Lord. The " man of sin," which is
also styled the " mystery of iniquity," the " son of perdition,"
and "that wicked," represents the papacy, which, as foretold
in prophecy, was to maintain its supremacy for 1260 years.
This period ended in 1798. The coming of Christ could
not take place before that time. Paul covers with his cau-
tion the whole of the Christian dispensation down to the
year 1798. It is this side of that time that the message of
Christ's second coming is to be proclaimed.

No such message has ever been given in past ages. Paul,
as we have seen, did not preach it; he pointed his brethren
into the then far-distant future for the coming of the Lord.
The reformers did not proclaim it. Martin Luther placed
the Judgment about three hundred years in the future from
his day. But since 1798 the book of Daniel has been un-
sealed, knowledge of the prophecies has increased, and
many have proclaimed the solemn message of the Judgment
near.

Like the great Reformation of the sixteenth century, the
Advent movement appeared in different countries of Chris-

iDan. 12:4. '^2X11688. 2 :3.

A GREAT RELIGIOUS AWAKENING.

357

hren
jord.
iced
from
un-
and
lent

the
Ihrid-

tendom at the same time. In both Europe and America,
men of faith and prayer were led to the study of the proph-
ecies, and, tracing down the inspired record, they saw con-
vincing evidence that the end of all things was at hand.
In diil'crent lands there were isolated bodies of Christians,
who, solely by the study of the Scriptures, arrived at the
belief that the Saviour's advent was near.

In 1821, three years after Miller had arrived at his exposi-
tion of the prophecies pointing to the time of the judgment,
Dr. Joseph Wolff, ''the missionary to the world," began
to proclaim the Lord's soon coming. Wolff was born in
Germany, of Hebrew parentage, his father being a Jewish
Rabbi. While very young he was convinced of the truth
of the Christian religion. Of an active, in(piiring mind, he
had been an eager listener to the conversations that took
place in his father's house, as devout Hebrews daily assem-
bled to recount the hopes and anticipations of their people,
the glory of the coming Messiah, and the restoration of
Israel. One day hearing Jesus of Nazareth mentioned, the
boy inquired who he was. "A man of the greatest talent,"
was the answer; "but because he pretended to be the Mes-
siah, the Jewish tribunal sentenced him to death." "Why,
then," rejoined the questioner, " why is Jerusalem destroyed ?
and why are we in captivity?" "Alas, alas!" answered his
father, "because the Jews murdered the prophets." The
thought was at once suggested to the child, "Perhaps Jesus
of Nazareth was also a prophet, and the Jews killed him
when he was innocent." So strong was this feeling, that
though forbidden to enter a Christian church, he would
often linger outside to listen to the preaching.

When only seven years old-, he was boasting to an aged
Christian neighbor of the future triumph of Israel at the-
advent of the Messiah, when the old man said kindly, " Dear
boy, I will tell you who the real Messiah was : he was Jesus
of Nazareth, whom your ancestors crucified, as they slew
the prophets of old. Go home and read the fifty-third

358

Tin: (J HEAT CON TROVERS y.

chapter of Isaialj, and you will be convinced that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God." Conviction at once fastened upon
him. He went home and read the scripture, wondering to
see how perfectly it had been fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.
Were the words of the Christian true? The boy asked of
his father an explanation of the prophecy, but was met with
u silence so stern that he never again dared to refer to the
subject. This however only increased his desire to know
more of the Christian rcli'non.

The knowledge ho sought was studiously kept from him
in his Jewish home; but when only eleven years old, he left
his father's house, and went out into the world to gain for
himself an educntion, to choose his religion and his life-work.
He found a Iiome for a time with kinsmen, but was soon
driven from them as an a})ostate, and alone and penniless
he had to make his own way among strangers. He went
from i)lace to place, studying diligently, and maintaining
himself by teaching Hebrew. Through the influence of a
Catholic instructor, he was led to accept the Romish faith,
and formed the purpose of becoming a missionary to his
own people. With this object he went, a few years later, to
pursue his studies in the College of the Propaganda at Rome.
Here his habit of independent thought and candid speech
brought upon liim tlie imputation of heresy. He openly
attacked the abuses of the church, and urged the necessity
of reform. Though at first treated with special favor by the
papal dignitaries, l.«e was after a time removed from Rome.
Under the surveillance of the church he went from place
to place, until it became evident that he could never be
brought to submit to the bondage of Romanism. He was
declared to be incorrigible, and was left at liberty to go where
he pleased. He now made his way to England, and, pro-
fessing the Protestant faith, united with the English Church.
After two years' study lie set out, in 1S21, ui)on his mission.

While Wolff accepted the great truth of Christ's first
advent as "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief," he

A GREA T RELIGIOUS A WAKENING.

359

saw that the i)ro|)hecio.s In-ing to view with uqual clearness
liis second advent witli power and glory. And wliile he
.souglit to lead his j)eople to Jesus of Nazareth as the Prom-
ised One, and to i)ointtheni to his first coming in humiliation
as a sacrifice for the sins of men, ho taught them also of his
second coming as a king and deliverer.

"Jesus of Nazareth, the true Messiah," he said, "whose
hands and feet were pierced, who was brought like a lamb
to the slaughter, who was a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief, who after the scepter was taken froui Judah, and
the legislative power from between his feet, came the first
time, shall come the second time in the clouds of heaven,
and with the trump of the archangel," and "shall stand
ui)on the Mount of Olives. And that dominion once con-
signed to Adam over the creation and forfeited by him (Gen.
1 : 20 ; o : 17) shall be given to Jesus. He shall be king over all
the earth. The groanings and lamentations of the creation
shall cease, but songs of praise and thanksgiving shall be
heard." "AVhen Jesus comes in the glory of his Father
with the holy angels," " the dead believers shall rise first.
1 Thess. 4:10; 1 Cor. 15:23. This is what we Christians call
the first resurrection. Then the animal kingdom shall
change its nature (Isa, 11:0-9), and shall be subdued unto
Jesus. Ps. 8. Universal peace shall prevail." "The Lord
again shall look down u})on the earth, and say, 'Behold, it is
very good.'"

WoliT believed the coming of the Lord to be at hand,
his interpretation of the })rophetic periods i)lacing the great
consummation within a very few years of the time pointed
out by Miller. To those who urged from the scripture, "Of
that day and hour knoweth no man," that men are to know
nothing concerning the nearness of the advent, Wolfl'
replied: "Did our Lord say that the day and hour should
never be known? Did he not give us signs of the times, in
order that we may know at least the approach of his coming,
as one knows the approach, of summer by the fig-tree put-

360

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

ting forth its leaves? Are wc never to know that period,
whilst ho himself exhortcth not only to read Daniel the
prophet but to understand him? And in that very Daniel
where it is said that the words were shut up to the time of
the end (which was the case in his time), and that 'many
shall run to and fro ' (a Hebrew expression for observing and
thinking upon the time), and ^knowledge' (regarding that
time) 'shall be increased,' Besides this, our Lord does not
intend to say by this, that the approach of the time shall not
be known, but that the exact * day and hour knoweth no
man.' He does say that enough shall be known by the signs
of the times, to induce us to prepare for his coming, as
Noah prepared the ark."

Concerning the popular system of interpreting, or misin-
terpreting, the Scriptures, Wolff wrote: " The greater part of
the Christian church have swerved from the plain sense of
Scripture, and have turned to the phantomizing system of
the Buddhists; they believe that the future happiness of
mankind will consist in moving about in the air, and sup-
pose that when they are reading Jews, they must understand
Gentiles; and when they read Jerusalem, they must under-
stand tlie church; and if it said earth, it means shj; and for
the coming of the Lord they must understand the p)rogress of
the missionary societies; and going up to the mountain of
the Lord's house, signifies a grand class-meeting of Mdliodists."

During the twenty-four years from 1821 to 1845, Wolff
traveled extensively: in Africa, visiting Egypt and Abys-
sinia; in Asia, traversing Palestine, Syria, Persia, Bokhara^
and India. He also visited the United States, on the jour-
ney thither preaching on the island of St. Helena. He
arrived in New York in August, 1837; and after speaking in
that city, he preached in Philadelphia and Baltimore, and
finally proceeded to Washington. Here, he says, "on a
motion brought forward by the ex-President, John Quincy
Adams, in one of the houses of Congress, the House unani-
mously granted me the use of the Congress Hall for a lect-

Iff

JOSEPH WOLFF AMONG THE ARABS.

A GREAT RELIGIOUS AWAKEXIXG.

861

ure, wliich I delivered on a Saturday, lioiiorod vvitli the pres-
ence of all the members of Congress, and also of tiio bishop
of Virginia, and the clergy and citizens of Washington.
The same honor was granted to mo by the members of the
Government of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, in whose pres-
ence I delivered lectures on my researches in Asia, and also
on the personal reign of Jesus Christ."

Dr. Wolff traveled in the most barbarous countries, with-
out the protection of any Euro[)ean authority, enduring
many liardships, and surrounded with countless perils, lie
was bastinadoed and starved, sold as a slave, and three times
condemned to death. lie was beset by robl)ers, and some-
times nearly [)erished from thirst. Once he was strip})ed
of all that he possessed, nnd left to travel hundreds of
miles on foot through the mountains, the snow beating in
his face, and his naked feet benumbed by contact with the
frozen ground.

When warned against going unarmed amongst savage
and hostile tribes, ho declared himself j)r(»vide(l with arms,
— "prayer, zeal for Christ, and conli(lenco in his help." "I
am also," he said, "provided with the love of Cod and my
neighbor in mv heart, and the Bible is in mv hand-" The
Bible in Hebrew and English he carried with him wherever
he went. Of one of his later journeys he says, " I kept the
Bible open in my hand. I felt my power w;is in the book,
and that its might would sustain me."

Thus ho per.sevcrea in his labors until the message of the
Judgment had been carried to a largo part of the habitable
globe. Among Jews, Turks, Parsees, Hindoos, and many
other ffationalities and races, he distributed the AV^ord of (Jod
in these various tongues, and everywhere heralded the
approaching reign of the Messiah.

In his travels in Bokhara he found the doctrine of the
Lord's soon coming held by -^ remote and isolated people.
The Arabs of Yemen, he says, " are in possession of a book
called 'Seera,' which gives notice of the coming of Christ

;■ I-

' .: la

362

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

and liis reign in glory, and they expect great events to take
place in the year 1840." " In Yemen I spent six days with
the Rechabites. They drink no wine, plant no vineyards,
sow no seed, live in tents, and remember the words of Jona-
dab, the son of Rechab. With them were the cliildren of
Israel of tlie tribe of Dan, . . . who expect, in common
with tlio children of Rechnb, the speedy arrival of the Mes-
siah in the clouds of heaven."

A similar belief was found by another missionary to exist in
Tartary. A Tartar priest put the question to the missionary,
as to when Christ would come the second time. When the
missionary answered that he knew nothing about it, the
priest seemed greatly surprised at such ignorance in one who
professed to be a Bible teacher, and stated his own belief,
founded on prophecy, that Christ would come about 1S44.

As early as 1820 the Advent message began to bo i)reaclied
in England. The movement here did not take so definite
a form as in America, the exact time of the advent was not
so generally taught, but the great truth of Christ's soon com-
ing in power and glory was extensively proclaimed. And
this not among dissenters and non-conformists only. Mou-
rant Brock, an English writc^r, states that about seven hun-
dred ministers of the Church of England were engaged in
preaching this "gospel of the kingdom." The message
pointing to 1844 as the time of the Lord's coming was also
given in Great Britain. Advent publications from the
United States were widely circulated. Books and journals
were republished in England. And in 1842, Rol)ert Winter,
an Englishman by birth, who had received the Advent faith
in America, returned to his native countrv to herald the
coming of the Lord. Many united with him in the work,
and the message of the Judgment was proclaimed in various
parts of England.

In South America, in the midst of barbarism and priest-
craft, Lacunza, a Spaniard and a Jesuit, found his way to
the Scriptures, and thus received the truth of Christ's speedy

A GREAT RELIGIOUS A WAKENING.

363

return. Impelled to give the warning, yet desiring to escape
the censures of Rome, he ])ublished his views under the
assumed name of "Rabbi Ben-Israel," representing himself
as a converted Jew. Lacunza lived in the eighteenth cent-
ur}^ but it was about 1825 that his book, having found its
way to London, was translated into the English language.
Its publication served to deepen the interest already awaken-
ing in England in the subject of the second advent.

In Germany the doctrine had been taught in the eight-
eenth century by Bengel, a minister in the Lutheran Church,
and a celebrated Biblical scholar and critic. Upon com-
pleting his education, Bengel had devoted himself to the
study of theology, "to which the grave and religious tone
of his mind, deepened and strengthened by his early train-
ing and discipline, naturally inclined him. Like other
young men of thoughtful character, before and since, he
had to struggle with doubts and difficulties of a religious
nature, and he alludes, with much feeling, to the 'many
arrows which pierced his poor heart, and made his youth
hard to bear.'" Becoming a member of tlio consistory of
Wiirtemberg, he advocated the cau 3 of religious liberty,
urging "that all reasonable freedom bo accorded those who
felt themselves bound, on grounds of conscience, to with-
draw from the established church." The good etiects of this
policy are still felt in his native province.

It was while preparing a sermc^n from Revelation 21 for
"Advent Sunday" that the light of Christ's second coming
broke in upon Bengd's mind. The pro})hecies of the Rev-
elation unfolded to his understanding as never before. Over-
wlu^lmed with a sense of the stupendous importance and
surpassing glory of the scenes presented by the prophet, he
was forced to turn for a time from the contemplation of the
subject. In the jiulpit it again presented itself to him with
all its vividness and power. From that time he devoted
himself to the study of the prophecies, especially those of the
Apocalypse, and soon arrived at the belief that they pointed

364

TIIK UltKAT COXTUOVKRSY.

to tlio coming of Christ ns noar. Tho diito which )io fixorT
upon as tho time of tiio .second lulvcnt was within u very
few years of tliat afterward lield hy MiUer.

Bcngel's writings liave been spread thronghont Christen-
dom. Ilis views of propliecy were (piite generally received
in liis own State of Wurtemherg, aiid to some extent in
other parts of Germany. The movement continned after his
death, and the Advent message was heard in Germany at
the same time that it was attracting attention in other lands.
At an early date some of the believers went to J^ussia, and
there formed colonies, and the faith of Christ's soon coming^
is still held ))y the German ehnrches of that country.

Tho light shone also in France and Switzerland. At
Geneva, where Farel and Calvin had s[)read the truths of tho
Reformation, Gaussen i)reached tho message of tho second
advent. While a student at school, Gaussen had encountered
that spirit of rationalism which pervaded all Euroi)C during
tho latter part of the eighteenth and the opening of the nine-
teenth century; and when he entered the ministry he was
not only ignorant of true faith, but inclined to skepticism.
In his youth ho had become interested in the study of proph-
ecy. After reading " llollin's Ancient History," his attention
was called to tho second chapter of Daniel, and ho was
struck with the wonderful exactness with which the proph-
ecy had been fulfilled, as seen in tho historian's record.
Here was a testimony to tho inspiration of tho Scrij;)tures,
which served as an anchor to him amid ths perils of later
years. Ho could not rest satisfied Avitli tlw) teachings of
rationalism, and in studying tho Bible and searching for
clearer light ho was, after a time, led to a positive faith.

As ho pursued his investigation of the prophecies, ho
arrived at tho belief that the coming of the Lord was at
hand. Impressed with the solemnity and importance of
this great truth, he desired to bring it before the people, but
the popular belief that the prophecies of Daniel are mys-
teries and cannot be understood, was a serious obstacle in

er
of

ho
at

his way. Ho finally dptcrmined — as Farol had dotio boforf
him ill ovangeiizing Geneva — to bc^in witli the children,
through wiiom he hoped to interest tlie parents.

"1 desire this to ]w understood," he afterward said, speak-
ing of his object in this undertaking, "it is not ))eeauso of
its small importance, but on the contrary because of its
great value, that I wisiied to present it in this familiar form,
and that 1 addressed it to tho children. 1 d<'sired to be
heard, and I feared that I would not be if 1 addressed
myself to tho grown ])cople first." "T determined tiiereforo
to go to tho youngest. I gather an audience of children; if
tho group enlarges, if it is seen that they listen, are pleased,
interested, that they understand and explain the subject, 1
am sure to have a second circle soon, and in their turn,
grown people will see that it is worth their while to sit down
and study. When this is done, tho cause is gained."

Tho ellbrt was successful. As he addressed the children,
older })ersons camo to listen. Tho galleries of his church
were filled with attentive hearers. Among them were men
of rank and learning, and strangers and foreigners visiting
Geneva, and thus tho mes.sago was carried to other parts.

Encouraged by this success, Gaussen published his lessons,
with tho hope of promoting tho study of tiie prophetic books
in tho churches of tho French-.speaking })eople. "To i)ub-
lish instruction given to tho children," says (laussen, "is to
say to adults, who too often neglect such books luider
the false pretense that they are obscure, 'IIow can they bo
obscure, since your children understand them?'" "I had a
great desire," he adds, "to render a knowledge of the proph-
ecies popular in our flocks, if possible." "There is no study,
indeed, which it seems to mo answers the needs of tho time
better." "It is by this tliat we are to prepare for the tribu-
lation near at hand, and watch and wait for .Jesus Christ."

Though one of tho most distinguished and beloved of
preachers in the French language, (Jaussen was after a time
suspended from the ministry, his principal offense being that

366

THE a HEAT conthovkrsy.

instcjul of tlio t'hurt'irs catec'liisin, u tamo mid riitioimlistic
iimmial, uliiiost dcstituto of positivo faith, lio liad used tlio
liildc in ^^ivin^ instriu'tion to tho yoiitli. Ho afterward
bocaiuo toaclior in a thoolo^^ical Hcliooi, vviiilo on Sunday
lio continu('(i IiIh work as catcchij-t, a<ldri'ssing tiio cliildren,
and instructing tlicin in tlio ScripturcH. Jlis wor!<3 on
j)ro|)li('('y also oxcitod niiu'li interest. From the professors
chair, through the press, and in his favorito occupation us
teacher of childi'eii, lie continiUMl for nianv years to oxert an
cxtonsivo infliienco, and was instrumental in calling the
attention of many to tho study of tho prophecies which
sIiowcmI that th(» coming of tho Lord was near.

lu Scandinavia also tho Advent messago was proclaimed,
and a wides[)read interest was kindled. Many were roused
from their careless .security, to confess and forsake their sins,
and seek pardon in tho name of Christ. But tho clergy of
the State church op})osed tho movement, and through their
inliuence some who preached the message were thrown into
prison. In many i)lM('es where tho j)reachers of the Lord's
soon coming were thus silenced, (Jod was }»leased to send the
message, in a miraculous manner, through littlo children.
As they were under age, tho law of the State could not
restrain them, and they were i)ermitted to speak unmolested.

The movement was cliieliy among tho lower class, and
it was ill the humble dwellings of tho laborers that tho
people assembled to hear tho warning. The child-preachers
themselves were mostly poor cottagers. Some of them were
not more than six or eight years of age, and while their
lives testified that thev loved the Saviour, and were trving to
live ill obedience to God's holv re(|uirenients, thev ordinarilv
iiiaiiiiested only the intelligence and ability usually seen in
children of that age. When standing before the people,
however, it was evident that they were moved by an inliu-
ence beyond their own natural gifts. Tone and manner
changed, and with solemn power they gave tho Avarning of
the Judgment, employing the very words of Scripture,

A GREA T RELIGIOUS A WAKE XI XG.

367

■n

Fear God, and give glory to him ; for the liour of his
Judgment is come." They reproved tiie sins of the people,
not only condemning immorality and vice, but rebuking
worldliness and backsliding, and warning their hearers to
make haste to flee from the wrath to come.

The people heard with trembling. The convicting Spirit
of God spoke to their hearts. Many were led to search the
fScriptures with new and deeper interest, the intemperate and
immoral were reformed, others abandoned their dishonest
practices, and a work was done so marked that even minis-
ters of the State church were forced to acknowledge that the
hand of God was in the movement.

It was God's will that the tidings of the Saviour's coming
should be given in the Scandinavian countries; and when
the voices of his servants were silenced, he put his Spirit
upon the children, that the work might hd acc'omplished.
When Jesus drew near to Jerusalem attended by the rejoic-
ing multitudes that, with shouts of triumph and the wav-
ing of palm branches, heralded him as the Son of David,
the jealous Pharisees called upon him to silenco them; but
Jesus answered that all this was in fulfillment of proph-
ecy, and if these should hold their p3aco, the very stones
would cny out. The people, intimidated by the threats of
the priests and ruler.s, ceased their joyful proclamation as
they entered the gates of Jerusalem; but the children in the
temple courts afterward took up tlie refrain, and, waving
their branches of palm, th?y cried, " 11 jsanna to the Son
of Davidl"^ When tlie Pilaris ^js, sorely displeased, said
unto him, "Hearost thou what th 'S3 s.iy?" Jesus answered,
"Yea; have ye never read. Out of the mouth of babes and
sucklings thou hast perfected praise?"' As God wrought
through children at the time of Christ's first advent, so he
wrought through them in giving the message of his second
advent. God's Word must be fulfilled, that tiie proclamation
of the Saviour's coming .should be given to all peoples,
tongues, and nations.

'Matt. 21 :S-10.

368

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

To William Miller and his co-laborers it was given to
preach the warning in America. This country became the
center of the great Advent movement. It was here that
the prophecy of the first angel's message had its most
direct fulfillment. The writings of Miller and his asso-
ciates were carried to distant lands. Wherever missionaries
had penetrated in all the world, were sent the glad tidings
of Christ's speedy return. Far and wide spread the message
of the everlasting gospel, "Fear God, and give glory to him;
for the hour of his Judgment is come."

The testimony of the prophecies which seemed to point to
the coming of Christ in the spring of 1844 took deep hold of
the minds of the people. As the message went from State
to State, there was everywhere awakened widespread interest.
Many were convinced that the arguments from the prophetic
periods were correct, and, sacrificing their pride of opinion,
they joyfully received the truth. Some ministers laid aside
their sectarian views and feelings, left their salaries and
their churches, and united in proclaiming the coming of
Jesus. There were comparatively few ministers, however,
who would accept this message; therefore it was largely
committed to humble laymen. Farmers left their fields,
mechanics their tools, traders their merchandise, professional
men their positions; and yet the number of workers was
small in comparison wi+h the work to be accomplished. The
condition of an ungodly church and a world lying in wick-
edness burdened the souls of the true watchmen, and they
willingly endured toil, privation, and suftering, that they
might call men to repentance unto salvation. Though
opposed by Satan, the work went steadily forward, and the
Advent truth was accepted by many thousands.

Everywhere the searching testimony was heard, warning
sinners, both worldlings and church-members, to fiee from
the wrath to come. Like John tiie Baptist, the forerunner
of Christ, the preachers laid the ax at the root of the tree,
and urged all to bring forth fruit meet for repentance.

;

A GREA T RELIGIOUS A WAKENING.

369

the

ing

join

Iner

ree,

ice.

Their stirring appeals were in marked contrast to the assur-
ances of peace and safety that were heard from popuhir pul-
pits; and wherever the message was given, it moved the
people. Tlie simple, direct testimony of the Scriptures, set
home by the power of the Holy Spirit, brought a weight of
conviction which few were able wholly to resist. Professors
of religion were roused from their false security. They saw
their backslidings, their worldliness and unbelief, their pride
and selfishness. Many sought the Lord witli repentance and
humiliation. Tlie affections that liad so long clung to
earthly tilings they now fixed upon Heaven. The S})irit of
God rested upon them, and with hearts softened and sub-
dued they joined to sound the cry, "Fear God, and give
glory to him; for the hour of his Judgment is come."

Sinners inquired with weeping, " What must I do to be
saved?" Those whose lives had been marked with dishon-
esty were anxious to make restitution. All who found peace
in Christ longed to see others share the blessing. The hearts
of parents were turned to their children, and the hearts of
children to their parents. The barriers of pride and reserve
were swept away. Heart-felt confessions were made, and
the members of the household labored for the salvation of
those who were nearest and dearest. Often was heard the
sound of earnest intercession. Everywhere were souls in deep
anguish, pleading with God. Many wrestled all night in
prayer for the assurance that their own sins were pardoned,
or for the conversion of their relatives or neighbors.

All classes flocked to the Adventist meetings. Rich and
poor, high and low, were, from various causes, anxious to
hear for themselves the doctrine of the second advent. Tlie
Lord held the spirit of opposition in check while his servants
explained the reasons of their ftiith. Sometimes the instru-
ment was feeble: but the Spirit of God gave power to his
truth. The presence of holy angels was felt in these assem-
blies, and many were daily added to the believers. As the
evidences cf Christ's soon coming were repeated, vast crowds
28

370

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

listened in Ijreathloss silence to the solemn words. Heaven
and earth seemed to approach each other. The power of
God was felt upon old and young and middle-aged. Men
sought their homes with praises upon their lips, and the glad
sound rang out upon the still night air. None who attended
those m< ^tings can ever forget *hose scenes of deepest interest.

The proclamation of a dc'i lite time for Christ's coming
called forth great opposition from many of all classes, from
the minister in the pulpit down to the most reckless. Heaven-
daring sinner. The words of prophecy were fulfilled: "There
shall come in the last days scoffers, wal ing after their
own lusts, and saying, Where is the i)romiso of his coming?
for since +he fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they
were from the beginning of the creation."* ]\rany who pro-
fessed to love the Saviour, declared that they had no oppo-
sition to the doctrine of the second advent; they merely
objected to the definite time. But God's all-seeing eye read
their hearts. They did not wish to hear of Christ's coming
to judge the world in righteousness. They had been unfaith-
ful servants, their works would not bear the inspection of the
heart-searching God, and they feared to meet their Lord.
Like the Jews at the time of Christ's first advent, they were
not prepared to welcome Jesus. They not only refused to
listen to the plain arguments from the Bible, but ridiculed
t?iose who were looking for the Lord. Satan and his angels
exulted, and flung the taunt in the face of Christ and holy
angels, that his professed people had so little love for him
that ihey did not desire his appearing,

" No man knoweth the day nor the hour," was the argu-
ment most often brought forward by rejecters of the Advent
faith. The scripture is, " Of chat day and liour knoweth no
man, no, not the angels of Heaven, but my Father only." ^ A
clear and harmonious explanation of this text was given by
those who were looking for the Lord, and the wrong use
made of it by their opponents was clearly shown. The

» 2 Petei' 3 : 3, 4. 2 Matt . 24 : 36.

A GREA T RELIGIOUS A WAKENING.

371

words were spoken by Christ in that memorable conversa-
tion with his disciples upon Olivet, after he had for the last
time departed from the temple. The disciples had asked
the question, "What shall bo the sign of thy coming, and of
the end of the world?"' Jesus gave them signs, and said,
"When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near,
even at the doors.'" One saying of the kSaviour must not
be made to destroy another. Tiiough no man knowt'th the
dcuj nor the hour of his coining, wo are instructed and
required to know wiien it is near. We are further taught
that to disregard his warning, and refuse or neglect to know
when his advent is near, will be as fatal for us, as it was for
those who lived in tlio days of Noah not to know when the
flood was comhig. And the parable in tiio same chapter
contrasting the faithful and the unfaithful servant, and
giving the doom of him who said in his heart, "My Lord
delayeth his coming," shows in what light Christ will regard
and reward those whom he finds watching, and teaching his
coming, and those denying it. " Watch therefore," he says;
"blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when he cometh
shall find so doing." ^ " If therefore thou shalt not watch, I
will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what
hour I will come upon thee.'"*

Paul speaks of a class to wliom the Lord's a})pearing will
come unawares. "The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief
in the night. For when they shall say. Peace and safety;
tlien sudden destruction cometh upon them, . . . and
they shall not escape." But he adds, to those who have
given heed to the Saviour's warring, "Ye, brethren, are
not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a
thief. Ye are all the children of light, '.nd the children of
the day; Ave are not of the niglit, nor of darkness."^

Thus it was shown that Scripture gives no warrant for
men to remain in ignorance concerning the nearness of
Christ's cominjj;. But those who desired

^ly

^Matt. 24:3, 33, 42-51.

2 Rev. 3:3.

3 1 Thess. 5 : 2-5.

372

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

reject the truth closed their ears to tliis cxi)lunutioii ; and
the words, '* No man knoweth the day nor the hour," con-
tinued to be echoed by the bold scoffer, and even by the
professed minister of Christ. As the peo}>lo were roused,
and began to inquire the way of salvation, religious teachers
stepped in between them and the truth, seeking to cpiiet
their fears by falsely inter})reting the AVord of God. Un-
faithful Avatchmen united in the work of the great deceiver,
crying, Peace, i)eace, when CJod had not spoken peace. Like
the Pharisees in Christ's dav, manv refused to enter the
kingdom of Heaven themselves, and those who were enter-
ing in, they hindered. The blood of these souls will be
required at their hand.

The most liumble and devoted in the churches were
usually the first to receive the message. Those who studied
the Bible for themselves could not but see the unscriptural
character of the popular views of proj)hecy, and wherever
the people were not controlled by the influence of the clergy,
wherever they would search the "Word of God for themselves,
the Advent doctrine needed only to be compared with the
Scriptures to establish its divine authority.

Many were persecuted by their unbelieving brethren. In
order to retain their position in the church, some consented
to be silent in regard to their hope; but others felt that
loyalty to God forbade them thus to hide the truths which
lie had committed to their trust. Not a few were cut off
from the fellowship of the church for no other reason than
expressing their belief in the coming of Christ. Very pre-
cious to those who bore this trial of their faith were the
"W'ords of the prophet, "Your brethren that hated you, that
cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be
glorified. But he shall appear to your joy, and they shall
be ashamed."*

Angels of God were watching with the deepest interest
the result of the warning. AVhen there was a general
rejection of the message by the churches, angels turned

»l8a. 66:5.

A ORE A T nELIGTOrS A WAKEXIXG.

373

away in sadness. Yet there were many who had not yet
been tested in regard to the Advent trutli. Many were
misled by husbands, wives, parents, or children, and were
made to believe it a sin even to listen to such heresies as
were taught by the Adventists. Angels were bidden to keep
faithful watch over these souls; for another light was yet to
shine upon them from the throne of God.

With unspeakable desire those who had received the
message watched for the coming of their Saviour. The
time when they expected to meet him was at hand. They
approached this hour with a calm solemnity. They rested
in sweet communion with God, an earnest of the peace that
was to be theirs in the bright hereafter. Kono who experi-
enced this hope and trust can forget those precious hours of
waiting. For some weeks i)reccding the time, worldly bus-
iness was for the most part laid aside. The sincere believers
carefully examined every thought and emotion of their
hearts as if upon their death-beds and in a few hours to close
their eyes upon earthly scenes. There was no making of
"ascension robes; "^ but all felt the need of internal evidence
that they were prepared to meet the Saviour; their white
rubes were purity of soul, — characters cleansed from sin by
the atoning blood of Christ. Would that there was still
with the professed people of God the same spirit of heart-
searching, the same earnest, determined faith. Had they
continued thus to humble themselves before the Lord, and
press their petitions at the mercy -seat, they would be in
possession of a far richer experience than they now have.
There is too little prayer, too little real conviction of sin,
and the lack of living faith leaves many destitute of the
grace so richly provided by our Redeemer.

God designed to prove his people. His hand covered a
mistake in the reckoning of the prophetic periods. ^ Advent-
ists did not discover the error, nor was it discovered by the

^ See Appendix, Note 4.

'■'See diagram opposite p. 328; also Appendix, Not'j 3.

374

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

most learned of their opponents. The latter said: "Your
reckoning of the prophetic periods is correct. 8omo great
event is about to take j)lace; but it is not what Mr. Miller
predicts; it is tlie conversion of the world, and not tlie sec-
ond advent of Christ."*

The time of expectation passed, and Christ did not appear
for the deliverance of his 2)eople. Those wlio with sincere
faith and love had looked ft)r their Saviour, experienced a
bitter disappointment. Yet the purposes of God were being
accomj)lished: ho was testing tlie hearts of those who pro-
fessed to be waiting for his a})pearing. There were among
them many wlio had been actuated by no higlier motive
than fear. Tlieir jjrofession of faith had not affected their
hearts or their lives. When the expected event failed to
take place, these persons declared tliat they wero not dis-
appointed; tliey had never believed that Christ would come.
They were among the iirst to ridicule the sorrow of the true
believers.

But Jesus and all the heavenly host looked with love and
sympathy upon the tried and faithful yet disap})ointe(l ones.
Could the veil separating the visible from the invisible
world have been swept back, angels M'ould have been seen
drawing near to these steadfast souls, and shielding them
from the shafts of Satan.

^ See Appendix, Note 5.

CHAPTER XXI.

A WARNING REJECTED.

Tx proacliin^ tlio doctrino of tlio si^cond advent, William
Miller and his associates had labored Avith the sole purpose
of arousing men to a prei)aration for the Judgment. They
had sought to awaken professors of religion to the true hope
of the church, and to their need of a dee^»er Cliristian expe-
rience; and they labored also to awaken the unconverted to
the duty of innnediate repentance and conversion to God.
^'Tliey made no attempt to convert men to a sect or party
in religion. Hence they labored among all i)arties and
sects, Avithout interfering with their organization or dis-
cipline."

*' In all my lal^ors," said Miller, ** I never had the desire
or thought to establish any separate interest from that of
existing denominations, or to benefit one at the expense of
another. I thought to benefit all. Supposing tiiat all Chris-
tians would rejoice in the i)rospect of Christ's coming, and
that those who could not see as I did would not love any
the less those who shoukl embrace this doctrine, I did not
conceive there would ever be any necessity for separate
meetings, ^fy whole ol)ject Avas a desire to convert souls to
God, to notify the world of a coming Judgment, and to
induce my fellow-men to make that preparation of heart
wdiicli will enable them to meet their God in peace. The
great majority of those who were converted under my labors
united with the various existing churches."

As his w'ork tended to build up the churches, it was for a
time regarded with favor. But as ministers and religious
leaders decided against the Advent doctrine, and desired to

(375)

37C

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

suppress all agitation of tho subject, tliey not only op[>()se(l
it from the pulpit, but denied their members tho privilege
of attending preaching upon tho second advent, or even of
speaking of their hope in tho social meetings of tho church.
Thus tho believers found themselves in a position of great
trial and perplexity. They loved their churches, and wero
loth to separate from them; but as they saw tho testimony
of God's Word suppressed, and their right to investigate tho
prophecies denied, they felt that loyalty to God forbado
them to submit. Those who sought to shut out tho testi-
mony of God's Word they could not regard as constituting
tho church of Christ, "tho pillar and ground of tho truth,"
Henco they felt themselves justified in sei)arating from their
former connection. In tho summer of 1844 about fifty
thousand withdrew from tho churches.

About this time a marked change was apparent in most
of tho churches throughout the United States. There had
been for many years a gradual but steadily increasing con-
formity to worldly practices and customs, and a correspond-
ing decline in real spiritual life; but in that year there wero
evidences of a sudden and marked declension, in nearly all
the churches of the land. While none seemed able to suggest
the cause, the fact iLself was widely noted and commented
upon, both by the press and the puli)it.

At a meeting of the presbytery of Philadelphia, Mr.
Barnes, author of tho commentary so widely used, and ])as-
tor of one of tho leading churches in that city, "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 com-
merce and manufactures, there is an increase of worldly-
mindedness. Tlius it is with all denominations"

y -"-*i:msm^(^

A WARXiyO REJECTED.

877

In tlio month of Fehriuiry of tho same year, TrofoHsor
Finney, of Olu'ilin College, siiid: "We have had tlie facta
before our minds, that, in general, tho Protestant eiiurchea
of our eountry, as such, were either apathetic or hostile to
nearly all the moral reforms of tho age. There are par-
tial exceptions, yet not enough to render the fact otherwise
than general. Wo have also another corroi)orative fact, —
the almost universal absence of revival influence in the
churches. The spiritual apatliy is almost all-pervading, and
is fearfully deep; so tho religious press of the whole land
testifies. Very extensively, church-members are becoming
devotees of fashion, joining hands with the ungodly in par-
ties of pleasure, in dancing, in festivities, etc. But we need
not expand this painful subject. Suffice it that the evidence
thickens and rolls heavily upon us, to show tliat the churches
generally are becoming sadly der/enerate. They have gone
very far from tho Lord, and ho has withdrawn himself from
them."

And a writer in tho Rtilglom IHcscopc testified: "Wo have
never witnessed such a general declension as at present.
Truly, the church should awake, and search into tho cause
of this affliction; for an affliction everyone that loves Zion
must view it. When wo call to mind how few and far
between cases of true conversion are, and the almost unpar-
alleled impenitence and hardness of sinners, wo almost
involuntarily exclaim, *IIas God forgotten to bo gracious?
or is the door of mercy closed?'"

Such a condition never exists without cause in the church
itself. The spiritual darkness which falls upon nations,
upon churches and individuals, is due, not to an arbitrary
withdrawal of the succors of divine grace on the part of
God, but to neglect or rejection of divine light on the part of
men. A striking illustration of this truth is presented in
the history of the Jewish people in the time of Christ. By
their devotion to the world and forgetfulness of God and
his Word, their understanding had become darkened, their

378

TIIK GREAT CONTROVERSY.

lu'urts earthly and Hcn.sual. Thus thoy were in i^noruiice
C(»iifi'nuii^f .NhssialiH advent, and in tlieir prido and unbelief
they reJeeU'(l the liedeenier. (lod did not even then cut otT
the Jewish nation IVoiu u knowledge of, or ii partieipaiiou
in, the blessings of .salvation, lint tlujse who rejected the
truth lost all desire for the gift of J leaven. They had "jmt
darkness for ii^ht, and li;j;ht for darkness," until the li|;ht
■\vl.ich was in them becaniu darkness; and how great was
that darkness!

It suits the policy of Satan, that men should retain tho
forms of religion, if but the .spirit of vital godliness is lack-
ing. After their rejection of the gos[)el, the Jews continued
zealously to maintain their ancient rites, they rigorously
preserved their national exclusiveness, while they them-
selves could not but admit that the j)resenco of (Jod was
no longer manifest among them. The pro})hccv of Daniel
pointed .so unmistakably to tho time of Messiah's coming,
and so directly foretold his death, that they discouraged its
study, and linally tho rabbis pronounced a cur.so on all who
.should attem}>t a computation of tho time. In blindness
and impenitence, the i)eoplo of Israel for eighteen liundred
years have stood, indillerent to tho gracious oilers of salva-
tion, unmindful of tho blessings of the gospel, a solemn
and fearful warning of the danger of rejecting light from
Heaven.

Wherever tho cau.se exists, the same results will follow.
He who deliberately stifles his convictions of duty because
it interferes with his inclinations, will finally lose the power
to distinguish between truth and error. The understanding
becomes darkened, tho conscience callous, tho heart hard-
ened, and tho soul is separated from God. Where the mes-
sage of divine truth is spurned or slighted, there the church
will bo enshrouded in darkness; faith and love grow cold,
and estrangement and dissension enter. Church -members
center their interests and energies in worldly pursuits, and
sinners become hardened in their impenitence.

A ]VAfiXrX(7 KKJECTi:!).

379

Tlio first angel's inoHsago of lirvcliitioii 11, unnouiiciiig
the hour of (mmTs JiKlgiiK'iit, and niUiiig upon men t<> fear
un«l worship him, was (Icsignccl to scparato tiio professed
people of Ciod from the et)rrup(ing inlluenees of the world,
and to arouso them to see their Iruo condition of woi'ldli-
iiess and baeksliding. In this message, (Jod Iiad sent to tho
church a warning, which, had it been accepted, would have
corrected the evils that were shutting them away from him.
Had they reeeivi'<l the message from Heaven, hund)ling
their hearts helbrc! the Lord, and seeking in sincerity a pre[)-
aration to stand in his presence, tlus S]»irit and power of (iod
would have ]»een manifested among them. The church
would again have reached that blessed state of unity, faith,
and love, which existed in apostolic days, when the In'lievers
were of "one heart and of one soul," and "sjtake the word of
God with boldness," when "the Lord added to tho church
daily such as slaudd bo saved."'

If CJod's ]>rofessed people would reeeiv(; the light as it
shines upon them from his A\'ord, they would reach that
unity for which Christ i)raycd, that which the apostle de-
scribes, "tho unity of the Spirit in tho bond of peace."
^'Thcro is," lie says, "o/(fi body, and oite Spirit, even as yo
are called in one hoi)0 of your calling; one Lord, one faith,
one baptism." ^

Such were the l)lessed results experienced by those who ac-
cepted tho Advent message. They "came from dill'erent de-
nominations, and their denominational barriers were hurled
to the ground, conflicting creeds were shivered to atoms;
tho unscriptural hope of a temporal millennium was aban-
doned, false views of tho second advent were corrected, pride
and conformity to the world were swept away; wrongs were
made right; hearts were united in tho sweetest fellowship,
and lovo and joy reigned suj)reme. If this doctrine did
this for tho few who did receive it, it would have done the
same for all, if all had received it."

iAct8 4 :32, 31 ;2:47. » Eph. 4 : 3-5.

380

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

t£

But the clmivhes generally did not accept the warning.
Their ministers, who as " watchmen unto the house of Israel,"
should have been the first to discern the tokens of Jopus'
coming, had failed to learn the truth, either from the testi-
Uiony of the prophets or from the signs of the times. As
worldly hopes and ambitions filled the heart, love for God
and faith in his Word had grown cold, and when the Advent
doctrine was presented, it only aroused their prejudice and
unbelief. The fact that the message was, to a great extent,
preached by laymen, was urged as an argument against it.
As of old, the plain testimony of God's Word was met with
the inquiry, "Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees
believed?" And finding how difficult a task it was to refute
the arguments drawn from the prophetic periods, many dis-
couraged the study of the prophecies, teaching that the
prophetic books were sealed, and were not to be understood.
Multitudes, trusting implicitly to their pastors, refused to
listen to the warning; and others, though convinced of the
truth, dared not confess it, lost they should be "put out of
the synagogue." The message which God had sent for the
testing and ^)urification of the church, revealed all tt)0 surely
how great was the number who had set their affections on
this world rather than upon Christ. The ties which bound
them to earth were stronger than the attractions heaven-
ward. They chose to listen to the voice of worldly wisdom,
and turned away from the heart-searching message of truth.

In refusing the warning of the first angel, they rejected
the means which Heaven had provided for their restoration.
They spurned the gracious messenger that would have cor-
rected the evils which separated them from God, and with
greater eagerness they turned to seek the friendship of the
world. Here was the cause of that fearful condition of
worldliness, backsliding, and spiritual death which existed in
the churches in 1844.

In Revelation 14, the first angel is followed by a second,
proclaiming, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city,

A WARNING REJECTED.

381

p.
le

If
11

because she made all nations drink of the wine of the
wrath of her fornication." ^ The term Babylon is derived
from Babel, and signifies confusion. It is employed in
Scripture to designate the various forms of false or a])03tate
religion. In .Kevelation 17, Babylon is represented as a
woman, a figure which is used in the Bible as the symbol of
a church, a virtuous woman representing a pure church, a
vile woman an apostate church.

In the Bible the sacred and enduring character of the
relation that exists between Christ and his church is repre-
sented by the union of marriage. The Lord lias joined his
peo})le to himself by a solemn covenant, he promising to be
their God, and they i)ledging themselves to be his, and his
alone. He declares, "I will betroth thee unto me forever;
yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in
judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies." '^ And
again, " I am married unto you." * And Paul employs the
same figure in the New Testament, when he says, "I have
espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a
chaste virgin to Christ." *

The unfaithfulness of the church to Christ in permitting
her confidence and affection to be turned from him, and
allowing the love of worldly things to occupy the soul, is
likened to the violation of the marriage vow. The sin of
Israel in departing from the Lord is iiresented under this
figure; and the wonderful love of God which they thus
despised is touchingly portrayed. " I sware unto thee, and
entered into a covenant Avith thee, saith the Lord God, and
thou becamest mine." "And thou wast exceeding beautiful,
and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown
went forth among the heathen for thv beautv; for it was
perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee.
. . . But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and j)lay-
edst the harlot because of thy renown." "As a wife treach-
erously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treach-

» Rev. 14 : 8. '^ Hos, 2:19. » Jer. 3 ; 14. * 2 Cor. 11:2.

crously ^vith mo, O house of Israel, saith the Lord;" "as a
M'ife tliat committcth adulterv, wliich tak- th strangers instead
of lier iiusband." ^

In the New Testament, hmgnago very simihir is addressed
to professed Christians \vliu seek the friendship of the workl
above the favor of Ciod. Says the apostle James: "Ye adul-
terers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of
the world is enmity -with God? whosoever therefore will be
a friend of the world is the enemy of God."

The "woman, Babylon, of Kevelation 17, is described as
"arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold
and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her
hand full of abominations and fdthiness. . . . And upon
lier forehead was a name written, Mvsterv, Babvlon the
Great, the mother of liarlots." Says the prophet, "I saw
the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with
the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." * Babylon is further
declared to bo "that groat city, which reigneth over the
kings of the earth."'* The power that for so many cent-
uries maintained despotic sway over the monarchs of Chris-
tendom, is Home. The puri)le and scarlet color, the gold
and precious stones and pearls, vividly picture the mag-
nificence and more tlian kingly pomp affected by the
haughty see of liome. And no other power could be so
trulv declared "drunken with the blood of the saints" as
that church which has so cruelly persecuted the followers of
Ciirist. Bal)yl()n is also charged with the sin of unlawful
connection with " the kings of the earth." It was by depart-
ure from the Lord, and alliance with the heathen, tluit the
Jewish churcli became a harlot; and lionio, corrupting her-
self in like maniior l>y seeking the support of worldly powers,
receives a like condemnation.

Babylon is said to l>o "the wofhrr cf liarlots." By I'V
iJa\if)litcrs must be sj'mliolizod churches tbr>t cling to her doo
triiios and traditions, and follow lier example of sacrificing.

» Eze. 16 : 8. 13-15, 32; Jer. 3 : 20, '' Rev. 17 : 4-6. » llev- 17 : 1&

A WARNING REJECTED.

383

fill

the truth and the ai^proval of God, in order to form an
unlawful alliance with the world. The message of Revela-
tion 14 announcing ihafall of Babylon, must apply to relig-
ious bodies tluit were once pure and liave become corrupt.
Since this message follows the warning of the Judgment, it
must be given in the last days, therefore it cannot refer to
the Romish Church, for that churcli has been in a fallen
condition for many centuries. Furthermore, in the eight-
eenth chapter of the Revelation, in a message which is yet
future, the people of God are called upon to come out of
Babylon. According to this scripture, many of God's people
nuist still be in Babylon. And in wliat religious bodies are
the greater part of the followers of Christ now to be found?
Without doubt, in tlie various churches professing the Prot-
estant faith. At tlie time of their rise, these cliurclies took
a noble stand for God and the truth, and his blessing was
with them. Even the unbelieving world was constrained
to acknowledge the beneficent resuhs that followed an
acceptance of the princij^les of the gospel. In the words
of the prophet to Israel, "Thy renown went fortii among
the heathen for thy beauty; for it was perfect througli my
comeliness, which I had put U])on thee, saith tlie Lord God.'^
But they fell by the same desire which was the curse and
ruin of Israel, — the desire of imitating the practices and
courting the friendship of the ungodly. "Thou didst trust
in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy
renown."

Many of the Protestant churches are following Rome's
example of iniquitous connection with "the kings of the
earth;" the State churches, by their relation to secular gov-
ernments, and other denominations by seeking the favor of
the world. And the term Balndon — confusion — may be
appropriately applied to tlu^se bodies, all ]:)rofessing to derive
their doctrines from the Bible, vet divide<l into almost innu-
merable sects, with widely conflicting creeds and theories.

Besides a sinful union with the world, the churches that
separated from Rome present other of her characteristics.

384

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

A Roinish work — the "Catliolic Christian Irstructed" —
makes the cliarge: "If the Church of Rome was ever guilty
of idohitry in relation to the saints, her daughter, the
Church of England, stands guilty of the same, ■which has ten
churches dedicated to Mary for one dedicated to Christ."

And Mr. lIoi)kins, in a treatise on the Milleimium,
declares: "There is no reason to consider the antichristian
spirit and practices confined to what is now called the
Church of Ivome. The Protestant churches have much of
antichrist in them, and are far from being Avholly reformetl
from corrup' " )n and wickedness."

Concerning the separation of the Presbyterian Church
from Home, Dr. Cluthrie writes: "Three hundred years ago,
our church, with an open Bible on her banner, and this
motto, 'Search the Scriptures,' on her scroll, marched out
from the gates of Kome." Then he asks the signiticant
quc.ition, "Did they come clean out of Babylon?"

"The Church of England," says Spurgeon, "seems to be
eaten through and through with sacramentarianism ; but
non-conformity appears to be almost as badly riddled with
])hilosophical infidelity. Those of whom we thought better
things are turning aside one by one from the fundamentals
of the faith. Through and through, I believe, the very
heart of England is honeycombed with a damnable infidel-
ity which dares still go into the pulpit and call itself
Christian."

What was the origin of the great apostasy? How did the
church first depart from the simplicity of the gospel? — By
conforming to the practices of j^aganism, to facilitate the
acceptance of Christianity by the heathen. The apostle
Paul declared, even in his day, "The mystery of iniquity
doth already Avork."' During the lives of the apostles the
church remained com^)aratively pure. "But toward the
latter end of the second century most of the churches
assumed a new form, the fir.st simplicity disappeared; and
insensibly, as the old disciples retired to their graves, their

i2Thcss. 2:7.

A WARNING REJECT1:D.

385

children, along with new converts

came forward

and new-modeled the cause." ' To secure converts, the
exalted standard of the Christian faith was lowered, and as
the result "a pagan flood, flowing into the church, carried
with it its customs, practices, and idols." ' As the Christian
religion secured the favor and support of secular rulers,
it was nominally accepted by multitudes; but while in ap-
pearance Christians, many "remained in substance pagans,
especially worshiping ^n secret their idols." '^

H^s not the same process been repeated in nearly every
church calling itself Protestant? As its founders, those who
possessed the true spirit of reform, pass away, their descend-
ants come forward and "new model the cause." While
blindly clinging to the creed of their fathers and refusing to
accept any truth in advance of what they saw, the children
of the reformers depart widely from their example of humil-
ity, self-denial, and renunciation of the world. Thus "the
first simplicity disappears." A worldly flood, flowing into
the church, "carries with it its customs, practices, and idols."

Alas, to what a fearful extent is that friendship of the
world which is "enmity with God," now cherished among
the professed followers of Christ! How widely have the
popular churches throughout Christendom departed from
the Bible standard of humility, self-denial, simplicity, and
godliness! Said John Wesley, in speaking of the right use of
money: " Do not waste any part of so precious a talent, merely
in gratifying the desire of the eye, by superfluous and expen-
sive apparel, or by needless ornaments. Waste no part of it in
curiously adorning your houses; in superfluous or expensive
furniture; in costly pictures, i)ainting, gilding." "Lay out
nothing to gratify the pride of life, to gain the admiration
or praise of men." "*So long as thou doest well unto thy-
self, men will speak good of thco.' 80 long as thou art
'clothed in jmrple and fine linen, and farest sumptuously
every day,' no doubt iiiany will applaud thine elegance of

'Kobiusoii, ill Hiitory of Ikptisni. "Gavazzi's Lectures, p. 290.

38G

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

taste, thy generosity and liospitality. But do not buy their
applause so dear. Rather be content with the honor that
Cometh from God." But in many churclies of our time, such
teaching is disregarded.

A profession of religion has become popular with the
world. Rulers, politicians, lawyers, doctors, merchants, join
the church as a means of securing the respect and confidence
of .society, and advancing their own worldly interests. Thus
they seek to cover all their unrighteous transactions under
a profession of Christianity. Tlie various religious bodies,
re-enforced by the wealth and influence of these baptized
worldlings, make a still higher bid for popularity and patron-
age. Splendid churches, embellished in the most extrav-
agant manner, are erected on popular avenues. Tlio wor-
shipers array themselves in costly and fashionable attire. A
high salary is paid for a talented minister to entertain and
attract the people. His sermons must not touch popular
sins, but be made smooth and pleasing for fashionable ears.
Thus fashionable sinners are enrolled on the church-records,
and fashionable sins are concealed under a pretense of god-
liness.

Commenting on the present attitude of professed Chris-
tians tov^1rd the world, a leading secular journal says: "In-
sensibly the church has yielded to the spirit of the age, and
adapted its forms of worship to modern wants." "All things,
indeed, that help to make religion attractive, the church now
employs as its instruments." And a writer in the New York
Indqyendent speaks thus concerning Methodism as it is: "The
line of separation between the godly and the irreligious
fades out into a kind of penumbra, and zealous men on both
sides are toiling to obliterate all difference between their
modes of action and enjoyment." "The popularity of relig-
ion tends vastly to increase the number of those who would
secure its benefits without squarely meeting its duties."

Says Howard Crosby: "The church of God is to-day
courting the world. Its members are trying to bring it

t
,1 1

A WARNING REJECTED.

887

down to the level of the ungodly. The ball, the theater,
nude and lewd art, social luxuries with all their loose mo-
ralities, are making inroads into the sacred inclosure of the
church; and as a satisfaction for all this worldliness. Chris-
tians are making a great deal of Lent and Easter and church
ornamentation. It is the old trick of Satan. The Jewish
church struck on that rock; the Romish churcli was wrecked
on the same; an<l the Protestant is fast reaching the same
doom."

In this tide of woi'ldiincss and pleasure-seeking, .«elf-denial
and sell-sacrifice for Christ's sake are almost wholly lost.
"Some of the men and women now in active life in our
churches were educated, when children, to make sacrifices
in order to be able to give or to do something for Christ."
But "if funds are wanted now, . . . nobody must be
called on to give. Oh, no! have a fair, tableaux, a mock
trial, an antiquarian supper, or something to eat, anything
to amuse the people."

Governor Washburn, of Wisconsin, in his animal message
declared "that church fairs, charitable rattles, concert lotter-
ies for charitable and other purposes, prize packages, 'grab-
bags,' Sabbath-school and other religious chances by ticket,
are nurseries of crime, inasmuch as they promise something
for nothing, are games of chance, and are really gambling.
He says that the pernicious spirit of gambling is fostered,
encouraged, and kept alive by these agencies to a degree
little known by good citizens; and that, but for them, the
ordinary laws against gambling would be much less violated
and much more easily enforced. These practices, he de-
clares, ought not to be permitted any longer to debauch the
morals of the young."

The spirit of worldly conformity is invading the churches
throughout Christendom. Robert Atkins, in a sermon
preached in London, draws a dark picture of the spiritual
declension that prevails in England: "The truly righteous
are diminished from the earth, and no man layeth it to

heart. Tho professors of religion of the present day, in
every churcli, are lovers of the world, conformers to tho
world, lovers of creature-comfort, and aspirers after respect-
ability. Tliey are called to suffer with Christ, but they
shrink from even reproach. Apostasi/, apostasy, apostasy, is
engraven on the very front of every church; and did they
know it, ind did tliev feel it, there might be hope; but, alasl
*b'jv cry, 'Wo are rich, and increased in goods, and have
.1 cd "nothing."'

The ^r • ^t sin charged against Babylon is, that she "made
all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."
This cup of intoxication which she prewents to the world,
represents the false doctrines that she has accepted as the
result of her unlawful connection with tht great ones of the
eartli. Friendship with the world corrupts lier faith, and
in her turn she exerts a corrupting influence upon tho world
by teaching doctrines which are opposed to the plainest
statements of Holy Writ.

Rome withheld the Bible from the people, and required
all men to accept her teachings in its place. It was the
work of tho Reformation to restore to men the Word of God;
but is it not too true that in the churches of our time men
are taught to rest their faith upon their creed and the teacli-
ings of their churcli rather than on the Scriptures? Said
Charles Beecher, speaking of tho Protestant churches: "They
shrink from any rude word against creeds with the same
sensitiveness with which those holy fathers would have
shrunk from a rude word against the rising veneration for
saints and martyrs which they were fostering. , . . The
Protestant evangelical denominations have so tied up one
another's hands, and their own, that, between them all, a
man cannot become a preacher at all, anywhere, without ac-
cepting some book besides the Bible, . . . There is noth-
ing imaginary in the statement that the creed power is now
beginning to prohibit the Bible as really as Rome did,
though in a subtler wa}'."

A WARNING rejected:

889

When faithful teachers expound tlie Word of God, there
arise men of learning, ministers professing to understand the
Scriptures, who denounce sound doctrine as I eresy, and thus
turn away inquirers after truth. Were it not that the world
is hopelessly intoxicated with tlio wine of Bahylon, multi-
tudes would bo convicted and converted by the plain, cut-
ting truths of the Word of God. But religious faith appears
so confused and discordant, that the people know not what
to believe as truth. The sin of tlie world's impenitence lies
at the door of the church.

The second angel's iicsage of Revelation 14, was first
preached in the summer *' 1844, and it then had a more
direct application to tao cluirches of the United States, where
the warning of the Judgment had been most widely pro-
claimed and most generally rejected, and where the declen-
sion in the church had been most rapid. But the message
of the second angel did not reach its complete fulfillment in
1844. The churches then experienced a moral fall, in cnn-
se(iuence of their refusal of the light of the Advent message ;
but that fall was not complete. As they have continued to
reject the special truths for this time, they have fallen lower
and lower. Not yet, however, can it be said that " Babylon
is fallen, . . . because she made all nations drink of the
wine of the wrath of her fornication." She has not yet
made all nations do this. The spirit of world-conforming
and indifference to the testing trutlis for our time exists and
has been gaining ground in churches of the Protestant faith
in all the countries of Christendom; and these churches are
included in the solemn and terrible denunciation of the sec-
ond angel. But the work of apostasy has not yet reached
its culmination.

The Bible declares that before the coming of the Lord,
Satan will work " with all power and signs and lying wonders,
and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness;" and they
that "received not the love of the truth, that they might be
saved," will be left to receive "strong delusion, that they

should believe a lie.'" Not until this condition shuU bo
reached, and the union of the church with the world shall
be fully accomplished, throujjjhout Christendom, will the fall
of Babylon be complete. The change is a progressive one,
and the perfect fulfillment of Ki \'. 14; 8 is yet future.

Notwithstanding the spiritual darkness, and alienation
from God, that exist in the churches which constitute liabv-
Ion, the great body of Christ's true followers are still to bo
found in their communion. There are many of these who
have never seen the special truths for this time. Not a few
are dissatisfied with their i)resent condition, and are longing
for clearer light. They look in vain for the inuige of Christ
in the churches with which they are connected. As these
bodies depart farther and farther from the truth, and ally
themselves more closely with the world, the difference
between the two classes will widen, and it will finally result
in separation. The time will come when those who love God
supremely can no longer renuiin in connection with such as
are "lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a
form of godliness, but denying the i)ow('r thereof"

Revelation 18 points to the time when, as the result
of rejecting the threefold warning of Rev. 14:0-12, the
church will have fully reached the condition foretold by the
second angel, and the people of God, still in Babylon, will
be called upon to separate from her comnmnion. This
message is the last that will ever be given to the world ; and
it will accomplish its work. When those that "believed not
the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness,"^ shall be
left to receive strong delusion, and to believe a lie, then the
light of truth will shine upon all whose hearts are open to
receive it, and all the children of the Lord, that remain in
Babylon, will heed the call, " Come out of her, my people

»2The8S. 2:9-11. i<2The88. 2 : 12. » Rev. 18 : 4.

)) &

CHAPTER XXII.

PROPHECIES FULFIU.ED.

When the time passed at which the Lord's coming was
first expected, — in tiio spring of 1844, — tliose who liad
loolced in faith for liis appearing were for a season involved
in douht and uncertainty. Wliilo the world regarded them
as liaving been utterly defeated, and proved to liave been
cherishing a delusion, their source of consolation was still
the AVord of God. Many continued to search the Scriptures,
examining anew the evidences of their faith, and carefully
studying the prophecies to obtain further light. The Bible
testimony in support of their position seemed clear and con-
clusive. Signs which could not be mistaken pointed to the
coming of Christ as near. The special blessing of the Lord,
both in the conversion of sinners and the revival of spiritual
life among Christians, had testified that the message was of
Heaven. And though the believers could not ex})lain their
disappointment, they felt assured that God had led them in
their past experience.

Interwoven with prophecies which they had regarded as
applying to the time of the second advent, was instruction
specially adapted to their state of uncertainty and suspense,
and encouraging tlicni to v,'i\it patiently, in the faith that
what was now dark to their understanding would in due
time be made plain.

Among these prophecies was that of Hab. 2 : 1-4 : " I will
stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will
watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall
answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered me,
and said. Write the vision, and make it ])lain upon tables,

(391)

392

THE aniCAT CON'moVKHSY,

tliut Ijo may run tlmt r(;a(l('tli it. For Iho vision is yet for
an appointed tinu>, but at tiio end it sliall spoak, and not
lie: though it tarry, wait for it; henuiso it will surely eunie,
it will not tarry. IJehold, his soul which is lifted U[) is not
upright in him; lait tho just shall live by his faith."

As early as IS 12, tho direi'iion given in this ]>ropheey, to
"write tho vision, and make it plain upon tables, that ho
may run that readeth it," had suggested to Charles Fiteh
the prei)aration of a proijhetic chart to illustrate the visions
of Daniel and the Revelation. Tho publication of this
chart was regarded as a fultillment of the command given
by Ilabakkuk. No one, Jiowever, then noticed that an
apparent delay in the accomplishment of the vision — u
tarrying time — is j)resented in the same i)ropliecy. After
the disappointment, this scrijxturo appeared very signifi-
cant: "The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at
the end it shall s})eak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for
it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. . . .
The just shall live by hhfaHJi."

A portion of Ezekiel's prophecy also was a source of
strength and comfort to believers: "And the word of the
Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, what is that prov-
erb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, Tho days
are prolonged, and every vision faileth? Tell them there-
fore. Thus saith the Lord God: . . . The days are at
hand, and the effect of every vision. . . . I will speak, and
the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be
no more prolonged." "They of the house of Israel say, Tlie
vision that he secth is for many days to come, and he proph-
csietli of the times that are far off. Therefore say unto
them, Thus saith the Lord God: There shall none of my
words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have
spoken shall be done."'

The waiting ones rejoiced, believing that He who knows
the end from the beginning had looked down through the
ages, and, foreseeing their disappointment, had given them

' ^Eze, 12:21-25, 27, 28.

PltorilEClKS FIJL FIL L LI).

393

words of coura^o and liopc. Had it not boon for 8uch por-
tions of SL'rii)lui'c, adinonisliint^ llicni to wait with pationco,
and to liold fast tlicir conlidcncc^ in (Jod's Word, their faith
would havo failcfl in tliat trvint; hour.

Tlio paral)lo of tiio ten vir;j;ins of Ahitthcvv 2'), also illus-
trates tlio experience of the Adventist peoph;. \\\ Matthew
'24, in answer to the question of his <liseiples eoneerninj^ the
sij^n of his coming and of tho end of the world, Christ Jiad
})ointed out sonio of tho most important events in tho his-
tory of the world and of tho church from Ids first to liis
second advent; namely, tho destruction of Jerusalem, the
great tribulation of iho church under tlu^ pagan and i»apal
persecutions, tho darkening of tho sun and moon, and the
falHng of tho stars. After this lio spoko of his coming in
his kingdom, and related tho parable describing tho two
classes of servants who look for his ap[)earing. Chapter 25
opens with tho words, " 7'Arn shall tho kingdom of Heaven
bo likened unto ten virgins." Hero is brought to view tho
church living in the last days, the same that is pointed out
in tho close of cha[)ter 24. In this parable their experience
is illustrated l)y tho incidents of an Eastern marriage.

"Then shall tho kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten
virgins, which took their lami)s, and went fortii to moot tho
bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were
foolish. They that wore foolish took their lamps, and took
no oil with them; but tho wise took oil in their vessels with
their lamps. While tho bridegroom tarried, they all slum-
bered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made,
Behold, the bridegroom cometli; go yo out to meet him.'*

The coming of Christ, as announced l)y the first angel's
message, was understood to bo represented by tho coming of
the bridegroom. Tho widespread reformation under tho
proclamation of his soon coming, answered to tho going
forth of tho virgins. In this i)arable, as 't that of Matthew
24, two classes are represented. All hac ' 'ken their lamps,
the Bible, and by its light had gone forth to meet the

394

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

Bridegroom. But while "they that were foolish took their
lamps, and took no oil with them," "the wise took oil in
their vessels with their lamps." The latter class had re-
ceived the grace of God, the regenerating, enlightening
power of the Holy Spirit, which renders his Word a lamp
to the feet and a light to the path. In the fear of God they
had studied the ticriptures to learn the truth, and had ear-
nestly sought for purity of heart and life. These had a
personal experience, a faith in God and in his Word, which
could not be overthrown by disappointment and delay.
Others "took their lamps, and took no oil with them."
They had moved from impulse. Their fears had been
excited by the solemn message, but they had depended u|»on
the faith of their brethren, satisfied with the flickering light
of good emotions, without a thorough understanding of the
truth, or a genuine work of grace in the heart. These had
gone forth to meet the Lord, full of hope in the prospect of
immediate reward; but they were not prepared for delay
and disappointment. When trials came, their faith failed,,
and their lights burned dim.

"While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and
slept." By the tarrying of the bridegroom is represented
the passing of the time when the Lord was expected, the
disappointment, and the seeming delay. In this time of
uncertainty, the interest of the superficial and half-hearted
soon began to waver, and their efforts to relax; but those
whose faith was based on a personal knowledge of the Bible
had a rock beneath their feet, which the waves of disap-
pointment could not wash away. "They all slumbered and
slept;" one class in unconcern and abandonment of their
faith, the other class patiently waiting till clearer light
should be given. Yet in the night of trial the latter seemed
to lose, to some extent, their zeal and devotion. The half-
hearted and superficial could no longer lean upon the faith
of their brethren. Each must stand or Tall for himself!

i^.bout this time, fanaticism began to appear. Some who

PROPHECIES FULFILLED.

395

had professed to be zealous believers in tlio message, rejected
the "Word of God as the one infallible guide, and, claiming
to be led by the Spirit, gave themselves up to the control of
their own feelings, impressions, and imaginations. There
were some who manifested a blind and bigoted zeal, de-
nouncing all who would not sanction their course. Their
fanatical ideas and exercises met with no sympathy from
the great body of Adventists; yet they served to bring
reproach upon the cause of truth.

Satan was seeking by this means to oppose and destroy
the work of God. The people had been greatly stirred by
the Advent movement, thousands of sinners had been con-
verted, and faithful men were giving themselves to the work
of proclaiming the truth, even in the tarrying time. The
prince of evil was losing liis subjects; and in order to bring
reproach upon the cause of God, he souglit to deceive some
who professed the faith, and to drive them to extremes.
Then his agents stood ready to seize upon every error, every
failure, every unbecoming act, and hold it up before the
people in the most exaggerated light, to render Adventists
and their faith odious. Thus the greater the number whom
he could crowd in to make a profession of faith in the second
advent while his power controlled their hearts, the greater
advantage would he gain by calling attention to them as
representatives of "the whole body of believers.

Satan is "the accuser of the brethren," and it is his spirit
that inspires men to watch for the errors and tlefects of
the Lord's people, and to hold them up to notice, while their
good deeds are passed by without a mention. lie is always
active when God is at work for the salvation of souls. When
the sons of God come to present themselves before the Lord,
Satan comes also among them. In every revival he is ready
to bring in those who are unsanctified in heart and unbal-
anced in mind. When these have accepted some points of
truth, and gained a place with believers, he works through
them to introduce theories that will deceive the unwary.

Pf!

No man is proved to be a true Christian because he is found
in company with tlie children of God, even in the house of
worsliip and around the table of the Lord. Satan is fre-
quently there upon the most solemn occasions, in the form
of those whom ho can use as his agents.

The prince of evil contests every inch of ground over
which God's people advance in their journey toward the
heavenly city. In all the history of the church, no reforma-
tion has been carried forward without encountering serious
obstacles. Thus it was in Paul's day. Wherever the apostle
raised up a church, there were some who professed to receive
the faith, but who brought in lieresies, that, if received,
would eventually crowd out the love of the truth. Luther
also suffered great perplexity and distress from the course
of fanatical persons who claimed that God had spoken
directly through them, and who therefore set their own
ideas and opinions above the testimony of the Script-
ures. Many wlio were lacking in faith and experience, but
who had considerable self-sufficiency, and who loved to
hear and tell some new thing, were beguiled by the preten-
sions of the new teachers, and they joined the agents of
Satan in their work of tearing down what God had moved
Luther to build up. And the Wesleys, and others who
blessed the world by their influence and their faith, encoun-
tered at every step the wiles of Satan in pushing ovcrzeal-
ous, unbalanced, and unsanctified ones into fanaticism of
every grade.

William Miller had no sympathy with those influences
that led to fanaticism. IIo declared, with Luther, that
every spirit should be tested by the Word of God. "The
devil," said Miller, "has great power over the minds of some
at the present day. And how shall we know what manner of
spirit they are of? The Bible answers: 'By their fruits
ye shall know them.'" "There are many spirits gone out
into the world; and we are commanded to try the spirits.
The spirit that does not cause us to live soberly, righteously,

PROPHECIES FULFILLED.

391

and godly, in tliis present world, is not the S{)irit of Christ
I am more and more convinced that Satan has much to do
"1 these wild movements." "Many among us, wiio pre-
tend to be wholly sanctified, are following the traditions
of men, and apparently are as ignorant of truth as others
who make no such pretensions." "Tliosj)irit of error will
lead us from the trutli; and the Spirit of God will lead
us into truth. But, say you, a man may bo in error,
and think he has the truth. What then? Wo tinswcr. The
Spirit and Word agree. If a man judges himself by the
Word of God, and finds a perfect harmony through the
whole Word, then he must believe he has tlie truth; but if
he finds the spirit by wliich he is led does not harmonize
with the whole tenor of God's law or book, tlien let him
walk carefully, lest he bo caught in the snare of the devil."
"I have often obtained more evidence of inward piety from
a kindling eye, a wet cheek, and a choked utterance, than
from all the noise in Christendom."

In the days of the Reformation its enemies charged all
the evils of fanaticism upon the very ones who were labor-
ing most earnestly against it. A similar course was pursued
by the opposers of the Advent movement. And not con-
tent with misrepresenting and exaggerating the errors of
extremists and fanatics, they circulated unfavorable reports
that had not the slightest semblance of truth. Those per-
sons wore actuated by prejudice ai^' hatred. Their peace
was disturbed by the proclamation of Christ at the door.
They feared it might be true, yet hoped it was not, and tliis
was the secret of their warfiiro against Advent ists and their
faith.

Tlie fact that a few fanatics worked their way into the
ranks of Adventists i.3 no more a reason to decide that the
movement was not of God, than was the presence of fanat-
ics and deceivers in the church in Paul's or Luther's day
a sufficient excuse for condemning their work. Let the
people of God arouse out of .sleep, and begin in earnest the

m:. '

308

Till!: a HEAT CONTJiOV.:RSi\

wcrk of repentance and reformation, let them search the
Scriptures to learn tlio truth as it is in Jesus, let them make
an entire consecration to God, and evidence will not be
wanting that Satan is still active and vigilant. With all
possible decc[)tion he will manifost his power, calling to his
aid all the fallen angels of his realm.

It was not the j)roclamation of llie second advent ^nat
created fanaticism and division. Tlie.se a})i)earcd in the
summer of 1S44, when Advent ists were in a state of doubt
and perplexity concerning th(Mr real position. The preach-
ing of tlie first angel's message and of the "midniglit cry"
tended directly to repress fanaticism and dissension. Tliose
who participated in these solemn movements were in har-
mony; their hearts were filled with love for one another,
and for Jesus, whom tliey expected soon to see. Tlie one
faith, tlio one blessed hope, lifted tliem above the control of
any human influence, and proved a shield against the
assaults of Satan.

"While the bridegroom tarried, tlie>' all slumbered and
slept. And at midnight tliere was a cjy made, Behold, the
bridegroom cometli; go ye out to meet liiin. Then all those
virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps." ^ In the summer
of bS14, midway ^'''veen the time when it had been first
thouglit that the .■ .'Oi./ days would end, and the autumn of
the same vear, to which it was afterward found that thev
extended, tlie message was proclaimed, in tlie very words of
Scripture, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!"

That which led to this movement was tlie discovery that
the decree of Artaxerxes for the restoration of Jerusalem,
which formed the starting-point for the period of the 2300
days, went into effect in the autumn of the year ii. c. 457,
and not at the beginning of the year, as had been formerly
believed. Reckoning from the autumn of 457, the 2300
years terminate in the autumn of 1844.'^

Argiments drawn from the Old-Testament types also

^ Matt. 25 :5-7. ''See diagram, opposite p. 328^ also Appendix, Note 3.

PROPUKCIES FULFILLED.

399

pointed to tlie autumn as the time when tlio t^veni. lepre-
sented by tlie "cleansing of the sauctu;n\ " i.iu.st take
])hice. Tins was made very clear as atttMition Vv'as giv^n to
the manner in Avhicli the typos relating to the first advent
of Christ had been fulfdled.

The slaying of the passover lamb was a shadow of the
death of Christ. Says Paul, "Christ our passover is sacri-
ficed for us."^ The sheaf of first-fruits, which at the time of
the Passover was waved before the Lord, was typical of the
resurrection of Christ. Paul says, in speaking of the resur-
rection of the Lord, and of all his people, "Christ the first-
fruits; afterward thov that are Christ's at his comin2:.'"^
Like the wave-sheaf, which was the first ripe grain gathered
before the liarvest, Christ is the first-fruits of tliat immortal
liarvest of redeemed ones that at the future resurrection
shall be gathered into the garner of God.

These types Avere fulfilled, not only as to the event, but as
to the time. On the fourteenth day of tlie 'Irst Jevfish
month, the very day and month on which, for fifteen long
centuries, the passover lamb had been F^lain, Cluist, having
eaten the i:>assover with his disciples, i,' iii^uted that feast
which was to commemorate his own <) • m as "the Lamb of
God, which taketh awav the sin of tlu world." That same
night ho Avas taken by wicked liand::, to b*' crucified and
slain. And as the antitvpe of the wave-she;if, our Lord wa:^
raised from the dead ou the third da\,"the first-fruits of
thom that slept,"' a sain})le of all the rosurrectcd just, whose
"vile bodv" .shall bo chanwd, sdid "fashioned like unto his
glorious body."'*

In like manner, the types which relate to the second
advent must be fuUillod at the time pointed out in the
svmbolic service. Under the Mosaic svstem. the cleansing
of the sanctuary, or the great day of atonement, occurred on
the tenth day of the seventh Jewish month,* Avhen the higlj
priest, having made a i atonement for all Israel, and thus

2 1 Cor. 15 : 20.

' 1 Cor. 5 : 7.
*Phil. 3:21.

MCor. 15 :23.
'Lev. 10:29-34.

Mt<

400

THE GREAT CON TRO VERS V.

removed tlieir sins IVoin the sanctuary, cjime forth and
blessed the people. So it was believed that Christ, our
great High Priest, would appear to purify the earth by the
destruction of sin and sinners, and to bless his waiting peo-
ple with innnortality. The tenth day of the seventh months
the great day of atonement, the time of the cleansing of the
sanctuary, which in the year 1844 fell upon the 22d of
October, was regarded as the time of the Lord's coming.
This was in liarinony with the proofs already presented that
the 2o00 (hivs would terminate in the autumn, and the con-
elusion seemed irresistible.

In the parable of Matthew 25 the time of waiting and
slumber is followed by the coming of tiie bridegroom. This
was in accordance with the arguments just presented, both
from propluH'y and from the types. They carried strong
conviction of tlu^ir truthfulness; and the "midnight cry"^
was heralded by thousands of believers.

Like a tidal wave the movement swept over the land.
From city to city, irom village to village, and into remote
country places it went, until the waiting people of God were
fully aroused. Fanaticism disappeared before this procla-
mation, like early frost before the rising sun. Believers saw
their doubt and perplexity removed, and hope and courage
animated tlieir hearts. The work was free from those ex-
tremes which are ever manifested when there is human
excitement witbout the controlling influence of the Word
and Spirit of God. Jt was similar in character to those
seasons of humiliation and returning unto the Lord which
ijmong ancient Israel folio wiul -messages of reproof from his
s -rvants. It bore the characteristics that mark the work
of VTod in every age. There was little ecstatic joy, but rather
deep searching of heart, confession of sin, and forsaking of
the world. A })reparation to meet the Lord was the burden
of agonizing spirits. There was persevering prayer, and un-
reserved consecration to Crod.

Said Miller, in describing tliat work: "There is no great

PROrilEClES Ff 'L FIL L FIX

401

exprossi.on of joy; that is, sis it were, suppressed for a future
occasion, ■\vlien all Heaven and earth will rejoice together
with joy uiispeakal)le and full of glory. There is no shout-
ing; that, too, is reserved for the shout from Heaven. The
singers are silent; they are waiting to join the angelic hosts,
the choir from Heaven." "There is no clashing of senti-
ments; all are of one heart and of one mind." Another who
l)articipated in the movement testified: "It has produced
everywhere the most dee}) searching of heart and humilia-
ti)!! of soul, ... It caused a weaning of affections from
the things of this world, a healing of controversies and
animosities, a confession of wrongs, a hreaking down before
God, and i)enitent, broken-hearted su[)plications to him for
pardon and acceptance. It caused self-abasement and pros-
tration of soul, such as wo never before witnessed. As the
Lord commanded by the prophet Joel, when the great day
of God should be at hand, it produced a rending of hearts
iind not of garments, and a turning unto the Lord with
fasting, and weeping, and mourning. As God said by Zech-
ariah, a spirit of grace and of supplication was poured out
upon his children; they looked to Him whom they had
pierced, there was great mourning in the land, . . . and
those who were looking for the Lord afflicted their souls
before him."

Of all the great religious movements since the days of the
apostles, none have been more free from human imperfec-
tion and the wiles of Satan than was that of the autumn
of 1844. Even now, aft ; the lai)se of nearly lialf a century,
all who shared in that movement and who have stood firm
upon the platform of truth, still feel the holy influence of
that blessed work, and bear witness that it was of God.

At the call, "The Bridegroom- cometh; go ye out to meet
him," the waiting ones "arose and trimmed their lamps;"
they studied the Word of God with an intensity of interest
before unknown. Angels were sent from Heaven to arouse
those who had become discouraged, and prepare them to

402

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

receive the message. The work did not stand in the wis-
dom and learning of men, bnt in tlie power of CJod. It was
not tiio most talented, but the most humble and devoted,
who were the first to hear and obey the call. Farmers left
their crops standing in the fields, mechanics laid down their
tools, and with tears and rc\joicing went out to give the
warning. Those who had formerly led in the cause were
among the last to join in this movement. The churches in
general closed their doors against this message, and a large
company of those who received it withdrew from their con-
nection. In the providence of God, this })roclamation united
with the second angel's message, and gave power to that
work.

The message, " Behold, the Bridegroom cometh ! " was not
80 much a matter of argument, though the Scripture proof
was clear and conclusive. There went with it an impelling
power that moved the soul. There was no doubt, no ques-
tioning. Upon the occasion of Christ's triumphal entry into
Jerusalem, the people who were assembled from all parts of
the land to keep the feast, flocked to the Mount of Olives,.
and as they joined the throng that were escorting Jesus»
they caught the inspiration of the hour and helped to swell
the shout, "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the
Lord!"^ In like manner did unbelievers who flocked to
the Adventist meetings — some from curiosity, some merely
to ridicule — feel the convincing power attending the mes-
sage, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!"

At that time there was faith that brought answers to
prayer, — faith that had respect to the recompense of reward.
Like showers of rain upon the thirsty earth, the Spirit of
grace descended upon the earnest seekers. Those who ex-
pected soon to stand face to face with their Redeemer felt a
solemn joy that was unutterable. The softening, subduing
power of the Holy Spirit melted the heart, as his blessing
was bestowed in rich measure upon the faithful, believing
ones.

1 Matt. 21 : 9.

PROPHECIES FULFILLED.

403

Carefully and solemnly those who reeeived the message
camo up to the time when they hoped to meet their Loril.
Every morning they felt that it was their first duty to secure
the evidence of their acceptance with (Jod. Their liearts
were closelv united, and thev T)raved much with and for
one another. Tluy often met together in secluded places to
comnunie with (iod, and the voice of intercession ascended
to Heaven from the fields and groves. The assurance of the
Saviour's ap})roval was mon^ necessary to them than their
daily food, and if a cloud darkened their minds, they did
not rest nnlil it was swept away. As they felt the witness
of pardoning grace, they longed to hehold Ilim whom their
souls loved.

But again they were destined to disappointment. The
time of expectation passed, and their Saviour did not appear.
With miwavering confidence they had looked forward to his
coming, and now they felt as did Mary, when, coming to
the Saviour's tomb and finding it empty, she exclaimed with
weeping, " They have taken away my Lord, and I know
not where they have laid him.'"

A feeling of awe, a fear that the message might be true,
had for a time served as a restraint upon the unbelieving
world. After the passing of the time, this did not at once
disappear; at first they dared not triumph over the disaj)-
j)ointed ones; but as no tokens of God's wrath were seen,
they recovered from their fears, and resumed their reproach
and ridicule. A large class who had professed to believe in
the Lord's soon coming, renounced their faith. Some who
had been very confident were so deeply wounded in their
pride that they felt like fleeing from the world. Like Jonah,
they complained of God, and chose death rather than life.
Those Avho had based their faith n})onthe opinions of others,
and not upon the Word of God,' were now as ready again to
change their views. The scoffers won the weak and cow-
ardly to their ranks, and all these united in declaring that
there could be no more fears or expectations now. The

' John 20 : 13.

404

THE am: AT controvkrsy.

tiino liad passecl, tlie Lord had not come, and tlio world
niij;lit HMiiain Iho same for tliou.sands of years.

'I'lio cariH'st, sincero believers had giv<'n up all for Christ,
and had shared his })reseneo as never before. Tiiey had, as
Ihey believed, given their last warning to the world, and,
oxjieeting soon to bo reeeived into the society of their divine
Master and the heavenly angels, they liad, to a great extent,
witbdrawn from tbe society of those who <lid not receive tho
message. AN'itb intense desire they had jirayed, "Come,
Lord Je.sus, and come (juickly." Jiut ho had not come. And
now to take nj) again tiie heavy burden of life's cares and
perplexities, and to endure tho taunts and sneers of a scoii-
ing world, was a terriblo trial of faith and patience.

Yi't this disapi)ointment was not so great as was that
exj»erienccd by tho disciples at the time of Christ's first
advent. When Jesus rodo triumphantly into Jerusalem,
his followers believed that he was about to ascend the throne
of David, and deliver Lsrael from her oppressors. With
high ho})es and joyful anticipations they vied with one
another in showing honor to their King. Many spread
their outer garments as a carpet in his path, or strewed
before him tho leafy branches of the palm. In their enthu-
siastic joy they united in the glad acclaini, " Ilosanna to the
Son of David ! " When the Pharijc.'^«. disturbed and angered
by this outburst of rejoicing, wished Jesus to rebuke liis dis-
ciples, he replied, "If these should hold their peace, the
stones would innnediately cry out." ' Prophecy must be
fulfdled. The disciples were accomplishing the purpose of
CJod; yet they were doomed to a bitter disa})pointnient. But
a few days had passed ere they witnessed the Saviour's
agonizing death, and laid him in the tomb. Their expecta-
tions had not been realized in a single particular, and their
hopes died with Jesus. Not till their Lord had come forth
triumphant from the grave could they perceive that all had
been foretold by prophecy, and "that Christ must needs
have suffered, and risen again from the dead." ^

•Luke 19:40.

a Acts 17 :3.

PROrilKCIES FI'LFILLKD.

405

Five liundrocl years before, the Lord Imd deelarcd l)y tlio
propliet Zecluiriali, " Rejoico ^n'eatly, O daui^litcr of Zion;
sliout, () dau^diter of Jeriisaleiu. IJeiioM, tliy Kinjjj cometh
unto tliee. lie is just, and liaving salvation; l<»\vly, and
ri<lin^ ui)on an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."'
Had the disciples realized that Christ was ^^oin^ to jud^Muent
and to death, they could not liavo fullilled this pro[)hecy.

In like manner, Miller and his associates fuKillcd j»roph-
ecy, and gave a message which inspiration had foretold
should bo given to tho world, hut which they could not
have given liad they fully understood the ])ropliccies jioint-
ing out the'r disap|)ointment, and presenting another mes-
sage to be i)reached to all nations before tho Lord should
come. Tho first and second angels' messages were given
at tho right time, and accomplished the work which (Jod
designed to accomplish by them,

Tho world had been looking on, ex];)ecting that if tho
time passed and Christ did not appear, th(> whole system of
Advontism would bo given up. l>ut while many, under
strong temptation, yielded their faith, iliero were some who
stood firm. The fruits of the Advent movement, tho spirit
of Immility and beart-searching, of renouncing of tho world,
and reformation of life, whicb had attended the work, testi-
fied that it was of Gotl. They dared not deny that tho
power of the Holy Si)irit bad witnessed to tho preaching of
tlie second advent, and they could detect no error in their
reckoning of the prophetic periods. The ablest of their
opponents bad not succeeded in overthrowing their system
of prophetic interpretation. They could not consent, witli-
out Bible evidence, to renounce positions whicb bad been
readied tbrougb earnest, prayerful study of the Scriptures,
by minds enligbtcned by the Spirit of God, and hearts
burning with its living power; positions whicb bad witb-
stood the most searching criticisms and the most bitter
opposition of popular religious teachers and worldly-wise
men, and which had stood firm against the combined forces

iZech. 9:9.

^> \r ^.

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

I.I

■u Uii 12.2

g 1^ 12.0

|l.25 1 U 1 ,.6

^^.

^;j

z;;^

Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

33 WiST MAIN STRIET

WEBSTER, N.Y. US80

(716) S72-4S03

406

ttijJ great controversy.

of learning and eloquence, and the taunts and revilings
alike of the lionorable and the base.

True, there had been a failure as to the expected event,
but even this could not shako their faith in the Word of
(Jod. When Jonah proclaimed in the streets of Nineveh
that within forty days the city would be overthrown, the
liOrd accepted the humiliation of the Ninevites, and extended
their period of probation; yet the message of Jonah was
sent of God, and Nineveh was tested according to his will.
Advcntists believed that in like manner God had led them
to give the warning of the Judgment. "It has," they de-
clared, "tested the hearts of all who heard it, and awakened
a love for the Lord's appearing; or it has called forth a
hatred, more or less perceivable, but known to God, of his
coming. It has drawn a line, so that those who will examine
their own hearts, may know on which side of it they would
have been found, had the Lord then come; whether they
would have exclaimed, 'Lo! this is our God, we have waited
for him, and he will save us;' or whether they would have
called for rocks and mountains to fall on them to hide them
from the face of Ilim that sitteth on the throne, and from
the wrath of the Lamb. God thus, as we believe, has tested
his people, has tried their faith, has proved them, and seen
whether they would shrink, in the nour of trial, from the
position in which he might see fit to place them; and
whether they would relinquish this world and rely with
implicit confidence in the work of God."

The feelings of those who still believed that God had led
them in their past exjierionce, are expressed in the words of
William Miller: "Were I to live my life over again, with
the same evidence that I then had, to be honest with God
and men I should have to do as I have done." "I hope I
liave cleansed my garments from the blood of souls; I feel
that, as far as possible, I have freed myself from all guilt in
their condemnation." "Although I have been twice disap-
pointed," wrote this man of God, " I am not yet cast down or

PR OPIIECIES FUL FILLED.

407

discouraged." " My hope in the coming of Christ is as strong
as ever. I liave done only what, after years of sober con-
sideration, I felt it my solemn duty to do. If I have erred,
it has been on the side of charity, the love of my fellow-man,
and my conviction of duty to God." " One thing I do know,
I have preached nothing but what I believed; and God's
hand has been with me, his jMnver has been manifested in
the work, and much good has been elfectcd." "Many thou-
sands, to all human appearance, have been made to study
the Scriptures by the preaching of the time; and by that
means, through faith and the sprinkling of the blood of
Clirist, have been reconciled to God." " I have never courted
the smiles of the proud, nor quailed when the world frowned.
I shall not now purchase their favor, nor shall I go beyond
duty to tempt their hate. I shall never seek my life at their
hands, nor shrink, I hope, from losing it, if God in his good
providence so order.j."

God did not forsake his people; his Spirit still abode with
those who did not rashly deny the light which they had
received, and denounce the Advent movement. In the
Epistle to the Hebrews are words of encouragement and
warning for the tried, waiting ones at this crisis: "Cast not
away therefore your confidence, which hath great recom-
pense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after
ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come,
and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; but if
any man drawback, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but
of them that believe to the saving of the soul.'"

That this admonition is addressed to the church in the
last days is evident from the words pointing to the nearness
of the Lord's coming: "For yet a little while, and He that
shall come will come, and will not tarry." And it is plainly
implied that there would be a seeming delay, and that the
Lord would appear to tarry. The instruction here given is

> Ueb. 10 : 35-39.

408

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

especially adapted to the experience of Adventists at this
time. The people hcie addressed Avere in danger of making
shipwreck of faith. They had done the will of God in fol-
lowing the guidance of his Spirit and his AVord; yet they
could not understand his purpose in their past experience,
nor could they discern the pathway hcfore them, and they
were tempted to doubt whethor Clod had indeed been lead-
ing them. At tliis time tlie words were applicable, "Xow
the just shall live by faith." As the l)right light of the
"midnight cry" had slione upon their pathway, and they
had seen the prophecies unsealed, and the rapidly fulfilling
signs telling that the coming of Christ was near, they had
walked, as it were, by siglit. But now, bowed down by disap-
pointed hopes, they could stand only by faith in God and
in his Word. The scoffing world were saying, "You have
been deceived. Give up your faith, and say that the Advent
movement was of Satan." But God's Word declared, "If
any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in
him." To renounce their faith now, and deny the power of
the Holy Spirit which had attended the message, would be
drawing back toward perdition. They were encouraged to
steadfastness by the words of Paul, "Cast not away there-
fore your confidence;" "ye have need of patience;" "for yet
a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will
not tarry." Their only safe course was to cherish the light
which they had already received of God, hold fast to his
promises, and continue to searcli the Scriptures, and patiently
wait and watch to receive further liglit.

CHAPTER XXIII.

WHAT IS THE SANCTUARY?

The scripture which above all others had been both the
foundation and central ])illar of the Advent faith was tlie
declaration, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days;
then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."^ These had been
familiar words to all believers in the Lord's soon cf)ming.
By the lips of thousands was this prophecy repeated as the
watchword of their faith. All felt that upon the events
therein foretold depended their brightest expectations and
most cherished hopes. These prophetic days had been
shown to terminate in the autumn of 1844. In common
with the rest of the Christian world, Adventists then hold
that the earth, or some portion of it, was the sanctuary.
They understood that the cleansing of the sanctuary was the
purification of the earth by the fires of the last great day,
and that this would take place at the second advent. Ilonco
the conclusion that Christ would return to the earth in 1844.

But the appointed time had passed, and tlie Lord had not
appeared. The believers knew that God's Word could not
fail; their interpretation of the prophecy must be at fault;
but where was the mistake? Many rashly cut the knot of
difficulty by denying that the 2300 days ended in 1844.
No reason could be given for this, except that Clirist luid
not come at the time they expected him. They argued that
if the prophetic days had ended in 1844, Christ would then
have returned to cleanse the sanctuary by the purification of
the earth by fire; and that since he had not come, the days
could not have ended.

To accept this conclusion was to renounce the former

'Dan. 8:14.

(409)

410

TUB GREAT CONTROVJSRSY.

reckoning of the prophetic periods. The 2300 days had
been found to begin when the commandment of Artaxerxes
for the restoration and building of Jerusalem went into
effect, in the autumn of B. c. 457. Taking this as the
starting-point, there was perfect harmony in the application
of all the events foretold in the explanation of that period
in Dan 9 : 25-27. Sixty-nine weeks, the first 483 of the 2300
years, were to reach to the Messiah, the Anointed One; and
Christ's baptism and anointing by the Holy Spirit, a. d. 27,
exactly fulfilled the specification. In the midst of the sev-
entieth week, Messiah was to be cut off. Three and a half
years after his baptism, Christ was crucified, in the spring of
A. D. 31. The seventy weeks, or 490 years, were to pertain
especially to the Jews. At the expiration of this period, the
nation sealed its rejection of Christ by the persecution of his
disciples, and the apostles turned to the Gentiles, a. d. 34.
The first 490 years of the 2300 having then ended, 1810
years would remain. From a. d. 34, 1810 years extend to
1844. "Then," said the angel, "shall the sanctuary be
cleansed." All the preceding specifications of the prophecy
liad been unquestionably fulfilled at the time appointed.
AVith this reckoning, all was clear und harmonious, except
that it was not seen that any event answering to the cleans-
ing of ibe sanctuary had taken place in 1844. To deny that
the days ended at that time was to involve the whole ques-
tion in confusion, and to renounce positions which had been
established by unmistakable fulfillments of prophecy.

But God had led his people in the great Advent move-
ment; his power and glory had attended the work, and he
would not permit it to end in darkness and disappointment,
to be reproached as a false and fanatical excitement. He
would not leave his word involved in doubt and uncer-
tainty. Though many abandoned their former reckoning
of the prophetic periods, and denied the correctness of the
movement based thereon, others were unwilling to renounce
points of faith and experience that were sustained by the

WHAT IS THE SANCTUARY?

411

Scriptures and by the witness of the Spirit of God. They
believed that they liad adopted sound principles of interpre-
tation in their study of the prophecies, and that it was their
duty to hold fast the truths already gained, and to continue
the same course of Biblical research. With earnest prayer
they reviewed their })osition, and studied the Scriptures to
discover their mistake. As they could see no error in their
reckoning of the prophetic periods, they were led to examine
more closely the subject of the sanctuary.'

In their investigation they learned that there is no
Scripture evidence sustaining the pojjular view that the
earth is the sanctuary; but they found in the Bible a full
explanation of the subject of the sanctuary, its nature, loca-
tion, and services; the testimony of the sacred writers being
so clear and am})lo as to place the matter beyond all ques-
tion. The apostle Paul, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, says:
"Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of
divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a
tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and
the table, and the show-bread; which is called the sanctuary.
And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the
holiest of all, which had the golden censer, and the ark of
the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was
the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that bud-
ded, and the tables of the covenant; and over it the cheru-
bim of glory shadowing the mercy-seat." *

The sanctuary to which Paul here refers was the taber-
nacle built by Moses at the command of God, as the earthly
dwelling-place of the Most High. " Let their, make me a
sanctuary, that I may dwell among them,"' was the direc-
tion given to Moses while in the mount with God. The
Israelites were journeying through the wilderness, and the
tabernacle was so constructed that it could be removed from
place to place; yet it was a structure of great magnificence.
Its walls consisted of upright boards heavily plated "with

» See Appendix, Note 6. » Heb. 9:1-5. » Ex. 25 : 8.

412

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

gold, and set in sockets of silver, while the roof was formed
of a series of curtains, or coverings, the outer of skins,
the innermost of fine linen beautifully wrought with figures
of cherubim. Besides the outer court, which contained the
altar of burnt-oflering, the tabernacle itself consisted of two
ai)artments called the holy and the most holy place, sepa-
rated by a rich and beautiful curtain, or veil; a similar veil
closed the entrance to the first ai)artment.

In the holy place was the candlestick, on the south, with
its seven lamps gi"* ing li/^ht to the sanctuary both by day
uiid by night; on ctio north stood the tablr of show-bread;
and before the veil separating the holy from the most holy
was the golden altar of incense, from which the cloud of
fragrance, with the prayers of Israel, was daily ascending
before God,

In the most holy place stood the ark, a chest of precious
wood overlaid with gold, the depository of the two tables of
stone upon which God had inscribed tiie law of ten com-
mandments. Above the ark, and forming the cover to the
sacred chest, was the mercy-seat, a magnificent piece of
workmanship, surmounted by two cherubim, one at each
end, and all wrought of solid gold. In this apartment the
divine presence was manifested in the cloud of glory between
the cherubim.

After the settlement of the Hebrews in Canaan, the tab^T-
nacle was replaced by the temple of Solomon, which, though
a permanent structure and upon a larger scale, observed
the same proportions, and was similarly furnished. In this
form the sanctuary existed — except while it lay in ruins in
Daniel's time — until its destruction by the Romans, a. d. 70.

This is the only sanctuary that ever existed on the earth,
of which the Bible gives any information. This was declared
by Paul to be the sanctuary of the first covenant. But has
the new covenant no sanctuary?

Turning again to Ihe book of Hebrews, the seekers for
truth found that the existence of a second, or new-cove-

WHAT JS THE SANCTUARY?

413

-h

lis-
in

luint sanctuary was implied in tlio words of Paul already
<|Uoted: "Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances
of divine service, and a Avorldlv sanctuarv." And the use
of the word aho intimates that Paul has hefor'- made men-
tion of this sanctt'.'H'v. Turning hack to the heginningof
the previous chapter thcv read: "Now of the things which
wo have spoken this is the .•ium: We have such an high
l)riest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the
Majesty ii) the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of
the true taoernade, whicli the J.ord pitchecl, and not man.'"

Here is revealed the sanctuary of the new covenant.
Thj sancauiry of the first ^.i.venant was pilciied hy man,
built by Moses; this is pitched by the Lord, not by man.
In that sanctuary the earthly priests j)erfjrnied their service;
iji this, Christ, our great high i)rief-t, ministers at God's right
hand. One sanctuary was on earth, the other is in Heaven.

Further, the tabernacle built by Moses was made after a
pattern. The Lord directed him, "According to all that I
show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pat-
tern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall yo make
it.'" And again the charge was given, "Look that thou
make them after then i^attern, which was showed theo in the
mount.'" And Paul savs, that the first tabernacle "was a
figure for the time then present, in which were offered both
gifts and sacrifices;" that its holy places were "patterns of
things in the heavens;" that the priests who offered gifts
according to the law, served, "unto the example and shadow
of heavenly things," and that "Christ is not entered into
the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of
the true, but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the pres-
ence of God for us."'

The sanctuarv in Heaven, in which Jesus ministers in
our behalf, is the great original, of which the sanctuary
built by Moses was a copy. God })laced his Spirit upon the
builders of the earthly sanctuary. The artistic skill dis-

» Heb. 8:1,2. » Ex. 25 : 9, 40. » Heb. 9 : 9, 23 ; 8 : 5 ; 9 : 24.

414

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

pluycd in its con.structioii wjih a inanifestiition of divine
wisdom. Till) walls had tlio appoaranco of niassivo gold,
reflecting in every direction tlio light of the seven lamps
of the golden canillestiek. The tuhh; of show-l)rea<l and the
altar of incense glittered like hurnished gold. Tlu^ gor-
geous curtain which formed the ceiling, inwrought with
figures of angels in hlue and puri)lo and siiarlet, a<ldod to
tho beauty of the scene. And beyond the second veil was
the holy shekinah, tho visible manifestation of God's glory,
before which non(i but the high priest could enter and live.
Tho matchless splendor of tho earthly tabernacle refK;cted
to human vision tho glories of that heavenly temple where
Christ our forerunner ministers for us before tho throne of
God. The abiding-jdace of tho King of kings, where thou-
sand thousands minister unto him, and ten thousand times
ten thousand stand before him;' that temple, filled with
the glory of the eternal throne, where seraphim, its shining
guardians, veil their faces in adoration, cotdd find, in the
most nuignificent structure ever reared by human hands,
but a faint reflection of its vastness and glory. Yet impor-
tant truths concerning tho heavenly sanctuary and the
great work there carried forward for man's redemption,
were taught by tho earthly sanctuary and its services.

The holy placets of tho sanctuary in Heaven are represented
by the two apartments in the sanctuary on earth. As in
vision the apostle John was granted a view of tho temple of
God in Heaven, he beheld there "!:even lamps of fire burn-
ing before the throne,"" He saw an angel " having a golden
censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that
he should offer it with tho j)rayers of all saints upon the
golden altar which was before the throne.'"' Here the
prophet was permitted to behold the first apartment of the
sanctuary in Heaven; and he saw there the "seven lamps
of fire" and the "golden altar" represented by the golden
candlestick and the altar of incense in the sanctuary on

> Dan. 7:10. "Rev. 4:6. => Rev. 8 : 3.

^-^-A

WfTAT rs THE f^ANCTUARYf

415

earth. Again, "tho toniplo of Ciod was oponed,'" and ho
looked within tlio inner veil, upon the holy of holies. Hero
ho beheld " tho ark of His testament, " represented by tlu^
sacred chest constructed bv Moses to contain ti>o law of (Jod.

Thus those who wen; studying tho subject found indisput-
able proof of tliu existence of a sanctuary in Heaven. Moses
niado tho earthly sanctuary after a pattern which was
shown him. Paul declares that that pattern was tho* truo
sanctuary which is in Heaven. And John testilies that ho
saw it in Heaven.

In tho temple in Heavisn, tho dwelling-placo of God, his
throne is established in righteousness and judgment. In
the most holy place is his law, tho groat rule of right by
which.pU mankind are tested. Tho aj-k that enshrines the
tables of tho law is covered with the mercy-seat, before
which Christ pleads his blood in tho sinner's behalf. Thus
is represented tho union of justice and mercy in tho plan of
human redemption. This union infinite wisdom alone
could devise, and infinite power accomplish; it is a union
that fills all Heaven with wonder and adoration. The
cherubim of tho earthly sanctuary, looking reverently down
upon the mercy-seat, represent the interest with which the
heavenly host contemplate tho work of redemption. This
is the mystery of mercy into which angels desire to look, —
that God can be just while lie justifies the repenting sinner,
and renews his intercourse with the fallen race; that Christ
could stoop to raise unnumbered multitudes from the abyss
of ruin, and clothe them with the spotless garments of his
own righteousness, to unite with angels wlio have never
fallen, and to dwell forever in the presence of God.

The work of Christ as man's intercessor is presented in
that beautiful prophecy of Zechariah concerning liim "whose
name is The Branch." Says the prophet: "He shall build
the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and
shall sit and rule upon his [the Father's] throne; and he

•Rev. 11:19.

416

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

fihnll bo n priost upon his throno; and the counwl of peace
slmll 1k) In'twivn tliem lM)th." '

"IIo sliall build tlio teniplo of tlio TiOrd." By bis sacrifice
and niediution, C'bri.st is both the foundation and tliu builder
of tho t'burt'h of Clod. Tlio apostle Paul points to him as
"tho chief corner-stone; in whuin all tho building fitly
framed together groweth unto u holy templo in tho Lord;
in ^vhom yo also," ho says, "are budded together for u hab-
itation of God through tho Si)irit."'

"And ho shall bear the glory." To Christ belongs the
glory of redcmi)tion for the fallen race. Through tho eter-
nal ages, tho song of tho ransomed ones will be, "Unto Ilim
that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
. . . to him 1)0 glory and dominion forever and ever."'

IIo "shall sit and rule upon his throne; and ho shall bo a
priest upon his throne." Not now "upon tho throno of his
glory;" tho kingdom of glory has not yet been ushered in.
Not until his work as a mediator shall bo ended, will God
"give unto him tho throno of his father David," a kingdom
of which "there shall bo no end."* Asa priest, Christ is
now set down with tho Father in his throne.' Upon the
throno with the eternal, self-existent One, is ho who "hath
borno our griefs, and carried our sorrows," who " was in all
points tempted like as we are, yet without sin," that he might
be " able to succor them that are tempted." " If any man sin,
we have an Advocate with the Father."* His intercession
is that of a pierced and broken body, of a spotless life. The
wounded hands, the pierced side, tho marred feet, plead for
fallen man, whose redemption was purchased at such infinite
cost.

"And the counsel of peace shall be between them both."
The love of the Father, no less than of the Son, is the fount-
ain of salvation for tho lost race. Said Jesus to his disciples,
before he went away, "I say not unto you, that I will pray

» Zech. 6 : 13. « Eph. 2 : 20-22. ' Rev. 1 : 5, 6. * Lxike 1 : 32, 33.
s Rev. 3:21. 6 Isa. 53 : 4; Heb. 4 : 15; 2 : 18; 1 John 2 : 1.

WHAT JS THE SANCTrMiYf

417

tljo Futlicr for you; for tlio Father liiiiisclf loveth you."'
(lod was "in Christ, reconciling the world unto hiniseltV"
And in the ministration in the sanctuary nhove, "the counsel
of peace shall h(» between tliein hoth," "(iod so loird the
world, that \\v ^ave his (»nly hej^'otten Son, that wh(»soever
helieveth in him should not perish, hut have everlasting
lile.">

The (|i'estion. What is the sanctuary? is clearly an-
swered in the Scriptures. The term sanctuary, as used in
tho Hiltle, n>t'ers, first, to tho tahernacle built i)y Mo.se.s, a.s
a pattern of heavenly things; "ind, secondly, to tho "truo
tahernacle" in Heaven, to which tho earthly sanctuary
jiointed. At the death of Chri.st tho tvj)ical servico ende^l.
The "true tabornaclo" in Heaven is tho sanctuary of tho
lu'w covenant. And us tho prophecy of Dan. 8:14 is ful-
filled in this disiu'U.sation, tho sanctuary to which it refers
nnist bo tho sanctuary of the new covenant. At tho termi-
nation of tho 2300 days, in 1814, there had been no sanct-
uary on earth for many centuries. Thus tho propliecy,
"Unto two thousand three hundred davs; then shall tho
sanctuary bo cloansod," un<iuestionubly points to the sanct-
uary in Heaven.

But the most important question remains to be answered:
What is the cleansing of the sanctuary? That there was
such a service in connection with the earthly sanctuary, is
stated in the Old-Testament Scriptures. But can there bo
anything in Heaven to be cleansed? In Hebrews 9 tho
cleansing of both the earthly and the heavenly sanctuary is
plainly taught. "Almo.st all tnings are by the law purged
with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the
heavens should be purified with these [the blood of animals];
but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices
than these,"* even tho precious blood of Christ.

The cleansing, both in the typical and in the real service,

1 John IG : 26, 27. ^ 2 Cor. 5 : 19. 'John 3 : 16. « Heb. 9 : 22, 23.

418

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

must be accomplished with blood ; in the former, with the
blood of animals; in the latt^.T, with the blood of Christ.
Paul states, as the reason why this cleansing must be per-
formed with blood, that without shedding of blood is no
remissloi}. Remission, or putting away of sin, is the work
to be accomplished. But how could there be sin connected
with the sanctuary, either in Heaven or upon the earth?
This may be learned by reference to the symbolic service;
for the priests who officiated on earth, served " unto the
example and shadow of heavenly things." '

The ministration of the earthly sanctuary consisted of
two divisions; the priee+s ministered daily in the holy place,
while once a year the high priest performed a special work
of atonement in the most holy, for the cleansing of the
sanctuary. Day by day the repentant sinner brought his
offering to the door of the tabernacle, and placing his hand
upon the victim's head, confessed his sins, thus in figure
transferring them from himself to the innocent saciifice.
The animal was then slain. "Without shedding of blood,"
says the apostle, there is no remission of sin. " The life of the
flesh is in the blood." '■' The broken law of God demanded the
life of the transgressor. The blood, representing the forfeited
life of the sinner, whose guilt the victim bore, was carried
by the priest into the holy place and sprinkled before the
veil, behind which was the ark containing the law that the
sinner had transgressed. By this ceremony the sin was,
through the blood, transferred in figure to the sanctuary.
In some cases the blood was not taken into the holy
place ; but the flesh was then to be eaten by the priest, as
Moses directed the sons of Aaron, saying, " God hath given
it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation."^ Both
ceremonies alike symbolized the transfer of the sin from
the penitent to the sanctuary.

Such was the work that went on, day by day, throughout
the year. The sins of Israel were thus transferred to the

1 Heb. 8:5. » Lev. 17 : 11. SLev. 10 : 17.

WHAT IS THE SANCTUARY?

419

m
th

sanctui , and a special work became necessary for their
removu). God commanded that an atonement be made for
each of the sacred apartments. " He shall make an atone-
ment for tlie holy place, because of the uncleanncss of the
children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all
their sins; and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the con-
gregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their
uncleanness." * An atonement was also to be made for the
altar, to "cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of
the children of Israel." '

Once a year, on the great day of atonement, the priest
entered the mc^st holy place for the cleansing of the sanct-
uary. The work there performed completed the yearly
round of ministration. On the day of atonement, two kids
of the goats were brought to the door of the tabernacle,
and lots were cast upon them, " one lot for the Lord, and
the other lot for the scape-goat."* The goat upon which
fell the lot for the Lord was to be slain as a sin-offering
for the people. And tlie priest was to bring his blood
within the veil, and sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat, and
before the mercy-seat. The blood was also to be sprinkled
upon the altar of incense, that was before the veil.

"And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of
the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the
children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their
sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall
send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilder-
ness; and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities
unto a land not inhabited." " The scape-goat came no more
into the camp of Israel, and the man who led him away
was required to wash himself and his clothing with water
before returning to the camp.

The whole ceremony was designed to impress the Israelites
with the holiness of God and his abhorrence of sin; and,
further, to show them that they could not come in contact

' Lev. 16 : 16, 19. , " Lev. 16 : 8, 21, 22.

420

THE GREAT COXTROVERSV.

witli sin without becoming polluted. Every man was re-
(juired to afflict liis soul while this work ot" atonement was
going forward. All luisiness was to he laul asich', and the
whole congregation of Israel were to spend the day in solemn
humiliation before God, with prayer, fasting, and deep
searcliing of heart.

Important truths concerning the atonement are taught by
the typical service. A substitute was accepted in the sinner's
stead; but the sin was not canceled ])y the blood of the
victim. A means was thus provided by winch it was trans-
ferred to the sanctuary. By the offering of blood, tlie sinner
acknowledged the authority of the law, confessed his guilt
in transgression, and expressed his desu'e for pardon through
faitli in a Iledeemer to come; but he was not vet entirelv
released from the condenniation of the law. On tlie day of
atonement the high priest, having taken an offering from
the congregation, went into the most holy place with the
blood of this offering, and s[)rinkled it upon the mercy-seat>
directly over tlie law, to make satisfaction for its claims.
Then, in his character of mediator, he took the sins upon
himself, and bore them from the sanctuary. Placing his
hands ui)on the head of the scape-goat, he confessed over
him all these sins, thus in figure transferring tliem from
himself to the goat. The goat then bore them away, and
they were regarded as forever sei)arated from the people.

Such was the service performed "unto the example and
shadow of heavenly things." And what was done in type
in the ministration of the earthly sanctuary, is done in reality
in the ministration of the heavenly sanctuary. After his
ascension, our Saviour began his work as our high priest.
Says Paul, "Christ is not entered into the holy places made-
with hands, which are tlie figures of the true; but into
Heaven itself, now to a[)i)ear in the presence of God for us."*

The ministration of the priest throughout tlie year in the
first apartment of the sanctuary, "within tlie veil" which
formed the door and separated the holy place from the outer

>Heb. 9:24.

fopyriKhted 1H80.

ON THE DAY OF ATONKMENT,

WHAT IS THE SANCTUARY f

421

court, represents the ^vork of ministration upon which Christ
entered at his ascension. It was tlio work of the priest in
the daily ministration to present heforo God the blood of
the sin-offering, also the incense which ascended with tho
prayers of Israel. So did Christ plead his hlood before tho
Father in behalf of sinners, and present before him also,
with tho precious fragrance of his own righteousness, tho
prayers of penitent believers. Such was the work of minis-
tration in the first apartment of the sanctuary in Heaven.

Thither the faith of Christ's disciples followed him as he
ascended from their sight. Here their hopes centered,
"which hope wo have," said Paul, "as an anchor of the soul,
both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within
the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus,
made an high priest forever." "Neither by the blood of
goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once
into tlie holy place, having obtained eternal redemption
for us.'"

For eighteen centuries this work of ministration con-
tinued in the first apartment of the sanctuary. The blood
of Christ, pleaded in behalf of penitent believers, secured
their pardon and acceptance with the Father, yet their sins
still remained upon the books of record. As in the typical
service there was a work of atonement at the close of the
year, so before Christ's work for the redemption of men is
completed, there is a work of atonement for the removal of
sin from the sanctuary. This is the service which began
when the 2300 days ended. At that time, as foretold by
Daniel the prophet, our High Priest entered the most holy,
to perform the last division of his solemn w^ork, — to cleanse
the sanctuary.

As anciently the sins of the people were by faith placed
upon the sin-offering, and through its blood transferred, in
figure, to the earthly sanctuary, so in the new covenant the
sins of the repentant are by faith placed upon Christ, and
transferred, in fact, to the heavenly sanctuary. And as the

^Heb. 6 : 19, 20; 9 : 12.

422

THE GREAT COXTROVERSY.

tyi)ical cleansing of tlio curthly was accomj)lislu'(l !>v tlio
removal of the wins by which it had hocn polluted, so the
actual cleansing of the heavenly is to 1)0 acconn)lished by
the reniovsfl, or blotting out, of the sins which are there
recorded. But, belbre this can be accomplished, there must
l>e an examination of the books of record to determiiie v,'ho,
through repentance of sin, and faith in Christ, are entitled
to the benefits of liis atonement. The cleansing of the
sanctuary therefore involves a work of investigation, — a
work of judgment. This work must be i)erlbrmed prior to
the coming of Christ to redeem his people; for when lie
<*omes, ids reward is with him to give to every man accord-
ing to his works. '

Thus those wbo followed in th(^ light of the prophetic
word saw, that, instead of coming to the earth at the ter-
mination of the 2300 davs in 1844, Christ then entered
the most holy place of the in^avenly sanctuary, to perform
tlie closing work of atonement, preparatory to liis coming.

It was seen, also, that while the sin-ofTering pointed to
Christ as a sacrifice, and the high priest represented Christ
as a mediator, the scape-goat typified Satan, the author of sin,
upon whom the sins of the truly penitent will finnlly be
placed. When the high priest, by virtue of the blood of
the sin-offering, removed the sins from the sanctuary, he
placed them upon the scape-goat. When Christ, by virtue
of his own blood, removes the sins of his people from the
lieavenly sanctuary at the close of his ministration, he will
place them upon Satan, who, in the execution of the judg-
ment, must bear the final penalty. The scape-gout was
sent away into a land not inhabited, never to come again
into the congregation of Israel. So will Satan be forever
banished from the presence of God and his people, and ho
will be blotted from existence mi the final destruction of sin
and sinners.

1 liev. 22 : 12.

CHAPTER XXIV.

IN run HOLY OK IIOLIICS.

TiiK subject of the sanctuaiy was tlie key wliich nnlockod
tlio mystery of tlio (li.sappoiiitnient of LS44. It opened to
view a complete system of trutli, eonneeted and liarnionious,
showing that God's hand had directed tlie great Advent
movement, and reveaHng present duty as it brought to liglit
the position and work of Ins i)eo]»le. As the diseipk^s of
Jesus, after the terrible night of their anguish and disap-
pointment, were "glad wlien tliey saw the Lord," so did
those now rejoice who liad looked in faith for Ins second
coming. Tliey had expected liim to appear in glory to give
reward to his servants. As their hopes were disappointed,
they had lost siglit of Jesus, and witli Mary at the sepulcher
they cried, "They have taken away my Ijord, and I know not
where they have laid him." Now in the holy of holies they
again beheld him, their compassionate high priest, soon to
appear as their king and deliverer. Light from the sanctu-
ary illumed the past, the present, and the future. They
knew that God had led them by his unerring providence.
Though like the first disciples they themselves had failed to
understand the message which they bore, yet it had been in
every respect correct. In proclaiming it they had fulfilled
the purpose of God, and their labor had not been in vain
in the Lord. "Begotten again unto a lively liope," they
rejoiced "with joy unspeakable and full of glory."

Both the prophecy of Dan. 8:14, " Unto two thousand and
three hundred davs; then shall the .sanctuarv be cleansed,"
and the first angel's message, "Fear God, and give glory to
him; for the hour of his Judgment is come," pointed to

(423)

S24

THE GREAT CONTROVKTiSY.

Christ's ministration in the most holy place, to the investi-
gative Tudgnient, and not to the coming of Christ for the
redemption of his people and the destruction of the wicked.
The mistake ha«l not been in the reckoning of the prophetic
periods, but in the cvmt to take place at the end of the 2300
days. Through this error the believers had suflPered dis-
appointment, yet all that was foretold by the prophecy, pvi I
all that thoy had any Scripture warrant to expect, had b.-t-n
accomplished. At the very time when they were lament-
ing the failure of their hopes, tlie event had taken place
which was foretold by the message, and which must be
fulfilled before the Lord could appea • io give reward to hia
servants.

Christ had come, not to the earth, as they expected, but,
as foreshadowed in the type, to the most holy place of the
temple of God in Heaven. He is represented by the prophet
Daniel as coming at this time to the Ancient of days: "I
saw in the night visions, and, beholdj one like the Son of
man came with the clouds of heaven, and came" — not to
the earth, but — "to the Ancient of days, and they brought
him near before him." *

This coming is foretold also by the prophet Malachi:
"The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his tem-
ple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight
in: behold, he shall come, saith th Lord ot hosts."" The
coming of the Lord to his temple v;as sudden, unexpected,
to his people. They were not looking for him there. They
expected him to come to earth, "in flaming fire taking
vengeance on them that know not God, and that ob^^y not
the gospel." '

But the people were not yet ready to meet their Lord.
There was still a work of preparation to be accomplished
for them. Light was to be given, directing their minds to
the temple of God in Heaven; and as they should by faitl.
follow their High Priest in his ministration there, new duties

^Dan. 7:13. >Mal. 3:1. 32The8S. 1:8.

IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES.

42ft

would be revealed. Another message of warning and in-
struction was to be given to the church.

Says the prophet: " Who may abide the day of hi.s coining?
and who shall stand when ho appeareth? for lie is liivc
ij, refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap; and he sliall sit as a
refiner and purifier of silver; and ho shall purify tho sons
of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may
offer unto tho Lord an offering in righteousness.'" Those
who are living upon tho earth wlien tho intercession of
Christ nhall cease in the sanctuary above, are to stand in the
sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must
be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by
the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and
their own diligent effort, they must bo conquerors in the
battle with evil. While tho investigative Judgment is going
forward in Heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are
being removed from the sanctuary, there is to bo a special
work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God's
people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in
the messages of Revelation 14,

When this work shall have been accomplished, the fol-
lowers of Christ will bo ready for his appearing. "Then
sliall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be phuisant unto
the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.""
Then the church which our Lord at his coming is to receive
to himself will be "a glorious church, not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing."' Then she will look forth "as
the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible
as an army with banners." *

Besides the coming of tho Lord to his temple, Malachi
also foretells his second advent, his coming for the execution
of the judgment, in these words: "And I will come near to
you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the
sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false
swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his

» Mai. 3 : 2, 3. » Mai. 3:4. ^ Eph. 6 :27. * Cant. 6 . 10.

42(i

77//; GRKAT CoyTnoVKIiSV.

Mages, till' widow, and tlio fatlu'ili'ss, and that tuni asido
the stranger iVoiii his rigiit, and ft-ar n«)t nio, saith the; Lord
of liosts."' Jud( . to the same srcne wlicn lio says,

*' lU'hold, the Lor<. (.-incth with ten tiiousainls of liis sjiints,
to execute! judgment upon all, and to convinee all that are
inigodly among them of all their ungodly deeds.'" This
coming, and the coming of the Lord to his temi)le, are dis-
tinct and separate events.

The coming of Clirist as our high j)riest to the most lioly
phico, for tlio cleansing of tlie sanctuary, lirouglit to view in
])ini. .S:l I; the coming of tlie Son of man to the Ancient of
days, as presented in Dan. 7:lo; nnd the coming of the Lord
to Ids temple, foretold hy Malachi, are d(»scriptions of the
same event; and this is also represented hy the coming of
the bridegroom to the marriage, described by Christ in the
parable of the ivn virgins, of Aratthew 2.").

In the summer nnd autunni of bS44, the j)roclamation^
"Behold, tiio Bridegroom cometh," wa.s given. The two
classes represented by the wise and foolish virgins were
then developed, — one class who looked with joy to the
Lord's appearing, and who had been diligently preparing
to meet him; another class that, influenced by fear, and
acting from impulse, liad been satisfied with a theory of the
truth, but were destitute of the grace of God. In the par-
able, when tlio bridegroom came, " they that were ready went
in with him to the marriage." The coming of the bride-
groom, here brought to view, takes place before the mar-
riage. The marriage represents the reception by Christ of
liis kingdom. The holy city, the New Jerusalem, which is
the capital and representative of the kingdom, is called "the
bride, the Lamb's wife." Said the angel to John, " Come
hither, I will pIiow thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." " He
carried me away in the spirit," says the prophet, " and
showed mo that great cit}', the holy Jerusalem, descending
out of Heaven from God."* Clearly, then, the bride repre-

» Mai. 3:5. » Jude 14, 15, » Rev. 21 : 9, 10.

IN riiK nuLY OF jjouh's.

4L'7

Kcnts till' holy city, and thovir^iiis (Imt p) out to iiu'ft tlio
bridegroom are a symbol of tlio cburcii. in tiu* JJcvelatioii
the people of (lod are said to bo the giieMts at the marriap*
Hiipper. ' If (picxts, tliey cannot bo rei>resenl((l also as tbo
hriilc. Christ, as stated by the jirophet Daniel, will re-
ceive from the Ancient of days in Jleaven, "tlominion, and
^lory, and a kinj^dom," bo will receive tlio New Jerusalem,
the cai)ital of his kinjijdom, " prepared as a brido adorned
for her husband. "' Jbivin;^ received the kin^nlom, he will
come in liN ^lory, as Kinj; of kin;^s, and l.t)rd of lords, for
the redemption of his people, who aro to "sit down with
Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob," at his table in his king-
dom,' to jtartako of tiio marriage supper of the Land).

The i»roclamation, " Behold, tbo liridej;;rooni comcth," in
tbo summer of 1844, led thou.sands to expect tbo immeiliato
advent of tbo Lord. At tbo a[)[)ointed timo tbo Bridegroom
came, not to tbo earth, a.s tlio j)eoplo expected, but to the
Ancient of days in Heaven, to the nuirriage, the reception of
bis kingdom. "They that were ready went in with him to
the marriage, and the door > s shut." They were not to be
present in person at the marriage; for it takes place in
Heaven, while they aro U})()n tbo earth. The followers of
Christ are to "wait for their Lord, when lie will return Jrom
tbo wedding."* But they aro to understand his work, and
to follow him by faith as be goes in before God. It is in
this sense that they aro said to go in to the marriage.

In tbo parable it was those that had oil in their vessels
with their 1 imps that went in to the marriage. Those who,
with a knowledge of the truth from the Scriptures, had also
the Spirit and grace of God, and who, in the niglit of their
bitter trial, had patiently waited, searching the Bible for
clearer light, — these saw the truth concerning the sanctuary
in Heaven and the Saviour's change of ministration, and
by faith they followed him in his work in the sanctuary

» Rev. 19 : 9.

*Matt. 8: 11; Luke 22:30.

^ Dan. 7:14; Rev. 21 : 2.
* Luke 12 : 36.

428

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

almve. And all who through thu testimony of the Script-
urt's uocrpt tiio sanio truths, following Christ hy faith as he
ontrrs in before (lod to luTforni the last work of nuMliation,
and at its close to rciceive his kingdom, — uU these are repro-
Hent('(l as going in to the marriage.

\\\ the parable of Matthew "I'l the same figure of the
marriage is introduc»'d, ami the investigative Jutlgment is
clearly n.'presentcid as taking plaee before the marriage.
I'revious to the wedding the king eoines in to see the guests,'
— to see if all ure attin-d in the wedding garment, the spot-
less robe of character washed and nuide white in the blood
of the Lamb." lie who is found wanting is cast out, but
all who upon examination are seen to have the wedding
garment on, are accepted of CJod, and accounted worthy of a
share in his kingdom and a seat upon his throne. This
work of examination of character, of determining who are
l)repared for the kingdom of God, is that of the investigative
Judgment, the closing work in the sanctuary above.

When the work of investigation shall be ended, when the
ca.ses of those who in all ages have professed to be followers
of Christ have been examined and decided, then, and not
till then, probation will close, and the door of mercy will be
shut. Thus in the one short sentence, "They that were
ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was
shut," we are carried down thr<Migh the Saviour's final
ministration, to the time when the great work for man's
salvation shall be completed.

In the service of the earthly sanctuary, which, as we have
seen, is a figure of the service in the heavenly, when the
high priest on the day of atonement entered the most holy
place, the ministration in the first apartment ceased. God
commanded, " There shall be no man in the tabernacle of
the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement
in the holy place, until he come out." ' So when Christ
•entered the holy of holies to perform the closing work of

> Matt. 22 :11.

» Rev. 7 : 14.

8 Lev. 16 : 17.

JN THE HOLY OF HOLIES.

429

the

Dwers

not

Ibe

were

was

final

have
the
holy
God
?\q of
sment
'hrist
rk of

the atoncitKMit, he ceased liis niiiHstratioii in the first apart-
ment. But wh(;ii the ministration in tho first apartment
ended, the ministration in the Hecond apartmmt hepm.
When in the tyi)ieal Hcrviee the hi^h |»rit'st left tlie lioly on
the day of atonement, he went in l^'fore (lod to i>res»>nt the
blood of tlie sin-oflerin^ in belialfof all Israel who truly
repcntecl of their sins. So ('hrist had only comphited one
part of his work as our intercessor, to enter upon another
portion of the work, and he still pleaded his blood before
the Father in behalf of sinners.

This subject was not understood by Adventists in 1844.
After the passing of the time when the Saviour was expected,
they still believed liis coming to be near; they held that
they lia<l rea<rhed an important crisis, an<l that the work of
Christ us man's intercessor before Ciod, had ceased. It ap-
I)eared to them to bo taught in the Bible, tliat num's proba-
tion would close a sliort time before the actual coming of
tho Lord in tho clouds of heaven. This seemed evident
from those scriptures which point to a time when men
will seek, knock, and cry at the door of mercy, and it will
not be opened. And it was a question with them whether
the date to which they had looked for the coming of Christ
might not rather mark tho beginning of this period which
was to immediately precede his coming. Having given the
warning of the Judgment near, they felt that their work for
the world was done, and they lost their burden of soul for
the salvation of sinners, while tho bold and blasphemous
scoffing of the ungodly seemed to them another evidence
that the Spirit of God had been withdrawn from the reject-
ors of his mercy. All this confirmed them in tho belief
that probation had ended, or, as they then expressed it, "the
door of mercy was shut." '

But clearer light came with the investigation of tho sanct-
uary question. They now saw that they were correct in
believing that the end of the 2300 days in 1844 marked an

^ See Appendix, Note 7.

430

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

iiiiportaiit crisis. But while it was true that that door of
hope and mercy hy which men had for eigliteen luindred
years found access to God was closed, another door was
opened, aiwl forgiveness of sins was offered to men through
the intercession of Christ in the most holy. One ])art of his
ministration had closed, only to give place to another.
There was still an "open door" to the heavenly sanctuary
■where Christ was ministering in the sinner's behalf

Now was seen the apj)lication of those words of Christ in
the Ilevelation, addressed to the church at this very time:
"These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that
hath the key of David, he that openetli, and no man shutteth ;
and shutteth, and no man openeth: I know thy works; be-
hold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can
shut it."'

It is those wdio by faith follow Jesus in the great work of
the atonement, who receive the benefits of his mediation in
their behalf; while those who reject the light which brings
to view this w'ork of ministration, are not benefited thereby.
The Jews who rejected the light given at Christ's first
advent, and refused to believe on him as the Saviour of tlie
world, could not receive pardon through him. Wlien Jesus
at his ascension entered by his own blood into the heavenly
sanctuary to shed upon his disciples the blessings of his
mediation, the Jews were left in total darkness, to continue
their useless sacrifices and offerings. The ministration of
types and shadows had ceased. That door by which men
liad formerly found access to God, was no longer open. The
Jews had refused to seek him in the only way whereby he
could then be found, through the ministration in the sanct-
uary in Heaven. Therefore they found no communion
with God. To them the door was shut. They had no
knowledge of Christ as the true sacrifice and the only medi-
ator before God; hence thev could not receive the benefits
of his mediation.

The condition of the unbelieving Jews illustrates the con-

1 Kev. 3 : 7, 8.

7.V TJII^ HOLY OF HOLIES.

431

diti on of tlio careless and unbelieving among professed Chris-
tians, who arc willingly ignorant of the work of our merci-
ful High Priest. In the typical service, when the high
priest entered the most holy place, all Israel were required
to gather aloout the sanctuary, and in the most solemn man-
ner humble their souls before God, that they might receive
the pardon of their sins, and not be cut off from the con-
gregation. IIow much more essential in this antitypical
day of atonement that we understand the work of our High
Priest, and know what duties are r('(|uired of us.

Men cannot with impunity reject the warnings which
God in mercy sends them. A message was sent from
Heaven to the world in Noah's dav, and their salvation
depended upon the manner in which they treated that mes-
sage. Because they rejected the warning, the Spirit of God
was withdrawn from the sinful race, and they perished in
the waters of the flood. In the time of Abraham, mercy
ceased to plead with the guilty iidiabitants of Sodom, and all
but Lot with his wife and two daughters were consumed by
the fire sent down from heaven. So in the days of Christ.
The Son of God declared to the unbelieving Jews of that
generation, "Your house is left unto you desolate.'" Look-
ing down to the last days, the same infinite power declares,
concerning those who "received not the love of the truth,
that they might be saved," "For this cause God shall send
them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that
they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but
had pleasure in unrighteousness."^ As they reject the
teachings of his Word, God withdraws his Spirit, and leaves
them to the deceptions which they love.

But Christ still intercedes in man's behalf, and light will
be given to those who seek it. Though this was not at first
understood by Adventists, it was afterward made plain, as
the scriptures which define their true position began to open
before them.

»Matt. 23 : 38. •'2 Thess. 2 : 10-12.

432

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

The passing of the time in 1844 was followed by a period
of great trial to those who still held the Advent faith.
Their only relief, so far as ascertaining their true position
was concerned, was the light which directed their minds to
the sanctuary above. Some renounced their faith in their
former reckoning of the prophetic periods, and ascribed to
human or Satanic agencies the powerful influence of the
Holy Spirit which had attended the Advent movement.
Another class firmly held that the Lord had led them in
their past experience; and as they waited and watched and
prayed to know the will of God, they saw that their great
High Priest had entered upon another work of ministration,
and, following him by faith, they were led to see also the
closing work of the church. They had a clearer under-
standing of the first and second angels' messages, and were
prepared to receive and give to the world the solemn warn-
ing of the third angel of Revelation 14.

CHAPTER XXV.

GOD'vS LAW IMMUTABLE.

"The temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there
was seen in his temple the ark of iiis testament."^ Tiie ark
of God's testament is in the holy of holies, tlie second apart-
ment of the sanctuary. In the ministration of tiio earthly
tabernacle, which served "unto the example and shadow of
heavenly things," this apartment was opened only upon the
great day of atonement, for the cleansing of the sanctuary.
Therefore the announcement that the temple of God was
opened in Iliiivcn, and the ark of his testament was seen,
points to the oi)ening of the most holy place of the heavenly
sanctuary, in 1844, as Christ entered there to perform the
closing work of the atonement. Those who by faith followed
their great High Priest, as he entered upon his ministry in
the most holy place, beheld the ark of his testament. As
they had studied the subject of the sanctuary, they had
come to understand the Saviour's change of ministration,
and they saw that he was now officiating before the ark of
God, pleading his blood in behalf of sinners.

The ark in the tabernacle on earth contained the two
tables of stone, upon which were inscribed the precepts of
the law of God. The ark was merely a receptacle for the
tables of the law, and the presence of these <^ vine precepts
gave to it its value and sacredness. When the temple of God
was opened in Heaven, the ark of his testament was seen.
Within the holv of holies, in the sanctuarv in Heaven, the
divine law is sacredly enshrined, — the law that was spoken
by God himself amid the thunders of Sinai, and written
with his own finger on the tables of stone.

»Rev. 11; 19.

(433)

!^'

n .

434

THE GREAT COJ^TROVERSY.

Tlie law of God in the sanctuary in Heaven is the great
original, of which the precepts inscribed upon the tables of
stone, and recorded by Moses in the Pentateuch, were an
unerring transcript. Those who arrived at an understand-
ing of this important point, were thus led to see the sacred,
unchanging character of tlie divine law. They saw, as
never before, tlio force of the Saviour's words, " Till heaven
and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass
from tlie law.'" The law of God, being a revelation of his
will, a transcript of his character, must forever endure, "as a
faithful witness in Heaven." Not one command has been
annulled; not a jot or tittle has been changed. Says the
])salmist : "Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in Heaven."
"All his commandments are sure. They stand fast forever
and evcM-.""^

In the very bosom of the decalogue is the fourth com-
mandment, as it was first proclaimed: "Remember the Sab-
bath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do
all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the
Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor
thy son, nor thy daughter, tliy man-servant, nor thy maid-
servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy
gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the
sea, and all that in tliem is, and rested the seventh day;
wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath dav, and hallowed
it."'

The Spirit of God impressed the hearts of those students
of his Word. The conviction was urged upon them, that
they had ignorantly transgressed this precept by disregard-
ing the Creator's rest-day. They began to examine the rea-
sons for observing the first day of the week instead of the
day which God had sanctified. They could find no evi-
dence in the Scriptures that the fourth commandment had
been abolished, or that the Sabbath had been changed; the
blessing which first hallowed the seventh day had never

»Matt.5:18. "Pg, no ;89 ; ill :7, 8. ^Ex. 20:8-11.

i !

GOD'S LA W IMMUTABLE.

435

been removed. They had been lionestly seeking to know
and to do God's will; now, as they saw themselves trans-
gressors of his law, sorrow filled their hearts, and they
manifested their loyalty to God by keeping his Sabbath
holy.

Many and earnest wen^ the elibrts made to overthrow their
faith. None eould fail to sec? that if the earthly sanetuary
was a figure or i)attern of the heavenly, the law deposited
in the ark on earth was an exact transcript of the law in
the ark in J heaven; and that an acceptance of the truth
concerning tiio heavenly sanctuary involved an acknowl-
edgment of the claims of God's law, and the obligation of the
Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Hero was the secret
of the bitter and determined opposition to th harmonious
exposition of the Scriptures that revealed the ministration of
Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. Men sought to close the
door which God had opened, and to open the door which he
had closed. But "He that opencth, and no man sliuttcth;
and shutteth, and no man openeth," had declared, "Behold,
I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut
it."' Christ had opened the door, or ministration, of the
most holy place, light was shining from that open door of
the sanctuary in Heaven, and the fourth commandment was
shown to be included in the law which is there enshrined;
what God had established, no man could overthrow.

Those who had accepted the light concerning the media-
tion of Christ and the perpetuity of the law of God, found
that tliese were tlie truths i)resented in Revelation 14. Tho
messages of this chapter constitute a threefold warning,^
which is to prepare the inhabitants of the earth for tho
Lord's second coming. The announcement, **Tho hour of
his Judgment is come," points to tho closing work of
Christ's ministration for the salvation of men. It heralds
a truth which must be i)roclaimed until the Saviour's in-
tercession shall cease, and he shall return to the earth to

» Rev. 3 : 7, 8. "See Appendix, Note 8.

436

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

take his people to himself. The work of judgment which
began in 1844, must continue until the cases of all are
decided, both of the living and the dead ; hence it will extend
to the close of human ])robation. That men may be pre-
pared to stand in the Judgment, the message commands
them to "fear God, and give glory to him," "and worship
him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the
fountains of waters." Tlie result of an acceptance of these
messages is given in the words, "Here are they that keep
the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." In
order to be prepared for the Judgment, it is necessary that
men should keep the law of God. That law will be the
standard of character in the Judgment. The apostle Paul
declares, "As many as have sinned in the law shall be
judged by the law; ... in the day when God shall judge
the secrets of men by Jesus Christ." And he says that " the
doers of the law shall be justified."' Faith is essential in
order to the keeping of the law of God; for "without faith
it is impossible to please him." And "whatsoever is not of
faith is sin." '"'

By the first angel, men are called upon to "fear God, and
give glory to him," and to worship him as the Creator of
the heavens and the earth. In order to do this, they must
obey his law. Says the wise man, "Fear God, and keep his
commandments; for this is the whole duty of man."^ With-
out obedience to his commandments, no worship can be
pleasing to God. " This is the love of God, that we keep
his commandments." "He that turncth away his ear from
hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." *

The duty to worship God is based upon the fact that he is
the Creator, and that to him all other beings owe their exist-
ence. And wherever, in the Bible, his claim to reverence
and worship, above the gods of the heathen, is presented,
there is cited the evidence of liis creative power. " All the

iRom. 2:12-10.
SEccl. 12:13.

2Heb. 11:6; Rom. 14:23.
♦lJohn5:3; Prov. 28:9.

1 h
i ■

GOD'S LAW IMMUTABLE.

437

gods of the nations are idols; but tiie Lord made the
heavens.'" "To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I
be equal ? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high,
and behold who hath created these things." "Thus saith
the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that
formed the earth and made it; ... I am Jehovah;
and there is none else."* Says the psalmist, "Know ye that
Jehovah, he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we
ourselves." "O come, let us worship and bow down, let us
kneel before the Lord our Maker."* And the holy beings
who worship God in Heaven state, as tiie reason why their
homage is due to him, "Thou art wortliy, O Lord, to receive
glory and honor and power; for thou hast created all
things." *

In Revelation 14, men are called upon to worship the Cre-
ator, and the prophecy brings to view a class that, as the result
of the threefold message, are ke( Ming the commandments of
God. One of these commandments points directly to God as
the Creator. The fourth precept declares: "The seventh
day is the Sabbatli of the Lord thy God. . . . For in
six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all
that in them is, and rested the seventh day ; wherefore the
Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." * Concern-
ing the Sabbath, the Lord says, further, that it is "a sign,
. . . that ye may know that I am the Lord your God." '
And the reason given is, " For in six days the Lord made
heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and
was refreshed." '

" The importance of the Sabbath as the memorial of cre-
ation is that it keeps ever present the true reason wliy
worship is due to God," because he is the Creator, and we his
creatures. " The Sabbath therefore lies at the very founda-
tion of divine worship; for it teaches this great truth in the
most impressive manner, and no other institution does this.

1 Ps. 96 : 5.
*Rev. 4:11.
»Ex. 31:17.

"Isa. 40:25, 26; 45:18.
5Ex.20:10, 11.

"Ps. 100:3; 95:6.
•Eze. 20:20.

438

THE GREAT COXTliOVEJiSY.

Tho true ground of divine worsliip, not of that on tlie
seventh day merely, but of all Avorshi)), is found in tho
distinction between the Creator and his creatures. This
great fact can never become obsolde, and nnist nev(>r bo
forgotten." It was to keep this truth ever before tho minds
of men, that God instituted the Sabbath in Kden ; and so
long as tho fact that ho is our Creator continu(>s to b(> a
reason why we should worship him, so long the Sabbath will
continue as its sign and memorial. Had tho Sabbath been
universally kept, man's thoughts and affections would have
been led to the Creator as the object of reverence and wor-
ship, and there would never have been an idolater, an
atheist, or an infidel. Tho keeping of the Sabbath is a sign
of loyalty to the true God, " him that made heaven and
earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." It follows
that the message which commands men to worship God
and keep his commandments, will especially call upon
them to keep tho fourth commandment.

In contrast to those who keep the commandments of
God and have the faith of Jesus, tho third angel points
to another class, against whose errors a solemn and
fearful warning is uttered : " If any man worship the beast
and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in
his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of
God." * A correct interpretation of the symbols employed is
necessary to an understanding of this message. What is rep-
resented by the beast, the image, the mark ?

The line of prophecy in which these symbols are found,
begins with lievelation 12, with the dragon that sought to de-
stroy Christ at his birth. The dragon is said to be Satan ; "^ he
it was that moved upon Herod to put the Saviour to death.
But the chief agent of Satan in making war upon Christ and
his people during the first centuries of the Christian era, was
the Roman Empire, in which paganism was the prevailing
religion. Thus wdiile the dragon, primarily, represents Satan,
it is, in a secondary sense, a symbol of pagan Rome.

iRev. 14:9, 10.

» Rev. 12 : 9.

GOD'S L/W IMMUTABLE.

439-

In cliaptor 13' is described unotlicr beast, "liko unto a
leopard," to wbich tlio dni<;on gave " bis power, and liis seat,
and great autliority." Tbis symbol, as most Protestants
have believed, represents tlio papacy, wbicb succeeded to
tbe power and scat and autbority once possessed by tlio
ancient Roman Empire. Of tbo leopard-like beast it is
declared: " Tbero was given unto bini a moutb speaking
great tilings and blaspbemies. . . . And be oiiened bis
moutb in blaspbcmy against God, to blaspbemo bis name,
and bis tabernacle, and tbem tbat dwell in Heaven. And
it was given unto bim to make war witb tbo saints, and to
overcome tbem; and power was given bim overall kindreds,
and tongues, and nations." Tbis i)ropbecy, wbicb is nearly
identical with tbo description of tbe little born of Daniel 7,
unquestionably points to tbe papacy.

"Power was given unto him to continue forty and two
months." And, says the prophet, "I saw one of bis beads as
it were wounded to death." And again, "IIo that leadeth
into captivity shall go into captivity; ho tha' killeth with the
sword must be killed with the sword." Tbo forty and two
months are the same as the "time and times and tbo divid-
ing of time," three years and a half, or 12G0 days, of Daniel
7, — the time during wbicb the papal power was to oppress
God's people. This period, as stated in preceding chapters,
began with the establishment of the papacy, A. d. 538, and
terminated in 1708. At tbat time, when tbo papacy was
abolished and the pope made captive by the French army,
the papal power received its deadly wound, and the predic-
tion was fulfilled, " lie that leadeth into captivity shall go
into captivity "

At this point another symbol is introduced. Says the
prophet, " I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth ;
and he had two horns like a lamb."'^ Both the appearance
of this beast and the manner of its rise indicate that the
nation which it represents is unlike those presented under

'Verses 1-10. » Rev. 13:11.

440

rniJ GRKAT coNTiiovicnsy.

the preceding .symbols. Tlio gr(;ut kingdoms that huvo
ruled tiio world woro presonted to tho prophet Daniel as
heasts of jjrey, rising whi;n the "four winds of the lieuven
strove upon the great .sea.'" In llevc^lation 17, an angel
explained that waters represent "peoples, and multitudes,
and nations, and tongues."' Winds are a .symbol of .strife.
Tho four winds of heaven striving upon the grt^it s;'a, repre-
sent tho terrible .scenes of cont^uest and nn'olution by which
kingdoms have attained to power.

But tho beast with lamb-liko liorns was seen "coming up
out of tho earth." Instead of overthrowing other powers to
establish itself, tho nation thus re[)re.sented must arise in
territory previously unoccupied, and grow up gradually and
peacefully. It could not, then, ariso among tho crowded
and struggling nationalities of tho Old World, — that turbu-
lent sea of "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and
tongues." It must bo sought in the Western Continent.

What nation of tho New World was in 1798 rising into
power, giving promise of strength and greatnes.s, and attract-
ing tho attention of tho world? The application of the
symbol admits of no question. One nation, and oidy one,
meets the specifications of this pro])hocy; it points unmis-
takably to the United States of America. Again and again
the thought, almost the exact words, of the sacred writer
liave been unconsciously employed by the orator and the
liistorian in describing the rise and growth of this nation.
The beast was seen "coming up out of the earth;" and,
according to the translators, tho word liere rendered "com-
ing up" literally signifies to "grow or .spring up as a
plnnt." And, as wo have seen, the nation must arise in
territory previously unoccupied. A prominent writer, de-
scribing tho rise of the United States, speaks oC'the mijstenj
of her coming forth from vacancy," and says, "Like a silent
seed we grew into empire."' A European journal in 1850

1 Dan. 7:2. » Rev. 17 : 15.

•Townaend, ia " The New World Compared with the Old," p. 462.

GOirS LAW IMMnWIiLE.

441

ill
e-

150

spoko of tlio Uiiitod Statos as a wonderful I'liijtiiv, wliicli wa.s
"cinor^in^," and '^(tmid the. Hi/rnai of the curth daily add in;;
to its |)<)NV(!r and pride.'" Kdward Everett, in an oration on
tiio Pilgrim founders of this nation, said: "Did tliey look
for a retired .spot, inolfensivo from its oljseurity, safo in
its remoteness from tho liuunts of despots, wjiero Iho littlo
ohureli of Jjcyden nii^lit enjoy frc^edom of eonsc^icmce?
lieliold the vt'xjlihj riyloim over whi(!li, in pcarcfid confjneM,
. . . they have borne the banners of tlje eross."

"And lio had two liorns liko a himb." Tho himb-liko
horns indieato youth, innoeenci^, and gentleness, fitly repre-
senting tho charaeter of tho l-nited States when presented
to tho i)ro})het as "coming up" in 1708. Tho Christian
oxilos who first fled to Amcu-iea, sought an asylum from royal
oppression and priestly intolerance, and they determined to
establish a government upon tho broad foundation of civil
and religious liberty. Tlio Declaration of Independonco
sets forth tho great truth tlnit "all men are created e(iual,"
and endowed with tho inalienable right to "life, liberty,
and tho pursuit of ha[)i)iness." And tho Constitution guar-
antees to tho peoido tho right of s(^lf-government, providing
that representatives elected by tlio po})ular vote shall
€nact and administer the laws. Freedom of religious faith
was also granted, every man being permitted to worship
(rod according to tho dictates of his conscience. Kepublican-
ism and Protestantism became the fundamental principles
of tho nation. These principles are tho secret of its power
and prosperity. Tho op})ressed and down-trodden through-
out Christendom have turned to this land witli interest and
hope. Millions have sought its shores, and tho United
States has risen to a place among tlie most powerful nations
of the earth.

But the beast with lamb-like horns "spake as a dragon.
And he exerciseth all the })Ower of the first beast before him,
and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to
worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed, ,

> The Dublin Nation.

4^2

THE an EAT COXTROVKRSr.

. . Hiiyiii^ to tlioni tlmt dwell on tho onrtli, that tlicv
hIiouUI imikc iin inm^j^c to tlio boast, which hiul the wound
by Ji Hword, and di<l live."'

Tlio iaiub-]ik(! iiorns and draj^on voice of the symbol
point to a striking contradiction bctwc'n tiio jTolcssions and
tho practice of the nation thus represented. Tlu» "speakin^'^
of tho nation is the action of its le^^islative and judicial
authorities. By sucli action it will j^ive tho lie to thoso lib-
eral and j)eaceful principles which it has put forth as tho
foundation of its policy. The i)redieti()n that it will speak
"as u dra<;on,"an(l exercise "all the power of the first beast,"
plainly foretells a development of tho spirit of intoleranco
and j)ersceution that was manifested by the nations repre-
sented by the dragon and tho leopard-like beast. And tho
statement that the beast with two horns "causpth tho earth
and them which dwell therein to worshij) the first beast,"
indicates that the authority of thif nation is to bo exercised
in enforcing some ob.servaneo which shall be an act of hom-
age to the papacy.

Such action M'ould })v directly contrary to the i)rinciples
of this government, to tlio genius of its free institutions, to
tho direct and solemn avowals of tho Declaration of Inde-
pendence, and to tho Constitution. The founders of tho
nation wisely sought to guard against tho employment of
secular i)ower on tho i)art of tho church, with its inovitablo
result — intoleranco and persecution. Tho Constitution pro-
vides that "Congress shall make no law respecting an ostab-
lishment of religion, or prohibiting thu- iVeo exorcise thereof,"
and that "no religious test shall ever be required as a quali-
fication to any office of public trust under the United States."
Only in flagrant violation of these safeguards to the nation's
liberty, can any religious observance be enforced by civil
authority. But tho inconsistency of such action is no greater
than is represented in the symbol. It is tho beast with
lamb-like horns — in profession pure, gentle, and harmless —
that speaks as a dragon.

> Rev. 13:11-14.

GOIXS LAW IMMUTAHLE.

413

"Saying to them tliat dwell on tlio earth, that then Hhoiild
make an ima<;e to the Ix-ast." Here is clearly presented a
form of government in whieh the Ir^'islative j>o\ver rests with
the peo[)le; a most strikin^if evidence that the United Mtatos
is the nation den(tte(l in tiie jiropheey.

Ihit what is the "iina^^e to the beast"? and how is it to Im
formed? Tiio ima^e is made hy the twodiorniMl heast, and
is an ima^e /'/ the lirst beast. It is also called an ima^eo/tho
beast. Then to learn what the image is like, and how It is to
be formed, we nuiststndy the characteristics of the beast itself,
— the papacy. Wlien the early chnrch became corrnpted by
de{)artin^ from the simplicity of the gos[)el, and accepting
ht>athen rites and customs, who lost the S[)irit and [)ower of
(lod; and inoi'der to control the consciences of the })eople she
sought the sui)port of the secular power. The result was tho
papacy, a church that controlled tho power of tho Htate, and
em})loved it to further her own ends, especially fof tho pun-
ishment of " heresy." l\\ order for tho United States to iorm
an image of tho l)east, tho religious power must so control
tho civil government that the authority of tho State will
also bo employed by the church to accomi)lish her own
ends.

Whenever the church has obtained secular power, she has
employed it to punish dissent from her doctrines. Protest-
ant churches that have followed in tho stei)S of Rome by
forming alliance with worldly i)owers, have manifested a
similar desire to restrict liberty of conscience. An example
of this is given in the long-continued persecution of dis-
senters by tho Church of England. During tho sixteenth
and seventeenth centuries, thousands of non-conformist
ministers wcro forced to leave their churches, and many,
both of pastors and people, were subjected to fine, imprison-
ment, torture, and martyrdom.

It was apostasy that led the early church to seek the aid of
the civil government, and this prepared the way for the devel-
opment of the papacy, — the beast. Said Paul, There shall

444

Tt[E GREAT CONTROVERT r.

■come a falling

away,

and that man of sin be

revealed."^ So apostasy in the church will prepare the way
for the imago to the beast. And tho Bible declares that
before the coming of the Lord there will exist a state of
religious declension similar to that in the first centuries.
"In the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall
be lovers of their oivn selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blas-
phemers, disoljcdient to parents, untliankful, unholy, with-
out natural aflc^ction, truccbreakers, false accusers, inconti-
nent, fierce, despiscrs of those that are good, traitors, heady,
highminded, lovers of jilcasnres more than lovers of God; having
a form of godliness, but denying tho power thereof."'^ " Now
the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some
shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits,
and doctrines of devils."* Satan will ^vork "with all power
and signs and lying wonders, and with all dcceivableness
of unrighteousness." And all that "received not the love of
the truth, that they might bo saved," will be left to accept
"strong delusion, that they should believe a lie."* When
this state of ungodliness shall be reached, the same results
will follow as in the first centuries.

The wide diversity of belief in the Protestant churches is
regarded by many as decisive proof that no eftbrt to secure
a forced uniformity can ever be made. But there has been
for years, in churches of the Protestant faith, a strong and
growing sentiment in favor of a union based upon common
points of doctrine. To secure such a union, the discussion
of subjects upon which all were not agreed — however impor-
tant they might be from a Bible standpoint — must necessa-
rily be waived.

Charles Beecher, in a sermon in the year 1846, declared
that the ministry of "the evangelical Protestant denomina-
tions" is "not only formed all the way up under a tremen-
dous pressure of merely human fear, but they live, and
move, and breathe in a state of things radically corrupt, and

>'2The88. 2:3. ^2 Tim. 3:1-5. » 1 Tim. 4 : 1. ♦ 2 Thess. 2 :9-ll.

GOD'S LAW IMMUTABLE.

445

ared

lina-

nen-

and

appealing every hour to every baser element of their nature
to hush up the truth, and bow the knee to the power of apos-
tasy. Was not this the way things went with Rome? Are
we not living her life over again? And what do wo see just
ahead? — Another general council! A world's convention!
evangelical alliance, and universal creed!" When this shall
be gained, then, in the effort to secure complete uniformity,
it will be only a step to the resort to force.

When the leading churches of the United States, uniting
upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in com-
mon, shall influence the State to enforce their decrees and
to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will
have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the
infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably
result.

The beast with two horns " causeth [commands] all, both
small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a
mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads ; and that
no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or
the name of the beast, or the number of his name." ' The
third angel's warning is, " If any man worship the beast
and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in
his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of
God." " The beast " mentioned in this message, whose
worship is enforced by the two-horned beast, is the first,
or leopard-like beast of Revelation 13, — the papacy. The
"image to the beast" represents that form of apostate Prot-
estantism which will be developed when the Protestant
churches shall seek the aid of the civil powor for the en-
forcement of their dogmas. The "mark of the beast" still
remains to be defined.

After the warning against the worship of the beast and
his image, the prophecy declares, " Here are they that keep
the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Since
those who keep God's commandments are thus placed in
contrast with those that worship the beast and his image

> Rev, 13:16, 17.

'^-#'

446

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

and receive his mark, it follows that the keeping of God's
law, on the one hand, and its violation, on the other, will
make the distinction hetween the worshipers of God and
the worshipers of the heast.

The special characteristic of the beast, and therefore of
his image, is the breaking of God's commandments. Says
Daniel, of the little horn, tlie papacy, "He shall tlnnk to
change the times and the law.'" And Paul styled the same
power the " man of sin," who was to exalt himself above
God. One prophecy is a complement of the other. Only
by changing God's law could thti papacy exalt itself above
God; whoever should understandmgly keep the law as thus
changed would be giving supreme honor to that power by
which the change was made. Such an act of obedience to
pai)al laws would be a mark of allegiance to the pope in the
place of God.

The papacy has attempted to change the law of God.
The second commandment, forbidding image worship, has
been dropped from the law, and the fourth commandment
has been so changed as to authorize the observance of the
first instead of the seventh day as the 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 bo the change foretold by the
prophet. An intentional, deliberate change is j:) resented : " He
shall think to ch'inge the times and the law." The change in
tlie fourih 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 distin-
guished by their regard for the fourth commandment, —
since this is the sign of his creative power, and the witness
to his claim upon man's reverence and homage, — the wor-
shij^ers of the beast will be distinguished by their efforts to
tear down the Creator's memorial, to exalt the institution

1 Dan. 7 : 25, Revised Version.

GOD'S LAW IMMUTABLE.

447

be
the

He
rein

of Rome. It was in behalf of the Sunday, that popery first
asserted its arrogant claims;' and its first resort to tlie power
of the State was to compel the observance of Sunday as " the
Lord's day." But the Bible points to tiie 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 com-
mandment declares, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the
Lord." And by the prophet Isaiah the Lord designates it,
"My holy day.""

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 ?ommandments, 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." '

It is a fact generally admitted by Protestants, that the
Scriptures give no authority for the change of the Salj-
bath. 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 com-
mand for the Sabbath [Sunday, the first day of the week]
or definite rules for its observance are concerned." *

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 en-
joining the abandonment of the seventh-day Sabbath, and
its observance on the first day of the week."*

*See Appendix, Note 9. » Mark2 :28; Isa. 58 : 13. "Matt.
*"The Abiding Sabbath," p. 184, a $:)0a prize essay.
' •♦ The Lord's Day," pp. 186, 186, a $1,000 prize essay.

: 17-19.

'L^'

448

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

Roman Catholics acknowledge that the change of the Sab-
bath 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 strictly they acknowledge the church's
power to ordain feasts, and to command them under sin."'
"What then is the change of the Sabbath, but the sign or
mark of the authority of the Romish 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 tlie 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, lo
the authority of the [Catholic] Church."'' The enforcement

' " Abridgment of Christian Doctrine."

^ " riiin Tallc about Protestantism," p. 213.

GOD'S LA W IMMUTABLE.

449

of Sunday-keeping 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 com-
mandment, choose to observe tlie false instead of the true
Sabbath, are thereby paying liomage to that power by which
alone it is commanded. But in the very act of enforcing a
religious duty by secular power, the churches would them-
selves form an image to the beast ; hence the enforcement of
Sunday-keeping in the United States would be an enforce-
ment of the worship of tlu beast and his image.

But Christians of past generations observed the Sunday,
supposing that in so doing they were keeping the Bible Sab-
bath; and there are now true Christians in every church,
not excepting the Roman Catholic communion, who honestly
believe that Sunday is the Sabbath of divine appointment.
God accepts their sincerity of purpose and their integrity
before him. But when Sunday observance shall be enforced
by law, and the world shall be enlightened concerning the
obligation of the true Sabbath, then whoever shall transgress
the command of (rod, to obey a precej^t which has no higher
authority than that of Rome, will thereby honor popery
above God. Pie is paying homage to Rome, and to the
power which enforces the institution ordained by Rome.
He is worshiping the bejist and his image. As men then
reject the institution whicli God has declared to be the sign
of his authority, and honor in its stead that which Rome has
chosen as the token of licr supremacy, they will thereby
accept the sign of allegiance to Rome — " the mark of the
beast." And it is not until the issue is thus plainly set
before the people, and they are brought to choose between
the commandments of God and the commandments of men,
that those who continue in transgression will receive "the
mark of the beast."

The most fearful threatening ever addressed to mortals is
contained in the third angel's message. That must be a
terrible sin which calls down the wrath of God unmingled

450

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

with i.iercy. Men are not to be left in darknesn concerning
tliis important matter; the warning against this sin is to be
given to the world before the visitation of God's judgments,
that all may know why they are to be inflicted, and have
opportunity to escape them. Prophecy declares that the
first angel would make his announcement to " every nation,
and kindred, and tongue, and people." The warning of the
third angel, which forms a part of the same threefold mes-
sage, is to be no less widespread. It is represented in the
prophecy as proclaimed with a loud voice, by an angel flying
in the midst of heaven ; and it will command the attention
of tliPi world.

In the issue of the contest, all Christendom v/ill be divided
into two great classes, — those wlio keep the commandments
of God and le faith of Jesus, and those who worship the
beast and his image and receive his mark. Although church
and State will unite their power to compel " all, both small
and great, ricl and poor, free and bond," to receive " the
mark of the beast," ^ yet the people of God will not receive it.
The prophet of Pa tmos beholds "them that had gotten the
victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark,
and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass,
having the harps of God/' and singing tliesong of Moses and
the Lamb.^

'Rev. 13:i6, niev. ]5: 2. 3.

CHAPTER XXVI.

A WORK OF REFORM.

The work of Sabbath reform to bo aecomplisned in tlie
last days is foretold in the prophecy of Isaiali : " Tims saith
the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice; for my sal-
vation is near to come, and my righteousness to bo revealed.
Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that
laycth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting
it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil." "Tlie sons
of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve
him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants,
every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and
taketh hold of my covenant; even them will I bring to my
holy m.ountain, and make them joyful in my house of
prayer." '

These words apply in the Christian ago, as is shown by
the context: "The Lord God which gathcreth the outcasts
of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those
that are gathered unto liim."^ Here is foreshadowed the
gathering in of the Gentiles by the gospel. And upon those
who then honor the Sabbath, a blessing is pronounced.
Thus the obligation of the fourth commandment extends
past the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ,
to the time when his servants should preach to all nations
the message of glad tidings.

The Lord commands by the same prophet, " Bind up the
testimony, seal the law among my disciples." * The seal of
God's law is found in the fourth commandment. This only,
of all the ten, brings to view both th*^ name and the title of

» Isa. 56 : 1, 2, 6, 7. ^ Isa. 56 : 8. ^ ]ga. 8 : 16.

(451)

452

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

tho Lawgiver. It declares him to be the Creator of the
heavens and the earth, and thus shows his claim to rev-
erence and worsliip above all others. Aside from this pre-
cept, there is nothing in the decalogue to sliow by whose
authority the law is given. When the Sabbath was changed
by the papal power, the seal was taken from the law. The
disciples of Jesus are called upon to restore it, by exalting
the Sabbath of the fourth commandment to its rightful
position as the Creator's memorial and the sign of his
authority.

"To the law and to the testimony." While conflicting
doctrines and theories abound, the law of God is the one
unerring rule by which all opinions, doctrines, and theories
are to be tested. Says the prophet, " If they speak not
according to this word, it is because there is no light in
them." *

Again, the command is given, " Cry aloud, spare not, lift
up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their
transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." It is not
the wicked world, but those whom the Lord designates as
" my people," that are to be reproved for their transgressions.
He declares further, " Yet they seek me daily, and delight
to know my ways, as a nation that did rigiiteousness, and
forsook not the ordinance of their God." * Here is brought
to view a class who think themselves righteous, and appear
to manifest great interest in the service of God; but the
stern and solemn rebuke of the Searcher of hearts proves
them to be trampling upon the divine precepts.

The prophet thus points out the ordinance which has
been forsaken: "Thou shalt raise up the foundations of
many generations; and thou shalt be called. The repairer
of the breach. The restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou
turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy
pleasure on my holy day ; and call the Sabbath a delight,
the holy of the Lord, honorable ; and shalt honor him, not

^Isa. 8:20. ^iga. 58:1, 2.

A WORK OF REFORM.

453

doing thine own ways, nor finding tliine own pleusun", nor
speaking thine own words; tlicn shalt thou delight thyself
in the Lord.'" This prophecy also applies in our time.
The breach was made in the law of God when the Sabbath
was changed by the Romish power. But the time has come
for that divine institution to be restored. The breach is to
be repaired, and the foundation of many generations to be
raised up.

Hallowed by the Creator's rest and blessing, the Sabbath
was kept by Adam in his innocence in holy Eden ; by Adam,
fallen yet repentant, when he was driven from his happy
estate. It was kept by all the patriarchs, from Abel to
righteous Noah, to Abraham, to Jacob. When the chosen
people were in bondage in Egypt, many, in the midst of
prevailing idolatry, lost their knowledge of God's law ; but
when the Lord delivered Israel, he proclaimed his law in
awful grandeur to the assembled multitude, that they might
know his will, and fear and obey him forever.

From that day to the present, the knowledge of God's law
has been preserved in the earth, and the Sabbath of the
fourth commandment has been kept. Though the " man of
sin " succeeded in trampling under foot God's holy day, yet
even in the period of his supremacy there were, hidden in
secret places, faithful souls who paid it honor. Since the
Reformation, there have been some in every generation to
maintain its observance. Though often in the midst of re-
proach and persecution, a constant testimony has been borne
to the perpetuity of the law of God, and the sacred obliga-
tion of the creation Sabbath.

These truths, as presented in Revelation 14, in connection
with the " everlasting gospel," will distinguish the church
of Christ at the time of his appearing. For as the result of
the threefold message it is announced, " Here are they that
keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
And this message is the last to be given before the coming

>l8a. 58:12, 13.

of tlio Lord. Inimediiitely following its j)ro{;lamiitioii, tlie
Son of nijin in K(3t'ii by the prophot, coming in glory to reap
the Imrve.st of tlie earth.

Those who received the hglit concerning the sanctuary
and the imnuitabiHty of the hiw of (Jod, were tilled with joy
an<l wonder, as they saw the beauty and liannony of the
system of truth that opened to their understanding. They
desired that the hght which ai)peared to them so precious
might be imparted to all Christians; and they could not but
believe that it would be joyfully accepted. But truths that
would place them at variance with the world were not wel-
come to many who claimed to be followers of Christ. Obe-
dience to the fourth commandment re(juired a sacritico from
which the majority drew back.

As the claims of the Sabbath were i)resented, nniny rea-
soned from the worldling's standpoint. Said they: "We
liave always kept Sunday, our fathers kept it, and many
good and pious men have died happy while keeping it.
If they were right, so are we. The keeping of this new
Sabbath would throw us out of liai-monv with the world,
and we would have no influence over them. What can a
little company keeping the seventh day hope to accomplish
against all the world who are keei)ing Sunday?" It was by
similar arguments that the Jews endeavored to justify their
rejection of Christ. Their fathers had been accepted of God
in presenting the sacrificial offerings, and why could not the
children find salvation in pursuing the same course? So, in
the time of Luther, papists reasoned that true Christians had
died in the Catholic faith, and therefore that religion was
sufficient for salvation. Such reasoning would prove an
effectual barrier to all advancement in religious faith or
practice.

Many urged that Sunday-keeping had been an established
doctrine and a widespread custom of the church for many
centuries. Against this argument it was shown that the
Sabbath and its observance were more ancient and wide-

A WORK OF lilCFORM.

455

spretid, even nw old as tho world itself, and lu'iiriii^ tlu^ sanc-
tion both of angels and of (lod. Wlien tlio fotuidations of
tho earth were laid, when the morning stars sang together,
and all the sons of (Jod shouted for joy, (hen was laid tho
foundation of the Sabbath.' Well may this institution de-
numd our reverence: it was ordained by no human author-
ity, and rests upon no human traditions; it was established
by the Ancient of days, and commanded by his eternal word.

As the attention of the people was called to the subject of
Sabbath reform, jjopular ministers perverteil the Word of
God, i)lacing sucii inter{)retations upon its testimony as
wouhl best quiet inquiring minds. And those who did not
search the Scriptures for themselves were content to accept
conclusions that were in acconhmce M'ith their desires. By
argument, sophistry, the traditions of the Fathers, and the
authority of the church, many endeavored to overthrow the
truth. Its advocates were driven to their Bibles to defend
the vahdity of the fourth commandment. Humble men,
armed with the Word of truth alone, withstood the attacks
of men of learning, who, with surprise and anger, found their
elo(iuent sophistry powerless against the simple, straightfor-
ward reasoning of men who were versed in the Scriptures
rather than in the subtleties of tho schools.

In the absence of Bible testimony in their favor, many
with unwearying persistence urged, — forgetting how the
same reasoning had been employed against Christ and his
apostles, — "Why do not our great men understand this
Sabbath question ? But few believe as you do. It cannot
be that you are right, and that all the men of learning in
the worl I are wrong."

To refute such arguments it was needful only to cite the
teachings of the Scriptures and the history of the Lord's
dealings with his people in all ages. God works through
those who hear and obey his voice, those who wdl, if need
be, speak unpalatable truths, those who do not fear to re-
prove popular sins. The reason why he does not oftener

> Job 38 : 6, 7; Gen. 2 : 1-3.

choosu moil of learning and high position to lead ont in
reform movements is tliat they trust to their creeds, tlieories,
and tlieoh)gi(al systems, and feel no need to be taught of
God. Only those who have a personal conneetion with the
Source of wisdom uro ublo to understand or explain the
Scriptures. Men who have little of the learning of tho
schools are sometimes called to declare the truth, not because
they are unlearne<l, but because they are not too self-suffi-
cient to bo taught of (lod. They learn in tho school of
Christ, and their humility and obedience make them great.
In committing to them a knowledge of his truth, God con-
fers upon them an honor, in comparison with which earthly
honor and human greatness sink into insignificanco.

Tho majority of Adventists rejected tho truths concerning
the sanctuary and tho law of God, and many also renounced
their faith in tho Advent movement, and adopted unsound
and conflicting views of tho prophecies which applied to
that work. Some were led into the error of repeatedly fixing
upon a definite time for the coming of Christ. Tho light
which was now shining on tho subject of tho sanctuary
would have shown them that no prophetic period extends to
the second advent; that the exact time of this event is not
foretold. But, turning from the light, they continued to set
time after time for the Lord to come, and, as often they were
disappointed.

When the Thessalonian churcli received erroneous views
concerning the coming of Christ, the apostle Pa^il counseled
them to carefully test their hopes and anticipations by the
Word of God. He cited them to prophecies revealing the
events to take place before Christ should come, and showed
that they had no ground to expect him in their day. " Let
no man deceive you by any means," ' are his words of warn-
ing. Should they indulge expectations that were not sanc-
tioned by the Scriptures, they would be led to a mistaken
course of action ; disappointment would expose them to the
derision of unbelievers, and they would be in danger of

i2Tbes8. 2:3.

A WORK OF RKFOIiM.

457

yiclditi^ to (liHcouragcinont, and would In* tnnpttMl to doubt
tlu! truths esHCMitiul for tlioir .salviitioii. Tin) apostle's ad-
monition to tho Thessidonians contains tin iniiK)rtant lesson
for tlioso wiio livo in tho last days. Many Advcntist.s liavo
felt that uidess they could fix their faith u[)on a delinito
time for tho Lord's coining, they could not l)o zealous and
diligent in tho work of pre{)aration. Hut as their hopes aro
again and again excited, only to l)o dt'stroyed, their faith
receives such a siiock that it becomes well-nigh imiKjssihlo
for them to bo iinpresse<l by tiie great truths of prophecy.
Tho preaching of a delinito time for i\w Judgment, in tho
giving of tho first message, was ordered of God. Tho com-
putation of tho pro[)hetic periods on which that message
was based, placing the close of the 2oOO days in tho autunni
of 1844, stands without iinpoachment. Tho repeated elforts
to find new dates for the beginning and close of tho })ro-
plietic periods, and the unsound reasoning neces.sary to
sustain these positions, not only lead minds away from tho
present truth, but throw contem[)t upon all efforts to explain
the prophecies. The more frequently a definite time is set
for the second advent, and tho more widely it is taught, tho
better it suits the purposes of Satan. After tho time has
passed, he excites ridicule and contempt of its advocates,
and thus casts reproach upon the great Advent movement
of 1843 and 1844. Those who persist in this error will at
last fix upon a date too far in the future for the coming of
Christ. Thus they will be led to rest in ;l false security, and
many will not be undeceived until it is too late.

The history of ancient Israel is a striking illustration of
the past experience of the Adventist body. God led his
people in the Advent movement, even as he led the children
of Israel from Egypt. In tho great disappointment their
faith was tested as was that of tho Hebrews at the Red Sea.
Had they still trusted to the guiding hand that had been
with them in their past experience, they would have seen
of the salvation of God. If all who had labored unitedly

458

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

ill tho work in 1844 liad received the third angel's message,
and proclaimed it in the power of tlie Holy Spirit, the Lord
would have wrought mightily with their efforts. A flood
of light would have been shed upon the world. Years ago
the inhabitants of the earth would have been warned, the
closing work completed, and Christ would have come for
the redemption of his people.

It was not the will of God tiiat Israel should wander forty
years in the wilderness; he desired to lead them directly to
the land of Canaan, and establish them tlicre, a holy, happy
people. But *'thcy could not enter in because of unbelief.'"
B'.?ause of their backsliding and apostasy, they perished in
tl:e desert, and others were raised up to enter the promised
land. In like manner, it was not the will of God that the
coming of Christ should be so long delayed, and his people
should remain so many years in this world of sin and sorrow.
But unbelief separated them from God. As they refused to
do the work which he had appointed them, others M^ere
raibcd up to proclaim the message. In mercy to the world,
Jesus delays his coming, that sinners may have an oppor-
tunity to hear the warning, and find in him a shelter before
tho '.rrath of God shall be poured out.

Now, &3 in former ages, the presentation of a truth that
reproves the sins and errors of the times, will excite oppo-
sition. " Every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither
cometh to the light, lest liis deeds should be reproved.""
As men see that they cannot maintain their position by the
Scriptures, many determine to maintain it at all hazards,
and with a malicious spirit they assail the character and
motives of those who stand in defense of unpoi)ular truth.
It is the same policy which has been pursued in all ages.
Elijah was declared to be a troubler of Israel, Jeremiah a
traitor, Paul a polluter of the temple. From that day to
this, those who would be loyal to truth have been denounced
us seditious, heretical, or schismatic. Multitudes who are

»Heb. 3:19. '^ John 3: 20.

too unbelieving to accept the sure word of prophecy, will
receive with unquestioning credulity an accusation against
those who dare to reprove fashionable sins. This spirit will
increase more and more. And the Bible plainly teaches
that a time is approaching when the laws of the State shall
so conflict with the law of God that whoever would obey all
the divine precepts must brave reproach and i)unishmcnt
us an evil-doer.

And in view of this, what is the duty of the messenger of
truth ? Shall he conclude that the truth ought not to be
presented, since often its only effect is to arouse men to evade
or resist its claims? No; he has no more reason for with-
holding the testimony of God's "Word, because it excites oppo-
sition, than had earlier reformers. The confession of faith
made by saints and martyrs was recorded for the benefit of
succeeding generations. Those living examples of holiness
and steadfast integrity have come down to inspire courage
in those who are now called to stand as witnesses for God.
They received grace and truth, not for themselves alone, but
that, through them, the knowledge of God might enlighten
the earth. Has God given light to his servants in this gen-
eration? Then they should let it shine forth to the world.

Anciently the Lord declared to one who spoke in his
name, " The iiouse of Israel will not hearken unto thee ; for
they will not hearken unto me." Nevertheless he said,
" Thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will
hear, or whether they will forbear." ' To the servant of God
at this time is the command addressed, "Lift up thy voice
like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and
the house of Jacob their sins."

So far as his oi)portunities extend, every one who has re-
ceived the light of truth is under the same solenni and fearful
responsibility as was the prophet of Israel, to whom the
word of the Lord came, saying: "Son of man, I have set
thee a watchman unto the house of Israel ; therefore thou

» Eze. 3:7:2:7.

460

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shall
surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from
his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his
blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou '
warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not
turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou
hast delivered thy soul." *

The great obstacle both to the acceptance and to the pro-
mulgation of truth, is the fact that it involves inconvenience
and reproach. This is the only argument against the truth
which its advocates have never been able to refute. But
this does not deter the true followers of Christ. These do
not wait for truth to become popular. Being convinced of
their duty, they deliberately accept the cross, with the
apostle Paul counting that " our light affliction, which is
but for a moment, workcth for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory ;"^ witli one of old, "esteeming the
reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in
Egypt.'-

Whatever may be their profession, it is only those who
are world-servers at heart that act from policy rather than
principle in religious things. We should choose the right
because it is right, and leave consequences with God. To
men of principle, faith, and daring, the world is indebted
for its great reforms. By such men the work of reform for
this time must be carried forward.

Thus saith the Lord: "Hearken unto me, ye that know
righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye
not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their re-
vilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment,
and the worm shall eat them like wool ; but my righteous-
ness shall be forever, and my salvation from generation to
generation."*

1 Eze . 33 : 7-9. '^ 2 Cor. 4:17. ^ Heb. 1 1 : 26. * Isa. 51 : 7, 8.

CHAPTER XXVII.

MODERN REVIVALS.

Wherever the Word of God has been faithfully preached,
results have followed that attested its divine origin. The
Spirit of God accompanied the message of his servants, and
the word was with power. Sinners felt their consciences
quickened. The " light which lighteth every man that com-
eth into the world," illumined the secret chambers of their
souls, and the hidden things of darkness were made mani-
fest. Deep conviction took hold upon their minds and hearts.
They were convinced of sin, and of righteousness, and of
judgment to come. They had a sense of the righteousness
of Jehovah, and felt the terror of appearing, in their guilt
and uncleanness, before the Searcher of hearts. In anguish
they cried out, " Who shall deliver me from the body of this
death?" As the cross of Calvarv, with its infinite sacrifice
for the sins of men, was revealed, they saw that nothing but
the merits of Christ could suffice to atone for tlieir trans-
gressions; this alone could reconcile man to God. With
faith and humility they accepted the Lamb of God, that
taketh away the sin of the world. Through the blood of
Jesus they had " remission of sins that are past."

These souls brought forth fruit meet for repentance. They
believed and were baptized, and rose to walk in newness of
life, — new creatures in Christ Jesus. Not to fashion them-
selves according to the former lusts, but by the faith of the
Son of God to follow in his steps, to reflect his character, and
to purify themselves even as he is pure. The things they
once hated, they now loved; and the things they once loved,
they hated. The proud and self-assertive became meek and

(461)

462

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

lowly of heart. The vain and supercilious became serious
and unobtrusive. The i)rofane became reverent, the drunken
solder, and the profligate pure. The vain fashions of the
world were laid aside. Cliristians sought not the " outward
adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or ot
putting i^n of apparel; but the hidden man of the heart, in
that which is not corruptible, • ven the ornament of a meek
and quiet s[)irit, which is in the sight of God of great
price."'

Revivals brought deep heart-searching and humility.
They were characterized by solemn, earnest jr >peals to the sin-
ner, by yearning compassion for the purcluirfe of the blood of
Clirist. Men and women prayed and wrestled with God for
the salvation of souls. The fruits of such revivals wore
seen in souls wlio shrank not at self-denial and sacrifice, but
rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer reproach
and trial for the sake of Christ. Men beheld a transformation
in the lives of those who had professed the name of Jesus.
The community was benefited by their influence. Tlicy
gathered with Christ, and sowed to the Spirit, to reap life
everlasting.

It could be said of them: " Ye sorrowed to repentance."
" For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be
repented of; but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
For behold this self-same thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly
sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing
of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, wliat fear, yea,
what ■'^eliement desire, yea, wliat zeal, yea, what revenge!
In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this
matter." '^ '

This is the result of the work of the Spirit of God. There
is no evidence of genuine repentance unless it works reforma-
tion. If he restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed,
confess liis sins, and love God and liis fellow-men, the sinner
may be sure tliat he has found peace with God. Such were

•] Pet. 3:3,4. ^2Cor. 7 :9-ll.

MODERy REVIVALS.

4G3

the effects that in former years followed seasons of religious
awakening. Judged by their fruits, they were known to be
blessed of God in the salvation of men and the uplifting of
humanity.

But many of the revivals of modern times have presented
a marked contrast to those manifestations of divine grace
which in earlier days followed the labors of God's servants.
It is true that a widespread interest is kindled, many profess
conversion, and there are large accessions to the churches;
nevertheless the results are not such as to warrant the
belief that there has been a corresponding increase of real
spiritual life. The light which flames up for a time soon
dies out, leaving the darkness more dense than before.

Popular revivals are too often carried by appeals to the
imagination, by exciting the emotions, by gratifying the love
for what is new and startling. Converts thus gained have
little desire to listen to Bible truth, little interest in the testi-
mony of prophets and apostles. Unless a religious service
has something of a sensational character, it has no attractions
for them. A messnge which appeals to unimpassioned rea-
son, awakens no response. The plain warnings of God's
Word, relating directly to their eternal interests, are unheeded.

With every truly converted soul the relation to God and
to eternal things will be the great topic of life. But where,
in the popular churches of to-day, is the spirit of consecra-
tion to God? The converts do not renounce their pride, and
love of the world. They are no more willing to deny self, to
take up the cross, and follow the meek and lowly Jesus, than
before tiieir conversion. Religion has become the sport of
infidels and skeptics because so many who bear its name
are ignorant of its principles. The power of godliness has
well-nigh departed from many of the churches. Picnics,
church theatricals, church fairs, fine houses, personal display,
have banished thoughtsof God. Lands and goods and worldly
occupations engross the mind, and things of eternal interest
receive hardly a passing notice.

4G4

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

Notwithstanding the widesproad declension of faitli and
piety, there are true followers of Christ in these churches.
Before tlie final visitation of God's judgments upon the
earth, there will be, among the people of the Lord, such a
revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed
since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be
poured out upon his children. At that time many will
S3parate themselves from those churches in which the love
01 this world has supplanted love for God and liis Word.
Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept those
great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed at this
time, to prepare a people for the Lord's second coming. The
enemy of souls desires to hinder this work; and before the
time for such a movement shall come, he will endeavor to
prevent it, by introducing a counterfeit. In those churches
which he can bring under his deceptive power, ho will make
it appear that God's special blessing is poured out; there
will be manifest what is thought to be great religious in-
terest. Multitudes will exult that God is working marvel-
ously for them, when the work is that of another spirit.
Under a religious guise, Satan will seek to extend his in-
fluence over the Christian world.

In many of the revivals which have occurred during the
last half centur}', the same influences have been at work, to
a greater or less degree, that will be manifest in the more
extensive movements of the future. There is an emotional
excitement, a mingling of the true with the false, that is
well adapted to mislead. Yet none need be deceived. In
the light of God's Word it is not difficult to determine the
nature of these movements. Wherever men neglect the
testimony of the Bible, turning away from those plain, soul-
testing truths which require self-denial and renunciation of
the world, there we may be sure that God's blessing is not
bestowed. And by the rule which Christ himself has given,
"Ye shall know them by their fruits,"^ it is evident that
these movements are not the work of the Spirit of God.

'Matt. 7: IC.

In the truths of his Word, God lias given to men a reve-
lation of himself; and to all who accept them they are a
shield against the deceptions of Satan. It is a negl(>ct of
these truths that has opened the door to the evils which are
now becoming so w'idespread in tlie religious world. The
nature and the importance of the law of Cfod have been, to
a great extent, lost sight of. A wrong conception of the
character, the perpetuity, and obligation of the divine law
has led to errors in relation to conversion and sanctification,
and has resulted in lowering the standard of piety in the
church. Here is to be found the secret of the lack of the
Spirit and power of God in the revivals of our time.

There are, in the various denominations, men eminent
for their piety, by whom this fact is acknowledged and de-
plored. Prof. Edward Park, in setting forth the current
religious perils, ably says: "One source of danger is the
neglect of the pulpit to enforce the divine law. In former
days the pulpit was an echo of the voice of conscience. . .
Our most illustrious preachers gave a wonderful majesty to
their discourses by following the example of the Master, and
giving prominence to the law, its precepts, and its threat-
enings. They repeated the two great maxims, that the law
is a transcript of the divine perfections, and that a man who
does not love the law does not love the gospel; for the law,
as well as the gospel, is a mirror reflecting the true char-
acter of God. This peril leads to another, that of under-
rating the evil of sin, the extent of it, the demerit of it. In
proportion to the rightfulness of the commandment is the
wrongfulness of disobeying it."

" Affiliated to the dangers already named is the danger
of underestimating the justice of God. The tendency of
the modern pulpit is to strain out the divine justice from
the divine benevolence, to sink benevolence into a sentiment
rather than exalt it into a principle. The new theological
prism puts asunder what God has joined together. Is the
divine law a good or an evil ? It is a good. Then justice

4G6

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

is good; for it is a disposition to execute the law. From the
habit of underrating the divine law and justice, the extent
and demerit of human disobedience, men easily slide into
the habit of underestimating the grace which has j)rovided
an atonement for sin." Thus the gospel loses its value and
importance in the minds of men, and soon they are ready
to practically cast aside the Bible itself.

Many religious teachers assert that Christ by his death
abolished the law, and men are henceforth free from its
requirements. There are some who represent it as a grievous
yoke, and in contrast to the bondage of the law, they present
the liberty to be enjoyed under the gospel.

But not so did prophets and apostles regard the holy law
of God. Said David, " I will walk at liberty; for I seek thy
precepts." ' The apostle James, who wrote after the death
of Christ, refers to the decalogue as the " royal law," and the
" perfect law of liberty." * And the Revelator, half a century
after the crucifixion, pronounces a blessing upon them " that
<lo his commandments, that they may have right to the tree
of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."'

The claim that Christ bv his death abolished his Father's
law, is without foundation. Had it been possible for the
law to be changed or set aside, then Christ need not have
died to save man from the penalty of sin. The death of
Christ, so far from abolishing the law, proves that it is im-
mutable. The Son of God came to " magnify the law, and
make it honorable."* He said, " Think not that I am come
to destroy the law;" "till heaven and earth pass, one jot or
one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law."* And con-
cerning himself he declares, " I delight to do thy will, O my
God; yea, thy law is within my heart."®

The law of God, from its very nature, is unchangeable.
It is a revelation of the will and the character of its Author.
God is love, and his law is love. Its two great principles

»P8. 119:45.
*l8a. 42:21.

"James 2: 8; 1 :25.
6 Matt. 5:17, 18.

»Rev. 22:14.
«P8. 40:8.

MODERN REVIVALS.

467

are love to God and man. "Love is the fulfilling of the
law.'" The character of God is righteousness and truth;
such is the nature of his law. Says tlie ])sahnist, " Tliy law
is tlic trutli," "all thy connnandnients are rigliteousness."'
And the apostle Paul declares, " The law is holy, and the
commandment holy, and just, and good." ' Such a law,
being an expression of the mind and will of God, must bo
as enduring as its Author.

It is the work of conversion and sanctification to reconcile
men to God, by bringing tliem into accord witli tlie princi-
ples of his law. In the beginning, man was created in the
image of God. lie was in perfect harmony with the nature
and the law of God; the principles of rig? teousness were
written upon his heart. But sin alienated him from Ids
Maker. lie no longer reflected the divine image. His heart
was at war with the princi})les of God's law. " The carnal
mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law
of God, neither indeed can be."* But "God so loved the
world, that he gave his only begotten Son," that man nnght
be reconciled to God. Through the merits of Christ he can
be restored to harmony with his Maker. Ilis heart must
be renewed by divine grace, he must have a new life from
above. This change is the new birth, without which, says
Jesus, " he cannot see the kingdom of God."

The first step in reconcilation to God, is the conviction of
sin. " Sin is the transgression of the law." " By the law is
the knowledge of sin." * In order to see his guilt, the sinner
must test his character by God's great standard of righteous-
ness. It is a mirror which shows the perfection of a righteous
character, and enables him to discern the defects in his own.

The law reveals to man his sins, but it provides no remedy.
While it promises life to the obedient, it declares that
death is the portion of the transgressor. The gospel of
Christ alone can free him from the condemnation or the defile-

iRom. 13:10. ^Ps. 119: 142, 172. 'Rom. 7 : 12.

"Rom. 8:7. MJohn 3 :4; Rom. 3 :20.

468

TUr: GREAT CONTROVERSY.

ment of sin. Ho must exercise ropentanco townrd God,
whoso law has been transgrossod, and faith in Christ, liis
atoning sacrifice. Thus lie obtains " roniission of sins tliat
are })ast," and l)Of'onu'S a j)artak(T of the divine nature. lie
is a cliild of God, liaving received tlie spirit of adoption,
wlierel)}' lie cries, " Abba, Father! "

Is he now free to transgress God's law? Hays Paul: " Do
we then make void the law through faith? God forbid;
yea, we establish the law." *' How shall we, that are dead to
sin, live any longer therein ? " And John declares, " This is
the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his
commandments are not grievous." ' In the new birth the
heart is brought into harmony with God, as it is brought
into accord with his law. "Wlicn this mighty change has
taken place in the sinner, he has passed from death unto
life, from sin unto holiness, from transgression and rebellion
to obe(iience and loyalty. The old life of alienation from
God has ended; the new life of reconciliation, of faith and
love, has begun. Then "the righteousness of the law" will
" be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit." ^ And the language of the soul will be, "
how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day."'

"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul."*
Without the law, men have no just conce])tion of the purity
and holiness of God, or of their own guilt and uncleanness.
They have no true conviction of sin, and feel no need of
repentance. Not seeing their lost condition as violators of
God's law, they do not realize their need of the atoning
blood of Christ. The hope of salvation is accepted without
a radical change of heart or reformation of life. Thus super-
ficial conversions abound, and multitudes are joined to the
church who have never been united to Christ.

Erroneous theories of sanctification, also, springing from
neglect or rejection of the divine law, have a prominent

iRom. 3 : 31; 6 : 2j 1 John 5 : 3.
•Pa. 119:97.

»Rom. 8:4.
*P8. 19:7.

place in the religious movomonts of the day. These theories
are hoth lalse in doctrine, and dangerous in practical results;
ajid the fact tluit they are so generally iinding favor r(>nders
it douhly essential that all have a clear understanding of
what the Scrii)tures teach upon this j)oint.

True sanctification is a liible doctrine. The apostle Paul,
in his letter to the Thessalonian church, declares, "This is
the will of God, even your sanctification." And he prays,
"The very God of peace sanctifv vou wliollv.'" The Bible
clearly teaches what sanctilication is, and how it is to be
attained. The Saviour prayed for his disciples, "Sanctify
theiu through thy truth; thy AVord is truth."' And Paul
teaches that believers are to be " sanctilied by the Holy
(;ho.st." ' What is the work of the Holy Spirit? Je.sus told
liis disciples, " When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will
guide you into all truth,"* And the psalmist says, "Thy
law is the truth." By the Word and the Spirit of God are
opened to men the great i)rinciples of righteousness embodied
in his law. And since the law of God is " holy, and just,
and good," a transcri})t of the divine perfection, it follows
that a character formed by obedience to that law will be
holy. Christ is a perfect example of such a character. He
says, " I have kept my Father's commandments." " I do
always those things that please him."'' The followers of
Clirist are to become like him, — by the grace of God, to
form characters in harmony with the principles of his holy
law. This is Bible sanctification.

This work can be accomplished only through faith in
Christ, by the power of the indwelling Spirit of God. Paul
admonishes believers, " Work out your own salvation with
fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you
both to will and to do of his good pleasure." ® The Christian
will feel the promptings of sin, but he will maintain a con-
stant warfare against it. Here is where Christ's help is

1 1 Thess. 4 : 3; 6 : 23.
«Johnl6:13.

2 John 17:17, 19.
'John 15: 10; 8: 29.

»Rom. 15:16.
«PhiL2:12, 13.

470

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

needed. TTnmnn wonknoss becomos nnitod to divine
Htrengtli, iiiid fiiitii oxt^iuiinH, "'rimnks \n\ to (iod, which
givoth iiH the victory through our Lord Jesus CiiriHt."'

Tlio Scriptures plainly siiow that tiic work of sanrtifi-
ciitiou is progressive. When in conversion the sinner liiuis
peace with (Jod through the l)lood of tlio atonement, the
Christian life has but just liegun. Now ho is to "go on unto
l)erfection ; " to grow u}) "unto the measure of tiie stature
of the fullness of Ciirist." Says the apostle Paul: "This one
thing I do, forgetting those things which are ])ehind, and
reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press
toward the mark for the i)rize of the liigh calling of (lod in
Christ Jesus."' And Peter sets before us the steps by which
Bi])lo sanctilication is to be attained; "Giving all diligence,
add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to
knowledge temperanc(^; and to temperanc(! pati(;ncc; and to
patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness;
and to l)rotherly kindness charity. ... If ye do these
things, ye shall never fall.""

Those who experience the sanctification of the Bibh^ will
manifest a spirit of liumility. Like Moses, they have had
a view of the awful majesty of lioliness, and they see their
own unworthiness, in contrast wnth the ])urlty and exalted
perfection of the Infinite One.

The prophet Daniel was an exampUi of true sanctification.
His long life was filled u}) with noble service for his Master,
lie was a man "greatly l)eloved '"'* of Heaven. Yet instead
of claiming to be pure and holy, this honored prophet iden-
tified himself with the really sinful of Israel, as he pleaded
before God in behalf of his people: "We do not present our
supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy
great mercies." " We have sinned, we have done wickedly."
He declares, " I was speaking, and praying, and confessing
my sin and the sin of my people." And when at a later
time the Son of God appeared, to give him instruction, he

1 1 Cor. 15 : 57. » Phil. 3 : 13, 14. » 2 Pet. 1 : 5-10. * Dan. 10 : 11.

dochires, "My fomolinoss was turiKMl in mo into corruption,
uikI I rotuinod no strcii^tli."'

Wiicn Jol) licunl tiio voice of tlio Lord out of the wiiirl-
wind, lio exclainuMl, " I uhlior myself, and n'|K'nt in du.st
and asiios."* It wa.s wlicn Isaiah saw tiie ^lory of tiic Lord,
and heard the cheruhiin eryin^, " Holy, holy, iioly, is the
J>ord of hosts," that he cried out, "Woe is !ne! for I am
undone.'" Paul, after ho was caught up into the third
heaven, and heard thin^^s which it was not possihle for a
man to utter, speaks of himself as "less than th*^ least of
all saints."* It was the belovetl John, that leaned on J(>sus'
breast, and ])eheld his ^lory, who fell as one dead before the
feet of the an^el.*

There can be no self-exaltation, no boastful claim to
freedom from sin, on the part of those who walk in the
sluidow of Calvary's cross. They feel that it was their sin
which caused the a^ony that broke the heart of the ^on of
God, and this thou<^ht will lead them to self-abasement.
Those who live nearest to Jesus discern most clearly the
frailty and sinfulness of humanity, and their only hope is
in the merit of a crucitied and risen Saviour.

The sanctification now gaining promiu'Mice in the religious
world, carries with it a spirit of self-exaltation, and a dis-
regard for the law of God, that mark it as foreign to the
religion of the Bible. Its advocates teach tliat sanctification
is an instantaneous work, by which, through faith alone,
they attain to perfect holiness. " Only believe," say they,
"and the blessing is yours." No further effort on the part
of the receiver is supposed to l)e required. At the same time
they deny the authority of the law of God, urging that they
are released from obligation to keep the commandments.
But is it possible for men to be holy, in accord with the will
and character of God, without coming into harmony with
the principles which are an expression of his nature and
will, and which show what is well-pleasing to him?

1 Dan. 9:18, 15, 20; 10:8. « Job 42:6. » ig^. 6 : 3, 5.

* 2 Cor. 12:2-4 (margin) ; Eph. 3:8. " Rev. 22 : 8.

Tlie desire for an easy religion, that requires no striving,
no self-denial, no divorce from the follies of tlie world, has
made the doctrine of faith, and faith only, a i)Opular doc-
trine; but what saitli the Word of God? Says the apostle
James: "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man
say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save
him? . . . Wilt tliou know, vain man, that faith
without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father
justified liy works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon
the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works,
and by works was faith made perfect? . . . Ye see then
how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." '

The testimony of the Word of God is against this ensnar
ing doctrine of faith without works. It is not faith that
claims the favor of Heaven without complying with the
conditions upon which mercy is to be granted. It is pre-
sumption; for genuine faith has its foundation in the prom-
ises and provisions of the Scriptures.

Let none deceive themselves with the belief that they can
become holy while willfully violating one of God's require-
ments. The commission of a known sin silences the wit-
nessing voice of the Si)irit, and separates the soul from
God. " Sin is the transgression of the law." And " whoso-
ever sinneth [transgresseth the law] hath not seen him,
neither known him." '^ Though John in his epistles dwells
so fully upon love, yet he does not hesitate to reveal the true
character of that class who claim to be sanctified while
living in transgression of the law of God. " He that saith,
I know Him, and kecpeth not his commandments, is a liar,
and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word,
in him verily is the love of God perfected."* Here is the
test of every man's profession. We cannot accord holiness
to any man without bringing him to the measurement of
God's only standard of holiness in Heaven and in earth.
If men feel no weight of the moral law, if they belittle and

' James 2 : 14-24. » 1 John 3:6. » 1 John 2 : 4, 5.

MODERN REVIVALS.

473

make light of God's precepts, if tliey break one of tlie least
of these commandments, and teach men so, they shall be of
no esteem in the sight of Heaven, and we may know that
their claims are without foundation.

And the claim to bo without sin is, in itself, evidence that
he who makes this claim is far from holy. It is because he
has no true conception of the infinite purity and holiness of
God, or of what they must become who shall be in harmony
with his character; because he has no true conception of the
jiurity and exalted loveliness of Jesus, and the malignity
and evil of sin, that man can regard himself as holy. The
greater the distance between himself and Christ, and the
more inadequate liis conceptions of the divine character and
requirements, the more righteous he a{)]>cars in his own eyes.

The sanctification set forth in the Scrii)tures embraces the
entire being, — spirit, soul, and body. Paul prayed iov the
Thessalonians, that their "whole s})irit and soul and body
be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ."^ Again he writes to believers, "I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye i)resent
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God."'^
In the time of ancient Israel, every offering brought as a
sacrifice to G'^d was carefully examined. If any defect was
discovered in the animal presented, it was refused; for God
had commanded that the offering be " without blemish."
So Christians are bidden to present their bodies, "a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God." In order to do this,
all their powers must be preserved in the best possible con-
dition. Every practice that weakens physical or mental
strength unfits man for the service of his Creator. And
will CJod be i)lease(l with anything less than the best we can
offer? Said Christ, "Thou shalt lovo the Lord thy God
with all thy heart." Those who do love God with all the
heart, will desire to give him the best service of their life,
and they will be constantly seeking to bring every power

UThesB. 5:23. » Rom. 12:1.

474

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

of their being into liarmony with tliC laws that will promote
their ability to do his will. They will not, by the indulgence
of appetite or passion, enfeeble or defile liie offering which
they present to their heavenly Father.

Says Peter, " Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against
the soul." ' Every sinful gratification tends to benumb the
faculties and deaden the mental and spiritual perceptions,
and the Word or the Spirit of God can make but a feeble
impression upon the heart. Paul writes to the Corinthians,
"Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and
spirit, perfe^^ing holiness in the fear of God."'^ And with
the fruits of the Spirit, — "love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness," — he classes temper-
ance.*

Notwithstanding these inspired declarations, how many
professed Christians are enfeebling their i)o\vers in the pur-
suit of gain or the worship of fashion; how many are de-
basing their godlike manhood by gluttony, by wine-drinking,
by forbidden pleasure. And the church, instead of rebuking,
too often encourages the evil by appealing to cppetite, to
desire for gain, or love of pleasure, to replenish her treasury,
which love for Christ is too feeble to supply. Were Jesus
to enter the churches of to-day, and behold the feasting and
unholy traffic there conducted in the name of religion,
would he not drive out those desecrators, as ho banisned the
money-changers from the temple?

The apostle James declares that the wisdom from above
is "first pure." Had he encountered those who take the
precious name of Jesus u[)on lips defiled by tobacco, those
whose breath and person are contaminated by its foul odor,
and who pollute the air of heaven, and force all about them
to inhale the poison, — had the apostle come in contact with
a practice so opposed to the purity of the gospel, would he
not have denounced it as "earthly, sensual, devilisli"?
Slaves of tobacco, claiming the blessing of entire sanctifi-

1 1 Pet. 2:11. « 2 Cor. 7:1. » Gal. 5 : 22, 23.

MODERN REVIVALS.

475

cation, talk of their hope of Heaven ; but God's Word phiinly
declares that "there shall in nowise enter into it anything
that defileth." '

"Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy
Ghost which is in you, which yo have of God, and ye are
not your own? for ye are bought with a price; therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are
God's." '^ He whose body is the temple of the Holy Spirit
will not be enslaved by a pernicious habit. His powers
belong to Christ, who has bought him with the price of
blood. His property is the Lord's. How could he be guilt-
less in squandering this intrusted capital? Professed Chris-
tians yearly expend an immense sum upon useless and per-
nicious indulgences, while souls are perishing for the word
of life. God is robbed in tithes and offerings, while they
consume upon the altar of destroying lust more than they
give to relieve the poor or for the support of the gospel. If
all who profess to be followers of Christ were truly sanctified,
their means, instead of being spent for needless and even
hurtful indulgences, would be turned into the Lord's treasury,
and Christians would set an example of temperance, self-
denial, and self-sacrifice. Then they would be the light of
the world.

The world is given up to self-indulgence. "The lust of
the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life," control
the masses of the people. But Christ's followers have a
holier calling. "Come out from among them, and be ye
separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean." In
the light of God's Word we are justified in declaring that
sanctification cannot be genuine w^liich does not work this
utter renunciation of the sinml pursuits and gratifications
of the world.

To those who comply with the conditions, Come out
from among them, and be yo separate, and touch not the
unclean, God's promise is, " I will receive you, and will

1 Rev. 21:27. « 1 Cor. 6 : 19, 20.

476

TIIJi: GREAT CONTROVERSY.

be a Father unto you^ and ye shall bo my sons and
daughters, saith the Lord Ahiiiglity.'" It is the privilege
and the dutv of every Christian to have a rich and abundant
experience in the things of God. " I am the light of the
world," srid Jesus. "He that followeth me shall not walk
in darkness, but shall have the light of life." ^ "The path
of the just is as tlio sinning light, that shineth mf)ro and
more unto the perfect day."^ Every step of faith and obe-
dience brings tlio soul into closer connection with the Light
of the world, in whom "there is no darkness at all." The
bright beai."" of the Sun of Righteousness shine upon the
servants of God, and tlu^v are to reflect his ravs. As the
stars tell us that there is a great light in Heaven with whose
glory they are made bright, so Christians are to make it
manifest that there is a God on the throne of the universe
whose character is worthy of praise and imitation. The
graces of his Spirit, the pUrity and holiness of his character,
will bo manifest in liis witnesses.

Paul, in his letter to the Colossians, sets forth the rich
blessings granted to the children of God. He says: Wv>
" do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might
be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and
spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the
Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work,
and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengt^^ened with
all might, according to Iiis glorious ])ower, unto all patience
and long-suffering with joyfulness." *

Again he writes of his desire that the brethren at Ephcsus
m'ght come to understand the height of the Christian's
privilege. He opens before them, in the most comprehensive
language, the inarvelous })owcr and knowledge that they
might possess as sons and daughters of tlie Most High. It
was theirs "to be strengthened with miglit l)y his Spirit in
the inner man," to be "rooted and grounded in love," to
" comprehend A^'itli all saints what is the breadth, and length,.

» 2 Cor. G : 17, 18. » John 8:12. » Prov. 4:18. * Col. 1 : 9-11.

MODERN REVIVALS.

477

and depth, and heiglit; and to know t)ie love of Christ, which
passeth knowledge." But the prayer of the apostle reaches
the climax of privilege when he prays that "ye might be
filled with all the fullness of God." '

Hero are revealed the heights of attainment that we may
reach through faith in the promises of our licaveidy Father,
when we fulfill his requirements. Tlirough the merits of
Christ, wo have access to the throne of infinite power. "lie
that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us
all, how shall he not with lii:n also freely give us all things?"^
The Fat', 3r gave his Spirit without measure to his Son, and
we also may partake of its fullness. Jesus says: " If ye then,
being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children,
how much more shall your lieavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to them that ask him?"^ " If yo shall ask anything
in my name, I will do it." " Ask, and ye sliall receive, that
your joy may be full."*

While the Christian's life will be characterized bv humil-
ity, it should not bo marked with sadness and self-deprecia-
tion. It is ti}e privilege of every one to so live that God
will ap})rove and bless him. It is not the will of our heav-
enly Father that we should be ever under condemnation and
darkness. There is no evidence of true liumility in going
with the head bowed down and the heart filled with thoughts
of self. We may go to Jesus and be cleansed, and stand be-
fore the law without shame and remorse. " Tliere is there-
fore now no condemnation to them wliich are in Clirist
Jesus, who walk not after the flesli, but after the Spirit." ^

Tlirough Jesus the fallen sons of Adam become " sons of
God." "Both ho tliat sanctifietii and they that are sanctiiied
are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call
them brethren." " The Christian's life should bo one of
faith, of victory, and joy in God. " Whatsoever is born of
God overcometh the world; and tliis is the victory that over-

» Eph. 3 : 16-19.
'John 14:14; 1G:24.

2 Rom. 8:32.
Htom.8:l.

s Luke 11:13.
8Heb. 2:11.

478

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

Cometh the world, even our faith." ' Truly spake God's
servant Nohemiah, " The^'o?/ of the Lord is your strength." '
And says Paul: "Rejoice in the Lord alway; and again I
say, Rejoice." "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing.
In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus concerning you." *

Such are the fruits of Bihle conversion and sanctification ;
and it is because the great principles of righteousness set
forth in the law of God are so indifferently regarded by the
Christian world, that these fruits are so rarely witnessed.
Tins is why there is manifest so little of that deep, abiding
work of the Spirit of God which marked revivals in former
years.

It is by beholding that we become changed. And as those
sacred precepts in which God has opened to men the perfec-
tion and holiness of his character are neglected, and the
minds of the people are attracted to human teachings and
theories, what marvel that there has followed a decline of
living piety in the church. Saith the Lord, " They have
forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them
out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."*

" Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the
ungodly. . . . But his delight is in the law of the Lord;
and in his hwv doth he meditate day and night. And he
shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that
bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not
wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."* It is
only as the law of God is restored to its rightful position
that there can be a revival of primitive faith and godli-
ness among his professed people. "Thus saith the Lord,
Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths,
where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find
rest for your souls." ®

1 1 John 5:4. 2 Neh. 8:10. » phii_ 4 : 4 ; 1 Thess. 5 : 16-18.
* Jer. 2 : 13. * Ps. 1 : 1-3. « Jer. G : 16.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE INVESTIGATIVK JUDG.vIENT.

"I BEHELD," says the propliot Daniel, "till thrones were
■j)laced, and One that was ancient of days did sit. His rai-
ment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure
wool; his throne was fiery flames, and the wheels thereof
burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from
before him; thousand thousan<ls ministered unto liini, and
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him ; the
Judgment was set, and the books were o[)eneil." '

Thus was presented to the }>r()j>het's vision the great and
solemn day wIk^u the characters and the livesof men should
pass in review before the. Judge of all the earth, and to every
man should be rendered "according to his works." Ihe
Ancient of days is God the Father. Says the psahiiist,
"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou
hadst formed the earth an<l the world, even from everlasting
to everlasting, thou art (iod."^ It is he, the source of all
being, and the fountain of all law, that is to preside in the
Judgment. And holy angels, as ministers and witnesses, in
number " ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands
of thousands," attend this great tribunal.

"And, behold, one like the Son of man came with the
clou<ls of Ueaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and Ihey
brought him near before liim. And there was given him
dominion, and glory, and akingdom, that all people, nations,
and languages, slK)uld serve him; his dominion is an ever-
lasting dominion, which shall not pass away."" The coming
of Christ here described is not his second coming to the

» Dan. 7 : 9, 10, Revised Version. - Ph. 90 : 2. ^ y)a,i. 7 ; 13, 14.
35 ('*T9)

\..!.l:l:fj;K^

480

TUE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

Oiirth. IIo comes to the Ancient of days in Heaven to receive
(loininion, and ^lorv, and a kingdom, which will be given
liim at the close of his work as a mediator. It is this com-
ing, and not liis second advent to the earth, that was foretold
in prophecy to take place at the termination of the 2300
days, in 1844. Attended by heavenly angels, onr great High
I'ri; sL enters the holy of Jiolics, and there a[)pears in the
1, •\' ev.'ie of God, to engage in the last acts of liis ministration
' . be i; 'f of man, — to perform the work of investigative
Judgnu'i'' .md to make an atonement for all who are shown
to be entitled to its benefits.

In the typical service, only those who had come before
God with confession and repentance, and whose sins, through
the blo(jd of the sin-ollering, were transferred to the sanct-
uary, liad a part in the service of the day of atonement. So
in the great day of final atonement and investigative Judg-
ment, tiie only cases considered are those of the professed
people of God. The judgment of the wicked is a distinct
and separate work, and takes place at a later period. " Judg-
ment must begin at the house of God; and if it first be-
gin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the
gos{)el? " '

The books of record in Heaven, in which tlie names and
the deeds of men are registered, are to determine the decis-
ions of the Judgment. Says the i)roi)het Daniel, " The Judg-
ment was set, and the l»ooks were opened." The Revelator,
describing the same scene, adds, "Another book was opened,
which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of
those things which were written in the books, according to
their works."'

The book of life contains the names of all who have ever
entered the service of God. Jesus bade his disciples, " Re-
joice, because your names are written in Heaven."^ Paul
speaks of his faithful fellow-workers, " whose names are in
the book of life.'' * Daniel, looking down to " a time of

' 1 ret. 4 : 1 7. - Rev. 20 : 12. 3 Luke 10 : 20. * Phil. 4 : 3.

TIII'J INVKSTKIATIVI': Ji'DfJMEXT.

4S\

troublo, such us never was," declares that God's people shall
bo delivered, "everyone that shall bo found \ !tten in the
book." ' And the Revelator says tluit those omi 7 shall enter
the city of (lod whose names "are written in the r.ainb's
book of life."'

" A book of remembrance " is written before God, in which
are recorded the ^^ood deeds of " them that feared the Lord,
and that thouj;ht upon his name."^ Their words of faith,
their acts of love, are registered in Heaven. Neheniiah
refers to this when he says, " Uemember me, O my God,
. . . and wipe not o my good deeds that 1 have done
for the house of my God." " In the book of God's remem-
brance every <leed of 1 /hteousness is immortalized. There
every temptation resisted, every evil overcome, every word of
tender pity expressed, ' j faithfully chronicled. And every
act of sacrilice, ev -y suffering and sorrow endured for
Christ's sake, is recorded. ^Says the i)salmist, " Thou tellest
my wanderings. Put thou my tears into tliy bottle; are
they not in thy book?'"

There is a record also of the sins of men. " For God sliall
bring every work into Judgment, with every secret thing,
whether it be good, or whether it be evil."" "Every idle
word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof
in the day of Judgment." Said the .Saviour, " J>y thy words
thou shalt bo justified, and by thy words thou shalt be con-
demned."' The secret purposes and motives appear in the
unerring register; for God "will bring to liglit the liidden
things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the
hearts."* "Behold, it is written before me, . . . your
ini(piities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith
the Lord."'

Every man's work pas.sos in review before God, and is
registered for faithfulness or unfaithfulness. Opposite each

> Dan. 12:1. Miev. 21:27.

<Neh. 13:14. ^Ps. 56:8.

'Matt. ]•-' :3<i, 37. n Cor. 4:5.

sMal. 3:1G.
« Keel. 12 : 14.
sisa. 65:6, 7.

482

THE GREAT CONTROVERHl'.

name in the l>()okH of Heaven is entered, with terrible exact-
ness, every wrong word, every selfish aet, every unfultilled
duty, and every seeret sin, with every artful disseml)lin^.
Heaven-sent warnings or reproofs negl(H'te<l, wasted moments,
unimproved opportunities, tlie influence exerted for good or
for evil, with its far-reaehing results, nil are ehronieled hy
the recording aiigel.

The law of God is the standard ])y wiiieh the rharacters
and the lives of men will be tested in the Judgment. Says
the wise man: "Fear (lod, and keep his eommaudments;
for this is the whole duty of man. Vov (Jod shall bring
every work into Judgment.'" The apostle James admon-
ishes his brethren, " So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall
be judged by the law of liberty."^

Those who in the Judgment are " accounted worthy," will
have a part in the resurrection of the just. Jesus said,
"They which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that
world, and the resurrection from the dead, . . . are
equal unto the angels; and are the children of (rod, being
the children of the resurrection."' And again he declares
that "they that have done good" shall come forth "unto
the resurrection of life."* The righteous dead will not be
raised until after the Judgment at which they are accounted
worthy of " the resurrection of life." Hence they will not
be present in person at the tribunal when their records are
examined, and their cases decided.

Jesus will appear as their advocate, to plead in their
behalf before God. " If any man sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."* " For Christ
is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which
are the figures of the true; but into J leaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us." " Wherefore he is
able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God
by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."*

1 Eccl. 12 : 13, 14.
« John 5 : 29.

'^ James 2 : 12.
M John 2:1.

=* Luke 20: 35, .36.
«Hcb. 9:24; 7:25.

rilK LWKSTiaA TIVE .UDdMKNT.

488

Ah the books of roconl jiro opened in tho Judgment, tho
lives of till wlio luivo believed on JesuH conio in review
before God. 1^'ginning with those who first lived upon tho
earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each sucret^ssive
generation, and closes with the living. Every name is
mentionecl, every {;ase closely investigated. Names are ac-
c*ej)ted, names rejected. When any have sins renuiining
upon the hooks of record, unrepente<l of and iniforgiven,
their names will be blotted out of the book of life, and tho
record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of
God's remembrance. The Lord declared to Moses, "Who-
soever liath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my
book." ' And says the }»rophet Kzekiel, " When the righteous
turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth in-
ifjuity, . . . all his righteoustiess that he hath done
shall not be mentioned." "

All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed
the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon
entere<l against their names in the books of Heaven; as they
liave become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and
their characters are found to be in harmony with the law
of (Jod, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves
will 1)0 accounted worthy of eternal life. Tho Lord declares,
by the prophet Lsaiah, " I, even I, am he that blotteth out
thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember
thy sins." ' Said Jesus, " He that overcometh, the same
shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out
his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name
before my Father, and before his angels." " Whosoever there-
fore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also
before my Father which is in Heaven. But whosoever
shall deny mc before men, him will I also deny before my
Father which is in Heaven."*

The deepest interest manifested among men in the de-

^ Ex. 32:33. »Eze. 18:24.

*Rev. 3:5; Matt. 10:32. '\7,.

» Isa. 43 : 25.

484

Tin: URKAT COSmoVJJR'SV.

cisioiiH of oartlily tribunals Imt faintly rcjU'cHOiitH the intorost
evinced in the heavenly courts when the names entered in
the ljooi< ot" life come up in review hclbre the Judj^e of all
tho earth. The divine intereessor presents the plea that all
who hav(! overcome throUi;h faith in his Mood he f'or^^iven
tlieir trans^^ressions, that they he restored to their K(l(«n
home, and crowned as Joint-heirs with himself to the "first
dominion.'" Satan, in his efl'orts to deceive and tempt our
riic(\ had lhou;j,ht to frustrate the divme ])lan in man's
en^ation; ])ut Christ now asks that this jilan he carried into
ellect, as if niiin had never fallen. Jle asks for his i)eoi)lo
not only ])ar(lon and justification, full and complete, hut a
share in liis ^loiy jnul a seat upon his throne.

While Jesus is j)leadin^' for the snhj(>ets of his ^race, Satan
accuses them hefore ( iod as transgressors. Tho jj;reat de-
ceiver lias sought to lead them into skepticism, to cause
them to lose confidence in (iod, to .s'parate them.selves from
his love, and to break his law. Now he points to the record
of their lives, to the defects of character, the unlikeness to
Christ, wdiich has dishonored their Redeemer, to all the sins
that ho lias tem})ted them to connnit, and heeau.se of these
ho claims them as liis subjects.

Jesus does not excuse their sin.s, but shows their penitence
and faith, and, claiming for them forgivenes.s, he lifts liis
M'ounded hands before tho Father and the holy angels, say-
ing, "I know them by nam(>. I have graven them on tho
palms of my hands. 'The sacrifices of (iod are a broken
s])irit; a broken and a contrite lieart, Ciod, thou wilt not
desi)ise."' '^ And to the accuser of his ])e(j])le he dechires,
"The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath
chosen Jerusalem rel)uke thee. Is not this a brand ])luekcd
out of tho fire?"* Christ will clothe his faithful ones with
his own righteousness, that he may })resent them to his
Father "a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or
any such thing."* Their names stand enrolled in the book

iMicah4:8.

^Ps. 51:17. ^Zech. 3:2. 'Eph. 5:27.

TJJi: jyvKSTiaATivi: jf'DnMFXT.

'\^:%

of life, and ronconiinp tliom it is writtrn, "Tliov fhiill walk
with iiic ill wliitc; for tliry arc worliiy.'"

Tims will lu! rcali/cij tlu' coiiipli'li' f'lillillmciit of tlic new-
covenant promise, " F will Torsive tlieir iiii<|nily, and I will
renieinber tiieir sin no monv" "In lii(»s(> days, and in that
timo, saith the i,ord, the ini(|nity (»f Israel shall he sought
for, and there* shall hv none; and the sins of Jndah, and
they shall n<tt hefonnd."^ "In that day shall the hraneli
of tli(» Lord he heautifnl and glorious, and the frnil of tho
earth shall he excellent and comely for them that ai'e escaped
of Israel. And it shall eoiiie to piiss, that he that is left in
Zion, and la* that remainelh in .lerusalem, shall 1k( called
holy, eve!i every one that is written anions the lixin;; in
Jernsalem.'"*

The work of the investigative Judgment and the hlottinp
out of sins is to he accomplished hi'forc* tlu* second advent of
tho Lord, Since the dead are to be jud^'d out of the things
wi'itten in the Ixtoks, it is impossihk' that the sins of men
should he blotted out until after the Judgment at which their
cases are to beinv(>stigated. lUit the apostle Peter distinctly
states that tlu* sins of believers will he blotted out, " when
tho tim(\s of refreshing shall come from the j)resence of tho
Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ.''* When the investi-
gative Judgment closes, Chri.st will come, and his reward i.s
with Inm to give to every man as his work shall he.

In the typical service the high ])riest, having made tho
atonement for Israel, came forth and blessed the congregation.
So Christ, at the close of his work asa mediator, will ap|)ear,
"without sin unto salvation,''^ to bless his waiting peoplo
with eternal life. As tho priest, in removing the sins from
tho sanctuary, confessed then) upon the head of the scape-
goat, so Christ will place all these sins upon Satan, the orig-
inator and instigator of sin. The sca[)e-goat, be.'U'ing tho
sins of Israel, was sent away "unto a land not iniiabited; ""
so Satan, bearing the guilt of all tl>e sins which he has

•Rev. 3:4. « Jer. 31 :34; 60 :20 »l8a.4:2, 3.

♦Acta 3 : 10, 20. * Heb. 9 : 28. « Lev. 16 : 22.

486

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

caused God's people to coniiuit, Avill bo for a thousand years
confined to the earth, which will then bo desolate, without
inhabitant, and he will at last suirer the full penalty cf
sin, in the fires that shall destroy all the wicked. Thus
the great plan of redemption will reach its accomplishment
5n the final eradication of sin, and the deliverance of all
Avho have been willing to renounce evil.

At the time appoinled for the Judgment — the close of tho
2300 days, in 1K44 — began tho work of investigation and
blotting out of sins. All who have ever taken upon ther.i-
selves the name of Christ must jiass its searching scrutiny.
Both the living and the dead are to be judged "out of those
things which were written in the books, jiccording to their
works."

Sins that have not been repented of and forsaken will not
be pardoned, and blotted out of the books of record, but will
stand to witness against the sinner in the day of God. IIo
may have committed his evil deeds in the light of day or in
the darkness of night; but they were open and manifest
before Him with whom we have to do. Angels of God wit-
nessed each sin, and registered it in the unerring records.
Sin may bo concealed, denied, covered up from father, mother,
wife, children, and associates. Ko one but the- guilty actois
may cherish the least suspicion of tho wrong; but it is laid
bare before the intelligences of Heaven. The darkness of
the darkest night, the secrecy of all deceptive arts, is not
suflicient to veil one thought from the knowledge of the
Eternal. God has an exact record of every unjust account
and every unfair dealing. Ho is not deceived by appear-
ances of piety. He makes no mistakes in his estimation of
character. !Men may be deceived by those who are corrupt
in lieart, but God pierces m11 disguises, and reads the inner
life.

How solemn is the thought ! Day after day, passing into
eternity, bears its burden of records for the books of Heaven.
Words once spoken, deeds once done, can never be recalled.

Angels have registered both the good and tlie evil. The
mightiest coniiueror upon the earth cannot call back the
record of even a single day. Our acts, our words, even our
most secret motives, all have their weight in deciding our
destiny tor weal or woe. Though they may be forgotten by
us, they will bear their testimony to justify or to condemn.

As the features of the countenance are reproduced with
unerring accuracy on the poli.^hed })late of the artist, so the
character is faithfully delineated in the books above. Yet
l>ow little solicitude is felt concerning that record which is to
meet the gaze of heavenly beings. Could the veil which
sei)arates the visil)le from the invisible world be ^ wept back,
and ihe children of men behold an angel recoi-ding every
word and deed, which they nuist me(^t again in tiie Judg-
ment, how many words that are daily uttered would remain
unspoken; how numy deeds would remain undone.

In the Judgment, the use made of every talent will be
scrutinized. How have we employed the capital lent us of
Heaven? Will the Lord at his coming receive his own with
usury? Have we improved the powers intrusted us, in hand
and heart and brain, to the glory of God and the blessing of
the world? How have we used our time, our pen, our voict>,
our money, our intluence? What have we done for Christ,
in the person of the poor, the attlicted, the orphan, or the
widow? God has made us the de})0sitary of his holy Word;
what have we done with the light and truth given us to
make men wise unto salvation? No value is attached to a
mere profession of faith in Christ; only the love which is
shown by works is counted genuine. Yet it is love alone
which in the sight of Heaven makes any act of value.
AVhatever is done from love, however small it may appear
in the estimation of men, is accepted and rewarded of G:)d.

The hidden selfishness of men stands revealed in the
books of Heaven. Thei-e is the record of unfulfilled duties
to their fellow-men, of forget fulness of the Saviour's claims.
There they will see how often were given to Satan the time,

i'.i. :■'

i ' '!

r'i!

488

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

thought, and strongtli that belonged to Christ. Sad is the
record whicli angels bear to Heaven. Intelligent beings,
professed followcTs of Christ, are absorbed in tlie acfjuirc;-
nient of worldly possessions, or the enjoyment of earthly
pleasures, ]\Ioncy, time, and strength are sacrificed for dis-
play and self-indulgence; but few are the moments devoted
to prayer, to the searching of the Scriptures, to humiliation
of soul and confession of sin.

Satan mvents unnund)ered schemes to occupy our minds
tllat they may not dwell U])on the very work with which we
ought to be best acquainted. The arch-deceiver hates the
great truths that bring to view an atoning sacrifice and an
all-i)0werful j\rediator. He knows that with him everything
depends on his diverting minds from Jesus and his truth.

Those who would share the benefits of the Saviour's
mediation should permit nothing to interfere with their
duty to perfect holiness in the f(>ar of (}od. The precious
hours, instead of being given to pleasure, to display, or to
gain-seeking, should be devoted to an earnest, prayerful
study of the AVord of truth. The subject of the sanctuary
and the investigative Judgment should be clearly under-
stood by the people of (iod. All need a knowledge for
themselves of the position and \voi"k of their great High
Priest. Otherwise, it will be imjjossible for them to exercise
the faith which is essential at this time, or to occupy the
])Osition which Cod designs them to fill. Every individual
has a soul to save or to lose. JCach has a ca.se pending at
the bar of God. Each nmst meet the great Judge face to
face. How ini[)ortant, tiien, that every mind contemplate
often the solemn scene when the Judgment shall sit and
the books shall be opened, when, with Daniel, every indi-
vidual must stand in his lot, at the end of the days.

All who have received the light upon these subjects are
to bear testimony of the great truths which Cod has com-
mitted to them. The sanctuary in Heaven is the very center
of Christ's work in behalf of men. It concerns every soul

THE nWKSTIGA TIVE JUDGMENT,

489

living upon the earth. Tt opens to view the i)lun of re-
dem})tion, bringing us 'lown to tho very elose of time, and
revealing the triumphant issue of tlie eontest between right-
eousness and sin. It is of the utmost importanee that all
should thoroughly investigate these su1)jeets, and be al)lo
to give an answer to every one tliat asketli thcnn a reason
of the hope that is in them.

The intercession of Christ in man's behalf in ihe sanctuary
above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was his death
upon the cross. By his death he began that work which
after his resnrrection he ascended to complete i i n(>av(>n.
We must by faith enter within the veil, " whither the fore-
runner is for us entered.'"' There the light from tho cross
of Calvary is reflected. There wq may gain a cleans in-
sight into the mysteries of redemjttion. The salvation of
man is accomplished at an infinite expense to Heaven; tlie
sacrifice made is equal to the broadest demands of the broken
law of God. Jesus has opened the way to the Father's
throne, and through his mediation the sincere desii'o of all
who come to him in laith may bo presented before God.

"He that cover3th his sins shall not prosper; but whoso
confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercv."'^ If those
who hide and excuse their faults could see how Satan exults
over th(>m, how he taunts Christ and holy angels with their
course, thev would make haste to confess their sins and to
put them away. Tiu'ongh defects in the character, 8atan
works to gain control of the whole riind, and he knows that
if these defects are cherished, he wni nicceed. Therefore ho
is constantly seeking to deceive the followers of Christ with
his fatal sophistry that it is impossible for them to overcome.
But Jesus pleads in their l)ehalf Ids wounded hands, his
bruir.ed body; and he declares to all who would follow him,
"My grace is sufficient for thee."* "Take my yoke ui)on
you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart;
and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy,

1 Heb. 6 : 20. •' Prov . 28 : 1 3. » 2 Cor. 12:9.

'M I

'!'

490

THE GREAT COXTIiOVEFST,

and my burden is light.'" Let none, then, regard their
defects as incurable. God will give faith and grace to over-
come them.

We ni'e now living in the great day of atoneme? t. In the
typical service, while the high priest was making the atone-
ment for Israel, all were recjuired to afflict tli:.'ir souls by
repentance'of sin and humiliation before the Lord, lest tlit"
be cut off" from among tiie peoi)le. In like manner, all who
would have tlu'ir names retained in the book of life, should
now, in the few remaining days of their probation, afflict
their souls before God by sorrow for sin, and true repentance.
There must be deep, faithful searching of heart. The light,
frivolous s})irit indulged by so many of professed Christians
must be put away. There is earnest warfare before all who
would subdue the evil tendencies that stride for the mastery.
The work of preparation is an incHvidual work. We are
not saved in groui)S. The purity and devotion of one will
not offset the want of these qualities in another. Though
all nations are to pass in judgment before God, yet he will
examine the case of each individual wiih as close and search-
ing scrutiny as if there were not another being upon the
earth. Every one must be tested, and found without s})ot
or wrinkle or an ..n< a thing.

Solenui are the jt .nes connected with the closing work
of the atonement. Momentous are the interests involved
therein. The Judgment is now passing in tlie sanctuary
above. For more than forty vears tiiis work has been in
I)rogress. Soon — none know how soon — it will pass to the
eases of the living. In the awful presence of God our lives
are to come up in review. At this time above all others it
behooves every soul to heed the Saviour's admonition,
"Watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is."'
''If ther(>fore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a
thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon
thee.' '

niatt. 11 :29, .SO.

■' Mark 13 : 33.

» Rev. 3:3.

.\]

*. >if-'^')-^

THE JNVESTIGA TlVr. JCDGMK.sT.

4yi

Wlion the work of tlie investigative; Judginoiit 'loses, the
destiny of all will have been decided for life or f''\:ih. JPro-
bution is ended a short time before the aj)pe, • ng a'\ tho
Lord in the clouds of heaven. Ciirist in the xievelation^
looking forward to that time, declares: "Jle tluit is unjust,
let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him b&
filthy still; an 1 he that is righteous, let him ])e righteous^
still; and he tnat is holy, U't him be holy still. And, be-
hold, I come ([uickly; and my reward is with me, to give
every man according as his work shall be.'"'

The righteous and the wicked will .still be living U})on the
earth in tlieir mortal state — men will be plcnting and build-
ing, eating and drinking, all uncon.scious that the final,
irrevocable decision has been pronounced in the sanctuary
above. ]>efore the Hood, after Noah entered the ark, God
shut him in, and shut the ungodly out; but for seven days
the people, knowing not that their doom was fixed, continued
their careless, pleasure-loving life, and mocked tl\e warnings
of im})ending judgment. " So," says the Saviour, "sliall also
the coming of the Son of man be.'" '^ Silently, unnoticed as
the midnight thief, will come the decisis < hour wMch marks
tlie fixing of every man's destiny, the 11 \\\ v» i^bdrawal of
mercv's offer to guilt v men.

"Watch ye therefore; . . . lest > xning suddenly He
find you sleeping.'"* Perilous is the condition of thobc; who,
growing weary of their watch, turn to tlie a! ■ ructions of the
world. While the man of business is ai>so»'bed in the pur-
suit of gain, while the pleasure-lover is sec^king indulgence,
while the daughter of fashion is arranging her adornments,
— it may be in that iiour the Judge of all the earth will
pronounce the sentence, ''Thou art weigiied in the balances^
and art found wanting.'"*

i Kev. 22 : 11, li ' Matt. 24 : 39. ^ Mark 13 : 35, 3(i. * Dan. 5 : 27.

''iH'-^/t*. iJMllff¥VAim>it

i ..-i^ftir^

■

aLU

CHAPTER XXIX.

THK ORIGIN OK !• VIL.

To ^r.vxY minds, tlic origin of sin and II10 reason for its
exisli^iKH! iii'o a source of givat jjcrplexity. They see the
work of evil, with its tcrril)le results of woo and desolation,
and they question how all this can exist under the sov-
ereignly of One who is infinite in Avisdoni, in power, and
in love. Here is a mystery, of which they find no expla-
nation. An<l in their uncertainty and doubt, they are
blinded to truths jjlainly revealed in Cod's AVord, and es-
sential to salvation. There are those who, in their inquiries
concerning the exi ''ence of sin, endeavor to search into that
Avhieh God has never revealed; hence they find no solution
of their difiiculties; and such as arc actuated by a disposition
to doubt and cavil, seize ujmn this as an excuse for rejecting
the words of Holy AVrit. Others, liowevcr, fail of a satis-
factory understanding of the great }»roblem of evil, from the
fact that tradition and misinterpretation have obscured the
teaching of the I)ible concerning the character of God, the
nature of his go\-ei'mnent, and th(> principles of his dealing
with sin.

It is impossible to so explain the origin of sin as to give
a. reason for its existence. Yet enough may bo understood
concerning both the origin and the final disposition of sin,
to fully make manifest the justice and benevolence of God
in all his dealings with evil. Nothing is more plainly
taught in Scri|)turo than that God was in nowise resj)onsible
for the entrance of sin; that there was no arbitrary with-
drawal of divine gi-ace, no deficiency in the divine govern-
ment, that gave occasion for the uprising of rebellion. Siu
(492)

THE ORIGIN OF EVIL.

493

is ail intruder, ior wliosu presence no reason can l)o f^ivcn.
It is mysterious, unaeeountaMe; to excuse it, is to defend it.
Could excuse for it bo found, or cause be sbown for its ex-
istence, it would cease to be sin. Our only deiinition of sin
is tluit given in the Word of (iod; it is "the transgression
of the law;" it is the outworking of a principle at war Avitli
the great law of love which is tlie foundation uf the divine
government.

Before the entrance of evil, there; was j)cace and joy
throughout the universe*. All was in perfect liarmony with
the Creator's will. Love for God was supreme, love for ono
another impartial. Christ the AVord, the only begotten of
Ciod, was one with the eternal l-'ather, — one in natur(>, in
cliarticter, and in purpose, — the only being in all the universe
that coidd enter into all the counsels and purposes of (Jod.
By Christ, the Father wrought in the creation of all heavenly
beings. "By him were all things created, that are in Heaven,
. . . whether they be thrones, or dominions, or princi-
palities, or j)0wers;"^ and to Christ, ecjually with tlie leather,
idl Heaven gave allegianci'.

The law of love being the foundation of the government
of God, the happiness of all created beings d(>pended upon
their perfect accord with its great principles of righteousness.
God desires from all his creatures the service of love, —
homage that springs from an intelHgent aj)})reciation of his
charactiU'. lie takes no pleasure in a forced allegiance, and
to all he grants freedom of will, that they may render him
voluntary servic(\

But there was one tb. i, chose to jxTvert this freedom.
Sin originated with him, who, next to Christ, had been
most honored of God, and who stood highest in power and
glory among the inhabitants of Heaven. Before his fall,
Lucifer was first of the covering cherubs, holy and undetiled.
"Thus saith the Lord God: Thou sealest up the sum, full
of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden
the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering."

ifol. 1 :1G.

494

Tni: GREAT CONTROVERSY.

"Thou art the tinointod clitTub that covereth ; ami 1 liavc
set tliee so; tliou wnst upon the holy mountaiu of God; thou
liast walked up and <lo\vn in the midst of the stones of tire.
Thou wast perfect in thy ways fron) the day that thou wast
created, till iniquity was found in thee."'

Lucifer mi^lit have remained in favor Avith God, l)eloved
and honored hy all tlie angelic liost, exercising his nohlo
powei's to bless others and to glorify his Maker. But, says
tlie })rophet, " Thine lieart was lifted uji because of thy beauty,
thou luist corrupted thy Avisdom by reason of thy bright-
ness."^ Little by little, Lucifer came to indulge a desire for
self-exaltation. " Thou liast set thine heart as the heart of
Ciod." "Thou hast said: ... I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God; I will sit also u})on the mount of
the congregation." "I will ascend above the heights of the
clouds; I will be like the Most Iligh."'^ Listead of seeking
to make God su})reme in the allections and allegiance of his
creatures, it was Lucifer's endeavor to Avin their service and
liomage to himself. And, coA'cting the honor Avhich the
infinite Father had bestoAved \ipon his Hon, this prince of
angels aspired to j)ower Avhich it Avas the [>rerogative of
Ciirist alone to Avield.

All HeaA'en had rejoiced to i-cHect the Cn^ator's glory and
to shoAV forth his i)raise. And Avhile God Avas thus lionored,
all had been peace and gladness. But a note of discord noAV
nuirred the celestial harmonies. The service and exaltation
of self, contrary to the Creator's plan, awakeni>d forebodings
of eAdl in minds to Avhom God's glory Avas supreme. The
hea\'enly councils pleaded Avith Lucifer. The Son of God
presented before him the greatness, the goodness, and the
justice of the Creator, and the sacred, unchanging nature
of his laAV. God himself had established the order of Ilea A'en ;
and in departing from it, Lucifer AA'ould dishonor his Maker,
and bring ruin upon himself. But the Avarning, giA'en in
infinite love and mercy, only aroused a sj)irit of resistance.

» Eze. 28 : 12-15, 1 7. '' K/a-. 2S : 6; Isa. 14 : l.S. 14.

Lucifer allowed jealousy of Christ to prevail, and he became
tho more determined.

Pride in his own glory nourished the desire for supremacy.
The high honors conferred ui)on Lucifer were not apj)re-
ciuted as the gift of God, and called forth no gratitude to
the Creator. He gloried in his brightness and exaltation,
and aspired to be equal with God. lie; was beloved and
reverLiUced by the heavenly host. Angels delighted to exe-
cute his commands, and he was clothed with wisdom and
glory above them all. Yet tho Son of God was the acknowl-
€dged sovereign of Heaven, one in power and auihority with
the Father. In all the counsels of God, Christ was a par-
ticipant, while Lucifer was not permitted thus to enter into
the divine purposes. "Why," questioned this mighty angel,
"siiould Christ have the supremacy? Why is he thus hon-
ored above Lucifer?"

Leaving his place in the innnediate presence of God,
Lucifer went forth to diffuse the spirit of discontent among
the angels. Working with mysterious secrecy, and for a
time concealing his real purpose under an appearance of
reverence for God, he endeavored to excite dissatisfaction
concerning the laws that governed heavenly beings, inti-
mating that they imposed an unnecessary restraint. Since
their natures were holy, he urged that the angels should
obey the dictates of their own will. He sought to create
sympathy for himself, by representing that God had dealt
unjustly with him in bestowing supreme honor upon Christ.
He claimed that in aspiring to greater power and honor he
was not aiming at self-exaltation, but w'as seeking to secure
lil)erty for all tho iidiabitants of Heaven, that by this means
they might attain to a higher state of existence.

God, in his great mercv, bore long with Lucifer. He was
not immediately degraded from his exalted station when he
first indulged the spirit of discontent, nor even when he be-
gan to present his false claims before the loyal angels. Long
was he retained in Heaven. Again and again he was offered
36

|:!l

Pfll

-rtil

496

TIIK GREAT COXTHOVERSY.

pnrdon, on coTidition of ropontaiu'o and submission. Such
cllorts as only iiiliiiittf love ami wisdom could drvisc, were
inad(! to convince liim of his error. M'lic sj)irit of" discontent
Ijad n(iver bel'oro been known in Heaven. J.ueit'er himself
did not at first see whither luMvas drit'tinjr; he did not un-
derstand the real nature of his feelin^rs. lUit as liis dis-
satisfaction was provecl to lie without cause, Lucifer was
convinced that lie was in the wi'onj^-, that the divine claims
were just, and that \w ou^ht to acknowledge them as such
before all Heaven. Had he done this. \\{y might have saved
himself and many angels. Jle had not at this time fully
cast off his allegiance to (Jod. Though he had forsaken
his position as covering cherub, yet if he had been willing
to return to ( Jod, acknowh'dging the Creator's wisdom, and
satisfied to fill the place aj)])ointed him in (Jod's great ]>lan,
bo would have l)(>en re-instate(l in his oflice. But pride
forbade bini to submit. Jle persistently defended his own
course, maintained that he had no need of repentance, and
fully committed himself, in the great controversy, against
his Maker.

All the powers of his master-mind were now bent to the
work of decej)tion, to secure the sympathy of the angels that
had been under his command. Kven the fact that Christ had
warned and counseled him, was perverted to serve his trai-
torous designs. To those whose loving trust bound them
most closely to liiin, Satan had represented that he was
wrongly judged, that his position was not respected, and that
his lilierty was to be abridged. From misre})resentation of
the words of Christ, he i)assed to prevarication and direct false-
hood, accusing the Son of God of a design to humiliate him
before the inhabitants of Heaven. lie sought also to make
a false issue between him.self and tlu^ loyal angels. All
whom he could not subvert and bring fully to his side, he
accused of indifference to the interests of heavenlv beinjrs.
The very work which he himself was doing, he charged
upon those who remained true to God. And to sustain his

THE OliiaiX OF I'JVIL,

497

clmrj^o of Grxl's injustice toward liim, \w ivsorttMl to misri'p-
resoiitiitioii of tlio words and acts of tlio Creator. It was liis
policy to perplex tlii' angels with subtle ar^uiiients cdncern-
iii^ tli(i purposes of (iod. Kvervthin^" that, was sini[)le lie
sliroude(| ill mystery, and by artliil ]»erversion cast doubt
Ui)OUtIie plainest statenu'iits of .lebovab. His liiuh juisition,
in such close connectiou with the divine administration, pivo
greater force to bis representations, and many were induced
to iniite with him iii rebellion a^iainst Heaven's authority.

(iod in his wisdom permitted Satan to carry foi-ward his
work, until the spirit of disatlection rijtened into active revolt.
]t was necessary for his plans to Ix* fully develope<l, that
their true nature and tendency mijiht be seen by all. Lucifer,
as the anointed cherub, had been highly exalted; he was
greatly loyed by the lioavenly beings, and his inlhience ovei-
them was strong. (}od's government included not only the
inhabitants of ireaven, l)ut of all the worlds that lio liad
created; and Satan thought that if ho could carry the angels
of Heaven with him iu rebellion, lie could carry also the
other worlds. Ho had artfully })resented his side of the
(question, employing sophistr}' and fraud to secure his objects.
His ])ower to deceive was very great, and by disguising him-
self ill a cloak of falsehood ho had gained an advantage.
Even the loyal angels could not fully discern liis character,
or see to what his work was leading.

Satan had been so highly honored, and all his acts were
so clothed with mystery, that it was <litHcult to disclose to
the angels the true nature of his work. Until fully devel-
oped, sin would not ai»}>ear the evil thing it was. Hereto-
fore it had had no i)lace in the universe of God, and holy
beings liad no conception of its nature and malignity. They
could not discern the terrible conseciuences that would result
from setting aside the divine law. Satan had, at first, con-
cealed his work under a specious profession of loyalty to
God. He claimed to be seeking to jiromote the honor of
God, the stability of his government, and the good of all the

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

I.I

Ui|2j8 |Z5
£ ti& |2.0

•UUu

11-25 III 1.4

1.6

Photographic

Sdences

Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STRUT

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14SS0

(716)872-4503

1^,*^

498

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

inhabitants of Heaven. While instiUing discontent into the
minds of the angels under him, he had artfully made it
appear that he was seeking to remove dissatisfaction. When
he urged that changes be made in the order and laws of
God's government, it was under the pretense that these were
necessary in order to preserve harmony in Ileavon.

In his dealing with sin, God could employ only righteous-
ness and truth. Satan could use what God could not —
flattery and deceit. He had sought to falsify the word of
God, and had misrepresented his plan of government before
the angels, claiming that (Jod was not just in laying laws
and rules upon the inhabitants of Heaven; that in requiring
submission and obedience from his creatures, he was seeking
merely the exaltation of himself Therefore it nnist be dem-
onstrated before the inhabitants of Heaven as well as of all
the worlds, that God's government was just, his law perfect.
Satan had made it appear that he liimself was seeking to
])romote the good of the universe. The true character of
the usurper, and his real object, must be understood by all.
He must have time to marJfest liimself by his wicked works.

The discord which his own course had caused in Heaven,
Satan charged upon the law and government of God. All
evil he declared to be the result of the divine administration.
He claimed that it was his own object to improve upon the
statutes of Jehovah. Therefore it was necessary that he
should demonstrate the nature of his claims, and show the
working out of his proposed changes in the divine law. His
own work must condemn him. Satan had claimed from
the first that he was not in rebellion. TIjc whole universe
must see the deceiver unmasked.

Even when it was decided that he could no longer remain
in Heaven, infinite wisdom did not destroy Satan. Since
the service of love can alone be acceptable to God, the alle-
giance of his creatures must rest upon a conviction of his
justice and benevolence. The inhabitants of Heaven and
of other worlds, being unprepared to comprehend the nature

THE ORIGIN OF EVIL.

491)

or consequences of sin, could not then have seen tlic justice
and mercy of God in the destruction of Satan. Had he been
inimechately blotted from existence, they would have served
( lod from fear, rather than from love. Tiie influence of the
deceiver would not have been fully destroyed, nor would the
spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated. Evil must
be permitted to come to maturity. For the good of the
entire universe through ceaseless ages, Satar must more
fully develop his principles, that his charges against the
divine governnuut might be seen in their true light by all
created beings, that the justice and mercy of God and the
immutability of his law might forever be placed beyond all
(|uestion.

Satan's rebellion was to be a lesson to tiio universe through
all coming ages, a perpetual testimony to the nature and
terrible results of sin. The working out of Satan's rule,
its tffevts upon both men and angels, would show what must
be the fruit of setting aside the divine authority. It would
testify that with the existence of God's government and his
law is bound up the well-being of all the creatures he has
made. Thus the history of this terrible experiment of re-
bellion was to be a perpetual safeguard to all holy intelli-
gences, to prevent them from being deceived as to the nature
of transgression, to save them from committing sin, and suf-
fering its punishment.

To the very close of the controversy in Heaven, the great
usurper continued to justify himself. When it was an-
nounced that with all his sympathizers he must be expelled
from the abodes of bliss, then the reb(4 leader boldly avowed
his contempt for tlie Creator's law. He reiterated his claim
that angels needed no control, but should be left to follow
their own will, which would ever guide them right. He
denounced the divine statutes as a restriction of their liberty,
and declared that it was his purpose to secure the abolition
of law; that, freed from this restraint, the hosts of Heaven
might enter upon a more exalted, more glorious state of
existence.

•.•f^-<--v»V'ie»^r.r^

500

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

With Olio accord, Satan and his liost threw tlie blame of
tlicir rebellion wholly upon Christ, declaring that if they
had not been reproved, they would never have rebelled.
Thus stubborn and <lefiantiu their disloyalty, seeking vainly
to overthrow the govi-nnnent of God, yet blas[)hemously
claiming to be themselves the innocent victims of oppressive
power, the arch-rebel and all his symi)athizers were at last
banished from Heaven,

The same spirit that prompted rebellion in Heaven, still
inspires rebellion on earth. Satan has continued with men
the same policy which he pursued with the angels. His
spirit now reigns in the children of disobedience. Like him
they seek to break down the restraints of the law of God,
and promise men liberty through transgression of its })re-
cei)ts. Reproof of sin still arouses the spirit of hatred and
resistance. When God's messages of warning are brought
home to the conscience, Satan leads men to justify them-
selves, and to seek the sympathy of others in their course
of sin. Instead of correcting their errors, they excite indig-
nation against the reprover, as if he were the solo cause of
difficulty. From the days of righteous Abel to our own
time, such is the spirit which has been displayed toward
those who dare to condemn sin.

By the same misrepresentation of the chnrncter of God as
he had practiced in Heaven, causing Iiim to be regarded as
severe and tvrannical, Satan induced man to sin. And
having succeeded thus far, ho declared that God's unjust
restrictions had led to man's fall, as they had led to his own
rebellion.

But the Eternal One himself proclaims his character:
" The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and
abundant in goodness i;nd truth, keeping mercy for thou-
sands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and
mat will by no means clear the guilty." *

In the banishment of Satan from Heaven, God declared
his justice, and maintained the honor of his throne. But

^Ex. 34:6, 7.

TIIK ORIGIN OF EVIL.

501

when man had sinned through yielding to the deceptions
ot this apostate spirit, God gave an evidence of liis love by
yielding up his only begotten Son to die for the fallen race.
In the atonement the character of God is revealed. The
mighty argument of the cross demonstrates to the whole
universe that the course of sin which Lucifer had chosen
was in nowise chargeable upon the government of God.

In the contest between Christ and Satan, during the Sav-
iour's earthly ministry, the character of the groat deceiver
was unmasked. Nothing could so effectually have uprooted
Satan from the affections of the heavenly angels and the
whole loyal universe as did his cruel warfare upon the
world's Redeemer. The daring blasphemy of his demand
that Christ should pay him honnige, his presumptuous bold-
ness in bearing him to the mountain summit and the pin-
nacle of the temple, the malicious intent betrayed in urging
him to cast himself down from the dizzy height, the un-
sleeping malice tliat hunted him from place to place, inspir-
ing the hearts of priests and people to reject his love, and at
the last to cry, " Crucify him I crucify him ! " — all this excited
the amazement and indignation of the universe.

It was Satan that prompted the world's rejection of Christ.
The prince of evil exerted all his power and cunning to
destroy Jesus; for he saw that the Saviour's mercy and love,
his compassion and pitying tenderness, were representing
to the world the character of God. Satan contested every
claim put forth by the Son of God, and employed men as
liis agents to fill the Saviour's life with suffering and sorrow.
The sophistry and falsehood by which he had sought to
hinder the work of Jesus, the hatred manifested through the
children of disobedience, his cruel accusations against Ilim
whose life was one of unexampled goodness, all sprung from
deei)-seated revenge. The pent-up fires of envy and malice,
hatred and revenge, burst forth on Calvary against the Son
of God, while all Heaven gazed upon the scene in silent
horror.

502

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

When the great sacrifice had heen consumnuitod, Clirist
ascended on high, refusing tl»o adoration of angels until he
liad presented the recjuest, "I will tliat they also, whom
thou liast given me, be with me where I am.* ' Then with
inexpressible love and power came forth the answer from
the Father's throne, " Let all the angels of Ciod worshij>
him."* Not a stain rested upon Jesus. His humiliation
ended, liis sacrifice completed, there was given unto him a
name that is above every name.

Now the guilt of Satan stood forth without excu.sc. Ho
had revealed liis true character as a liar and a murderer.
It was seen that the very same spirit with wliich he ruled
the children of men, who were under Ids power, he would
have manifested had he been permitted to control the in-
habitants of Heaven. He had claimed that the transgression
of God's law would bring liberty and exaltation ; but it was
seen to result in bondage and degradation.

Satan's lying charges against the divine character and
government appeared in their true light. He had accused
God of seeking merely the exaltation of himself in requiring
submission and obedience from his creatures, and had de-
clared that while the Creator exacted self-denial from all
others, he himself practiced no self-denial, and made no
sacrifice. Now it was seen that for the salvation of a fallen
and sinful race, the Ruler of the universe liad made the
greatest sacrifice which love could make; for " God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself"* It was seen,
also, that while Lucifer had opened the door for the entrance
of sin, by his desire for honor and supremacy, ('hrist had,
in order to destroy sin, humbled himself, and become obe-
dient unto death.

God had manifested his abhorrence of the principles of
rebellion. All Heaven saw his justice revealed, both in the
condemnation of Satan and in the redemption of man.
Lucifer had declared that if the law of God was changeless,

» John 17 : 24. =" Heb. 1:6. ^ 2 Cor. 5 : 19.

THE ORIGIN OF EVIL.

BO.'T

and its penalty could not bo remitted, every transgressor
must be forever debarred from the Creator's favor. He had
claimed that the sinful race were placed beyond redemption,
and were therefore his rightful prey. But the death of
Christ was an argument in man's behalf that could not bo
overthrown. The penalty of the law fell upon him who
was equal with God, and man was free to accept the right-
eousness of Ciirist, and by a life of penitence and humiliation
to triumph, as the Son of God liad triumplied, over the
I)ower of Satan. Thus God is just, and yet the justifier of
all who believe in Jesus.

But it was not merely to accomplish the redemption of
man that Christ came to the earth to suffer and to die. He
came to "magnify the law" and to "make it honorable."
Not alone that the inhabitants of this world might regard
the law as it should be regarded ; but it was to demonstrate
to all the worlds of the universe that God's law is unchange-
able. Could its claims have been set aside, then the Son of
God need not have yielded up his life to atone for its trans-
gression. The death of Christ proves it immutable. And
the sacrifice to which infinite love impelled the Father and
the Son, that sinners might be redeemed, demonstrates to
all the universe — what nothing less than this plan of atone-
ment could have sufficed to do — that justice and mercy are
the foundation of the law and government of God.

In the final execution of the Judgment it Avill be seen that
no cause for sin exists. When the Judge of all the earth
shall demand of Satan, "Why hast thou rebelled against
me, and robbed me of the subjects of my kingdom?" the
originator of evil can render no excuse. Every mouth will
be stopped, and all the hosts of rebellion will be speechless.

The cross of Calvary, while it declares the law immutable,
proclaims to the universe that the wages of sin is death. In
the Saviour's expiring cry, " It is finished," the death-knell
of Satan was rung. The great controversy which had been
so long in progress was then decided, and the final eradi-

504 THE f^REAT CONTROVERSY,

cation of ovil was miide certain. Tho Son of God passed
through the portals of tlie tomb, tluit "through death lie
might destroy liim that liad the pow(!r of death, that is, the
devil." ' Lucifer's desire for self-exaltation had led him to sav,
"I will exalt my throne above tho stars of (rod. ... I
will bo like the Most High." CJod declares, " I will bring
thee to asiies upon the earth, . . . and never shalt thou
be any more.'"* When "the day coinetii *luit shall burn as
an oven," " all the })roud, yea, and all tluit do wickedly, shall
be r^nl'ble: and the day that cometh shall btirn them up,
saith the Lord of liosts, that 'X shall leave then; neitlier root
nor Ijranch."'*

The whole universe will have become witnesses to the
nature and results of sin. And its utter extermination,
which in the beginning would have brought fear to angels
and dishonor to God, will now vindicate his love and es-
tablish his honor before a universe of beings who delight
to do his will, and in whose heart is his law. Never will
evil again be manifest. Says the Word of God, "Affliction
shall not rise up the second time."* The law of God, which
Satan has reproached as the yoke of bondage, will be hon-
ored as the law of liberty. A tested and proved creation
will never again be turned from allegiance to Him whose
character has been fullv manifested before them as fathom-
le&s love and infinite wisdom.

1 Heb. 2:14. •' Isa. 14 : 13, 14; Eze. 28 : 18, 19.

"Mai. 4.1. *Nah. 1:9.

CPIAPTFR XXX

ENMITY BETWEEN MAN AND SATAN.

*' T v, ILL put (Mimity bctwei'ii tluM! niid tlio woman, ami
between tliy seed and lier seed; it slitdl bruise tiiy head,
and thou siialt bruise his lieel." ' The divine sentence jiro-
nouncod n"-"'nst Satan after the fall of man, was also a
l)rophecy, embracing all t!)o ages to the close of time, and
foreshadowing the great conflict to engage all the races of
men who should live upon the earth.

God declares, "I will put enmity." This enmity is not
naturally entertained. Wlien man transgressed the divine
law, his nature became evil, and he was in harmony, and
not at variance, with Satan. There exists naturally no
enmity between sinful man and the originator of sin. Both
became evil through apostasy. The apostate is never at
rest, except as he obtains sympathy and support by inducing
others to follow his example. For this reason, fallen angels
and wicked men unite in desperate companionship. Had
not God specially interposed, Satan and man would have
entered into an alliance against Heaven; and instead of
cherishing enmity against Satan, the whole human family
would have been united in opposition to (Jod.

Satan tempted man to sin, as he had caused angels to
rebel, that he might thus secure co-operation in his warfare
against Heaven. There was no dissension between himself
and the fallen angels as regards their hatred of Christ; while
on all other points there was discord, they were firmly united
in opposing the authority of the Ruler of the universe. But
when Satan heard the declaration that enmity should exist

'Gen. 3:15.

(605)

B06

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

between himself and the woman, nnd between his seed and
her seed, he knew that Ids eflbrts to deprave hnman natur*
would bo interrui)ted; that by some nu'iins iiijin was to be
enabled to r(\sist his power.

Satan's enmity aj^ainstthe human race is kindled, hecause,
through Christ, they are the objects of (iod's love and mercy,
lie desires to thwart the divine \)\nn for man's redemption,
to cast dishonor U[)on God, by defacing iwA defiling his
handiwork; he would cause grief in Heaven, and fill the
earth with woe and desolation. And he points to all this
evil as the result of God's work in creating mnn.

It is the grace that Christ implants in the soul which
creates in man enmity against Satan. Without this con-
verting grace and renewing })ower, man would continue the
captive of Satan, a servant ever ready to do Iiis bidding.
But the new principle in the soul creates conflict where
hitherto liad been peace. The power which Christ imparts,
enables man to resist the tyrant and usurper. Whoever is
seen to abhor sm instead of loving it, whoever resists and
conquers those passions tl.mt liavo held sway within, displays
the operation of a principle wholly from above.

The antagonism that exists between the s[)irit of Christ
and the spirit of Satan was most strikingly displayed in the
world's reception of Jesus. It was not so much because he
appeared without worldly wealth, pomp, or grandeur, that
the Jews were led to reject him. They saw that he possessed
power which would more than compensate for the lack of
these outward advantages. But the purity and holiness of
Christ called forth against him t!ie hatretl of the ungodly.
His life of self-denial and sinless devotion was a perpetual
reproof to a proud, sensual people. It was this that evoked
enmity against the Son of God. Satan and evil angels joined
with evil men. All the energies of apostasy conspired against
the champion of truth.

The same enmity is manifested toward Christ's followers
as was manifested toward their* Master. Whoever sees the

ENMITY BETWEEN MAN AND SA TAN.

507

repulsive cluirnctiT of win, and, in Htrcn^tli from ubovo, ro-
sist.s teinplution, will assurudly urouso thu v.ratii of Satan
and his subjects. Hatred of tho puro pri^iciples of truth,
and reproach and persecution of its advocates, will exist as
long as Hin and siiniers renuiin. The followers of Christ
and tho servants of Satan cannot harmonize. Tho ollenso
of the cross lias not ceased. "All that will live godly in
Christ Jesus .shall sull'er persecution.'"

Satan's agents are con.stantly working under his direction
to establish his authority and build up his kingdom in oppo-
sition to the government of (iod. To this end they seek to
deceive Chri.st's followers, and allure them from their alle-
giance. Like their leader, they misconstrue and pervert
the Scriptures to accomplish their object. As Satan en-
deavored to cast reproach ujjou God, so do liis agents seek
to malign God's people. The spirit which put Christ to
death moves the wicked to destroy his followers. All this
is foreshadowed in that first prophecy, " I will put enmity
between thee and the wonuui, and between thv seed and her
seed." And this will continue to the close of time.

Satan summons all his forces, and throws his whole power
into the combat. AVhy is it that lie meets with no greater
resistance? Why are the .soldiers of Christ so sleepy and
indifferent? — Because thev have so little real coimection
with Christ; because they are so destitute of his Spirit. Sin
is not to thcni repulsive and abhorrent, as it was to their
Master. They do not meet it, as did Christ, with decisive
and determined resistance. The}' do not realize the exceed-
ing evil and malignity of sin, and they are blinded both to
the character and the power of tho prin(;e of darkness.
Then is little enmity against Satan and his works, because
there is so great ignorance concerning his power and malice,
and the vast extent of ^is warfare against Christ and his
church. Multitudes are deluded liore. Thev do not know
that their enemy is a mighty general, who controls tho
minds of evil angels, and that with well-matured plans and

12 Tim. 3:12.

V !

r)08

riTK GRKAT CONTROVERSY,

fkilll'iil iiiDVciiKMitM lio is warring against Clirist to pruvont
tlio salvation of Hf)ul.s. Among jtrolrsscd CliristiauM, and
oven among ministers of tlio gos[K'l, tiicru is heard scarct'iy
a rcfcrcnc'i! to Satan, except pcrliapH an incidental n)ention
in tiio pnlpit. Tiiey overlook the evidences of his continnal
activity and success; they neglect tho many warnings of his
suhtlety; they seem to ignore hi.s very existence.

Whilo men are ignorant of his devit'cs, tiiis vigilant foe
is upon their track every moment. Ho is intruding his
presence in every department of the household, in every
Htreet of our cities, in tho churches, in the national councils,
in tho courts of justice, peri)lexing, deceiving, seducing,
everywhere ruining tho souls and hodies of men, women,
and chihlren, l)reaking up families, sowing hatred, emula-
tion, strife, sedition, murder. And the Christian world seem
to regar<l these things as though God had appointed them,
und they must exist.

Satan is continually seeking to overcome the })eople of
Clod by hroaking down tho l)arriers which separate them
from the world. Ancient Israel were enticed into sin when
they ventured into forbidden association with tho heathen.
In a similar manner are modern Israel led astrav. " The
god of this world hath blinded the nunds of thein which
believe not, lest tho light of the glorious gospel of Christ,
who is tho image of God, should shine unto them."' All
who are not decided followers of Christ are servants of Satan.
In the unregenerato heart there is love of sin, and a dis-
position to cherish and excuse it. In tlie renewed heart
there is hatred of sin, and determined resistance against it.
When Christians choose the society of the ungodly and
unbelieving, they exi)Ose themselves to temptation. Satan
conceals himself from view, and stealthily draws his decep-
tive covering over their eyes. They cannot see that such
company is calculated to do them harm; and while all the
time assimilating to the world in character, words, and
actions, they are becoming more and more blinded.

>2 Cor. 4:4.

hWMJTy BETWKEN MAX .XI) SATAX.

5u!>

0)nlunnity to worldly <Mis{(uns converts tli«> clmrch to tlu>
world; it n« vcr ('(Uivcrls tho world to Clirist. Fiiiiiiliaritv
with hill will inevitahly cmisti it to ii|»iMar l('s:^ r('[>ulsivu.
]|() who chooses to associato with tho .sirvants of Satan,
will soon cease to fear -their master. W'iien in flu- way n['
dnty wo aro hnai^dit into trial, as was Daniel in the kin^^^'s
court, wo may ho .snri* thatdod will [)rotect us; hut if we
placo ourselves under teoiptation, we shall fall soou'i" or
Inter.

Tlu! temptc'r often works most successfully through thoso
who aro least suspected of Ih'Iu^ under his control. Tlio
possessors of talent and education are admired un<l honoi'cd,
as if these qualities could atone foi' the ahsence of the fear
of (Jod, or entitlo men to liis favor. Talent and culture,
considered in themselves, are ^ifts of (Jod; hut when iheso
are nnido to supply tlu; place of piety, when, instead of hring-
in<^ tho soul nearer to (Jod, thev lead awav from him, then
they hecomo a curse and a snare. Tho opinion ])revails
with many that all which appears like courtesy (»r ro-
tinement must, in some sense, ])ertain to Christ. Never
was there a greater mistak-;. These cjualities should ;;raco
the character of every Christian, for they would exert a
powerful influence in favor of true religion; hut they nnist
ho consecrated to God, or they also are a jtower for e\ il.
Many a man of cultured intellect and jdeasant manners who
would not stoop to what is connnoidy regarded as an im-
moral act, is but a polished instrument in the hands of Satan.
The insidious, deceptive character of his influence and ex-
ample renders him a more dangerous enemy to the cause of
Christ than are thoso who are ignorant and luicultured.

By earnest prayer and dependence ujion (Jo<l, S Momon
obtained tho wisdom Avhich excited the wonder ai' ' ad-
miration of the worhh But when he turned from the-
Source of his strength, and went forward relying \\\Hy\\ him-
self, lie fell a prey to temptation. Then tlui marvelous
powers bestowed on this wisest of kings, only rendered him
a more effective agent of the adversary of souls.

£10

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

While Satan is constantly seeking to blind their minds
to the fact, let Christians never forget that they " wrestle not
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of tlie darkness of this world,
against wicked spirits in high places."^ The inspired warn-
ing is sounding down the centuries to our time: " Be sober,
be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking wliom he may devour." ' ** Put
on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil/' *

From the days of Adam to our own time, our great enemy
has been exercising his power to oppress and destroy. He
is now preparing for his last campaign against the church.
All who seek to follow Jesus will be brought into conflict
with this relentless foe. The more nearly the Christian
imitates the divine Pattern, the more surely will he make
himself a mark for the attacks of Satan. All who are ac-
tively engaged in the cause of God, sleeking to unveil the
deceiDtions of the evil one and to present Christ before the
people, will be able to join in the testimony of Paul, in
which he speaks of serving the Lord with all humility of
mind, with many tears and temptations.

Satan assailed Christ with his fiercest and most subtle
temptations; but he was repulsed in every conflict. Those
battles were fought in our behalf; those victories make it
possil3le for us to conquer. Christ will give strength to all
wlio seek it. No man without his own consent can be over-
come by Satan. The tempter has no power to control the
will or to force the soul to sin. He may distress, but he
cannot contaminate. He can cause agony, but not defile-
ment. The fact that Christ has conquered should inspire
his followers with courage to fight manfully the battle
against sin and Satan.

» Eph. 6 : 12 (margin). -' 1 Pet. 5:8. » Epli. G : 11.

CHAPTER XXXI.

AGENCY OF EVIL SPIRITS.

The connection of the visible with the invisible world, the
ministration of anjj^els of God, and tlic agency of evil spirits,
are plainly reveided in the Scriptures, and inseparably in-
terwoven with liuman history. There is a growing tend-
ency to disbelief in the existence of evil spirits, while the
lioly angels that " minister for them who shall be heirs of
salvation," ' are regarded by many as the spirits of the dead.
But the Scriptures not only teach tiie existence of angels,
both good and evil, but present unquestionable proof that
these are not the disembodied spirits of dead men.

Before the creation of man, angels were in existcnci^; for
when the foundations of the earth were laid, "the morning
stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy."*
After the fall of man, angels were sent to guard the tree of
life, and this before a human being had died. Angels are
in nature superior to men. For the psalnris!, says thai man
■was made " a little lower than the angels/"^

We are informed in Scripture as to the number, and the
power and glory, of the heavenly beings, of their connection
with the governinent of God, and also of their relation to
the work of redemption. "The Lord hath prepared his
throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all."
And, says the prophet, " I heard the voice of many angels
round about the throne." In the presence-chamber of the
King of kings they wait — *' angels that excel in strength," .
"ministers of his, that do his pleasure," "hearkening unto
the voice of his word."* Pen thousand times ton thousand

'Heb. 1 :14.

■' Job 33 •. 7.

»Ps. 8:5, •Ps. 103:19-21; Rev. 5:11.

(511)

';jr«--?frw<w<^;*f

512

TUK GREAT CONTROVERSY.

aiul thousands of tlioiisancls, were the heavenly messengers
heheld by tlie proj)het Daniel. The apostle Paul declared
them "an innumerable coinpany.'" As God's messengers
they go forth, like " tlie api)oaranc'e of a flash of lightnmg,"''
so dazzling their glory, an<l so swift thuir flight. The angel
that appeared at the Saviour's tomb, his countenance "like
lightning, and his raiment white as sn(jw," caused the keepers
for fear of him to (piake, and they "became as dead men."'
When Sennacherib, tlie haughty Assyrian, reproached and
blasphemed God, and threatened Israel with destruction,
'' it came to pass that nigiit, that tlie angel of the Lord went
out, and smote in the cam[) of tiie Assyrians an liundred
lourscore and Ave thousand." Tiiere were " cut off" all tlie
mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains," from
tlie array of Sennacherib. ''So he returned with shame of
face to his own land."' *

Angels are sent on missions of mercy to the cliildren of
God. To Abraham, with promises of blessing; to the gates
of Sodom, to rescue righteous Lot from its fiery doom; to
Elijah, as he was about to perish from weariness and hunger
in the desert; to Elisha, with chariots and horses of fire
surrounding the little town where he was shut in by his
foes; to Daniel, while seeking divine wisdom in the court
of a heathen king, or abandoned to become the lions' prey;
to Peter, doomed to death in Herod's dungeon; to the pris-
oners at Philippi; to Paul and his companions in the night
of tempest on the sea; to open the mind of Cornelius to
receive the gospel; to dispatch Peter, with the message of
salvation to the Gentile stranger, — thus holy angels have, in
all ages, ministered to God's people.

A guardian angel is appointed to every follower of Christ.
These heavenly watchers shield the righteous from the power
of the wicked one. This Satan himself recognized when
he said, "Doth Job fear God for naught? Hast not thou

» Dan. 7 : 10; Heb. 12 : 22. '^ Eze. 1 : U.

* 2 Kiugs H) : 35; 2 Cliron, 32 : 21.

Matt. 28 : 3, 4.

AGENCY OF EVIL SPIRITS.

513

made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about
all that he hath on every side?'" The agency by which
God protects his people is presented in the words of the
psalmist, "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about
them that fear him, and delivereth them." * Said the Sav-
iour, speaking of those that believe in' him, "Take heed
that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto
you, That in Heaven their angels do always behold the
face of my Father." * The angels appointed to minister
to the children of God have at all times access to his
presence.

Thus God's people, exposed to the deceptive power and
unsleeping malice of the prince of darkness, and in conflict
with all the forces of evil, are assured of the unceasing
guardianship of heavenly angels. Nor is such assurance
given without need. If God has granted to his children
promise of grace and i)rotection, it is because there are
mighty agencies of evil to be met, — agencies numerous,
determined, and untiring, of whose malignity and power
none can safely be ignorant or unlieeding.

Evil spirits, in the beginning created sinless, were equal
in nature, power, and glory with the holy beings that are
now God's messengers. But fallen through sin, they are
leagued together for the dishonor of God and the destruction
of men. United with Satan in his rebellion, and with him
cast out from Heaven, they have, through all succeeding
ages, co-operated with him in his warfare against the divine
authority. We are told in Scripture of their confederacy
and government, of their various orders, of their intelligence
and subtlety, and of their malicious designs against the peace
and happiness of men.

Old-Testament history presents occasional mentions of
their existence and agency; but it was during the time when
Ohrist was upon the earth that evil spirits manifested their
power in the most striking manner. Christ had come to

> Job 1:9, 10.

■' Ps. 34 : 7.

^ Matt. 18 : 10.

^S«9**"

514

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

enter upon the plan devised for man's redemption, and
Satan determined to assert his right to control the world.
He had succeeded in establishing idolat^^y in every part of
the earth except the land of Palestine. To the only land
that had not fully yielded to the tempter's sway, Christ came
to shed upon the people the light of Heaven. Here two
rival powers claimed supremacy. Jesus was stretching out
his arms of love, inviting all who would to find pardon and
peace in him. The hosts of darkness saw that they did not
possess unlimited control, and they understood that if Christ's
mission should be successful, their rule was soon to end.
Satan raged like a chained lion, and defiantly exiiibited his
power over the bodies as well as the souls of men.

The fact that men have been possessed with demons, is
clearly stated in tlie New Testament. The persons thus
afflicted were not merely suffering with disejise from natural
causes. Christ had perfect understanding of that with whicli
he was dealing, and he recognized the direct presence and
agency of evil spirits.

A striking example of their number, power, and malignity,
and also of the power and mercy of Christ, is given in tlie
Scripture account of the healing of the demoniacs at Gadara.
Those wretched maniacs, spurning all restraint, writhing,
foaming, raging, were filling the air with their cries, doing
violence to themselves, and endangering all who should
approach them. Their bleeding and disfigured bodies and
distracted minds presented a spectacle well-pleasing to the
prince of darkness. One of the demons controlling the suf-
ferers declared, " My name is Legion ; for we are many." '
In the Roman army a legion consisted of from three to five
thousand men. Satan's hosts also are marshaled in com-
panies, and the single company to which these demons be-
longed numbered no less than a legion.

At the command of Jesus, the evil spirits departed from
their victims, leaving them calmly sitting at the Saviour's

» Mark 5 : 9.

CHRIST HEALING THE DEMONIAC.

AGENCY OF EVIL SPIRITS.

515

feet, subdued, intelligent, and gentle. But the demons wero
permitted to sweep a herd of swine into the sea; ami to the
dwellers of Gadara the loss of these outweighed the blessings
which Christ had bestowed, and the divine Healer was en-
treated to depart. This was the result which Satan designed
to secure. By casting the blame of their loss upon Jesus,
he aroused the selfish fears of the people, and prevented
them from listening to his words. Satan is constantly ac-
cusing Christians as the cause of loss, misfortune, and suf-
fering, instead of allowing the reproach to fall where it be-
longs, upon himself and his agents.

But the purposes of Christ were not tliwartcd. He allowed
the evil spirits to destroy the herd of swine as a rebuke to
those Jews who were raising these unclean beasts for the
sake of gain. Had not Christ restrained the demons, they
would have plunged into the sea, not only the swine, but
also their keepers and owners. The preservation of both
the keepers and the owners was due alone to his power,
mercifully exercised for their deliverance. Furthermore,
this event was permitted to take place that the tlisciples
might witness the cruel power of Satan upon both man and
beast. The Saviour desired his followers to have a knowlr
edge of the foe whom they were to meet, that they might
not be deceived and overcome by his devices. It was also
his will that the people of that region should behold his
p6wer to break the bondage of Satan and release his cap-
tives. And though Jesus himself departed, the men .so
marvelously delivered remained to declare the mercy of
their Benefactor.

Other instances of a similar nature are recorded in the
Scriptures. The daughter of the Syro-Phenician woman was
grievously vexed with a devil, wl om Jesus cast out by his
word.^ One "possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb,"* a
youth who had a dumb spirit, that ofttimes " cast him into
the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him,"' the maniac,

» Mark 7: 26-30.

> Matt. 12 : 22.

» Mark 9: 17-27.

516

THE grea:' controversy.

who, tormonted by "a spirit of r.n unclean devil,'" disturbed
the Sabbath quiet of the synagogue at Capernium, were all
healed by the compassionate Saviour. In nearly ev^ery in-
stance, Christ addressed the demon as an intelligent entity,
commanding him to come out of his /ictim and to torment
him no more. The worshipers at Capernaum, beholding his
mighty power, "were all aniazed, and spakj among them-
selves, saying, What a word is this! for v.ith authority and
power lie commandeth tlie unclean spirits, and they come
out." '

Those possessed with devils are usually represented fi3
being in a condition o^' great suffering; yet there were ex-
ceptions to this rule. For the sake of obtaining super-
natural power, some welcomed the Satanic influence. These
of course had no conflict with the demons. Of this class
were those who possessed the spirit of divination, — Simon
Magus, Ely mas the sorcerer, and the damsel who followed
Paul and Silas at Philippi.

None are in greater danger from the influence of evil
spirits than are those who, notwithstanding the direct and
ample testimony of the Scriptures, deny the existence and
agency of the devil and his angels. So long as we are
ignorant of their wiles, they have almost inconceivable ad-
vantage; many give heed to their suggestions while they
suppose themselves tc be following the dictates of their own
wisdom. This is why, as we approach the close of time,
when Satan is to work with greatest power to deceive and
destroy, he spreads everywhere the belief that he does not
exist. It is his policy to conceal himself and his manner of
working.

There is nothing that the great deceiver fears so much as
that we shall become acquainted with his devices. The
better to disguise his real character and purposes, he has
caused himself to be so represented as to exc'^e no stronger
emotion than ridicule or contempt. He is well pleased to

^ Luke 4: 33-36.

AGENCY OF EVIL SPIRITS.

617

be painted as a ludicrous or loathsome object, misshapen,
half animal and half human. Ho is })leased to hear his
name used in sport and mockery by those who think them-
selves intelligent and well-informed.

It is because lie has masked himself with consummate
skill that the question is so widely asked, " Does such a being
really exist?" It is an evidence of his success that theories
giving the lie to the plainest testimony of the Scriptures are
so generally received in the religious world. And it is be-
cause Satan can most readily control the minds of those who
are unconscious of his influence that the Word of God gives
us so many examples of his malignant work, unveiling be-
fore us his secret forces, and thus placing us on our guard
against his assaults.

The power and malice of Satan and his host might justly
alarm us, were it not that we may find shelter and deliv-
erance in the superior power of our Redeemer. AVe care-
fully secure our houses with bolts and locks to protect our
property and our lives from evil men; but wo seldom think
of the evil angels who are constantly seeking access to us,
and against whose attacks we have, in our own strength,
no method of defense. If permitted, they can distract our
minds, disorder, torment our bodies, destroy our possessi(ms
and our lives. Their only delight is in misery and destruc-
tion. Fearful is the condition of those who resist the divine
claims, and yield to Satan's temptations, until God gives them
up to the control of evil spirits. But those who follow Christ
are ever safe under his watchcare. Angels that excel in
strength are sent from Heaven to protect them. The wicked
one cannot break through the guard which God has stationed
about his people.

CHAPTER XXXIl.

SNARKS OF SATAN.

TiiR groat controvorsy betweon Christ and Satan, that has
been curried forward for nearly six thousand years, is soon
to close; and tlio wicked one redoubles his efforts to defeat
the work of Christ in man's behalf, and to fasten souls in
his snares. To hold tho people in darkness and impenitence
till tho Saviour's mediation is ended, and there is no longer
a sacrifice for sin, is the object which ho seeks to accomplish.

When there is no special effort made to resist his power,,
when indifference prevails in tho church and tho world,
Satan is not concerned; for ho is in no danger of losing those
whom ho is leading captive at his will. But when tho atten-
tion is called to eternal things, and souls are inquiring,
" What must I do to bo saved ? " ho is on tho ground, seeking
to match his power against the power of Christ, and to
counteract tho influence of the Holy Spirit.

Tho Scriptures declare that upon one occasion, when the
angels of God came to present themselves before the Lord,^
Satan came also among them,^ not to bow before the Eternal
King, but to further his own malicious designs against the
righteous. With the same object ho is in attendance when
men assemble for the worship of God. Though hidden
from sight, he is working with all diligence to control the
minds of the worshipers. Like a skillful general, he lays
his plans beforehand. As he sees the messenger of God
searching the Scriptures, he takes note of the subject to be
presented 4o the people. Then he employs all his cunning
and shrewdness to so control circumstances that the message

» Job 1:6.
(518)

SyARmS OF SAT A K

MO'

may not roach those whom lio is deceiving on that verji
point. The one wiio most needs the warning will he nrged
into some husiness transaction which recjuires liis ])r('.s(M»('e,
or will hy some other moans ho prevented from hearing the
words that might prove to him a savor of life unto life.

Again, Satan sees the Lord's servants hardened hecauso
of the spiritual darkness that enshrouds the people. JIo
hears their earnest prayers for divine grace and i)ower to
hreak the 8])ell of inditteronce, carelessness, and indolence.
Then with renewed zeal ho plies his arts. Ho tempts men
to the indulgence of appetite or to some other form of self-
gratification, and thus henumhs their sensihilities, so that
they fail to hear the very things which they most need to
learn.

Satan well knows that all whom he can lead to neglect
prayer and the searching of the Scriptures will ho overcome
by his attacks. Therefore he invents every possible device
to engross the mind. There has ever been a class i)rofessing
godliness, who, instead of following on to know the truth,
make it their religion to seek some fault of character or
error of f"'th in those with whom they do not agree. Such
are Satan right-hand helpers. Accusers of the brethren
are not few; and they are always active when God is at
work, and his servants are rendering him truo homage.
They will put a false coloring upon the words and acts of
those who love and obey the truth. They will represent
the most earnest, zealous, self-denying servants of Christ as
deceived or deceivers. It is their work to misrepresent the
motives of every true and noble deed, to circulate insinua-
tions, and arouse suspicion in the minds of the inexperienced.
In every conceivable manner they will seek to cause that
which is pure and righteous to be regarded as foul and de-
ceptive.

But none need be deceived concerning them. It may be-
readily seen whose children they are, whose example they
follow, and whose work they do. " Ye shall know theia

520

TUi: GREAT CONTROVKRSY.

hy tlioir fruits.'" Tlicir course rt'soinl)l('S that of Satan, tlio
euvt'nomed Mlamloror, "tlio accuHor »)f our bri'tljrcn."'

The groat (loccivcr lias many a^^futs nady to present any
and every kind of error to ensnan? souls, — heresies prepared
to suit tlio varied tastes and capacities of those whom ho
would ruin. It is his ]»lan to hring into tho church insin-
cere, unregenerato elements that will encourage douht and
unhelief, and hinder all who <lesire to see the work of Clod
advance, and to advance with it. Many who have no real
faith in God or in his Word, assent to some j)rincii)les of
truth, and pass as Christians; and thus they are enabled to
introduce their errors as scri[>tural doctrines.

Tho position that it is of no consecpienco what men be-
lieve, is ono of Satan's most successful deceptions. lie knows
that tho truth, received in tho lovo of it, sanctifies tho soul
of tho receiver; therefore ho is constantly seeking to sub-
stitute false theories, fables, another gospel. From tho be-
ginning, tho servants of God have contended against false
teachers, not merely as vicious men, but as inculcators of
falsehoods that were fatal to tho soul. Elijah, Jeremiah,
Paul, firmly and fearlessly opi)osed those who were turninjj
men from the Word of God. That liberality which regards
a correct religious faith as unimportant, found no favor with
these holy defenders of the truth.

The vague and fanciful interpretations of Scripture, and
the many conflicting theories concerning religious faith, that
are found in the Christian world, are the work of our great
adversary to so confuse minds that they shall not discern
the truth. And the discord and division which exist among
the churches of Christendom are in a great measure due to
the prevailing custom of wresting tho Scriptures to support
a favorite theory. Instead of carefully studying God's Word
with humility of heart to obtain a knowledge of his will,
, many seek only to discover something odd or original.

In order to sustain erroneous doctrines or unchristian

^ Matt. 7 : 16.

*Rev. 12:10.

SyAR/-:s OF SATAN".

521

|ini('tic('H, Moiiio will Hi'V/.v upon piiHsn^cH of Scripturo scp-
Jirated from the context, pcrluips <iiiotin^ liall" of a siii^lo
vorHO as proving their point, when the remaining' portion
would hIiow the meaning to Ix* <piite the opi»osite. With
the cunning of the .serpent, they entrench themselves behind
disconnected utterances conslrtied to suit their carnal de-
sires. Thus do many willfully pervert the Word of (iod.
Others, who liavo an active iina^dnation, seize* upon the
figures and symbols of Holy Writ, interpret to suit their
fancy, with little regard to the testimony of Scripture as its
own interpreter, and then they present their vagaries as tho
teachings of the J>ible.

Whenever the study of tho fScViptures is entered upon
without a prayerful, liumble, teachable spirit, the plainest
and simplest as well as tho most dillieult ])assages will bo
wrested from their true meaning. Tlie papal leaders .srlect
such portions of Scripture ns best servo their i)urj)ose. in-
terpret to suit thom.selves, and then present these to tho
j)eople, while they deny them the privilege of studying tho
Bible, and understanding its .sacred truths for themselves.
Tho whole Bible should be given to the people just as it
reads. It would be better for them not to have Bible in-
struction at all than to have the teaching of tho Scriptures
thus grossly misrepresented.

The Bible was designed to be a guide to all who wish to
become acquainted with the will of their Maker. God gave
to men the sure word of prophecy; angels and even Chri.st
himself came to make known to Daniel and John tiie things
that must shortly come to pa.ss. Tlio.so important matters
that concern our salvation were not left involved in mystery.
They were not revealed in such a way as to perplex and
mislead the honest seeker after truth. Said the Lord by
the prophet Habakkuk, "Write the vision, and make it
plain, . . . that he may run that readeth it."' The
Word of God is plain to all who study it with a })rayerful

»Hab. 2:2.

522

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

heart. Every truly honest soul will come to the light of
truth. " Light is sown for the righteous." ' And no church
can advance in holiness unless its members are earnestly
seeking for truth as for hid treasure.

By the cry, Liberality, men are blinded to the devices of
their adversary, while he is all the time working steadily
for the accomplishment of his object. As he succeeds in
supplanting the Bible by human speculations, the law of
God is set aside, and the churches are under the bondage
of sin while they claim to be free.

To many, scientific research has become a curse. God
has permitted a flood of light to be poured upon the world
in discoveries in science and art; but even the greatest
minds, if not guided by tlie Word of God in their research,
become bewildered in their attempts to investigate the re-
lations of science and revelation.

Human knowledge of both material and spiritual things
is partial and imperfect; therefore many are unable to har-
monize their views of science with Scripture statements,
^hmy accept mere theories and speculations as scientific
facts, and they think tliat God's Word is to be tested by the
teachings of "science falsely so called." The Creator and
his works are beyond their comprehension; and because
they cannot explain these by natural laws, Bible history is
regarded as unreliable. Those who doubt the reliability of
the records of the Old and New Testaments too often go a
.step farther, and doubt the existence of God, and attribute
infinite power to nature. Having let go their anchor, they
are left to beat about upon the rocks of infidelity.

Thus manj'^ err from the faith, and are seduced by the
devil. Men have endeavored to be wiser than their Creator;
human philosophy has attempted to search out and explain
mysteries which will never be revealed, through the eternal
ages. If men would but search and understand what God
has made known of himself and his purposes, they would
obtain such a view of the glory, majesty, and power of Je-

» Ps. 97 : 11.

SN-ARES OF SATAN.

523

liovali, that they would realize tlicir own littleness, and
would be content with that which has been revealed for
themselves and their children.

It is a masterpiece of Satan's deceptions to keep the minds
of men searching and conjecturing in regard to that wliich
God has not made known, and which he does not intend
that we shall understand. It was thus that Lucifer lost his
place in Heaven. He became dissatislied because all the
secrets of God's purposes wore not confided to him, and he
entirely disregarded that which was revealed concerning his
own work in the lofty position assigned him. By arousing
the same discontent in the angels under iiis command, he
caused their fall. Now he seeks to imbue the minds of men
with the same spirit, and to lead them also to disregard the
direct commands of God.

Those who are unwilling to accept the plain, cutting trui-hs
of the Bible, are continually seeking for pleasmg fables that
will quiet the conscience. The less spiritual, self-denying,
and humiliating the doctrines presented, the greater the
favor with which they are received. These persons degrade
the intellectual powers to serve their carnal desires Too
wise in their own conceit to search the Scriptures with con-
trition of soul and earnest prayer for divine guidance, they
have no shield from delusion. Satan is ready to supply the
lieart's desire, and he palms off his deceptions in the place
of truth. It was thus that the papacy gained its power over
the minds of men; and by rejection of the truth because it
involves a cross, Protestants are following the same path.
All who neglect the Word of God to study convenience and
policy, that they may not be at variance with the world,
will be left to receive damnable heresy for religious truth.
Every conceivable form of error will be accepted by those
who willfully reject tlie truth. He Avho looks with horror
upon one deception will readily receive another. The
apostle Paul, speaking of a class who "received not the
love of the truth, that they might be saved," declares,

524

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

" For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that
they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned
who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unright-
eousness." ' With such a warning before us, it l)chooves us
to be on our guard as to what doctrines we receive.

Among the most successful agencies of the great deceiver
are the delusive teachings and lying wonders of Spiritualism.
Disguised as an angel of light, he spreads his nets where
least suspected. If men vvould but study the Book of God
with earnest ])rayer that they might understand it, they
would not be loft in darkness to receive false doctrines. But
as they reject the truth, they fall a prey to deception.

Another dangerous error, is the doctrine that denies the
divinity of Christ, claiming that he had no existence before
his advent to this world. This theory is received with favor
by a large class who profess to believe the Bible; yet it
directly contradicts the plainest statements of our Saviour
concerning his relationship with the Father, his divine char-
acter, and his pre-existencc. It cannot be entertained with-
out the most unwarranted wresting of the Scri})tures. It
not only lowers man's conceptions of the work of redemp-
tion, but undermines faith in the Bible as a revelation from
God. While this renders it the more dangerous, it nuikes
it also harder to meet. If men reject the testimony of the
inspired Scriptures concerning the divinity of Christ, it is
in vain to argue the point with them; for no argument,
however conclusive, could convince them. "The natural
man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they
are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, be-
cause they are spiritually discerned."^ None who hold this
error can have a true conception of the character or the
mission of Ciirist, or of the great plan of God for man's re-
demption.

Still anotlier subtle and mischievous error is the fast-
spreading belief that Satan has no existence as a personal

• 2 Thesa. 2 : 10-12. » 1 Cor. 2 : 14.

SNARKS OF SATAN.

525

being; that the name is used in Scripture merely to rep-
resent men's evil thoughts and desires.

Tiie teaching so widely echoed from popular pulpits,, that
the second advent of Christ is his coming to each individual
at death, is a device to divert tiie minds of men from his
personal coming in the clouds of heaven. For years Satan
has thus been saying, " Behold, he is in the secret cham-
bers;"' and many souls have been lost by accepting this
deception.

Again, worldly wisdom teaches that prayer is not essential.
Men of science claim that there can be no real answer to
prayer; that this would be a violation of lav/, a miracle, and
that miracles have no existence. The universe, say they,
is governed by fixed laws, and God himself does nothing
contrary to these laws. Thus they represent God as bound
by his own laws; as if the operation of divine laws could
exclude divine freedom. Such teaching is opposed to the
testimony of the Scriptures. Were not miracles wrought
by Christ and his ai)Ostlcs? The same compassionate Sav-
iour lives to-day, and he is as willing to listen to the prayer
of faith as when he walked visibly among men. The natural
co-operates with the supernatural. It is a part of God's
plan to grant us, in answer to the prayer of faith, that
which he would not bestow did wo not thus ask.

Innumerable are the erroneous doctrines and fanciful
ideas that are obtaining among the churches of Christendom.
It is impossible to estimate the evil results of removing one
of the landmarks fixed by the Word of God. Few who
venture to do this stop with the rejection of a single truth.
The majority continue to set nside one after another of the
principles of truth, until they become actual infidels.

The errors of popular theology have driven numy a soul
to skepticism, who might otherwise have been a believer in
the Scriptures. It is impossible for him to accept doctrines
which outrage his sense of justice, mercy, and benevolence;

Matt. 24: 23-26.

526

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

and since these are represented as the teaching of the Bible,
he refuses to receive it as the Word of God.

And this is the object which Satan seeks to accomplish.
There is nothing that lie desires more than to destroy con-
fidence in God and in his Word. Satan stands at the head
of the great army of doubters, and he works to the utmost
of his power to beguile souls into his ranks. It is becoming
fashionable to doubt. Tliere is a large class by whom the
Word of God is looked upon with distrust for the same
reason as was its Author — because it reproves and condemns
sin. Those who are unwilling to obey its reiiuirements en-
deavor to overthrow its authority. They read the Bible, or
listen to its teachings as presented from the sacred desk,
merely to find fault with the Scriptures or with the sermon.
Not a few become infidels in order tojustify or excuse them-
selves in neglect of duty. Others ado2)t skeptical principles
from pride and indolence. Too ease-loving to distinguish
themselves by accomplishing anything worthy of honor^
which requires effort and self-denial, they aim to secure a
reputation for superior wisdom by criticising the Bible.
There is much which the finite mind, unenlightened by
divine wisdom, is powerless to comprehend ; and thus they
find occasion to criticise. Tliere are many who seem to feel
that it is a virtue to stand on the side of unbelief, skepticism^
and infidelity. But underneath an appearance of candor^
it will be found that such persons are actuated by self-
confidence and pride. Many delight in finding something
in the Scriptures to puzzle the minds of others. Some at
first criticise and reason on thj wrong side, from a mere love
of controversy. They do not realize that they are thus en-
tangling themselves in the snare of the fowler. But having
openly expressed unbelief, they feel that they must main-
tain their position. Thus they unite with the ungodly, and
close to themselves the gates of Paradise.

God has given in his Word sufficient evidence of its divine
character. The great truths which concern our redemption.

ftdSfM

SNARES OF SATAN.

627

are clearly presented. By the aid of the Holy Spirit, which
is promised to all who seek it in sincerity, every man may
understand these truths for himself, (lod has granted to
men a strong foundation upon which to rest their faith.

Yet the finite minds of men are inadequate fully to com-
prehend tlic i)lans and purposes of the Infinite One. Wo
can never by searching find out God. We must not attempt
to lift with presumptuous hand the curtain behind which
he veils his majesty. Tlie apostle cxchiims, "How un-
searchable are his judgments, rm\ his ways past finding
out! " ' Wo can so far comprehend his dealings witli us, and
the motives by which he is actuated, that we may discern
boundless love and mercy united to infinite power. Our
Father in Heaven orders every; u.ig in wisdom and riglit-
eousncss, and we are not to bo dissatisfied and distrustful,
but to bow in reverent submission. He will reveal to us
as much of his purposes as it is for our good to know, and
beyond that we must trust the Hand that is omnipotent, the
Heart that is full of love.

While God has given ample evidence for faith, he will
never remove all excuse for unbelief. All who look for
hooks to hang their doubts upon, will find them. And
those who refuse to accept and obey God's Word until every
objection has been removed, and there is no longer an oppor-
tunity for doubt, will never come to the light.

Distrust of God is the natural outgrowth of the unrenewed
heart, which is at enmity with him. But f{:jtfi is inspired
by the Holy Spirit, and it will flourish only as it is cher-
ished. No man can become strong in faith without a deter-
mined effort. Unbelief strengthens as it is encouraged; and
if men, instead of dwelling upon the evidences w4iich God
has given to sustain their faitli, will permit themselves to
question and cavil, they will find their doubts constantly
becoming more confirmed.

But those who doubt God's promises, and distrust the
assurance of his grace, are dishonoring him; and their in-

' Horn. 11 : 33.

628

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

fliU'iice, instead of drawing others to Christ, tends to repel
them from him. They are unproductive trees, that spread
their dark branches far and wide, shutting away the sun-
light from other plants, and causing them to droop and die
under the chilling shadow. The liVwork of these persons
will appear as a never-ceasing witness against them. They
are sowing seeds of doabt and skepticism that will yield an
unfailing harvest.

There is but one course for those to pursue who honestly
desire to be freed from doubts. Instead of questioning and
caviling concerning that which they do not understand, let
them give heed to the light which already shines upon
them, and they will receive greater light. Let them do
every duty which has been made plain to their under-
standing, and they will be enabled to understand and per-
form those of which they are now in doubt.

Satan can present a counterfeit so closely resembling the
truth that it deceives those who are willing to be deceived,
who desire to shun the self-denial and sacrifice demanded by
the truth ; but it is impossible for him to hold under his
power one soul who honestly desires, at whatever cost, to
know the truth. Christ is the truth, and tiie "light which
lighteth every man tliat cometh into the world.'" Tho
Spirit of truth has been sent, to guide men into all truth.
And uj^on the authority of the Son of God it is declared,
" Seek, and ye shall find." " If any man will do His will, he
shall know of the doctrine." *

The followers of Clirist know little of the plots which
Satan and his hosts are forming against them. But He who
sitteth in the heavens will overrule all these devices for the
accomplishment of his deep designs. The Lord permits his
people to be subjected to the fiery ordeal of temptation, not
because he takes pleasure in their distress and affliction, but
because this process is essential to their final victory. He
could not, consistently wuth his own glory, shield them from

1 John 1:9. » Matt. 7 : 7; John 7 : 17.

temptation; lor tlie very object of the trial is to prepare
them to resist all the allurements of evil.

Neither wicked men nor devils can iiinder the work of
God or shut out his presence from his people, if thoy will,
with subdued, contrite hearts, confess and put away their
sins, and in faith claim his promises. Every temptation,
every opposing influence, whether open or secret, may be
successfully resisted, "not by might, nor by power, but by
my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." '

"The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his
ears are open Unto their prayers. . . . And who is he
that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?"*
"When Balaam, allured by the promise of rich rewards, prac-
ticed enchantments against Israel, and by sacrifices to the
Lord, sought to invoke a curse upon his people, the Spirit
of God forbade the evil which he longed to pronounce, and
Balaam was forced to exclaim, " How shall I curse, wliom
God hath not c iirsed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord
hath not defied ? " " Let me die the death of the righteous,
and let my last end be like his!" When sacrifice had
again been offered, the ungodly prophet declared : " Behold,
I have received commandment to bless; and he hath blessed;
and I cannot reverse it. He hatli not beheld iniquity in
Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel; the Lord
his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among
them." "Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob,
neither is there any divination against Israel. According
to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What
hath God wrought!"'* Yet a third altar was erected, and
again Balaam essayed to secure a curse. But from tiie un-
willing lips of the prophet, the Spirit of God declared tlie
prosperity of his chosen, and rebuked the folly and malice
of their foes: "Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed
is he that curseth thee." *

The people of Israel were at this time loyal to God ; and

»Zecli. 4:6. » 1 Pet. 3 : 12, 13. » Num. 23 : 8, 10, 20, 21, 23 ; 24 : 9.

530

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

so long as they continued in obedience to his law, no power
in earth or liell could prevail against them. But the curse
which Balaam had not been permitted to pronounce against
(jiod's people, lie finally succeeded in bringing upon them
by seducing (hem into sin. When they transgressed God's
commandments, then they separated themselves from him,
and they were left to foel the i)ower of the destroyer.

Satan is well aware that the weakest soul who abides in
Christ is more than a match for the hosts of darkness, and
that, should he reveal himself openly, he would bo met and
r(;sisted. Tlnjrefore he seeks to draw away the soldiers of
the cross from tiieir strong fortification, while he lies in
ambush with his forces, ready to destroy all who venture
upon his ground. Only in humble reliance upon God, and
obedience to all his commandments, can we be secure. No
man is safe for a day or an hour without prayer. Especially
should wo entreat the Lord for wisdom to understand his
Word. Here are revealed the wiles of the tempter, and the
means by which he may be successfully resisted. Satan is
an expert in quoting Scri^jture, placing his own interpre-
tation upon passages by which he hopes to cause us to
stumble. We should study the Bible with humility of
heart, never losing sight of our dependence upon God.
While we must constantly guard against the devices of
Satan, we should pray in faith continually, " Lead us not
into temptation."

I I

CHAPTER XXXIII.

THE FIRST GREAT DECEPTION.

With the earliest history of man, Satan bcgjan liis efforts
to deceive our race. Ho wlio liad incited rebellion in Heaven
desired to bring the inhabitants of the earth to unite with
him in his warfare against the government of God. Adam
and Eve had been perfectly ha[)py in obedience to the law
of God, and this fact was a constant testimony against the
claim which Satan had urged in Heaven, that God's law was
oppressive, and oppo.sed to the good of his creatures. And,
furthermore, Satan's envy was excited as ho looked upon
the beautiful home prepai^ed for the sinless pair. He deter-
mined to causiB their fall, that, having separated them from
God, and brought them under his own power, ho might gain
possession of the earth, and here establish his kingdom, in
opposition to the Most High.

Had Satan revealed himself in his real character, ho
would have been repulsed at once, for Adam and Eve had
been warned against this dangerous foe; but ho worked in
the dark, concealing his purpose, that ho might more eflcct-
ually accomplish his object. Employing as his medium the
serpent, then a creature of fascinating appearance, he ad-
dressed himself to Eve, " Hath God said, Ye shall not eat
of every tree of the garden?"' Had Eve refrained from
entering into argument with the tempter, she would have
been safe; but she ventured to parley with iiim, and fell a
victim to his wiles. It is thus that many are still overcome.
They doubt and argue concerning the requirements of God,

» Gea. 3 : 1.

(531)

^^simm^'^»^»mmfmv''

632

Till] am: AT controvkrsy.

and inHtotid of obeying tlio divine command.s, they accept
liuinan theories, wliich but disguise the devices of Satan.

"The woman said unto tiie serpent, We may eat of tlio
fruit of tlie trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree
wiiieli is in the midst of the garden, God hatii said. Ye
sliall not eat of it, neither siiall ye toucli it, lest ye die. And
tiio ser[)ent said unto tiie woman, Ye sliall n(>t surely die;
for God doth know that in the day yo cat thereof, then your
eyes shall be opened, and ye shall bo as gods, knowing good
and evil." ' lie declared that they would become like God,
possessing greater wisdom than before, and being capable
of a higher state of existence. Eve yielded to temptation;
and through her influence, Adam was led into sin. They
accepted the words of the serpent, that God did not mean
what ho said; they distrusted their Creator, and imagined
that lie was restricting their liberty, and that they might
obtain great wisdom and exaltation by transgressing his law.

But what did Adam, after his sin, find to be the meaning
of the words, " In the day that thou eatcst thereof thou slialt
surely die"? Did ho find them to mean, as Satan had led
him to believe, that he was to be ushered into a more ex-
alted state of existence? Then indeed there was great
good to be gained by transgression, and Satan was proved
to be a benefactor of the race. But Adam did not find this
to be the meaning of the divine sentence. God declared
that as a penalty for his sin, man should return to the
ground whence he was taken: "Dust thou art, and unto
dust shalt thou return."'^ The words of Satan, "Your eyes
shall be opened," proved to be true in this sense only: After
Adam and Eve had disobeyed God, their eyes were opened
to discern their folly; they did know evil, and they tasted
the bitter fruit of transgression.

In the midst of Eden grew the tree of life, whose fruit
had the power of perpetuating life. Had Adam remained
obedient to God, he would have continued to enjoy free

» Gen. 3 : 2-5.

"Gen. 3:19.

THE FIRST G HEAT DECEPTION.

633

access to this tree, and would Jnive lived forever. But when
ho Hinne<l, lio was cut off from partaking of the tree of life,
und he hecanie suhjeet to death. The divine sentence, " Du.st
thou art, and unto <lust shalt thou return," points to the
utter extinction of life.

Immortality, i)romiHed to man on condition of ohedience,
had heen forfeite<l hy transgression. Adam could not trans-
mit to his posterity that which lu; did not possess; and there
could have heen no hope for the fallen race, had not (lod,
by the sacrifice of his Son, brought immortality within their
reach. While "death passed upon all men, for that all
liavo sinne<l," Christ "hath brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel."' And only through Christ
can immortality bo obtained. Said Jesus, "lie that believeth
on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not
the Son .shall not see life."'^ Every man may come in pos-
session of this priceless blessing if he will comply with the
conditions. All "who by patient continuance in well-doing
seek for glory and honor and immortality," will receive
eternal life.*

The only one who promised Adam life in disobedience
was the great deceiver. And the declaration of the serpent
to Eve in Eden, — " Ye shall not surely die," — was the tinst
sermon ever preached upon the immortality of the soul.
Yet this declaration, resting solely upon the authority of
Satan, is echoed from the pulpits of Christendom, and is re-
ceived by the majority of mankind as readily as it was
received by our first parents. The divine sentence, " The
soul that sinneth, it shall die,"* is ma'le to mean, The soul
that sinneth, it shall not die, but live eternally. We cannot
but wonder at the strange infatuation which renders men
so credulous concerning the words of Satan, and so unbe-
lieving in regard to the words of God.

Had man, after his fall, been allowed free access to the

J Rom. 5:12; 2 Tim. 1:10.
*E2e. 18:20.

"John 3: 36.

3 Rom. 2: 7.

£34

rilE CHEAT CONTIiOVEKSY.

troo of lifo, lio would have lived foroviT, and tliiia sin would
liuvo bt't'U immortalized. Hut cherubim aud a Haminj^
Hword k(!|)t "tho way of tlio tree of life," ' and not one of Iho
family of Adam has l)(>en permitted to pass that barrier and
partake of th(i lii'e-givin|j; fruit. Therefore then^ is not an
immortal sinner.

But after tlu! fall, Satan hadi^ his angels make a special
ofTort to inculcate the h(>lief in man's natural immortality;
and having induced the people to nu'eive this error, they
wero to lead them on to conclude that the sinner would live
in eternal misery. Now the princo of darkness, working
through his agents, represents (Jod as a revengeful tyrant,
declaring that he plunges into hell all those who do not
please him, and causes ihem ever to feel his wrath; and
that while they sutler unutterable anguish, and writhe in
the eternal llamcs, their Creator looks down upon them with
satisfaction.

Thus the arch-fiend clotln's with his own attributes the
Creator and Benefactor of nuinkind. Cruelty is Satanic.
God is love; and all that ho created was pure, holy, and
lovely, until sin was brought in by tho first great rebel.
Satan liimself is tho enemy who tempts man to sin, and
then destrovs him if ho can; and when ho has mado sure
of his victim, then ho exults in tho ruin ho has wrought.
If permitted, he would sweep tho entire raco into his net.
AVero it not for the interposition of divine ])ower, not one
son or daughter of Adam would escai)c.

ITo is seeking to overcome men to-day, as ho overcame
our first parents, by shaking their confidence in their Creator,
and leading them to doubt the wisdom of his government
and the justice of his laws. Satan and his emissaries rep-
resent God as even worse than themselves, in order to justify
their own malignity and rebellion. Tho great deceiver
endeavors to shift his own horrible cruelty of charticter
upon our heavenly Father, that he may cause himself to ap-

>Gen. 3:24.

Tilt: FlliST GREAT DKCKrnoX.

W.\h

pour as oiH> ^really wronj^rd l»y his t'Xpulsion from IIeuv»'!i
l)<vaus(^ 1k3 Avoiild not Hiil)iiiit, t<» so unjust a p>V(.'nior. II«
jircHonts bol'oro tli(5 world tlio liberty which tiny may enjoy
under his mild sway, in contrast witii tlu> hondapn imposetl
by tho stern <l(>crees of Jehovah. Thus ho succeeds in lurinjjj
souls away from their alleyiiuico to < !od.

How rejiu^Miant to every emotion of lovo and mercy, and
ovon to our sense of justice, is tho doctrine that tho wicked
dcfid aro tormented with (in! and brimstones in an eternally
burning hell; that for tho sins of a brief, earthly lil(i tlu>y
aro to suH'er torturo as lonjij as (lod shall live. Yet this
doctrine has been widdy tau;j;ht, and is still embodied in
many of tho creeds of Christendom. Said a learned doctor
of divinity: "Tho si«j;ht of hell-torments will exalt \\\o hap-
piness of tho saints forever. When they seo others who aro
of tho same naturo and born under tho same circumstances,
plunjj^od in such nusery, and they .so distinj^ui.shed, it will
Quiko them sensible of how happy they are." Another used
these words: "While tho decree of reprobation is eternally
executing on the vessels of wrath, tho smoke of their tor-
ment will be et(!rnaliy ascending in view of the V(>ssels of
mercy, who, instead of taking the part of these miserable
objects, will say. Amen, Alleluia! praise ye tho Lord!"

Where, in tho j)ages of God's Word, is .such teaching to bo
found? Will the redeemed in Heaven bo lost to all emo-
tions of pity and compassion, and even to feelings of connnon
hunianitv? Are these to be exchanij-ed for tho indiU'crenco
of the stoic, or the cruelty of the .savage? — No, no; such is
not the teaching of the Book of (lod. Tho.se who present
the views expressed in the quotations given above nuiy be
learned and even honest men; but they are delu(le(l by the
sophistry of Satan. He leads them to misconstrue strong
expressions of Scripture, giving to the language the coloring
of bitterness and malignity which pertains to him.self, but
not to our Creator. " As I live, saith the Lord God, I have
no pleasure iu the death of the wicked ; but that the wicked

T'^^'^^^'fWff

!''?^'fWB

53(

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

turn from liis way and live; turn ye, turn ye from }our
evil ways; for why will ye die?" ^

What would bo gained to God should we admit that he
delights in witnessing unceasing tortures; that he is regaled
with the groans and shrieks and imprecations of the suf-
fering creatures whom he holds in the flames of hell? Can
these horrid sounds be music in the ear of Infinite Love ?
It is urged that the infliction of endless misery upon the
wicked would show God's hatred of sin as an evil which is
ruinous to the peace and order of the universe. Oh, dread-
ful blasphemy! As if God's hatred of sin is the reason v*hy
he perpetuates sin. For, according to the teachings of these
theologians, continued torture without hope of mercy mad-
dens its wretched victims, and as they pour out their rag©
in curses and blasphemy, they are forever augmenting their
load of guilt. God's glory is not enhanced by thus per-
petuating continually increasing sin through ceaseless ages.

It is beyond the power of the human mind to estimate
the evil wdiich has been wrouglit by the heresy of eternal
torment. The religion of the Bible, full of love and good-
ness, and abounding in compassion, is darkened by super-
stition and clothed with terror. When w'e consider in what
false colors Satan has painted the character of God, can we
wonder that our merciful Creator is feared, dreaded, and
even hated? The appalling views of God wdiicli have
spread over the W'orld from the teachings of the pulpit have
made thousands, yes, millions, of skeptics and infidels.

The theory of eternal torment is one of the false doctrines
that constitute the wine of the abominations of Babvlon,
of which she makes all nations drink.'' That ministers of
Christ should have accepted this heresy and proclaimed it
from the sacred desk, is indeed a mystery. They received
it from Rome, as they received the false sabbath. True,
it has been taught by great and good men; but the light
on this subject had not come to them as it has come to us.

^Eze. 33:11. »Rev. U:8; 17:2.

THE FIRST GREAT DECEPTION.

637

They were responsible only for the light which shone in
their time; we are accountable for that which shines in our
clay. If we turn from the testimony of God's Word, and
accept false doctrines because our fathers taught them, we
fall under the condemnation pronounced upon Babylon;
we are drinking of the wine of her abominations,

A large class to whom the doctrine of eternal torment is
revolting, are driven to the opposite error. They see that
the Scriptures represent God as a being of love and com-
passion, and they cannot believe that he will consign his
creatures to the fires of an eternally burning hell. But,
holding that the soul is naturally immortal, they see no
alternative but to conclude that all mankind will finally be
saved. Many regard the threatenings of the Bible as de-
signed merely to frighten men into obedience, and not to
be literally fulfilled. Thus the sinner can live in selfish
pleasure, disregarding the requirements of God, and yet
expect to be finally received into his favor. Such a doc-
trine, presuming upon God's mercy, but ignoring his justice,
pleases the carnal heart, and emboldens the wicked in their
iniquity.

To show how believers in universal salvation wrest the
Scriptures to sustain their soul-destroying dogmas, it is
needful only to cite their own utterances. At the funeral
of an irreligious young man, who had been killed instantly
by an accident, a Universalist minister selected as his text
the Scripture statement concerning David, " He was com-
forted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead." '

" I am frequently asked," said the speaker, " what will be
the fate of those who leave the world in sin, die, perhaps,
in a state of inebriation, die with the scarlet stains of crime
unwashed from their robes, or die as this young man died,
having never made a profession or enjoyed an experience
of religion. We are content with the Scriptures; their
answer shall solve the awful problem. Amnon was exceed-

i2Sam. 13:39.

TTT?

538

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

ingly sinful; lie was unrepentant, ho was made drunk, and
while drunk was killed. David was a i)rophet of God; he
must have known whether it would he ill or well for Anmon
in the world to eonie. What were the expressions of his
heart? — 'The soul of King David longed to go forth unto
Absalom; for ho was comforted concerning A mnon, seeing
he was dead.'

" And what is the inference to bo deduced from this
language? Is it not lliat endless suffering formed no part
of his religious belief? — So Ave conceive; and here we dis-
cover a triumphant argument in sup[)ort of the more i)leas-
ing, more enlightened, more benevolent hypothesis of ulti-
mate universal purity and peace. He was comforted, seeing
his son was dead. And why so? — Because by the eyo of
prophecy he could look forward into the glorious future^
and see that son far removed from all temptations, released
from the bondage and pijrilied from the corruptions of sin,
and after being made sufficiently holy and enlightened,
admitted to the assembly of ascended and rejoicing spirits.
His only comfort was, that in being removed from tiio
present state of sin and suffering, his beloved son had gone
where the loftiest breathings of the Holy Spirit would be
shed upon his darkened soul; where his mind would be
unfolded to the wisdom of Heaven and the sweet raptures
of immortal love, and thus prepared with a sanctified nature
to enjoy the rest and society of the heavenly inheritance.

"In these thoughts we would be understood to believe
that the salvation of Heaven depends upon nothing which
we can do in this life; neither upon a present change of
heart, nor upon present belief, or a j)resent profession of
religion."

Thus does the professed minister of Christ reiterate the
falsehood uttered by the serpent in Eden, — " Yf. shall not
surely die." "In the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes
shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods." He declares that
the vilest of sinners, — the murderer, the thief, and the adul-

THE FIRST GREAT DECEPTION.

sag-

terer, — will after death be prepared to enter into immortal
bliss.

And from what does tins perverter of the Scriptures draw
his conclusions? — From a single sentence exjjressing David's
submission to the disj)ensation of Providence. J I is soul
"longed to go forth unto Absalom; for he was comforted
concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead." The i)oignancy
of his grief having been softened by time, his thoughts
turned from the dead to the living son, self-banished through
fear of the just punishment of his crime. And this is the
evidence that the incestuous, druidccu Amnon was at death
immediately transported to the abodes of bliss, there to be-
purified and prepared for the com[)anionship of sinless
angels! A pleasing fable indeed, w^ell suited to gratify the
carnal heart! This is Satan's own doctrine, and it does his
work effectually. Should we be surprised that, with such
instruction, wickedness abounds ?

The course pursued by this one false teacher illustrates
that of many others. A few words of Scripture aro so[>-
aratcd from the context, which would, in many cases, show
their meaning to be exactly opposite to the interpretation
put upon them; and such disjointed passages are perverted
and used in proof of doctrines that have no foundation in
the Word of God. The testimony cited as evidence that tho
drunken Amnon is in Heaven, is a mere inference, directly
contradicted by the plain and positive statement of the
Scriptures, that no drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of
God.^ It is thus that doubters, unbelievers, and skeptics
turn the truth into a lie. And multitudes have been de-
ceived by their sophistry, and rocked to sleep in the cradle
of carnal security.

If it wore true that the souls of all men passed directly
to Heaven at the hour of dissolution, then we might well
covet death rather tlian life. Many have been led by this
belief to put an end to their existence. When overwhelmed
with trouble, perplexity, and disappointment, it, seems aa

• 1 Cor. G : 10.

'iitiif iiiiiltftiitAriiitit- '•^'*'^^' ■'

^W^W^^:'^:'

540

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

easy thing to break the brittle thread of life, and soar away
into the bliss of the eternal world.

God has given in his Word decisive evidence that he will
punish the transgressors of his law. Those who flatter
themselves that he is too merciful to execute justice upon
the sinner, have only to look to the cross of Calvary. The
death of the spotless Son of God testifies that " the wages of
sin is death," that every violation of God's law must receive
its just retribution. Christ the sinless became sin for man.
He bore the guilt of transgression, and the hiding of his
Father's face, until his heart was broken and his life crushed
out. All this sacrifice was made that sinners might be re-
deemed. In no other way could man be freed from the
penalty of sin. And every soul that refuses to become a
partaker of the atonement provided at such a cost, must
bear, in his own person, the guilt and punishment of trans-
gression.

Let us consider what the Bible teaches fi^rther concerning
the ungodly and unrepentant, whom the Universalist places
in Heaven as holy, happy angels.

" I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the
water of life freely."' This promise is only to those that
thirst. None but those who feel their need of the water of
life, and seek it at the loss of all things else, will be supplied.
"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be
his God, and he shall be my son." ' Here, also, conditions
are specified. In order to inherit all things, we must resist
and overcome sin.

The Lord declares by the prophet Isaiah, " Say ye to the
righteous, that it shall be well with him." " Woe unto the
wicked! it shall be ill with him; for the reward of his hands
shall be given him." " " Though a sinner do evil a hundred
times," says the wise man, "and his days be prolonged, yet
surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God,
which fear before him; but it shall not be well with the

» Rev. 21:6, 7.

«Isa. 3:10, 11.

THE FIRST GREA T DECEPTION.

641

wicked." * And Paul testifies that the sinner is treasuring
up unto himself " wrath against the day of ^Tath and reve-
lation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render
to every man according to his deeds;" "tribulation and
anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil." "

" No fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man,
which is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom
of Christ and God."' "Follow peace with all men, and
holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."*
"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they
may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through
the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers,
and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and who-
soever loveth and maketh a lie." *

God has given to men a declaration of his character, and
of his method of dealing with sin. "The Lord God, mer-
ciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness
and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity
and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear
the guilty."" "All the wicked will he destroy." "The
transgressors shall be destroyed together; the end of the
wicked shall be cut off." ' The power and authority of the
divine government will be employed to put down rebellion;
yet all the manifestations of retributive justice will be per-
fectly consistent with the character of God as a merciful,
long-suffering, benevolent being.

God does not force the will or judgment of any. He takes
no pleasure in a slavish obedience. He desires that the
creatures of his hands shall love him because he is worthy
of love. He would have them obey him because they have
an intelligent appreciation of his wisdom, justice, and benev-
olence. And all who have a just conception of these qual-
ities will love him because they are drawn toward him in
admiration of his attributes.

»Eccl. 8 : 12, 13. 2 Rom. 2 : 5, 6, 9.
<Heb. 12 : 14. » Rev. 22 : 14, 15.
'Ps. 145:20; 37:38.

' Eph. 5 : 5, Revised Version.
«Ex. 34:6, 7.

immmmim

642

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

Tlie princii»lcs of kindness, mercy, iind love, taught and
exemplified by our Saviour, are a transcript of the will and
character of God. Christ declared that ho taught nothing
except that which ho had received from his Father. The
piinciples of the divine government are in perfect harmony
with the Saviour's precept, " Love your enemies." God exe-
cutes justice upon tiio wicked, for tlio good of the universe,
and even for the good of those upon whom his judgments
are visited. He would make them happy if he could do so
in accordance with tlie laws of his government and the
justice of his character. He surrounds them witli the tokens
of his love, he grants them a knowledge of his law, and
follows them with the offers of his mercy; but they despise
his love, make void his li^w, and reject his mercy. While
constantly receiving his gifts, they dishonor the Giver; they
hate God because tliey know tliat he abhors their sins. Tlio
Lord bears long with tlioir perversity; but the decisive hour
will come at last, when tlieir destiny is to be decided. Will
lie then chain these rebels to his side? Will he force them
to do his will ?

Those who have chosen Satan as their leader, and have
been controlled by his power, are not prepared to enter the
j>resence of God. Pride, deception, licentiousness, cruelty,
have become fixed in their characters. Can they enter
Heaven, to dwell forever with those whom they despised
and hated on earth? Truth will never be agreeable to a
liar; meekness will not satisfy' self-esteem and pride; purity
is not acceptable to the corrupt; disinterested love does not
appear attractive to the selfish. WJiat source of enjoyment
could Heoven offer to those who are whollv absorbed in
earthly and selfish interests ?

Could those whose lives have been spent in rebellion
against God be suddenly transported to Heaven, and witness
the high, the holy state of perfection that ever exists there, —
every soul filled with love; every countenance beaming with
joy; enrapturing music in melodious strains rising in honor

THE FIRST GREA T DECEPTION.

543

•of God and the Lamb; and ceaseless streams of light flowing
upon the redeemed from the face of Ilim wiio sitteth upon
the throne, — could those wliose hearts are filled with hatred
of God, of truth and holiness, mingle with the heavenly
throng and join their songs of praise? Could they endure
the glory of God and the Lamb? — No, no; years of proba-
tion were granted them, that ti "y miglit form characters
for Heaven; but they have never trained the mind to love
purity; they have never learned the language of Heaven,
and now it is too late. A life of rebellion against God has
unfitted them for Heaven. Its purity, holiness, and peace
would bo torture to them; the glory of God would be a
consuming fire. They would long to flee from that holy
place. They would welcome destruction, that they might
be hidden from the face of Ilim who died to redeem them.
The destiny of tlie wicked is fixed by their own choice.
Their exclusion from Heaven is voluntary with themselves,
and just and merciful on the part of God.

Like the waters of the flood, the fires of the great day
declare God's verdict that the wicked are incurable. They
have no disposition to submit to divine authority. Their
will has been exercised in revolt; and when life is ended,
it is too late to turn the current of their thoughts in the
•opposite direction, — too late to turn from transgression to
obedience, from hatred to love.

In spa^'ug the life of Cain the murderer, God gave the
world an example of what would be the result of permitting
the sinner to live, to continue a course of unbridled iniquity.
Through the influence of Cain's teaching and example,
multitudes of his descendants were led into sin, until " the
wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every im-
agination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil con-
tinually." " The earth also was corrupt before God, and the
•earth was filled with violence." '

In mercy to the world, God blotted out its wicked in-
habitants in Noah's time. In mercy he destroyed the cor-

iGen. G:5, 11,

''mmt

544

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

rupt dwellers in Sodom. Through the deceptive power of
Satan, the workers of iniquity obtain sympathy and ad-
miration, and are thus constantly leading others to rebellion.
It was so in Cain's and in Noah's day, and in the time of
Abraham and Lot; it is so in our time. It is in mercy
to the universe that God will finally destroy the rtyecters
of his grace.

" The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord." ' While life is the in-
heritance of the righteous, death is the portion of the wicked.
Moses declared to Israel, " I have set before thee this day
life and good, and death and evil." * The death referred to
in these scriptures is not that pronounced upon Adam, for
all mankind suffer the penalty of his transgression. It is
the " second death " that is placed in contrast with ever-
lasting life.

In consequence of Adam's sin, death passed upon the
whole human race. All alike go down into the grave.
And through the provisions of tlie plan of salvation, all
ar^ to be brought forth from their graves. " There shall
be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust;"*
" for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made
alive." * But a distinction is made between the two classes
that are brought forth. " All that are in the graves shall
hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done
good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done
evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." * They who have
been " accounted worthy " of the resurrection of life are
" blessed and holy." " On such the second death hath no
power."" But those who have not, through repentance and
faith, secured pardon, must receive the penalty of trans-
gression, — "the wages of sin." They suffer punishment
varying in duration and intensity, " according to their
works," but finally ending in the second death. Since it is

»Rom. 6:23.
n Cor. 15:22.

*Deut. 30:15.
6 John 5: 28, 29.

"Acts 24: 15.
«Eev. 20:6.

THE FIRST ORE A T DECEPTION.

545

impossible for God, consistently with his justice and mercy,
to save the sinner in his sins, ho deprives him of the ex-
istence which his transgressions have forfeited, and of which
he has proved himself unworthy. Says an inspired writer,
"Yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou
shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be."
And another declares, " They shall be as though they had
not been." ' Covered with infamy, they sink into hopeless,
eternal oblivion.

Thus will be made an end of sin, with all the woe and
ruin which have resulted from it. Says the psalmist: " Thou
hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name
forever and ever. thou enemy, destructions are come to
a perpetual end."' John, in the Revelation, looking for-
ward to the eternal state, hears a universal anthem of praise,
undisturbed by one note of discord. Every creature in
Heaven and earth was heard ascribing glory to God.' There
will then be no lost souls to blaspheme God, as they writhe
in never-ending torment; no wretched beings in hell will
mingle their shrieks with the songs of the saved.

Upon the fundamental error of natural immortality rests
the doctrine ot conscious .ess in death, a doctrine, like eternal
torment, opposed to the teachings of the Scriptures, to the
dictates of reason, and to our feelings of humanity. Ac-
cording to the popular belief, the redeemed in Heaven are
acquainted with all that takes place on the earth, and es-
pecially with the lives of the friends whom they have left
behind. But how could it be a source of happiness to the
dead to know the troubles of the living, to witness the sins
committed by their own loved ones, and to see them endur-
ing all the sorrows, disappointments, and anguish of life ?
How much of Heaven's bliss would be enjoyed by those
who were hovering over their friends on earth ? And how
utterly revolting is the belief that as soon as the breath
leaves the body, the soul of the impenitent is consigned to

iPs. 37 : 10 ; Obad. 16. « Ps. 9 : 5, 6. * Rev. 6 : la

ft^-^e^mmmmm-

A46

Tin: GREAT CONTROVERSY.

the flames of liell! To what depths of anguish iniist those
bo phiTigod who see their friends passing to the grave mi-
prepared, to enter upon an eternity of woo and sin! Many
have been driven to insanity by tliis liarrowing thought.

Wliat say tlio Scriptures concerning these things? David
dechires that man is not conscious in death. "His breath
goeth forth, lie returnetli to liis earth; in that very day liis
thouglits perish."' Solomon hears the samo testimony:
"The living know that they shall die; but the dead know
not anything," "Their love, and their hatred, and their
envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion
forever in anything that is done under the sun." "There
is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the
grave, whither thou goest." "

When, in answer to his prayer, Hezekiah's life was pro-
longed fifteen years, the grateful king rendered to Clod a
tribute of praise for his great mercy. In this song he tells
the reason why he thus rejoices: "The grave cannot praise
thee, death cannot celebrate thee; they that go down into
the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living,,
he shall praise thee, as I do this day." ' Popular theology
represents the righteous dead as in Heaven, entered into-
bliss, and praising God with an immortal tongue; but
Hezekiah could see no such glorious prospect in death.
With his words agrees the testimony of the psalmist: " In
death there is no remembrance of thee; in the grave who-
shall give thee thanks?" "The dead praise not the Lord,
neither any that go down into silence." *

Peter, on the day of Pentecost, declared that the patriarch
David "is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with
US unto this day." "For David is not ascended into the
heavens." ' The fact that David remains in the grave until
the resurrection, proves that the righteous do not go to
Heaven at death. It is only through the resurrection, and

»P8. 146:4. '^Eccl. 9:5, 6, 10.

*P8. 6:5; 115:17.

« Isa. 38 : 18, 10.
i^ Acts 2: 29, 34.

TIIK FIRST GREAT DKCKPTIOX.

547

f.se-

by virtue of tho fact that Christ lias riHcii, that David ran at
last sit at tho riglit hand of ( Jod.

And said Paul: " If tho dead riso not, then is not Christ
raised. And if Ciirist ])0 not raised, your faith is vain; yo
aro yet in your sins. Then tiioy also which are fallen aslee[»
in Christ aro iH-rished."' If for four thousand years tho
riglitoous liad gone directly to Ilcuiven at (h^ath, how could
Paul have said that if there is no resurrection, "they whi(!h
are ftillen asleep in Christ aro perished"? No resurn.'ction
would bo necessary.

Tho niartvr Tyndale, defending; the doctrine that the dead
sleej), declared to his papist opponent: "Ye, in i)ntting
thcni [departed souls] in Ileavcfu, hell, and ])urgatory, de-
stroy tho argument wherewith Christ and Paul j)rovo tho
resurrection." "If tho souls bo in Heaven, tell nio why
they bo not in as good case as tho angels be? And then
what cause is there of tho resurrection?"

It is an undeniable fact that tho hope of immortal bles-
sedness at death has led to widespread neglect of tho Bible
doctrine of tho resurrection. This tendency was remarked
by Dr. Adam Clarke, who, early in tho present century,
said: " The doctrine of tho resurrection appears to have been
thought of much more consequence among tho primitive
Christians than it is now! How is this? The ajmstles were
continually insisting on it, and exciting the followers of God
to diligence, obedience, and cheerfulness through it. And
their successors in tho present day seldom mention it I So
apostles preached, and so primitive Christians believed; so
wo preach, and so our hearers believe. There is not a doc-
trine in the gospel on which more stress is laid; and there
is not a doctrine in the present system of preaching which
is treated with more neglect! "

This has continued until the glorious truth of tho res-
urrection has been almost wholly obscured, and lost sight
of by the Christian world. Thus a leading religious writer.

» 1 Cor. 15 : 16-18.

■-%-jS*?s?P'

&48

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

commonting on tlio words of Paul in I Tlioss. -lil.'J-lS,
says: "For all practical purposes of comfort tho doctrine of
tho l)loHsc(l immortality of tho righteous takes tho place for
us of any doubtful <loctrino of tho Lord's second coming.
At our death the Lord couk^s for us. That is what wo are
to wait and watch for. Tho dead are already passed into
glory. They do not wait for the truni[) for their judgment
ajid blessedness."

But when about to leave his disciples, .Jesus did not tell
them that they would soon come to him. " 1 go to prepare a
place for you," he said. " And if I go and {)reparo a place for
you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself." ' And
Paul tells us, further, that " tho Ijord himself shall descend
from Heaven with a shout, with tho voice of tho archangel,
and with tho trump of God; and tho dead in Christ shall
rise first. Then wo which are alivo and remain shall bo
caught up together with them in tho clouds, to meet the
Lord in tho air; and so shall wo ever bo with tho Lord."
And he adds, "Comfort one another with these words."''
How wide tho contrast between these words of comfort and
those of the Universalist minister previously quoted. The
latter consoled the bereaved friends with the assurance, that,
however sinful the dead might have been, when he breathed
out his life here he was to bo received among the angels.
Paul points his brethren to the future coming of the Lord,
when the fetters of the tomb shall be broken, and the " dead
in Christ " shall be raised to eternal life.

Before any can enter the mansions of the blest, their cases
must be investigated, and their characters and their deeds
must pass in review before God. All are to be judged ac-
cording to the things written in tho books, and to bo re-
warded as their works have been. This Judgment does
not take place at death. Mark the words of Paul : " He
hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world
in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained;

1 John 14 : 2, 3, » 1 Thesa. 4 : 16-18.

WE FIRST niiFAT DKCF.VriON,

n40

whoroof ho hatli given aMsuranoo unto all men, in that ho
hath raised liim from the dead.'" Ilcri' tiio aj>ostlo j)laiiily
stati'<l that a sitcciticd time, tiicn I'utiuv, liad hoen lixed
upon tor tiui Judgment of the world.

Judo refurH to tho namo period: " Tho angels which kept
not their lirst estate, hut left their own hahitation, ho hath
reserved in everlasting ehains under darkness unto tho
Judgment of tho great day." And again ho (piotos tho
words of Enoch: " Behold, tho Lord cometh with ten thou-
sands of his saints, to oxocuto judgment upon all."^ John
doelaros that ho " saw tho dead, small aiid great, stand hoforo
God; and tho hooks woro o[)ened;" "and tho dead were
judged out of those things which were written in tho hooks."'

But if tho dead aro already enjoying tho hliss of Heaven
or writhing in tho Hames of lioll, what need of a future
Judgment? Tho toaching.s of God's Word on these im-
portant points aro neither obscure nor contradictory; they
may be understood by common minds. But what candid
mind can see either wisdom or justice in tho current tlieory?
Will tho righteous, after tho investigation of their cases at
the Judgment, receive the commen<hition, " Well done, good
and faithful servant," " enter thou into tho joy of thy Lord," *
when they have been dwelling in his presence, perhaps for
long ages? Are the wicked summoned from the place of
torment to receive the sentence from the Judge of all the
earth, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire"?*
Oh, solemn mockery! shameful impeachment of the wisdom
and justice of God !

The theory of the immortality of the soul was one of
those false doctrines that Rome, borrowing from paganism,
incorporated into the religion of Christendom. ALartin
Luther classed it with " the numberless prodigies of tho
Romish dunghill of decretals." Commenting on the words
of Solomon in Ecclesiastes, that the dead know not any-
thing, the reformer says : " Another proof that the dead are

I Acts 17 : 31. a Jude 6, 14, 15. » Rev. 20 : 12. * Matt. 25 : 21, 41.

"^"■WTS^^^

mmmfiiim'<^'>-i-^

650

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

insensible. Solomon thinks therefore, that the dead are-
altogether asleep, and think of nothing. They lie, not
reckoning days or years, but when awakened, will seem to
themselves to have slept scarcely a moment."

Nowhere in the Sacred Scriptures is found the statement
that the rigliteous go to their reward or the wicked to their
punishment at death. The patriarchs and prophets have
left no such assurance. Clirist and his apostles have given
no hint of it. The Bible clearly teaches that the dead do
not go immediately to Heaven. They are represented as
sleeping until the resurrection.* In the very day when the
silver cord is loosed and the golden bowl broken,"' man's
thoughts perish. They that go down to the grave are in
silence. They know no more of anything that is done under
the sun.' Blessed rest for the weary righteous! Time, be
it long or short, is but a moment to them. They sleep, they
are awakened by the trump of God to a glorious immor-
tality. " For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall bi^
raised incorruptible. ... So when tliis corruptible shall
have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put
on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written. Death is swallowed up in victory."* As
tiiey are called forth from their deep slumber, they begin
to think just where they ceased. The last sensation was the
pang of death, the last thought that they were falling be-
neath the power of the grave. When they arise from the
tomb, their first glad thought will be echoed in the tri-
umphal shout, "O death, where is thy sting? grave,,
where is thy victory?" *

»1 Thess. 4:14; Job 14:10-12.
* 1 Cor. 15 : 52-65.

'£001.12:6. » Job 14:21.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

SPIRITUALISM.

The ministration of holy angels, as presented in the
Scriptures, is a truth most comforting and precious to every
follower of Christ. But the Bible teaching upon this point
has been obscured and perverted by the errors of popular
theology. The doctrine of natural immortality, first bor-
rowed from the pagan philosophy, and in the darkness of
the great apostasy incorporated into the Christian faith,
has supplanted the truth, so plainly taught in Scripture,
that " the dead know not anything." Multitudes have come
to believe that it is the spirits of the dead who are the
"ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who
shall be heirs of salvation." And this notwithstanding the
testimony of Scripture to the existence of heavenly angels,
and their connection with the history of man, before the
death of a human being.

The doctrine of man's consciousness in death, especially
the belief that the spirits of the dead return to minister to
the living, has prepared the way for modern Spiritualism.
If the dead are admitted to the presence of God and holy
angels, and privileged with knowledge far exceeding what
they before possessed, why should they not return to the
earth to enlighten and instruct the living? If, as taught
by popular theologians, the spirits of the dead are hovering
about their friends on earth, why should they not be per-
mitted to communicate with them, to warn them against
evil, or to comfort them in sorrow ? How can those who
believe in man's consciousness in death reject what comes
to them as divine light communicated by glorified spirits ?

(551)

^:Wmi9m

■■m»

552

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

Here is a channel regarded as sacred, through which Satan
works for the accomplishment of his purposes. The fallen
angels who do his bidding appear as messengers from the
spirit world. While professing to bring the living into com-
munication with the dead, the prince of evil exercises his
bewitching influence upon their minds.

He has power to bring before men the appearance of their
departed friends. The counterfeit is perfect; the familiar
look, the words, the tone, are reproduced with marvelous
distinctness. Many are comforted with the assurance that
their loved ones are enjoying the bliss of Heaven; and
without suspicion of danger, they give ear to " seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils."

When they have been led to believe that the dead actually
return to communicate with them, Satan causes those to
appear who went into the grave unprepared. They claim
to be happy in Heaven, and even to occupy exalted posi-
tions there; and thus the error is widely taught, that no
difference is made between the righteous and the wicked.
The pretended visitants from the world of spirits sometimes
ntter cautions and warnings which prove to be correct.
Then, as confidence is gained, they present doctrines that
directly undermine faith in the Scriptures. With an ap-
pearance of deep interest in the well-being of their friends
on earth, they insinuate the most dangerous errors. The
fact that they siate some truths, and are able at times to
foretell future events, gives to their statements an appear-
ance of reliability; and their false teachings are accepted
by the multitudes as readily, and believed as implicitly, as
if they were the most sacred truths of the Bible. The law
of God is set aside, the Spirit of grace despised, the blood
of the covenant counted an unholy thing. The spirits deny
the divinity of Christ, and place even the Creator on a level
with themselves. Thus under a new disguise the great
rebel still carries forward his warfare against God, begun in
Heaven, and for nearly six thousand years continued upon
the earth.

SPIRITUALISM.

553

Many endeavor to account for spiritual manifestations by
attributing them wholly to fraud and sleight of hand on
the part of the medium. But while it is true that the re-
sults of trickery have often been palmed off as genuine
manifestations, there have been, also, marked exhibitions
of supernatural power. The mysterious rapping with which
modern Spiritualism began was not the result of human
trickery or cunning, but was the direct work of evil angels,
who thus introduced one of the most successful of soul-
destroying delusions. Many will be ensnared through the
belief that Spiritualism is a merely human imposture;
when brought face to face with manifestations which they
cannot but regard as supernatural, they will be deceived,
and will be led to accept them as the great power of God.

These persons overlook the testimony of the Scriptures
concerning the wonders wrought by Satan and his agents.
It was by Satanic aid that Pharaoh's magicians were en-
abled to counterfeit the work of God. Paul testifies that
before the second advent of Christ there will bo similar
manifestations of Satanic power. The coming of the Lord
is to be preceded by " the working of Satan with all power
and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness
of unrighteousness." ' And the apostle John, describing
the miracle-worJdng power that will be manifested in the
last days, declares: "He doeth great wonders, so that he
maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the
sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth
by the means of those miracle^ which he had power to do.'"*
No mere impostures are here foretold. Men are deceived
by the miracles which Satan's agents have power to do, not
which they pretend to do.

The prince of darkness, who has so long bent the powers
of his master-mind to the work of deception, skiliiully adapts
his temptations to men of all classes and conditions. To per-
sons of culture and refinement he presents Spiritualism in

»2Thess. 2:9, 10.

'i Rev. 13 : 13. 14.

"■i^»«ii

554

Till] GREAT CONTROVERSY.

its more refined unci intellectual aspects, and thus succeeds
in drawing many into bis snare. The wisdom which Spir-
itualism imparts is that described by the apostle James,
which *' descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual,
devilish." ' This, however, the great deceiver conceals, when
concealment will I st suit his purpose. He who could ap-
pear clothed with tne brightness of the heavenly seraphs
before Christ in the wilderness of temptation, comes to men
in the most attractive manner, as an angel of light. He
appeals to the reason by the presentation of elevating themes,
he delights the fancy with enrt ^jturing scenes, and he en-
lists the affections by his eloquent portrayals of love and
charity. He excites the imagination to lofty flights, leading
men to take so great pride in their own wisdom that in
their hearts they despise the Eternal One. That mighty
being who could take the world's Redeemer to an exceed-
ingly high mountain, and bring before him all the king-
doms of the earth and the glory of them, will present his
temptations to men in a manner to pervert the senses of
all who are not shielded by divine power-
Satan beguiles men now as he beguiled Eve in Eden, by
flattery, by kindling a desire to obtain forbidden knowledge,
by exciting ambition for self-exaltation. It was cherishing
tliese evils that caused his fall, and through them he aims
to compass the ruin of men. *' Ye shall be as gods," he
declares, *' knowing good and evil." ^ Spiritualism teaches
"that man is the creature of progression ; that it is his des-
tiny from his birth to progress, even to eternity, toward the
Godhead." And again: "Each mind will judge itself and
not another." *' The judgment will be riglit, because it is
the judgment of self. . . . The throne is within you."
Said a Spiritualistic teacher, as the "spiritual consciousness."
awoke within him, "My fellow-men, all were unfallen demi-
gods." And another declares, " Any just and perfect being
is Christ."

» Jas. 3 : 15. " Gen. 3 : 5.

SPIRITUALISM.

555

Thus, in place of the righteousness and perfection of the
infinite God, the true object of adoration; in phico of the
perfect righteousness of his law, the true standard of human
attainment, Satan has substituted the sinful, erring nature
of man himself, as the only object of adoration, the only
rule of judgment, or standard of character. This is progress,
not upward, but downward.

It is a law both of the intellectual and the spiritual nature,
that by beholding, we become changed. The mind grad-
ually adai)ts itself to the subjects upon which it is allowed
to dwell. It becomes assimilated to that which it is accus-
tomed to love and reverence. Man will never rise higher
than his standard of purity or goodness or truth. If self
is his loftiest ideal, he will never attain to anything moro
exalted. Rather, he will constantly sink lower and lower.
The grace of God alone has power to exalt man. Left to
himself, his course must inevitably be downward.

To the self-indulgent, the pleasure-loving, the sensual,
»Spiritualism presents itself under a less subtle disguise than
to the more refined and intellectual; in its grosser forms
they find that which is in harmony with their inclinations.
Satan studies every indication of the frailty of human nat-
ure, he marks the sins which each individual is inclined to
commit, and then he takes care that opportunities shall not
be wanting to gratify tlie tendency to evil. He tempts men
to excess in that which is in itself lawful, causing them,
through intemperance, to weaken physical, mental, and
moral power. He has destroyed and is destroying thousands
through the indulgence of the passions, thus brutalizing the
entire nature of man. And to comjjlete his work, he de-
clares, through the spirits, that "*i'ue knowledge places man
above all law;" that "whatsoever is, is right;" that "God
doth not condemn;" and that ''all sins which are committed
are innocent." When the people are thus led to believe that
desire is the highest law, that liberty is license, and that man
is accountable only to himself, who can wonder that corrup-

^ ?."i j p .tF- ' y.i-^JvUtjw.ff. i '. 'gi imH^y

TWFPiHf— ^'■^IBfflRI^rappBfl

WW^i^'^W

556

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

tion and depravity teem on every hand? Multitudes ea-
gerly accept teachings that leave them at liberty to obey tlie
promptings of the carnal heart. The reins of self-control are
laid upon the neck of lu.st, the powers of mind and soul are
made subject to the animal propensities, and Satan exult-
ingly sweeps into his net thousands who profess to be fol-
lowers of Christ.

But none need be deceived by the lying claims of Spir-
itualism. God has given the world sufficient light to enable
them to discover the snare. As alreadv shown, the theory
which forms the very foundation of Spiritualism is at war
with the plainest statements of Scripture. The Bible de-
clares that the dead know not anything, that their thoughts
have perished; they have no part in anything that is done
under the sun; they know nothing of the joys or sorrows
of those who were dearest to them on earth.

Furthermore, God has expressly forbidden all pretended
communication with departed s})irits. In the days of the
Hebrews there was a class of people who claimed, as do the
Spiritualists of to-day, to hold communication with the dead.
But the "familiar spirits," as these visitants from other
worlds were called, are declared by the Bible to be the
"spirits of devils."* The work of dealing with familiar
spirits was pronounced an abomination to the Lord, and
was solemnly forbidden under pennlty of death.^ The very
name of witchcraft is now held in contempt. Tlie claim
that men can hold intercourse with evil spirits is regarded
as a fable of the Dark Ages. But Spiritualism, which num-
bers its converts by hundreds of thousands, yea, by millions,
which has made its way into scientific circles, which has
invaded churches, and has found favor in legislative bodies,
and even in the courts of kings — this mammoth deception
is but a revival, in a new disguise, of the witchcraft con-
demned and prohibited of old.

' Compare Num. 25 : 1-3; Ps. lOG : 28; 1 Cor. 10 : 20; Rev. IG : 14.
^'Lcv. 10:31; 20:'J7.

SPIRITUALISM.

557

If there were no other evidence of the real character of
Spiritualism, it sliould be enough for the Cliristian that tlio
spirits make no difference between rigliteousness and sin,
between tlie noblest and purest of the apostles of Christ and
the most corrupt of the servants of {Satan. By representing
the basest of men as in Heaven, and highly exalted there,
Satan says to the world: "No matter how wicked you are;
no matter whether you believe or disbelieve God and the
Bible. Live as you please; Heaven is your home." The
Spiritualist teachers virtually declare, " Every one that docth
evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and lie delighteth in
them; or, Where is the God of judgment?"* Saith the
Word of God, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and
good evil; that put darkness for light, arid light for dark-
ness." ''

The apostles, as personated by these lying spirits, are
made to contradict what they wrote at the dictation of the
Holy Spirit when on earth. They deny the divine origin
of the Bible, and thus tear away the foundation of the Chris-
tian's hope, and put out the light that reveals the way to
Heaven. Satan is making the world believe that the Bible
is a mere fiction, or at least a book suited to the infancy of
the race, but now to be lightly regarded, or cast aside as
obsolete. And to take the place of the Word of God he
holds out spiritual manifestations. Here is a channel wholly
under his control; by this means he can make the world
believe what he will. The Book that is to judge him
and his followers he puts in the shade, just where he
wants it; the Saviour of the world he makes to be no more
than a common man. And as the Roman guard that
watched the tomb of Jesus spread the lying report which
the priests and elders put into their mouths to disprove his
resurrection, so do the believers in spiritual manifestations
try to make it appear that there is nothing miraculous in
the circumstances of our Saviour's life. After thus seeking

» Mai. 2:17. "Isa. 5:20.

558

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

to put Jesus in the background, they call attention to their
own miracles, declaring that tlieso far exceed the works of
Christ.

It is true that Spiritualism is now changing its form, and,
veiling some of its more objectionable features, is assuming-
a Christian guise. But its utterances from the platform and
the press have been before the public for nearly forty years,,
and in these its real character stands revealed. These teach-
ings cannot be denied or hidden.

Even in its present form, so far from being more worthy
of toleration than formerly, it is really a more dangerous,,
because a more subtle deception. While it formerly de-
nounced Christ and the Bible, it now professes to accept
both. But the Bible is interpreted in a manner that is
pleasing to the unrenewed heart, while its solemn and vital
truths are made of no effect. Love is dwelt upon as the
chief attribute of God, but it is degraded to a weak senti-
mentalism making little distinction between good and evil.
God's justice, his denunciations of sin, the requirements of
his holy law, are all kept out of sight. The people are
taught to regard the decalogue as a dead letter. Pleasing,
bewitching fables captivate the senses, and lead men to re-
ject the Bible as the foundation of their faith. Christ is as
verily denied as before ; but Satan has so blinded the eyea
of the people that the deception is not discerned.

There are few who have any just conception of the de-
ceptive power of Spiritualism and the danger of coming^
under its influence. Many tamper with it, merely to gratify
their curiosity. They have no real faith in it, and would
be filled with horror at the thought of yielding themselves
to the spirits' control. But they venture upon the forbidden
ground, and the mighty destroyer exercises his power upon
them against their will. Let them once be induced to sub-
mit their minds to his direction, and he holds them captive.
It is impossible, in their own strength, to break away from
the bewitching, alluring spell. Nothing but the power of

SPIRITUALISM.

&&9

God, granted in answer to the earnest prayer of faith, can
deliver these ensnared souls.

All who indulge sinful traits of character, or willfully
cherish a known sin, are inviting the temptations of Satan.
They separate themselves from God and from the watchcare
of his angels; as the evil one presents his deceptions, they
are without defense, and fall an easy prey. Those who
thus place themselves in his power, little realize where their
course will end. Having achieved their overthrow, the
tempter will employ them as his agents to lure others to
ruin.

Says the prophet Isaiah: " When they shall say unto you.
Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards
that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto
their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to
the testimony. If they speak not according to this word,
it is because there is no light in them."* If men had been
w^illing to receive the truth so plainly stated in the Script-
ures, concerning the nature of man and the state of the
dead, they would see in the claims and manifestations of
Spiritualism the working of Satan with power and signs
and lying wonders. But rather than yield the liberty so
agreeable to the carnal heart, and renounce the sins which
they love, multitudes close their eyes to the light, and walk
straight on, regardless of warnings, while Satan weaves his
snares about them, and they become his prey. " Because
they received not the love of the truth, that they might be
saved," therefore " God shall send them strong delusion, that
they should believe a lie."*

Those who oppose the teachings of Spiritualism are assail-
ing, not men alone, but Satan and his angels. They have
entered upon a contest against principalities and powers
and wicked spirits in high places. Satan will not yield one
inch of ground except as he is driven back by the power
of heavenly messengers. The people of God should be able

ilsa. 8:19, 20.

'2Tbea8. 2:10, U.

"TT"^^

560

TIII'J GREAT COXTROVimSY.

to meet him, as did our Saviour, with tiio word.s, "It is
written." Satan can quote Scripture now as in the days of
riirist, and lie will pervert its teachings to sustain his do-
hisioiis. Those who would stand in this time of peril nuist
understand lor themselves the tystiniony of the Scriptures.

Ahmy will he confronted hy the si>irits of devils person-
ating l)eloved relatives or friends, and declaring the most
dangerous heresies. These visitants will apj)eal to our ten-
derest sympathies, and will work miracles to sustain their
pretensions. We must be prepared to withstand tliem with
the Bible truth that the dead know not anything, and that
they who thus appear are the spirits of devils.

Just before us is the "hour of temptation, which shall
come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon .the
earth." ' All whose faith is not firmly established upon the
Word of God will be deceived and overcome. Satan " works
with all deceivableness of unrighteousness" to gain control
of the children of men; and his deceptions will continually
increase. But he can gain his object only as men volun-
tarily yield to his temptations. Those who are earnestly
seeking a knowledge of the truth, and are striving to purify
their souls through obedience, thus doing what they can to
prepare for the conflict, will find, in the God of truth, a sure
defense. " Because thou hast kept the word of my patience,
I also will keep thee," ' is the Saviour's promise. He would
sooner send every angel out of Heaven to protect his people,
than leave one soul that trusts in him to be overcome by
Satan.

The prophet Isaiah brings to view the fearful deception
which will come upon the wicked, causing them to count
themselves secure from the judgments of God: "We have
made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agree-
ment; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through,
it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge,
and under falsehood have we hid ourselves." '^ In the class

Uev. 3 : 10.

■^ Isa. 28 : 1.5.

SPIRITrALISM.

561

here described are included those who in their stuljboni
inipeiiitenco comfort themselves with the assurance tiiat
there is to bo no punishment for the sinner; that all num-
kind, it matters not how corruf)!, are to 1)0 exalted to Heaven,
to become as the angels of (Jod. But still more emphat-
ically are those making a covenant with death and an agree-
ment with hell, who renounce the truths which Heaven has
provided as a defense for the righteous in the day of trouble,
and accept tho refuge of lies offered by Satan in its stead, —
the delusive }>retensions of Spiritualism.

Marvelous beyond expression is the blindness of the peoplo
of this generation. Thousands reject the Word of Clod as
unworthy of belief, and with eager confidence receive tho
deceptions of Satan. Skeptics and scoffers denounce tho
bigotry of those who contend for tho faith of prophets and
apostles, and they divert themselves by holding up to ridi-
cule the solemn declarations of tho Scriptures concerning
Christ and the })lan of salvation, and the retribution to bo
visited upon tho rejecters of tho truth. They afifect great
pity for minds so narrow, weak, and superstitious as to ac-
knowledge tho claims of God, and obey the requirements
of his law. They manifest as much assurance as if, indeed,
they had made a covenant with death and an agreement
with hell, — as if they had erected an impassable, impene-
trable barrier between themselves and the vengeance of God.
Nothing can arouse their fears. So fully have they yielded
to the tempter, so closely are they united with him, and so
thoroughly indjued with his spirit, that they have no power
and no inclination to break away from his snare.

Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to de-
ceive the world. The foundation of his work was laid by
the assurancer given to Eve in Eden, "Ye shall not surely
die." "In the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be
opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."*
Little by little he has prepared the way for his master-piece

^Gen. 3:4,5.

562

77//; URKAT CONTROVERSY.

of tloception i^ tlio (Icviilupmcut «)f Spiritualism. Ho 1ms
not yot roucluMi tlio full jiocoinpliHliiuont of his designs; but
it will 1)0 roacluid in tho lust remnant of time. Says tlio
j)rophot: "I saw thnu) unclean spirits liko frogs; . . .
thoy aro tho spirits of <levils, working miracles, which go
forth unto i\w kings of the earth and of the whole world, to
gather them to the hatth^of that greatday of (iod Almighty.'"
Exce{)t tho.so who an^ kept by tlu^ ])o\ver of (Iod, through
faith in his Word, the whole world will ho swept into tho
ranks of this delusion. The p(M)plo aro fast being lulled to
u fatal H(^curity, to bo awakened only by the outpouring of
tho wrath of God.

Saitli tho Lord God: "Judgment also will I lay to the
line, and righteousness to the j)lummet; and the hail shall
sweep away tho refuge of lies, and tho waters shall overflow
the hiding-place. And y(»ur covenant with death shall bo
<lisannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand;
when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye
shall be trodden down bv it.'' ^

»Rev. 16:13, 14.

"Isa. 28:17, 18.

E''^titi^Aft'ii*iia&ilftifi--tVifiiiWirin^ite ti

s.-7^s<?i^:^?jf^^i%j^^^3<!^^.fj.^ii.

tM Si

^2.

tz*

p-i

O
M

I— I
H

<1
h^

3
«

2 -

Ph
O

CHAPTER XXXV,

CHARACTER AND AIMS OF THE PAPACY.

Romanism is now regarded by Protestants with far greater
favor than in former years. In those countries where (Jatliol-
icism is not in the ascendency, and the pajMsts are taking a
conciUatory course in order to gain influence, there is an in-
creasing indifference concerning the doctrines that separate
the reformed churches from the papal liierarchy; the opin-
ion is gaining ground, that, after all, we do not differ so
widely upon vital points as. has been supposed, and that a
little concession on our part will bring us into a better un-
derstanding with Rome. Tlie time was wlien Protestants
placed a high value upon the liberty of conscience which
has been so dearly purcliased. They taught their children
to abhor popery, and held that to seek harmony with Rome
would be disloyalty to God. But how widely different are
the sentiments now expressed.

The defenders of popery declare that the church has been
maligned ; and the Protestant world are inclined to accept
the statement. Many urge that it is unjust to judge the
church of to-day by the abominations and absunUties tliat
marked her reign during the centuries of ignorance and
darkness. They excuse her horrible cruelty as the result of
the barbarism of the times, and plead that the influence of
modern civilization has changed her sentiments.

Have these persons forgotten the claim of infallibility put
forth for eight hundred years by this hauglity power? So
far from being relinquished, this claim has been affirmed in
the nineteenth century with greater positiveness than ever
before. As Rome asserts that she "never erred, and never

(563)

.564

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

•can err,^' how can she renounce the principles wliich gov-
erned her course in |)ast ages?

The papal church will never relinquish her claim to infal-
libility. All that she has clone in her persecution of those
who reject her dogmas, slie holds to be right; and would she
not repeat the same acts, should the opportunity be pre-
sented ? Let the restraints now imposed by secular govern-
ments be removed, and Rome bo re-instated in her former
power, and there would s])eedily be a revival of her tyranny
u"d persecution.

A recent writer' speaks thus of the attitude of tiie })apal
hierarchy as regards freedom of cou'^cience, and (^f the perils
which especially threaten the United States from the success
of her policy : —

" There are many who are disposed to attribute any fear
of Roman Catholicism in the United States to bigotry or
childishness. Such see nothing in the character and atti-

tude of Romanism that is hostile to our free institutions, or
find nothing j)ortentous in its growth. Let us, then, first
compare some of the fundamental principles of our govern-
ment with those of the Catholic Church.

" The Constitution of the United States guarantees liberty
of conscience. Nothing is dearer or more fundamental. Pope
Pius IX., in his Encyclical Letter of August 15, 1854, said:
* The absurd and erroneous doctrines or ravings in defense of
liberty of conscience, are a most pestilential error — a pest, of
all others, most to be dreaded in a State.' The same pope, in
his Encyclical Letter of December 8, 1864, anathematized
' those who assert the liberty of conscience and of religious
worship.' also ' all such as maintain that the church may not
employ force.'

" The pacific tone of Rome in the United States does not
imply a change of heart. She is tolerant where she is help-
less. Says Bishop O'Comior : ' Religious liberty is merely en-
dured until the opposite can be carried into effect without

» Josiah Strong, D. 1)., in "Our Country," pp. 46-48.

AIMS OF THE PAl'ACY

565

peril to the Catholic world.' " " The archbishop of St. Louis
once said: ' Heresy and unbelief are crimes; and in Christian
countries, as in Italy and Spain, for instance, where all the
people are Catholics, and where the Catholic religion is an
essential part of the law of the land, they are pmJshed as
other crimes.' "

" Every cardinal, archbishop, and bishop in tlie Catholic
Church takes an oath of allegiance to the pope, in which
occur the following words: ' Heretics, schismatics, and rebels
to our said lord the pope, or his aforesaid successors, I will
to my utmost persecute and oppose.' "

It is true that there are real Christians in the Roman
C'atholic communion. Thousands in that church are serving
God according to the best light they have. They are not
allowed access to his Word, and therefore they do not dis-
cern the truth. They have never seen the contrast between
a living heart-service and a round of mere forms and cere-
monies. God looks with pitying tenderness upon these
«ouls, educated as they are in a faith that is delusive and
unsatisfying. He will cause rays of light to penetrate the
dense darkness that surrounds them. He will reveal to them
the truth, as it is in Jesus, and many will yet take their
position with his people.

But Komanism as a system is no more in harmony with
the gospel of Christ now than at any former i)eriod in her
history. The Protestant churches are in great darkness, or
they would discern the signs of the times. Tlie Roman
Church is far-reaching in her plans and modes of operation.
She is employing every device to extend her influence and
increase her power in preparation for a fierce and deter-
mined conflict to regain control of the world, to re-establish
persecution, and to undo all that Protestantism has done.
Catholicism is gaining ground upon every side.' See the
increasing number of her churches and chapels in Protest-
ant countries. Look at the popularity of her colleges and

* See Appendix, Note 10.

^itl

566

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

seminaries in A.merica, so widely patronized by Protestants
Look at the growth of ritualism in England, and the fre-
quent defections to the ranks of the Catholics. These things
should awaken the anxiety of all who prize the pure prin-
ciples of the gospel.

Protestants have tampered with and patronized popery;
they have made compromises and concessions which papists
themselves are surprised to see, and fail to understand. Men
are closing their eyes to the real character of Romanism, and
the dangers to be apprehended from her supremacy. The
p-:^or)le need to be aroused to resist the advances of this most
dangerous foe to civil and religious liberty.

Many Protestants suppose that the Catholic religion is un-
attractive, and that its worship is a dull, meaningless round of
ceremony. Here they mistake. While Romanism is based
upon deception, it is not a coarse and clumsy imposture. The
religious service of the Romish Church is a most impressive
ceremonial. Its gorgeous display and solemn rites fascinate
the senses of the people, and silence the voice of reason and
of conscience. The eye is charmed. Magnificent churches,
imposing processions, golden altars, jeweled shrines, choice
paintings, and exquisite sculpture appeal to the love of
beauty. The ear also is captivated. The music is unsur-
passed. The rich notes of the deep-toned organ, blending
with the melody of many voices as it swells through the
lofty domes and pillared aisles of her grand cathedrals, can-
not fail to impress the mind with awe and reverence.

This outward splendor, pomp, and ceremony, that only
mocks the longings of the sin-sick soul, is an evidence of
inward corruption. The religion of Christ needs not such
attractions to recommend it. In the light shining from the
cross, true Christianity appears so pure and lovely that no
external decorations can enhance its true worth. It is the
beauty of holiness, a meek and quiet spirit, which is of value
with God.

Brilliancy of style is not necessarily an index of pure, ele-

H
W

n
w

«-i
O

r
>

93
>

w
o

5^
H
W
W

O
V

o
»=^

K
W

w
n

O
•n

<u
O

H
S
SO

,V'! >'>«

AIMS OF THE PAPACY.

567

vated thought. High conceptions of art, delicate refinement
of taste, often exist in minds that are eartlily and sensual.
They are often employed by Satan to lead men to forget tlio
necessities of the soul, to lose sight of the future, immortal
life, to turn away from their infinite Helper, and to live for
this world alone.

A religion of externals is attractive to the unrenewed
heart. The pomj) and ceremony of the Catholic worship
have a seductive, bewitching power, by which many are de-
ceived; and they come to look upon the Roman Church as
the very gate of Heaven. None but those who have planted
their feet firmly u{)on the foundation of truth, and whose
hearts are renewed by the Spirit of God, are proof against
her influence. Thousands who have not an experimemal
knowledge of Christ w'ill be led to accept the forms of godli-
ness without the power. Such a religion is just what the
multitudes desire.

The church's claim to the right to pardon, caus- > Jie
Romanist to feel at liberty to sin; and the ordinance of
confession, without which her pardon is not granted, tends
also to give license to evil. lie who kneels before fallen
man, and opens in confession tlie secret thoughts and imag-
inations of his heart, is debasing his manhood, and degrad-
ing every noble instinct of his soul. In unfolding the sins of
his life to a priest, — an erring, sinful mortal, and too often
corrupted with wine and licentiousness, — his standard of
character is lowered, and he is defiled in consequence. ITis
thought of God is degraded to the likeness of fallen human-
ity; for the priest stands as a representative of God. This
degrading confession of man to man is the secret spring
from which has flowed much of the evil that is defiling the
world, and fitting it for the final destruction. Yet to him
who loves self-indulgence, it is more pleasing to confess to a
fellow-mortal than to open the soul to God. It is more pal-
atable to human nature to do penance than to renounce sin ;.
it is easier to mortify the flesh by sackcloth and nettles and

'I'it-ft*!'**!*?^^)'

mmmm

568

TIfE GREAT COXTROVEltSY.

galling cluiins tliuii to crucify fleshly lusts. Ilcuvy is tlie
yoke which the carnal lieart is willing to bear rather than
bow to the yoke of Christ.

There is a striking similarity between the Church of Rome
and the Jewisii Church at the time of Christ's iirst advent.
While the Jews secretly trampled upon every princii)le of
the law of God, they were outwardly rigorous in the observ-
ance of its precepts, loading it down with exactions and
traditions that made obedience painful and burdensome.
As the Jews professed to revere the law, so do Romanists
claim to reverence the cross. They exalt the symbol of
Christ's sufferings, while in their lives they deny him whom
it represents.

Papists place crosses upon their churches, upon their altars,
and upon their garments. Everywhere is seen the insignia
of the cross. Everywhere it is outwardly honored and ex-
alted. But the teachings of Christ are buried beneath a
mass of senseless traditions, false interpretations, and rigorous
exactions. The Saviour's words concerning the bigoted
Jews, apply with still greater force to the Romish leaders:
" They bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and
lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not
move them with one of their fingers." ^ Conscientious souls
are kept in constant terror, fearing the wrath of an offended
God, while the dignitaries of the church are living in lux-
ury and sensual pleasure.

The worship of images and relics, the invocation of saints,
and the exaltation of the pope, are devices of Satan to at-
tract the minds of the people from God and from his Son.
To accomplish their ruin, he endeavors to turn their atten-
tion from Him through whom alone they can find salvation.
He will direct them to any object that can be substituted for
the One who has said, " Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." ^

It is Satan's constant effort to misrepresent the character

I Matt. 23:4. ^iMatt. 11 :26.

jnrS OF THE PAPACY.

5«)1)

ot God, tho nature of sin, and tlie real issues at stake in tlu^
great controversy, llis so})histry li ^ns the obligation of
the divine law, and gives men licens. to sin. At the same
time he causes them to cherish false conceptions of (Jod, so
that they regard him with fear and hate, rather tluin with
love. The cruelty inherent in his own ciiaracter is attrib-
uted to the Creator; it is embodied in systems of religion,
and expressed in modes of worship. Thus the minds of men
are blinded, and Satan secures them as his agents to war
against God. By perverted conceptions of the divine attri-
butes, heather lations were led to believt; human sacrifices
necessary to se<.ar. tlie favor of Deity; and horrible cruelties
have been p« ••^et.ated under the various forms of idolatry.
The Romish Church, uniting the forms of jtaganism and
Christianity, J) .d, like paganism, mi.srei)resenting the char-
acter of C d, has resorted to })ractices no less cruel and re-
volting, m the days of Rome's supremacy, there were
instruments of torture to compel assent to lu'r doctrines.
There was the stake for those who would not coik*. Je to her
claims. There were massacres on a scale that will never be
known until revealed in the Judgment. Dignitaries of tho
church studied, under Satan their master, to invent means
to cause the greatest })Ossible torture, and not end the life of
their victim. The infernal process was re[)eated to the ut-
most limit of human endurance, until nature gave up the
struggle, and the sufferer hailed death as a sweet release.

Such was the fate of Rome's opponents. For her adher-
ents she had the disci})line of the scourge, of famishing
hunger, of bodily austerities in every conceivable, heart-
sickening form. To secure tho favor of Heaven, penitents
violated the laws of (iod by violating the laws of nature.
They were taught to sunder every tie which he has formed
to bless and gladden man's earthly sojourn. The church-
yard contains millions of victims, who si)ent their lives in
vain endeavors to subdue their natural affections, to repress,
as off(Misive to God, every thought and feeling of sympathy
with their fellow-creatures.

570

THE GREAT CONTROVERISY.

If vvc (Icsiro to iindorHtand i\w deterniined cruelty of Satan,
nmiiifestc'd for liimdrcclH of years, not anion^ tlioao wlio
never lieard of (Jod, l)ut in tlio very heart and throu^liout
the extent of Christendom, we liavo only to look at tho
history of llonianisiu. Tlirough this mammoth system of
deception the prince of evil achieves his pur[)ose of l»rin^ing
<lish()nor to (jod and wretchedness to man. And as we see
liow lio succeeds in disj^uising liimself, and accomplishing
his work through tho kuiders of tho church, wo may better
understand why ho has so great antipathy to the Bible, If
ihhi book is read, the mercv and love of God will bo ro-
vealod; it will be seen that ho lays upon men none of these
heavy burdens. All that ho asks is a broken and contrite
heart, a humble, obedient si)irit.

Christ gives no example in his life for men and women to
shut themselves in monasteries in order to become fitted for
] leaven, lie has never taught that love and sympathy must
1)0 repressed. The Saviour's heart overflowed with love. The
nearer man approaches to moral perfection, the keener are his
sensibilities, the more acute is his perception of sin, and the
deeper his sympathy for tho afflicted. The pojjo claims to
be the vicar of Christ; but how does his character bear com-
parison with that of our Saviour? Was Christ ever known to
consign men to the prison or the rack because they did not
pay him homage as the King of Heaven ? Was his voice
heard condemning to death those who did not accept him?
When he was slighted by the people of a Samaritan village,
the apostle John was filled with indignation, and inquired,
" Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from
heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did ? " Jesus looked
with pity upon his disciple, and rebuked his harsh spirit,
saying, " The Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives,
but to save them."^ IIow different from the spirit mani-
fested by Christ is that of his professed vicar.

The Romish Church now presents a fair front to the world,

» Luke 9: 54, 56.

i (

A J MS OF Tilt: PAPACY.

B71

coverinjj; with apologies lier record of horriblo cruelties. She
lius clothed herself in Christ-like garments; hut sIjo is un-
chaiifj^ed. Every prinei[)lo of popery that existed in past
ages exists to-duy. The doctrines devised in the darkest
ages are still held. Let none deceive themselves. The
popery that I*rolestants are now so ready to honor is the
same that ruled the world in the days of the Reformation,
when men of (}od stood up, at the peril of their lives, to ex-
pcso her iniquity. She possesses the same prido and arro-
gant assumption that lorded it over kings and princes, and
claimed tho prerogatives of God. Her spirit is no less cruel
and despotic now than when she crushed out human liherty,
and slew the saints of the Most High.

Popery is just what prophecy declared that she would he,
tho apostasy of tho latter timcs.^ It is a part of lier policy
to assume the character which will hest accomplish her pur-
pose; but beneath the variable appearance of the chameleon,
she conceals tho invariable venom of the serpent. " Wo are
not bound to keep faith and promises to heretics," she de-
clares. Shall this i)0wer, whose record for a thousand years
is written in the blood of the saints, be now acknowledged
as a part of the church of Christ ?

It is not without reason that the claim has been put forth
in Protestant countries, that Catholicism differs less widely
from Protestantism than in former times. There has been a
change; but the change is not in the papacy. Catholicism
indeed resembles much of the Protestantism that now exists,
because Protestantism has so greatly degenerated since the
days of the reformers.

As the Protestant churches have been seeking the favor of
the world, false charity has blinded their eyes. They do not
see but that it is right to believe good of all evil ; and as the
inevitable result, they will linally believe evil of all good.
Instead of standing in defense of the faith once delivered to
the saints, they are now, as it were, ajwlogizing to Home for

1 2 Thess. 2 : 3, 4.

572

TIIJC GREAT COXTROVERSY.

their un(;huritii])l(! opinion of licr, bofrginj; pardon for tiioir
bigotry.

A liirgo class, ovon of those vlio look ui)on Romanism
witli no fiivor, apprehend little danger from her power and
influence. Many urge* that the intellectual and moral dark-
ness i)revailing during the Middle Ages favored tlu* spread
of her dogmas, superstitions, and oppression, and that the
greater intelligence of modern times, the general dill'usion of
knowledge, and the increasing liberality in matters of re-
ligion, forbid a revival of intolerance and tyranny. Thi'
very thought that such a static of things will exist in this
enlightened age is ridiculed. Jt is true that great light, in-
tellectual, moral, and religious, is shining upon this geni-ra-
tion. In the open pages of God's ImjIv Word, light from
Heaven luis been shed upon the world. Hut it should be re-
membered that the greater the light l)estowed, the greater
the darkness of those who })ervert or reject it.

A })rayerful study of the liible would show Protestants the
real character of the papacy, and would cause them to abhor
and to shun it; but many are .so Avise in their own conceit
that they feel no need of humbly seeking (lod that they may
be led into the truth. Although priding themselves on their
enlightenment, they are ignorant both of the Scriptures and
of the power of God. They must have some means of (]uiet-
ing their consciences; and they seek that which is least
spiritual and humiliating. What they desire is a method of
forgetting God which shall pass as a method of remember-
ing him. The papacy is well adapted to meet the wants of
all these. It is prepared for two classes of mankind, em-
bracing nearly the whole world, — those who would be .saved
by their merits, and tho.se who would be saved in their sins.
Here is the .secret of its power.

A day of great intellectual darkness has been shown to be
favorable to the success of popery. It will yet be demon-
strated that a day of great intellectual light is e<[ually fa-
vorable for its success. In i>ast ages, when men were with-

r
c

ATMS OF THE PAPACY.

573

out God's Word, and without the knowledge of the triitli,
their eyes were blindfolded, and thousands were ensnared,
not seeing the net spread for their feet. In this generation
there are many whose eyes become dazzled by the glare of
human speculatirtns, "science falsely so-called;" they (Hs-
cern not the net, and walk into it as readily as if blindfolded.
God designed that man's intellectual powers should be held as
a gift from his Maker, and should be employed in the service
of truth and righteousness; but when pride and ambition are
cherished, and men exalt their own theories above tlie Word
of God, then intelligence can accomplish greater liarm than
ignorance. Thus the false science of tin nineteenth century,
which undermines faith in the Bible, will prove as successful
in preparing the way for the acceptance of the papacy, with
its pleasing forms, as did the withholding of knowledge in
opening the way for its aggrandizement in the Dark Ages.

In the movements now in progress in the United States to
secure for the institutions and usages of the church the sup-
port of the State, Protestants are following in the steps of
papists.* Nay, more, they are opening che door for popery to
regain in Protestant America the supremacy which she has
lost in the Old World. And that which gives greater sig-
nificance to this movement is the fact that the principal
object contemplated is the enforcement of Sunday observ-
ance, — a custom which originated with Rome, and which
she claims as the sign of her authority. It is the spirit of
the papacy, — the spirit of conformity to worldly customs,
the veneration for human traditions above the command-
ments of God, — that is permeating the Protestant cluirches,
and leading them on to do the same work of Sunday exalta-
tion which the })apacy has done before them.

If the reader would understand the agencies to bo em-
ployed in the soon-coming contest, he has but to trace the
record of the means which Rome employed for the same ob-
ject in ages past. If he would know how papists and Protest-

'See Appendix, Note 11,

if!'!

I.;

^wgmnmrmimm

1;'

nuts united will deal with those who reject their dogmas,
let him see the spirit which Ivome manifested toward the
Sabbath and its (l(>fenders.

Royal edicts, genera) councils, and church ordinances sus-
tained by secular power, were the steps by which the pagan
festival attained its i)osition of honor in the Christian world.
Th(> first public measure enforcing Sunday observance was
tlie laAV enacted by Constantine.' This edict required towns-
jieople to rest on "tlie venerable day of the sun,"' but per-
mitted countrymen to continue their agricultural i)ursuits.
Though virtually a heathen statute, it was enforced l)y the
em})eror after his nominal acce[)tance of Christianity.

The royal mandate not proving a sufficient substitute for
divine authority, Eusebius, a bishop who sought the favor
of princes, and who was the special friend and flatterer of
Constantine, advanced the claim that Christ had transferred
the Sabbath to Sunday. Not a single testimony of the Script-
ures M'as produced in proof of the new doctrine. Eusebius
liimself iniwittingly acknowledges its falsitv, and 2)oints to
tlie real authors of the chang(\ "All tilings," he says, " what-
soever that it was duty to do on the Sabbath, these we have
transferred to the Lord's dav." But the Sundav argument,
groundless as it was, served to embolden men in trampling
upon the Sabbath of the Lord. All who desired to be hon-
ored by the world accepted the popular festival.

As the papacy became firmly established, the work of
Sunday exaltation was continued. For a time the people en-
gaged in agricultural labor when not attending church, and
the seventh day was still regarded as the Sabbath. But
steadilv a change was (effected. Those in holv office were
forbidden to pass judgment in any civil controversy on the
Sunday. Soon after, all persons, of whatever rank, were
commanded to refrain from common labor, on })ain of a fine
for freemen, and sti'ipes in ihe case of servants. Later it
was decreed, that rich men should be punished with the loss

lA. i>. 321.

S^i"

AIMS OF THE PAPACY.

575

of half of their estates; and finally, that if still ohstinate
they should bo made slaves. The lowiT classes were to suf-
for perpetual ])anishnient.

Miracles also were called into requisition. Among other
wonders it was reported that as a husbandman who was
about to i)low his field on Sunday, cleane(l his i)low with
an iron, the iron stuck fast in his hand, and for two years
lie carried it about with him, "to Jiis exceeding great pain
and shame."

Later, the po})e gave directions that the jiarisii j)riest
should admonish the violators of Sunday, and wish them
to go to church and say their ])rayers, lest they bring some
great calamitv on themselves and iU'iy,hbors. An ecclesi-
mistical council brought forward the argument, since so widely
em})loyed, even by Protestants, that because persons had
been struck by lightning while laboring on Sunday, it must
be the Sabbath. ''It is apparent," said the prelates, "how
high the displeasure of (}od was upon their neglect of this
day." An appeal was then made that priests and ministers,
kings and i)rinces, and all faithful })eoj)le, "use their utmost
I'udeavors and care that the day be restored to its honor,
iind, for the credit of Christianitv, more devoutlv observed
for time to come."

The decrees of councils proving insufficient, the secular
authorities were besought to issue an edict that would strike
terror to the hearts of the ])eople, and force them to refrain
from labor on the Sunday. At a synod held in Rome, all
previous decisions were reaffirnu'd with greater force and
solenniity. They were also incori)orated into the ecclesi-
astical law, and enforced by the civil authorities throughout
nearly all Christendom.

Still the absence of scriptural authority lor Sunday-kee[)ing
occasioned no little endjarrassment. The people questioned
the right of their teachers to set aside the positive declarati(jn
of Jehovah, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord
thy God," in order to honor the day of the sun. To supply

1::

I. :«

mifUJS

iri

the lack of Bible testimony, other expedients were necessary.
A zealous advocate of Sunday, who about the close of the
twelfth centurv visited the churches of En<:;land, was re-
sisted by faithful witnesses for tlio truth; and so fruitless
were his efforts that ho departed from the country for a
season, and cast about liim for soiuo means to enforce his
teachings. AVIien he returned, the lack was supplied, and
in his after-labors ho met with greater success. He brought
with liiin a roll purporting to be from God himself, which
contained the needed command for Sunday observance, with
awful threats to terrify the disobedient. This 2)recious docu-
ment — as base a counterfeit as the institution it su2)i)orted —
was said to have fallen from Heaven, and to have been
found in Jerusalem, u[)on the altar of St. Simeon, in Gol-
gotha. But in fact, the ])ontill:al palace at Ivome was the
source whence it proceeded. Frauds and forgeries to ad-
vance the power and prosperity of the church have in all
ages been esteemed lawful by the papal hierarchy.

The roll forbade labor from the ninth hour, th -ee o'clock,
on Saturday afternoon, till simrise on Monday; and its
authority was declared to l)o confirmed by many miracles.
It was reported that juM-sons laboring beyond the appointed
hour v.oiw, stricken with paralysis. A miller who attempted
to grind his corn, saw, instead of flour, a torrent of blood
come forth, and the mill-wheel stood still, notwithstanding
the strong rush of the water. A woman who placed dough
in the oven, found it raw when taken out, thougli the oven
was very hot. Another wlio liad dough prepared for bak-
ing at the ninth hour, but determined to set it aside till
Monday, found, the next day, that it had been made into
loaves and baked by divine power. A man who baked
bread after the ninth hour on Saturday, found, when he
broke it the next morning, that blood started therefrom.
By such absurd and superstitious fabrications did the ad-
vocates of Sunday endeavor to establish its sacredness.

. ^r..'>

re-

AJMS OF THE PAPACY,

In Scotland, as in England, a grt'oie regard for Sunday
was secured by uniting with it a porti( ;^ of Lho ancient Sab-
bath. But tho time required to be kt , t ^'•)\y varied. An
edict from the king of Scotland declared that Saturday f^om
twelve at noon ought to be accounted holy, and that no
man, from that time till Monday morning, should engage
in worldly business.

But notwithstanding all the efforts to establish Sunday
sacredncss, papists themselves publicly confessed the divine
authority of tho Sabbath, and the human origin of the in-
stitution by which it had been supplanted. In the sixteenth
century a papal council j)lainly declared: *'Let all Chris-
tians r(>member that the seventh day was consecrated by
God, and hath been received and observed, not oidy by the
Jews, but by all others who pretend to worship God; though
we Christians have changed their Sabbath into the Lord's
day." Those wlio were tampering with the divine law were
not ignorant of the character of their work. They were
deliberately setting themselves above C -id.

A striking illustration of Rome's policy toward those who
disagree with her was given in the I'jng and bloody per-
secution of the Waldenses, some o." whom were observers of
the Sabbath. Others suffer- ■ j:i a similar manner for their
fidelity to tho fourth comman'lmont. The history of tlie
churches of Ethiopia and Abyssiniu is especially significant.
Amid the gloMui of the Dark A'/es, the Christians of Centj'al
Africa were lost sight of and forgot^^en by the world, and for
many centuries they enjoyed freedom in the exercise of their
faith. But at last Rome learned of their existence, and the
emperor of Abyssinia was soon beguiled into an acknowl-
edgment of tho pope as the vicar of Christ. Other con-
cessions followed. An edict was issued forbidding the ob-
servance of the Sabbath under tht, severest penalties. But
papal tyranny soon became a yoke so galling that the Abys-
sinians determined to break it fro^n their necks. After a
terrible struggle, the Romanists were banished from their

■■'IIP

1 u-

a-.

■^i

\\r1

.iilli

dominions, and the ancient faith was restored. Thct churclies
rejoiced in tlieir freedom, and they never forgot tlie lesson
tliey liad learned concerning the deception, the fanaticism,
and the despotic power of Rome. Within their solitary
realm they were content to remain, unknown to the rest of
Christendom.

The churches of Africa held the Sabbath as it was held
by the j)apal chui'ch before her complete apostasy. While
tlu'V kept the seventh day in obedience to the command-
ment of God, they abstained from labor on the Sunday in
conformity to the custom of the church. Ui»on obtaining
supreme power, Rome had trampled upon the Sabbath of
( lod to exalt her own; but the churches of Africa, hidden
for nearly a thousand years, did not share in this apostasy.
V\lien brought under the sway of Rome, they were forced
to set aside the true and exalt the false Sabbath; but no
sooner had they regained their independence than they re-
turned ^' obedience to the fourth commandment.'

These records of the past clearly reveal the enmity of
Rome toward the true Sabbath and its defenders, and the
means which she employs to honor the institution of her
creating. The AVord of God teaclies that these scenes are
to be repeated as papists and Protestants shall unite for the
exaltation of the Sundav.

Tlie prophecy of Revelation 13 declares that the power
represented by the beast with lamb-like horns shall cause
*' the earth and them which dwell therein" to worship the
papacy — there symbolized by the beast "like unto a leopard."
The beast with two horns is also to say "to them that dwell
on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast;"
and, furthermore, it is to command all, "both small and
great, rich and poor, free and bond," to receive "the mark
of the beast."'" It has been shown tliat the United States
is the power represented 1)y the beast with lamb-like horns,
and that this pro^ihecy will be fulfilled when the United

» See Appendix, Note 12. " Rev. 13 : 1 1-16.

AIMS OF THE PAPACY.

57»

States shall enforce Sunday observance, which Rome claims
as the special acknowledgment of her su[)remacy. But in
this homage to i)a[)acy the United States will not be alone.
The influence of Rome in the countries that once acknowl-
edged lier dominion, is still far from being destroyed. And
jtrophecy foretells a restoration of her })()wer. " [ saw one
of his heads as it were wounded todeatli; and his deadlv
wound was healed; and all the world wondered after the
beast."' The infliction of the deadly woun<l points to the
abolition of the pai)acy in 1708. After this, says the prophet,
"His deadly wound was healed; and all the world w\»n-
dered after tho beast." Paul states i>lainly that the man
of sin will continue until tho second advent.'^ To the very
close of time he will carry forward his work of dece})tion.
.Vnd the Revelator declares, also referring to the j)i4)acy,
"All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whoso
names are not written in the book of life."^ In both the
Old and the New World, papacy Mill receive homage in the
honor paid to tho Sunday institution, that rests solely upon
the authority of the Romish Church.

For about forty years, students of i)ro[)hecy in tiie United
States have presented this testimony to tho world. In tiio
events now taking })laee is seen a rapid advance toward the
fulfillment of the j)rediction. With Protestant teachers there
is the same claim of divine authority for Sunday-keeping,
and the same lack of scriptural evidence, as with the pai)ist
leaders who fabricated miracles to su])ply the place of a
command from Go<l. The assertion that Ciod's judgments
are visited upo . men for their violation of tho Sunday-
sabbath, will be repeated; already it is beginning to bo urgc^l.
And a movement to enforce Sunday observance is fast gjiin-
ing ground.

Marvelous in her shrewdness and cunning is the Romish
Church. She can read what is to be. She bides her time^

iRev. 13:3.

■' 2 Thess. 2 : 8,

3Kev. 13:8.

..f

580

TEE GREAT CONTROVERST.

seeing that tlio Protestant eliurches are i)aying lier homage
in their acce})tanco of tlio false Sabbatli, and that they are
preparing to enforce it by the very moans which slio herself
employed in by-gone days. Those who reject tlio light of
truth will yet seek the aid of this self-styled infallible power
to exalt an institution that originated with her. Plow readily
slio will come to the help of Protestants in this work, it is
not difficult to conjecture. Who understands better than
the papal leaders how to deal with those who are disobedient
to the church?

The Roman Church, with all its ramifications throughout
the world, forms one vast organization, under the control,
and designed to serve the interests, of the 2)apal see. Its
millions of communicants, in every country on the globe,
are instructed to hold themselves as bound in allegiance to
the pope. Whatever their nationality or their government,
they are to regard the authority of the church as above all
other. Though they may take the oath pledging their loy-
alty to the State, yet back of this lies the vow of obedience
to Rome, absolving them from every pledge inimical to her
interests.

Protestants littlo know what they are doing when they
propose to accept the aid of Rome in the work of Sunday
exaltation. While they are bent upon the accomplishment
of their purpose, Rome is aiming to re-establish her power,
to recover her lost supremacy. Let history testify of her
artful and persistent efforts to insinuate herself into the affairs
of nations; and having gained a foothold, to further her
own aims, even at the ruin of princes and people. Romanism
openly puts forth the claim that the pope "can pronounce
sentences and judgments in contradiction to the rigid of
nations, to the law of God and man." '

And let it be remembered, it is the boast of Rome that she
never changes. The principles of G-regory VII. and Inno-
cent III. are still the principles of the Romish Church. And

iThe " Deere fJia."

H
O

jli

!; (i

l.fl

AIMS OF THE PAPACY.

5RI

Ijud ,slio but tlio power, .slio would i)ut them in pnictieo with
as imuli vigor now vlh in past centuries. Let tlio i)rin(iplo
onco 1)0 established in tho United States, that tho chiinh
may cinjdoy or control tho power of tho iStato; tiiat religious
observances may bo eiiforeed by secular laws; in short, that
llio authority of church and Stato is to dominate tho con-
science, and the triumph of Ivome in this country is assured,
(lod's AVord has given warning of the impending dangcn*;
let this bo uidieed('(l, and tlio Protestant world will learn
■Nvhat tho ])urposes of liomo really are, only when it is too
Jato to escape tho snare. She is silently growing into power.
Her doctrines are exerting their inlhienco in legislatlvo halls,
in tho churches, and in tho hearts of men. Siie is piling
"U}> her lofty and massive structures, in tho secret recesses of
■which licr former persecutions will bo repeated. Stealthily
and unsuspectedly sho is strengthening her forces to further
her own ends "when tho time .shall como for her to strike.
All that sho desires is vantage-ground, and this is already
teing given her. We shall soon see and shall feel what tho
purpose of the Roman cleuKMit is. . M'hoevor shall believe
and obey the AVord of God will thereby incur reproach and
|)ersocution.

r; k

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-S)

^ ,#.

1.0

I.I

11.25

■ii|21 Hi

■so ^^ mi

^^'^

Photographic

Sdences
Corporation

23 WIST MAIN STREEi

WEBSTH.N.Y. 14580

(716) •72-4503

CHAPTER XXXVI.

THE IMPENDING CONFLICT— ITS CAUSES.

From* the very beginning of tlio great controversy in
Heaven, it has been Satan's purpose to overthrow tlie law
of God. It was to accomi)lis]i this that lie entered upon his
rebelHon against the Creator; and tliougii ho was cast out
of Heaven, lie has continued the same warfare upon the
earth. To deceive men, and thus lead them to transgress
God's law, is the object which he has steadfastly pursued.
Whether this be accomi)li.slied by casting aside the law
altogether, or by rejecting one of its precepts, the result will
be ultimately the same. He that offends ** in one point,"
manifests contempt for the whole law; his influence and
example are on the side of transgression; he becomes "guilty
of all."'

In seeking to cast contempt upon the divine statutes,
Satan has perverted the doctrines of the Bible, anl errors
have thus become incorporated into the faith of thousands
who profess to believ^ the Scriptures. The last great con-
flict between truth and error is but the final struggle of the
long-standing controversy concerning the law of God. Upon
this battle wo are now entering, — a battle between the laws
of men and the precepts of Jehovah, between the religion
of the Bible and the religion of fable and tradition.

The agencies which will unite against truth and right-
eousness in this contest are now actively at work. God's
holy Word, which has been handed down to us at such a
cost of suffering and blood, is but little valued. The Bible
is within the reach of all, but there are few who really
accept it as the guide of life. Infidelity prevails to an

(682)

* James 2: 10.

THE IMPENDING CONFLICT.

583

alarming extent, not in the world merely, but in the church.
Many have come to deny doctrines which are the very pil-
lars of the Christian faith. The great facts of creation as
presented by the inspired writers, the fall of man, the atone-
ment, and the perpetuity of tlie law of (Jod, are practically
rejected, eitlier wholly or in part, by a largo sluire of the
professedly Cliristian world. Thousands wlio pride them-
selves U})on their wisdom and independence regard it an
evidence of weakness to place implicit confidence in the
Biblu; they tliink it a proof of superior talent and learning
to cavil at tiio Scriptures, and to spiritualize and explain
away tlieir most important truths. Many ministers are
teaching their people, and many i)rofessors and teadiers are
instructing tlieir students, that the law of God has been
changed or abrogated; and those who regard its recjuire-
ments as still valid, to be literally ol-yed, tire thought to
bo deserving only of ridicule or contempt.

In rejecting the truth, men rcyect its Author. In tramp-
ling upon the law of God, they deny the authority of the
Lawgiver. It is as easy to make an idol of false doctrines
and theories as to fashion an idol of wood or stone. By
misrepresenting the attributes of God, Satan leads men to
conceive of him in a false character. With many, a philo-
sophical idol is enthroned in the i)lace of Jehovah; while
the living God, as he is revealed in his Word, in Christ, and
in the works of creation, is worshiped by but few. Thou-
sands deify nature, while they deny the God of nature.
Though in a different form, idolatry exists in the Christian
world to-day as verily as it existed among ancient Israel
in the days of Elijah. The god of many professedly wise
men, of philosophers, poets, politicians, journalists,-r-the god
of polished fashionable circles, of many colleges and uni-
versities, even of some theological institutions, — is little bet-
ter than Baal, the sun-god of Phenicia.

No error accepted by the Christian world strikes more
boldly against the authority of Heaven, none is more di-

584

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

rt'ctly opposed to the dictates of reason, none is more per-
nicious in its results, than tiie modern doctrine, so rapidly
gaining ground, that God's law is no longer binding upon
men. Every nation has its laws, which command respect
and obedience; no government could exist without them;
and can it be conceived that the Creator of tlie heavens and
the earth has no law to govern the beings ho has made?
•Suppose that prominent ministers were })ublicly to teach
that the statutes which govern their land and protect the
lights of its citizens wi-re not obligatory, — that they re-
stricted the liberties of the j)eople, an<l therefore ought not
to be obeyed; how long would such men l»e tolerated in the
jtulpit? But is it a graver offense to disregard the laws of
States and nations than to trample u})on those divine pre-
cepts which are the foundation of all government?

It would be far more consistent for nations to abolish their
statutes, and permit the people to do as they please, than
for the Ruler of the universe to annul his law, and leave
the world without a standard to condemn the guilty or
justify the obedient. AVould we know the result of making
void the hiw of God? The experiment has been tried.
Terrible were the scenes enacted in France when atheism
Ijecame the controlling power. It was then demonstrated
to the world that to throw off the restraints which God has
imposed is to accept the rule of the crudest of tyrants.
When the standard of righteousness is set aside, the way
is open for the prince of evil to establish his power in the
earth.

AVHierever the divine precepts are rejected, sin ceases to
appear sinful, or righteousness desirable. Those who refuse
to submit to the government of God are wholly unfitted to
govern themselves. Through their pernicious teachings,
the spirit, of insubordination is nnplanted in the hearts of
children and youth, who are naturally impatient of control;
and a lawless, licentious state of society results. While
scoffing at the credulity of those who obey the requirements

THE IMPENDING CONFLICT.

585

of God, the multitudes eagerly accept the dchisions of 8atnn.
They give the rein to hist, and practice the sins which liave
called down judgments ujion the heathen.

Those who teach the j)eople to lightly regard the com-
mandments of God, sow disobedience, to reap disoliedience.
Let tlie restraint imposed by the divine law be wholly cast
aside, and human laws would soon be disregarded. Be-
cause God forbids dishonest jiractices, coveting, lying, and
defrauding, men are ready to trample upon his statutes as
a liindranco to their worldly i)rosperity; but the results of
banishing these precepts would be such as tiiey do not antic-
ipate. If the law were not binding, why should any fear
to transgress? Property would no longer be safe. Men
would obtain their neighbor's possessions by violence; and
the strongest would become richest. Life itself would not
bo respected. The marriage vow would no longcT stand as
a sacred bulwark to protect the family. He who had the
jtower, would, if he desired, take his neighbor's wife by vio-
lence. The fifth commandment would be set aside with the
fourth. Children would not shrink from taking the life of
their parents, if by so doing they could obtain the desire of
their corrupt hearts. The civilized world would become a
horde of robbers and assassins; and peace, rest, and hap-
piness would be banished from the earth.

Already the doctrine that men are released from obedience
to God's requirements has weakened the force of moral obli-
gation, and opened the flood-gates of iniquity upon the
world. Lawlessness, dissipation, and corruption are sweep-
ing in upon us like an overwhelming tide. Li the family,
Satan is at work. His banner waves, even in professedly
Christian households. There is envy, evil surmising, hypoc-
risy, estrangement, emulation, strife, betrayal of sacred trusts,
indulgence of lust. The whole system of religious prin-
ciples and doctrines, which should form the foundation and
frame-work of social life, seems to be a tottering mass, ready
to fall to ruin. The vilest of criminals, when thrown into

i8G

THE :}REAT CONTROVERSY,

prison for their ot'enses, arc often niudo the recipients of
gifts and uttentioi.y, as if I'ney had attained an enviable dis-
tinction. Great publicity is given to their character and
crinjes. The })rcss publishes the revolting details of vice,
thus initiating others into the practice of fraud, robbery, and
murder; and Satan exults in the success of his hellish
schemes. The infatuation of vice, the wanton taking of
life, the terrible increase of intemperance and iniquity of
every order and degree, should arouse all who fear God, to
incpiire ■hat can be done to stay the tide of evil.

Courts of justice are corrui)t. Kulers are actuated by
desire for gain, anil love of sensual pleasure. Intemperance
has beclouded the faculties of many, so that Satan has
almost complete control of them. Jurists are perverted,
bribed, deluded. Drunkenness and revelry, passion, envy,
dishonesty of every sort, are represented among those who
administer the laws. "Justice standeth afar off; for truth
is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter." '

The iniquity and sj)iritual darkness tliat prevailed under
the supremacy of Rome were the inevitable result of her
suppression of the Scriptures; but where is to be found the
cause cf the widespread inhdelity, the rejection of the law
of God, and the consequent corruption, under the full blaze
of gospel light in an ago of religious freedom ? Now that
Satan can no longer keep the world under his control by
withholding the Scriptures, ho resorts to other means to
accomplish the same object. To destroy faith in the Bible
serves his purpose as well as to destroy the Bible itself. By
introducing the belief that God's law is not binding, he as
effectually leads men to transgress as if they were wholly
ignorant of its precepts. And now, as in former ages, he
has worked through the church to further his designs. The
religious organizations of the day have refused to listen to
unpopular truths plainly brought to view in the Scriptures,
and in combating them they have adopted interpretations
and taken positions which have sown broadcast the seeds

> Isa. 59 : 14.

THE IMPENDING CONFLICT.

687

of skepticism. Clinging to the papal error of natural im-
mortality and man's consciousness in death, they have re-
jected the only defense against the delusions of Spiritualism.
The doctrine of eternal torment has led many to disbelieve
the Bible. And as the claims of the fourth ci/nimandment
are urged upon the people, it is found that the observance
of the seventh-day Sabbath is enjoined; and as the (mly
wav to free themselves from a dutv which thev are un-
willing to perform, popular teachers declare that tiie law
of God is no longer binding. Thus they cast away the law
and the Sabbath together. As the work of Sabbath reform
extends, this rejection of the divine law to avoid the claims
of the fourth commandment will become wpll-nigh universal.
The teachings of religious leaders have opened the door to
infidelity, to Spiritualism, and to contempt for (Jod's lioly
law, and ui)on these leaders rests a fearful responsibility for
the iniquity that exists in the Christian world.

Yet this very class put forth the claim that the fast-
spreading corruption is largely attributable to the desecra-
tion of the so-called " Christian Sabbath," and that the en-
forcement of Sunday observance would greatly improve the
morals of society. This claim is especially urged in America,
where the doctrine of the true Sabbath has been most widely
preached. Here the temperance work, one of the most
prominent and important of moral reforms, is often com-
bined with the Sunday movement, and the advocates of the
latter represent themselves as laboring to promote the highest
interest of society; and those who refuse to unite with them
are denounced as the enemies of temperance and reform.
But the fact that a movement to establish error is connected
with a work which is in itself good, is not an argument in
favor of the error. We may disguise poison by mingling
it with wholesome food, but we do not change its nature.
On the contrary, it is rendered more dangerous, as it is more
likely to be taken unawares. It is one of Satan's devices to
combine with falsehood just enough truth to give it plausi-

588

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

\ I

bility. The leaders of tlio Sunday movement may advocate-
reforms which the people need, principles which are in har-
mony with the Bible, yet while there is with these a re-
quirement which is (;ontrary to God's law, his servants can-
not unite with them. Nothing can justify them in setting
aside the commandments of God for tiio precepts of men.

Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul,
and Sunday sacredncss, Satan will bring the i)eople under
his deceptions. While the former Irys the foundation of
Spiritualism, the iatter creates a b<,iiu of f>ympathy with
Rome. The Protestants of the United States will bo fore
most in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the
hand of Spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss ta
clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the in-
fluence of this threefold union, this co\mtry will follow in
the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience.

As Spiiituali'^.m more closely imitates the nominal Chris-
tianity of tho day, it has greater power to deceive and en-
snare. Satan himself is converted, after the modern order
of things. He will appear in the character of an angel of
light. Through the agency of Spiritualism, miracles will
bo wrought, the sick will be healed, and many undeniable
wonders will be performed. And as the spirits will profes.^
faith in the Bible, and manifest respect for the institutions
of the church, their work will be accepted as a manifestation
of divine power.

The line of distinction between professed Christians and
the ungodly is now hardly distinguishable. Church-mem-
bers love what the world loves, and are ready to join with
them ; and Satan determines to unite them in one body, and
thus strengthen his cause by sweep -!ig all into the rank*
of Spiritualism. Papists, who boast of aiiracles as a certain
sign of the true church, will be readily deceived by this
wonder-working power ; and Protestants, having cast away
the shield of truth, will also be deluded. Papists, Protest-
ants, and worldlings will alike accept the form of godlinesi?

THE IMPENDING CONFLICT.

5fl9

without the power, and they will see in this union a grand
movement for the conversion of the world, and the ushering
in of the long-expected millennium.

Through Spiritualism, Satan appears ,is a benefactor of
the race, healing the diseases of the people, and professing
to present a new and more exalted system of religious faith ;
but at the same time he works as a destroyer. His temp-
tations are leadini^ multitudes to ruin. Intemperance do-
thrones reason; sensual indulgence, strife, and i>loodshed
follow. Satan delights in war: for it excites the worst pas-
sions of the soul, and then sw rps into eternity its victims
steeped in vice and blood. It is his object to incite the
nations to war against one another; for he can thus divert
the minds of the people from the work of prc^ iration to
stand in tho day of God.

Satan works through the elements also to garner his
harvest of unprepared souls. He has studied the secrets
of the laboratories of nature, and he uses all liis power to
control the elements as far as God allows. When he was
suffered to afflict Job, how quickly flocks and herds, servants,
houses, children, were swept away, one trouble succeeding
another as iii a moment. It is God that shields his creat-
ures, and hedges them in from the power of the destroyer.
But the Christian world have shown contempt for the law of
Jehovah; and the Lord will do just what he has declared
that he would, he will withdraw his blessings from the
earth, and remove his protecting care from those who are
rebelling against his law, and teaching and forcing others
to do the san. '^. Satan has control of all whom God does
not especially guard. He will favor and prosper some, in
order to further his own designs, and he will bring trouble
upon otherS; and lead men to believe that it is God who is
afflicting them.

While appearing to the children of men as a great phy-
sician who can heal all their maladies, he will bring disease
and disaster, until populous cities are reduced to ruin and

r~'

ftOO

THE GREAT CON'TROrERST,

desoltition. Even now ho i.s ut work. In accidents and
calaniilit's ])y .sea an<i by land, in great conflagrations, in
fierce tornadoes and terrific liail-storms, in tempests, floods,
cyclones, tidal waves, and cartJHiuakes, in every place and
in a thousand forms, Satan is exercising his power. IIo
sweeps away the lipening harvest, and famine and di.stress
follow. JIo imparts to the air a deadly taint, an<l tiiousands
})erish hy tho pe.stilenco. These visitations are to become
more and more fre(pient and disastrous. Destruction will
be uj)on both nian ami beast. "The earth mournetii and
fadeth away," "the haughty people . . . do languish.
The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; be-
cause they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordi-
nance, broken the everlasting covenant.'"

Anil then the great deceiver will persuade men that those
■who .servo God are causing these evils. The class that have
jirovoked tho displeasure of Heaven will charge all their
troubles upon those whoso obedience to God's command-
ments is a j)erpetual reproof to transgressors. It will bo
declured that men are oflending God by tho violation of the
Sunday- sabbath, that this sin has brought calamities which
will not cea.se initil Sunday ob.scrvanco shall bo strictly on-
forced, and that those who j)resent tho claims of the fourth
commandment, tiius destroying reverence for Sunday, are
troublers of tho people, preventing their restoration to divine
favor and temporal prosperity. Thus the accusation urged
of old Jigainst tho servant of God will bo repeated, and upon
grounds ecjually well established. "And it came to pass,
when Ahab .saw Elijah, tliat Ahab said unto him. Art thou
he that troubleth Israel? And he answered, I have not
troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye
have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou
hast followed Baalim." * As the wrath of the people shall
be excited by lalse charges, they will pursue a course toward
God's ambassadors very similar to that which apostate Israel
pursued toward Elijah.

»l8a. 24:4, 5. « 1 Kings 18 : 17, 18.

7. -J

Tujr Bridge DisuBttT, Scotland.

llil

.sp
IV
of
la

U'
in
Ik
tl:

tl
tr
tl
ii
w
II
11
t(
il
o

e
u

THE IMPEXDIXG CONFLICT.

ftOl

TJio miracle-working power nmiiifesUMl tlinmgh Spirit-
ualistn will oxert it.s iiiduciico against those who choose to
obey Ciod rather than men. Communications from the
spirits will declare that (iod has sent them to convince the
njceters of Sunday of their error, affirming that the laws
ol tiie land shoid<l he oheved as the law of (lod. Thev will
iiiment the gri'at wickedness in the world, and second the
testimony of religious teachers, that the degrade<l state of
morals is caused hy the desecration of Sunday, (ireat will
ho the indignation excited against all who refuse to accept
their testimony.

Satan's j)olicy in this limd conllict with (mxI's people is
the same that he emj)loyed in the opening of the great con-
troversy in Heaven. Wo professed to he .si-eking to promote
the stability of the divine government, while .secretly bend-
ing every ellbrt to secure its overthrow. And the very work
which he was thus endeavoring to accomplish, he charged
upon the loyal angels. The same policy of deception has
marked the hi-story of the Romi.sh Churcli. It has professed
to act as the vicegerent of Heaven, while seeking to exalt
it.self above God, and to change his law. Under the rule
of Rome, those who suti'ered death for their fidelity to the
gospel were denounced as evil-doors; they were declared to
be in league with Satan; and every possible means was
employed to cover them with reproach, to cause them to
appear, in the eyes of the people, and even to themselves,
as the vilest of criminals. So it will be now. While Satim
seeks to destroy tho.se who honor God's law he wdl cause
them to be accused as law-breakers, as men who are dis-
honoring God, and bringing judgments upon the world.

God never forces the will or the conscience; but Satan's
constant resort — to gain control of those whom he cannot
otherwise seduce — is compulsion by cruelty. Through fear
or force he endeavors to rule the conscience, and to secure
homage to himself. To accomplish this, he works through
both religious and secular authorities, moving them to the
enforcement of human laws in defiance of the law of God.

Those wlio honor the Bible Sabbath will be denounced
as enemies of law and order, as breaking down the moral
restraints of society, causing anarchy and corruption, and
calling down the judgments of God upon the earth. Their
conscientious scruples will be pronounced obstinacy, stub-
bornness, and contempt of authority. They will be accused
of dis'tfTection toward the government. Ministers who deny
the obligation of the divine law will present from the pulpit
the duty of yielding obedience to the civil authorities as
ordained of God. In legislative lialls and courts of justice,
connnandment-keepers will bo misrepresented and con-
<lennied. A false coloring will bo g'.ven to their words;
the worst construction will bo put upon their motives.

As the Protestant churches reject tho clear, scriptural
arguments in defense of God's law, they will long to silence
those whoso faith they cannot overthrow by the Bible.
Though they blind iheir own eyes to the fact, they are now
ado])ting a course which will lead to the persecution of
those who conscientiously refuse to do what the rest of the
Christian world are doing, and acknowledge tho claims of
the })apal Sabbath.

The dignitaries of church and State will unite to bribe,
persuade, or compel all classes to honor the Sunday. The
lack of divine authority will be supplied by oppressive en-
actments. Political corruption is destroying love of justice
and regard for truth ; and even in free America, rulers and
legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the
popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance.
Liberty of conscience, which has cost so great a sacrifice,
will nc longer be respected. In the soon-coming conflict
we shall see exemplified the prophet's words: "The dragon
was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the
remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God,
and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." '

•Rev. 12:17.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

THE SCRIPTURES A SAFEGUARD.

To THE law and to the testimony. If they speak not
according to this word, it is because there is no light in
them." '■ The people of God are directed to the Scriptures as
their safeguard against the influence of false teachers and
the delusive power of spirits of darkness. Satan employs
every possible device to prevent men from obtaining a
knowledge of the Bible; for its plain utterances reveal liis
deceptions. At every revival of God's work, the prince of
evil is aroused to more intense activity; he is now putting
forth his utmost efforts for a final struggle against Christ and
his followers. The last great delusion is soon to open before
us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our
sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true, that
it will bo impossible to distinguish between them except by
the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement
and every miracle must be tested.

Those who endeavor to obey all the commandments of
God will be opposed and derided. They can stand only in
God. In order to endure the trial before them, they must
understand the will of God as revealed in his Word; they
can honor him only as they have a right conception of his
character, government, and purposes, and act in accordance
with them. None but those who have fortified the mind
with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great
conflict. To every soul will come the searching test. Shall I
obey God rather than men ? The decisive hour is even now
at hand. Are our feet planted on the rock of God's immu-

'laa. 8:20.

(593)

594

THE GREAT COXTROVERSY.

table Word? Are we i)repared to stand firm in defense of
the commandments of God and tlie faith of Jesus?

Before his crucifixion, the Saviour explained to his disci-
ples that he was to be put to death, and to rise again from
tile tomb; and angels were present to impress his words on
minds and hearts. But the disciples were looking for tem-
l)oral deliverance from the Roman yoke, and they could not
tolerate the thought that lie in whom all their hopes cen-
tered should suffer an ignominious death. The words which
they needed to remember were banished from their minds;
and when the time of trial came, it found them unprepared.
The death of Jesus as fully destroyed their hopes as if he
had not forewarned them. So in the prophecies the future
is opened before us as plainly as it was oi)ened to the disci-
ples by the words of Christ. The events connected with the
close of probation and the work of preparation for the time
of trouble, are clearly presented. But multitudes liave no
more understanding of these important truths than if iliey
had never been revealed. Satan watches to catch away
every impression that would make them wise unto salvation,
and the time of trouble will find them unread}'.

When God sends to men warnings so important tiiat they
are represented as proclaimed by holy angels flying in the
midst of heaven, he requires every person endowed with rea-
soning powers to heed the message. The fearful judgments
denounced against the worship of the beast and his image,'
should lead all to a diligent study of the prophecies to learn
what the mark of the beast is, and how they are to avoid
receiving it. But the masses of the people turn away their
ears from hearing the truth, and are turned unto fables.
The apostle Paul declared, looking down to the last days,
" The time will come when they will not endure sound doc-
trine.'" That time has fully come. The multitudes do not
want Bible trutli, because it interferes with the desires of the
sinful, world-loving heart; and Satan supplies the deceptions
which they love.

iRev. 14:9-11.

«2 Tim. 4:3.

THE SCRIPTURES A SAFEGUARD.

595

le of

But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the
Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines,
and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men,
the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesi-
astical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the
churches which they represent, the voice of the majority, —
not one or all of those should be reujarded as evidence for or
against any point of relif^ious faith. Before accepting any
doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain " Thus saitli
the Lord " in its support,

Satan is constantly endeavoring to attract attention to man
in the place of God. Ho leads the people to look to bishops,
to pastors, to professors of theology, as their guides, instead of
searching the Scriptures to learn their duty for themselves.
Then, by controlling the minds of these leaders, he can in-
fluence the multitudes according to his will.

When Clirist came to speak the words of life, the common
people heard him gladly; and many, even of the priests and
rulers, believed on him. But the chief of the priesthood
and the leading men of the nation were determined to con-
demn and re[)udiate his teachings. Though they were
baffled in all their eiforts to find accusations against him,
though they could not but feel tlie influence of the divine
power and wisdom attending his words, yet they encased
themselves in prtyudice; they rejected the clearest evidence
of his Messiahship, lest they should be forced to become his
disciples. These op[)onents of Jesus were men whom the
people had been taught from infancy to reverence, to whose
authority they had been accustomed im[)licitly to bow.
" How is it," they asked, " that our rulers and learned scribes
do not believe on Jesus ? Would not these pious men re-
ceive him if he were the Christ?" It was the influence of
such teachers that led the Jewish nation to reject their
Redeemer.

The spirit which actuated those jiriests and rulers is still
manifested by many who make a high profession of piety.

596

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

They refuse to examine the testimony of the Scriptures con-
cerning the special truths for tiiis time. Tliey point to their
own numbers, wealtli, and popularity, and look with con-
tempt upon tlie advocates of truth as few, poor, and unpop-
ular, having a faith that separates them from the world.

Ciirist foicsaw that the undue assumption of authority
indulged by the scribes and Pharisees would not cease with
the disi)ersion of the Jews. He had a prophetic view of the
work of exalting human autliority to rule the conscience,
which has been so terrible a curse to the church in all ages.
And his fearful denunciations of the scribes and Pharisees,
and his warnings to the people not to follow these blind
leaders, were jjlaced on record as an admonition to future
generations.

The Romish Church reserves to the clergy the right to
interpret the Scriptures. On the ground that ecclesiastics
alone are competent to explain God's Word, it is withheld
from the common people. Though the Reformation gave
the Scriptures to all, yet the self-same principle which was
maintained by Rome prevents multitudes in Protestant
churches from searching the Bible for themselves. They are
taught to accept its teachings as interpreted by the church;
and there are thousands who dare receive nothing, however
plainly revealed in Scripture, that is contrary to their creed,
or the established teaching of their church.

Notwithstanding the Bible is full of warnings against false
teachers, many are ready thus to commit the keeping of
their souls to the clergy. There are to-day thousands of
professors of religion who can give no other reason for points
of faith which they hold than that they were so instructed
by their religious leaders. They pass by the Saviour's teach-
ings almost unnoticed, and place implicit confidence in the
words of the ministers. But are ministers infallible ? How
can we trust our souls to their guidance unless we know
from God's Word that they are light-bearers? A lack of
moral courage to step aside from the beaten track of the

THE SCRIPTURES A SAFEGUARD.

597

world, leads many to follow in the steps of learned men;
and by their reluctance to investigate for themselves, they
are becoming hopelessly fastened in the chains of error.
They see that the truth for this time is plainly brought to
view in the Bible, and they feel the power of the Holy Spirit
attending its proclamation; yet they allow the opposition
of the clergy to turn them from the light. Though reason
and conscience are convinced, these deluded souls dare not
think differently from the minister; and their individual
judgment, their eternal interests, are sacrificed to the un-
belief, the pride and prejudice, of another.

Many are the ways by which Satan works through human
influence to bind his captives. He secures multitudes to
himself by attaching them by the silken cords of affection
to those who are enemies of the cross of Christ. Whatever
this attachment may be, parental, filial, conjugal, or social,
the effect is the same; the opposers of truth exert their
power to control the conscience, and the souls held under
their sway have not sufficient courage or independence to
obey their own convictions of duty.

The truth and the glory of God are inseparable; it is
impossible for us, with the Bible w^ithin our reach, to honor
God by erroneous opinions. Many claim that it matters
not what one believes, if his life is only right. But the life
is moulded by the faith. If light and truth are within our
reach, and we neglect to improve the privilege of hearing
and seeing it, wo virtually reject it; we are choosing dark-
ness rather than light.

"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the
end thereof are the ways of death."' Ignorance is no ex-
cuse for error or sin, when there is every opportunity *'
know the will of God. A man is traveling, and comes to
a place where there are several roads, and a guide-board
indicating where each one leads. If he disregards the guide-
board, and takes whichever road seems to him to be right,

iProv. 16:25.

598

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

he may bo ever so sincere, but will in all probability lind
biniself on the wrong road.

God has given us his Word that we may become ac-
quainted with its teachings, and know for ourselves what
lie requires of us. When the lawyer came to Jesus with
the inquiry, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" the
Saviour referred him to the Scriptures, saying, "What is
written in the law? how readest thou?" Ignorance will not
excuse young or old, or release them from the punishment
due for the transgression of God's law, because there is in
their hands a faithful presentation of that law and of its
principles and its claims. It is not enough to have good
intentions; it is not enough to do what a man thinks is right,
or what the minister tells him is right. His soul's salvation,
is at stake, and he should search the Scriptures for himself..
However strong may be his convictions, however confident
he may be that the minister knows what is truth, this is not
his foundation. He has a chart jjointing out every way-
mark on the heavenward journey, and he ought not to
guess at anything.

It is the first and highest duty of every rational being tO'
learn from the Scriptures what is truth, and then to walk
in the light, and encourage others to follow his example.
We should day by <lay study the Bible diligently, weighing
every thought, and comparing scripture with scripture.
With divine Help, we are to form our opinions for our-
selves, j)S we are to answer for ourselves before God.

The truths most plainly revealed in the Bible have l)ecn
involved in doubt and darkness by learned men, who, with
a pretense of great wisdom, teach that the Scriptures have
a mystical, a secret, spiritual meaning not apparent in the
language employed. These men are ftilse teachers. It was^
to such a class that Jesus declared, " Ye know not the Script-
ures, neither the power of God."^ The language of the
Bible should be explained according to its obvious meaning,.

iMark 12:24.

THE SCRIPTURES A SAFEGUARD.

599

unless a symbol or figure is employed. Christ has given the
promise, " If any man will do His will, he shall know of the
doctrine." ' If men would but take the Bible as it reads,
if there were no false teachers to mislead and confuse their
minds, a work would bo accomplished that would make
angels glad, and that would bring into the fold of Christ
thousands upon thousands who are now wandering in error.

We should exert all the powers of tiie mind in the study
of the Scriptures, and should task the understanding to com-
prehend, as far as mortals can, the dee}) things of God; yet
we must not forget tliat the docility and submission of a
child is the true s})irit of the learner. Scriptural difficulties
can never be mastered bv the same methods that are em-
]>loyed in grappling with philosophical problems. We
should not engage in the study of the Bible with that self-
reliance with which so many enter the domains of science,
but with a prayerful dependence upon God, and a sincere
desire to learn his will. We must come with a humble and
teachable s])irit to obtain knowledge from the great I AM.
Otherwise, evil angels will so blind our minds and harden
our liearts that we shall not be impressed by the truth.

Many a portion of Scripture which learned men pro-
nounce a mystery, or pass over as unimportant, is full of
comfort and instruction to him who has been taught in the
school of Christ. One reason why many theologians have
no clearer understanding of God's Word is, they close their
eyes to truths which they do not wish to practice. An un-
derstanding of Bible truth depends not so much on the
power of intellect brought to the search as on the singleness
of purpose, the earnest longing after righteousness.

The Bible should never be studied without prayer. The
Holy Spirit alone can cause us to feel the importance of
those th ngs easy io be understood, or prevent us from wrest-
ing truths difficult of comprehension. It is the office of
heavenly angels to prepare the heart to so comprehend God's

» John 7 : 17.

600

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

Word that Ave shall ho charmed with its heaiity, admonished
by its warnings, or aiiin at'"l and strengthened by its prom-
ises. We should make tiie psalmist's petition our own:
" Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things
out of thy law."' Temptations often appear irresi.stible
because, through negle 't of prayer and the study of the
Bible, the tenij)tod one cannot readily remember God's
promises and meet Satan with the Scripture weapons. But
angels are round about those who are willing to be taught
in divine things; and in the lime of great necessity, they will
bring to their remembrance the very truths whicii are need \.
Thus " when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit
of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him."'

Jesus promised his disciples, "The Comforter, the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall
teach you all things, and bring all things to your remem-
brance, whatsoever I have said unto you."' But the teach-
ings of Christ must previously have been stored in the mind,
in order for the Spirit of God to bring them to our remem-
brance in the time of peril. "Thy Word have I hid in
mine heart," said David, ** that I might not sin against thee." *

All who value their eternal interests should be on their
guard against the inroads of skepticism. The very i)iUars
of truth will be assailed. It is impossible to keej) be^ ond
the reach of the sarcasms and sophisms, the insidious and
pestilent teachings, of modern infidelity. Satan adapts his
temptations to all classes. lie assails the illiterate with a
jest or sneer, while he meets the educated with scientific
objections and philosophical reasoning, alike calculated to
excite distrust or contempt of the Scriptures. Even youth
of little experience presume to insinuate doubts concerning
the fundamental principles of Christianity. And this youth-
ful infidelity, shallow as it is, has its influence. Many are
thus led to jest at the faith of their fathers, and to do despite
to the Spirit of grace.* Many a life that promised to bo an

» Pa. 119:18. « Isa. 59 : 19. 'John 14: 26. «Pb. 119:11.
6Heb. 10:29.

THE SCRIPTURES A SAFEGUARD.

601

honor to (iod and a blessing to tlio world, luis been blighted
by the foul breath of infidelity. All who trust to the boast-
ful decisions of human reason, and imagine that they can
explain >ivino mysteries, and arrive at truth unaided by
the wisdom of God, are entangled in the snare of Satan.

We are living in the most solenm period of this world's
history. The destiny of earth's teeming nuiltitudes is about
to bo decided. Our o"'n future well-being, and also the
salvation of other souls, depends upon the course which wo
now pursue. Wo need to be guided by the Spirit of truth.
Every follower of Christ should earnestly inquire, "Lord,
what wilt thou have mo to do ? " We need to humble our-
selves before the Lord, with fasting and prayer, and to
meditate much upon his Word, especially upon the scenes
of the Judgment. We should now seek a deep and living
experience in the things of God. Wo have not a moment
to lose. Events of vital importance are taking place around
us; we are on Satan's enchanted ground. Sleep not, sen-
tinels of God; the foe is lurking near, ready at any moment,
should you become lax and drowsy, to spring upon you and
make you his prey.

Many are deceived as to their true condition before God.
They congratulate themselves upon the wrong acts which
they do not commit, and forget to enumerate the good and
noble deeds which God requires of them, but which they
have neglected to perform. It is not enough that they are
trees in the garden of God. They are to answer his expec-
tation by bearing fruit. He liolds them accountable for
their failure to accomplish all the good which they could
have done, through his grace strengthening them. In the
books of Heaven they f re registered as cumberers of the
ground. Yet the case of even this class is not utterly hope-
less. With those who have slighted God's mercy and abused
his grace, the heart of long-suffering love yet pleads. " Where-
fore he saith, Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the
dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye

C02

THK a^lKAT COXTROVKRSY.

walk circumspectly, . . . redeeming the time, because
the (lays are evil."'

When the testing time shall cor. , jse who have made
Ciod's Word their rule of life will be revealed. l)i sunnner
tlu"o is no noticeable dill'erence between evergreens an«l
other trees; but when the blasts of winter come, the ever-
greens remain uuhanged, while other trees are stripped of
their foliage. So the false-hearted professor may not now
be distinguished from the real Christian, but the time is just
ujjon us when the dillerenco will be apparent. Let opj)o-
sition ari.se, let bigotry and intolerance again bear sway, let
l)ersecution be kindled, n.nd the half-hearted and hypocritical
Avill waver and vield the faith; but the true Christian will
stand firm as a rock, his faith stronger, his hoi)e brighter,
than in days of prosperity.

Says the psalmist: "Thy testimonies are my meditation."
"Through thy i)recej)ts I get understanding; therefore I
hate every false way."^

"Happy is the man that fiiideth wisdom." "lie shall be
as a tree planted by the waters, and that s])readeth out her
roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but
her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year
of drought, neither .shall cease from yielding fruit.'"

1 Eph. 5 : U-16. ^ Ta. Ill): 9'J, 104. ^ ^tov, 3:13; Jer. 17:8.

ISO

;r-

CHAPTER XXXVI II.

Till- I-rXAI. WARNING.

" I SAW anotlior jinyi'I t'omo down from irciivon, liaving
groat power; and tlio eurtli was ligliU'iu'd witli liis glory.
And he cried mightily with a .strong voiee, saying, Hahylou
the great is fallen, is fallen, and is hecomo the hahitation
of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of
every unclean and liateful bird." "And I heard another
voice from Heaven, saying, Come out of lier, my peoph',
that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not
of lier plagues." '

This scripture points forward to a time when the an-
nouncement of the fall of Babvlon, as made bv the .s(?eond
angel* of Revelation 14, is to bo repeated, with the addi-
tional mention of the corruptions which have bee; entering
the various organizations that constitute Babylon, since that
message was first given, in the summer of 1.S44. A terrible
condition of the religious world is here described. With
every rejection of truth, the minds of the people will become
darker, their hearts more .stubborn, until they are entrenched
in an infidel hardihood. In 'lofiancc of the warnings which
iJod has given, they will eont'nuo to trample upon one of
the precepts of the decalogue, until they are led to persecute
those who hold it sacred. Christ is set at naught in the
contempt placed upon his Word and his people. As the
teachings of Spiritualism are accepted by the churches, the
restraint imposed upon the carnal heart is removed, and the
]>rofession of religion will become a cloak to conceal the
basest iniquity. A belief in spiritual manifestations opens

iRev. 18 : 1, 2, 4. » Rev. 14:8.

(603)

604

THE GREAT CONTIWVERSY.

tho door to HiMluciii^ Hpirits, atul doctriiU'H of dovils, and thus
the inihu'iico ot'ovil an^iU will he i'elt in the ehurcheH.

Of Hahylo!!, at the time hrouj^ht to view in this prophecy,
it i.s declared, " 1 ler wins have reached unto heaven, and (Jod
luith reinenihered lier initpiiticH.'" She lias lilled up the
measure of her guilt, and destruction is ahout to fall upon
her. Hut (Jod still has a people in Hahylon; and hefore the
visitation of his judgments, these faithful ones nnist he called
out, that they "parhiko not of lier sins, and receive not of
her phigues." Hence tho movement symholized hy tho
angel coming down from Heaven, lightening the earth with
liis glory, and crying mightily with a strong voice, announc-
ing tho sins of liabylon. In connection with his message
the call is heard, "Come out of her, my people." These
announcements, uniting with the third angel's message,
constitute the linal warning to he given to tho inhabitants
of tho earth.

Fearful is tho issu to which the world is to he brought.
Tho powers of earth, uniting to war against the command-
ments of God, will decree >that all, "both small and great,
rich and poor, free and bond," ^ shall conform to the cus-
toms of tho church by tho observance of the false sabbath.
All who refuse compliance will bo visited with civil pen-
alties, and it will finally bo declared that they are deserving
of death. On tho other hand, the law of God enjoining tho
Creator's rest-dav demands obedience, and threatens wrath
against all who transgress its precepts.

With the issue thus clearly brought before him, whoever
shall trample ujkhi (iod's law to obey a human enactment,
receives the mark of the beast; ho accepts the sign of alle-
giance to the power which he chooses to obey instead of God.
The warning from Heaven is, " If any man worship the
beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead,
or in liis liand, the same shall drink of the wine of the
wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the
cup of his indignation." '

» Rev. 18 : 5. » Rev. 13 : 16. » Rev. 14 : 9, la

trut

an(

ha(

Th(

set

au(

tro>

bli

dec

77/ A' FINAL WAIiMNG.

60(y

But not Olio is mado to sufltT tlio wnith of God until the
truth liiiH been brought lioujo to iii.s mind and conscifnce,
and has Ikh'U rcit'ctcd. TImto aro nianv who havo never
liad an opportunity to hear tho special truths for this tiujo.
Tho ohlipition of tiio fourth eoiinnanchnent has never heen
set before them in its true liglit. Jle who reads every heart,
and tries every motive, will U'ave none who desire a knowi-
(fdge of tiie truth, to bo deceived as to the issues of tho ccni-
troversy. Tho decree is not to be urged upon tlie peoplo
blindly. Every ono is to havo sullieient ligiit t(» make his
decision intelligently.

Tho Habbath will be the great test of loyalty; for it is tho
point of truth especially controverted. When the linal test
shall bo brought to bear upon men, then tho lino of dis-
tinction will bo drawn between those who servo (}od and
those who servo liim not. While the observance of tho false
sabbath in compliance with the law of tho 8late, contrary
to tho fourth commandment, will bo an avowal of allegiance
to a power that is in opposition to God, the keeping of the
true Sabbath, in obedience to God's law, is an evidence of
loyalty to the Creator. While ono class, by accepting tho
sign of submission to earthly powers, receive tho mark of
tho beast, tho other, choosing tho token of allegiance to
divine authority, receive tho seal of God. '

Heretofore those who presented the truths of the third
angel's message liave often been regarded as mere alarmists.
Their predictions that religious intolerance would gain con-
trol in the United States, that church and State would unite
to persecute those who keep tho connnandments of God,
have been pronounced groundless and absurd. It has been
confidently declared that this land could never become other
than what it has been, the defender of religious freedom.
But as the question of enforcing Sunday observance is widely
agitated, the event so long doubted and disbelieved is seen
to be approaching, and the third message will produce an
effect which it could not have had before.

' See Appendix, Note 1 3.

606

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

I I

i^ I

111 every generation God has sent his servants to rebuke
sin, both in the world and in tlie church. But the people
desire smooth things spoken to them, and the pure, un-
varnished truth is not acceptable. Many reformers, in en-
tering upon their work, determined to exercise great pru-
dence in attacking the sins of the church and the nation.
They hoped, by the exami)le of a pure Christian life, to lead
the i)eople back to the doctrines of the Bible. But the Spirit
of God came ui)on them as it came upon Elijah, movin<>
him to rebuke the sins of a wicked king and an apostate
2)eople; they could not refrain from preaching the plain
utterances of the Bible, — doctrines which they had been
reluctant to present. They were impelled to zealously de-
clare the truth, and tlie danger which threatened souls.
The words which the Lord gave them they uttered, fearless
of consequences, and the people were compelled to hear the
warning.

Tims the message of the third angel will be proclaimed.
As the time comes for it to be given with greatest power,
the Lord will work through humble instruments, leading
the minds of those who consecrate themselves to his service.
The laborers will be ([ualified rather by the unction of his
Spirit than by the training of literary institutions. Men of
faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy
zeal, declaring the words which God gives them. The sins
of Babylon will be laid open. The fearful results of en-
forcing the observances of the church by civil authority, the
inroads of Spiritualism, the stoiilthy but rapid progress of
the papal power, — all will be unmasked. By these solemn
warnings the people will be stirred. Thousands upon thou-
sands will listen who have never heard words like these.
In amazement they hear the testimony that Babylon is the
ehurch, fallen because of her errors and sins, because of her
rejection of the truth sent to her from Heaven. As the
peo})le go to their former teachers with the eager inquiry,
Are these things so? the ministers present fables, prophesy

THE FINAL WARNING.

607

smooth things, to soothe their fears, and quiet the awakened
conscience. But since many refuse to be satisfied with tire:
mere autliority of men, and demand a plain "Thus saith
the Lord," the popular ministry, like the Pharisees of old,
filled with anger as their authority is questioned, will de-
nounce the message as of Satan, and stir up the sin-loving-
multitudes to revile and persecute those who proclaim it.

As the controversy extends into new fields, and the minds:
of the people are called to God's down-trodden law, Satan
is astir. The power attending the message will only madden
those who oppose it. The clergy will put forth almost su])er-
human efforts to shut away the light, lest it should shine
upon their flocks. By every me^ns at their command they
Avill endeavor to suppress the discussion of these vital ques-
tions. Tlie church appeals to the strong arm of civil power,
and in this work, papists and Protestants unite. As the-
movement for Sunday enforcement becomes more bold and
decided, the law will be invoked against commandment-
keepers. They will bo threatened with fines and impris-
onment, and some will be offered positions of influence, and
other rewards and advantages, as inducements to renounce-
their faith. But their steadfast answer is, " Show us from
the Word of God our error,'' — the same ]ilea that was ma<k>
by Luther under similar circumstances. Those who arc
arraigned before the couics m.ike a strong vindication of
the truth, and some who hear them are led to take their
stand to keep all the commandments of God. Thus light
will be brought before tiiousands who otherwise would know
nothing of these truths.

Conscientious obedience to the Word of God will be treated
as rebellion. Blinded by Satan, the parent will exercise
harshness and severity toward tlie believing child; the
master or mistress will oppress the commandment-keeping
servant. Aff'ection will be alienated; children will be dis-
inherited, and driven from home. The words of Paid will
be literally fulfilled, "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus

J.!;

it:\

€08

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

sliall suffer persecution." ' As the defenders of truth refuse
to honor the Sunday-sabbath, some of them will be thrust
into prison, some will be exiled, some will be treated as
slaves. To human wisdom, all this now seems impossible;
but as the restraining Spirit of God shall be withdrawn from
men, and tluy shall bo under the control of Satan, who
hates the divine procej)ts, there will be strange develop-
ments. The heart can l)e very cruel when God's foar and
love are removed.

As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed
faith in the third angel's message, but have not been sanc-
tified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position,
and join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the
world and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view
matters in nearly the same light; and when the test is
brought, they are prepared to choose the easy, popular side.
Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in
the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls.
They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren.
AVhen Sabbath-keepers are brought before the courts to
answer for their faith, these apostates are th'^ most efficient
agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by
false reports and insinuations to stir up the rulers against
them.

In this time of persecution the faith of the I^ord's servants
will be tried. They have faithfully given the warning,
looking to God and to his Word alone. God's Spirit, mov-
ing upon their hearts, has constrained them to speak.
Stimulated with holy zeal, and with the divine impulse
strong upon them, they entered upon the performance of
their duties without coldly calculating the consequences of
speaking to the people the word which the Lord had given
them. They have not consulted their temporal interests,
or sought to preserve their reputation or their lives. Yet
when the storm of opposition and reproach bursts upon

i2Tim. 3:12.

the
to

dil
Tl|

thl
stii

THE FINAL WARNING.

609

* and

them, some, overwhelmed with consternation, will be ready
to exclaim, " Had we foreseen the consequences of our words,
we would have held our peace." They are hedged in with
difficulties. Satan assails them with fierce temptations.
The work which thoy have undertaken seems far beyond
their ability to accomplish. Tiicy are threatened with de-
struction. The enthusiasm which animated them is gone;
yet they cannot turn back. Tlien, feeling their utter help-
lessness, they flee to the Mighty One for strength. They
remember tluit the words which they have spoken were not
theirs, but His Avho bade them give the warning. God put
the truth into their hearts, and they could not forbear to
proclaim it.

The same trials have been experienced by men of God in
ages past. Wycliffe, Huss, Luther, Tyndale, Baxter, Wesley,
urged that all doctrines be brought to the test of the Bible,
and declared that they would renounce everything which
it condemned. Against these men, persecution raged with
relentless fury; yet they ceased not to declare the truth.
Different periods in the history of the church have each
been marked by the development of some special truth,
adapted to the necessities of God's people at that time.
Every new truth has made its way against hatred and oppo-
sition; those who were blessed with its light were tempted
and tried. The Lord gives a special truth for the people
in an emergency. Who dare refuse to publish it? He com-
mands his servants to present the last invitation of mercy
to the world. They cannot remain silent, except at the
peril of their souls. Christ's ambassadors have nothing to
do with consequences. They must perform their duty, and
leave results with God.

As the opposition rises to a fiercer height, the servants of
Ood are again perplexed; for it seems to them that they
have brought the crisis. But conscience and the Word of
God assure them that their course is right; and although
the trials continue, they are strengthened to bear them.

\ i \ HI

|ii

1 ah'

610

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

The contest grows closer and slitirper, but their faith and
courage rise witli the emergency. Tlicir testipiony is, " We
•lare not tani[)er with God's Word, dividing his holy law,
calling one jtortion essential and another non-essential, to
gain the favor of the world. The Lord whom we serve is
able to deliver us. Christ has conquered the powers of
earth ; and shall we be afraid of a world already conquered?"

Persecution in its varied forms is the development of a
principle which will exist as long as Satan exists, and Chris-
tianity has vital power. No man can serve God without
enlisting against himself the opposition of the hosts of dark-
ness. Evil angels will assail him, alarmed that his influence
is taking the prey from their hands. Evil men, rebuked
by his exam])le, will unite with them in seeking to separate
liim from God by alluring tem])tations. When these do
not succeed, then a compelling power is employed to force
the conscience.

But so long as Jesus remains man's intercessor in the
sanctuary above, the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit
is felt by rulers and people. It still controls, to some ex-
tent, the laws of the land. Were it not for these laws, the
condition of the Avorld would be much worse than it now
is. While many of our rulers are active agents of Satan,
God also has his agents among the leading men of the
nation. The enemy moves U})on his servants to propose
measures that would greatly impede the work of God; but
statesmen who fear the Lord are influenced by holy angels
to oppose such propositions with unanswerable arguments.
Thus a few men will hold in check a powerful current of
evil. The opposition of the enemies of truth will be re-
strained that the third angel's message may do its work.
AVhen the flnal warning shall be given, it will arrest the
attention of these leading men through whom the Lord is
now working, and some of them will accept it, and will
stand with the people of God through the time of trouble.

The angel who unites in the proclamation of the third

THE FINAL WARNING.

611

angel's message is to lighten the whole earth with his glory.
A work of world-wide extent and unwonted power is here
foretold. The Advent movement of 1840-44 was a glorious
manifestation of the pov;cr of God; the first angel's message
was carried to every missionary station in the world, and
in some countries there was the greatest religious interest
which has been witnessed in any land since the Reformation
of the sixteenth centurv; hut these are to be far exceeded
by the mighty movement under the last warning of the
third angel.

The work will be similar to that of the day of Pentecost.
As the "former rain" was given, in the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit at the opening of the gospel, to cause the up-
springing of the precious seed, so the " latter rain " will be
given at its close, for the ripening of the harvest. " Then
shall wo know, if we follow on to know the Lord; his going
forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto
us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." '
^' Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord
your God; for he hath given you the former rain mod-
erately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain,
the former rain, and the latter rain."* "In the last days,
saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh."
"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the
name of the Lord shall be saved." * The great work of the
gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power
of God than marked its opening. The prophecies which
were fulfilled in the outpouring of the former rain at the
opening of the gospel, are again to be fulfilled in the latter
rain at its close. Here are "the times of refreshing" to
which the apostle Peter looked forward when he said, " Re-
j)ent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be
blotted out [in the investigative Judgment], when the times
of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and
he shall send Jesus." *

»Hosea6:3. ''Joel 2: 23.
44

'Acts 2: 17, 21. * Acta 3 : 19, 20,

M-K

612

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining
with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to
proclaim the message from Heaven. By thousands of
voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given. Mir-
acles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and signs and
wonders will follow the believers. Satan also works with
lying wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven in the
sight of men. ' Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be
brought to take their stand.

The message will be carried not so much by argument
as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of God. The argu-
ments have been presented. The seed has been sown, and
now it will spring up and bear fruit. The publications dis-
tributed by missionary workers have exerted their influence,
yet many whose minds were impressed have been prevented
from fully comprehending the truth or from yielding obe-
dience. Now the rays of light penetrate everywhere, the
truth is seen in its clearness, and the honest children of God
sever the bands which have held them. Family connec-
tions, church relations, are powerless to stay them now.
Truth is more precious than all besides. Notwithstanding
the agencies combined against the truth, a large number
take their stand upon the Lord's side.

» Rev. 13 . 13.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

••THE TIME OF TROUBLE."

li' i .

"At that time shall Michael stand up, tlie great prince,
which standeth for the children of thy people; and there
shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was
a nation even to that same time ; and at that time thy people
shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in
the book." ^

When the third angel's message closes, mercy no longer
pleads for the guilty inhabitants of the earth. The people of
God have accomplished their work. They have rceived
" the latter rain," " the refreshing from the presence of the
Lord," and they are prepared for the trying hour before them.
Angels are hastening to and fro in Heaven. An angel re-
turning from the earth announces that his work is done ; the
final test has been brought upon the world, and all who have
proved themselves loyal to the divine precepts have received
" the seal of the living God." * Then Jesus ceases his interces-
sion in the sanctuary above. He lifts his hands, and with a
loud voice says, " It is done ;" and all the angelic host lay off
their crowns as he makes tho solemn announcement: "He
that is unjust, let liini bo unjust still; and ho which is filthy,
let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be
righteous still ; and he tluit is holy, let him be holy still."*
Every case has been decided for life or death. Christ has
made the atonement for his people, and blotted out their
sins. The number of his subjects is made up; " the king-
dom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under
the whole heaven," is about to be given to the heirs of sal-

* Dan. 12:1. « See Appendix, Note 13.

'Rev. 22:11.
(613)

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

J: ^

vation, uiid Jesus is to reign as King of kings, and Lord of
lords.

When he leaves the sanctuary, darkness covers the inhab-
itants of the earth. In that fearful time the righteous must
live in the sight of a holy God without an intercessor. The
restraint which has been upon the wicked is removed, and
Satan has entire control of tlie finally impenitent. God's
long-suffering has ended. The world has rejected his mercy,
despised his love, and trampled upon liis law. The wicked
have passed the boundary of their probation; the Spirit of
God, persistently resisted, has been at last withdrawn. Un-
sheltered by divine grace, they have no protection from the
wicked one. Satan will tlien plunge the inhabitants of the
earth into one great, final trouble. As the angels of God
cease to hold in check the fierce winds of human passion,
all the elements of strife will bo let loose. The whole world
will be involved in ruin more terrible than that which came
upon Jerusalem of old.

A single angel destroyed all the first-born of the Egyp-
tians, and filled the land Avith mourning. AVhen David
otfended against God by numbering the j)Cople, one angel
caused that terrible destruction by which his sin was pun-
ished. The same destructive power exercised by holy angels
when God commands, will be exercised by evil angels when
he permits. There are forces now ready, and only waiting
the divine permission, to spread desolation everywhere.

Those who honor the law of God have been accused of
bringing judgments upon the world, and they will be re-
garded as the cause of the fearful convulsions of nature and
the strife and bloodshed among men that are filling the
earth with woe. The power attending the last warning has
enraged the wicked; their anger is kindled against all who
liave received the message, and Satan will excite to still
greater intensity the spirit of hatred and persecution.

When God's presence was finally withdrawn from the
Jewish nation, priests and people knew it not. Though

Ei.

THE TIME OF TROUBLE.

615

under tlie control of Satan, and swayed by tlionjost liorriblo
and malignant passions, they still regit rdcd themselves as
the chosen of God. The ministration in tlie temple con-
tinued; sacrifices were offered upon its polluted altars, and
daily the divine blessing was invoked upon a people guilty
of the blood of God's dear Son, and seeking to slay his min-
isters and ai)0stles. So when ihc irrevocable decision of tho
sanctuary has been pronounced, and the destiny of tho
world has been forever fixed, the inhabitants of tho cartli
Avill know it nut. Tho forms of religion will be continued
by a people from whom tho Spirit of God has been finally
withdrawn; and tho Satanic zeal with which the prince of
evil will inspire them for tho accomplishment of his malig-
nant designs, will bear tho semblance of zeal for God.

As tho Sabbath lias become the special point of contro-
versy throughout Christendom, and religious and secular
authorities liavo combined to enforce the observance of tho
Sunday, tlio persistent refusal of a small minority to yield to
the popular demand, will make them objects of universal
execration. It will be urged that the few who stand in op-
position to an institution of tho church and a law of tho
State, ought not to bo tolerated; that it is better for them to
suffer than for whole nations to be thrown into confusion
and lawlessness. The same argument eighteen hundred
years ago was brought against Christ by the " rulers of the
people." " It is expedient for us," said the waly Caiaphas,
" that one man should die for the people, and that tho whole
nation perish not." ^ This argument will appear conclusive;
and a decree will finally be issued against those who hallow
the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, denouncing them
as deserving of the severest punishment, and giving tho
people liberty, after a certain time, to put them to death.
Romanism in the Old World, and apostate Protestantism in
the New, will pursue a similar course toward those who
honor all the divine precepts.

1 John 11:50.

mi-

■■fi''

616

TUi: GREAT CONTROVERSY.

« 's

Tho people of (Jod ^vill then be jtlunj^ed into those scenes
of aflliction nnd (listress deserihccl l)y (lie })rophet us tho
time of Jacob's trouble. "Thus suith tho Lord: We have
lieurd u voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace." " All
faces are turned into ludene.ss. Alas! for that day is great,
.so that none is like it; it is even (he time of Jacob's (rouble;
])ut he shall be saved out of il."'

Jacob's night of anguish, Avhen he wresdcd in pi'ayer for
deliverance from the hand of Ksau,' r(>i)resents the expe-
rience of God's ])eo])le in the time of trouble. Because of
the dece])tion practiced to secure his father's blessing, in-
tended for Esau, Jacob had lied for his life, alarmed by his
])rothcr's deadly threats. After remaining for many years
an exile, lip liad set out, at God's connnand, to return with
liis wives and children, his flocks and herds, to his native
country. On reaching the borders of tho land, he was fdled
with terror by tho tidings of Esau's approach at the head
of a band of warriors, doubtless bent upon revenge. Jacob's
company, unarmed and defenseless, seemed about to fall
helpless victims, of violence and slaughter. And to the
burden ot anxiety and fear was added the crushing weight
of self-reproach; for it was his own sin that had brought
this danger. His only hope was in tho mercy of God; his
only defense must be prayer. Yet he leaves nothing un-
done on his own part to atone for the wrong to his brother,
and to avert the threatened danger. So should the followers
of Christ, as they approach the time of trouble, make every
exertion to place themselves in a proper light before the
people, to disarm prejudice, and to avert the danger which
threatens liberty of conscience.

Having sent his family away, that they may not witness
his distress, Jacob remains alone to intercede with God. He
confesses his sin, and gratefully acknowledges the mercy of
God toward him, while with deep humiliation he pleads the
covenant made w'itli his fathers, and the promises to him-

' Jer. 30 : 5-7. » Gen. 32 : 24-30.

self
exib
stak
d

TIIK TIME OF TROUBLE,

617

lio
•()

11
lit,

self ill tlio night vision at liothol and in Iho land of his
exile. Tijo crisis in his life has conio; oviTytiiing is at
stake. In the darkness and .soiitnde ho continues praying
and lunnhiing hiinsell' Ix'Toro (lod. Suddenly a hand is
laid upon his shoulder, lie thinks that an enemy is seck-
in^^ his life, and with all the energy of despair ho wrestles
with his assailant. As th(^ day hegins to hreak, the stranger
])uts forth his superhuman power; at his touch the strong
man sbems paralyze<l, and ho falls, a helpless, weeping sup-
pliant, upon tlio neck of his mysterious antagonist. Jacob
knows now that it is the Angel of the covenant with whom
he lias been in conflict. Though di.sabled, and suilering the
keenest pain, lie does not reliiKpiish liis purpose. Long has
lio endured perplexity, remorse, and trouble for liis sin; now
he must have the assurance that it is pardoned. The divine
visitant seems about to depart; but Jacob clings to him,
pleading for a blessing. The Angel urges, "Let mo go; for
the day breaketh;" but the patriarch exclaims, "I will not
let thee go, except thou bless me." What confidence, what
firmness and perseverance, are hero displayed! Had this
been a boastful, presumptuous claim, Jacob would have been
instantly destroyed ; but his was the assurance of one who
confesses his weakness and unworthincss, yet trusts the
mercy of a covenant-keeping God.

" He had power over the Angel, and prevailed." ' Through
humiliation, repentance, and self-surrender, this sinful, erring
mortal prevailed with the Majesty of Heaven. He had
fastened his trembling grasp upon the promises of God, and
the heart of Lifinite Love could not turn away tho sinner's
plea. As an evidence of his triumph, and an encourage-
ment to others to imitate his example, his name was changed
from one wliich was a reminder of his sin, to one that com-
memorated his victory. And the fact that Jacob had pre-
vailed with God was an assurance that he would prevail
with men. He no longer feared to encounter his brother's
anger; for the Lord was his defense.

>Hos. 12:4.

;*: ■■

ill

"W/

t '

618

TIFE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

Sutun luul uccuaed Jacob before the ungels of Gotl, claim-
ing the right to destroy Inm bccuUHe of his sin; he liad
moved U})on Ksuii to march against liim; and during the
j)atriarch\s long night of wrestling, Satan end(uivored to
force uj)on him a sense of liis guilt, in order to discourage
liim, and break liis liold ui>on (lod. Jacob was drivm
almost to despair; but lu* knew that without help from
Heaven lie must perish, lie had sincerely repented of his
great sin, and he apix'ided to the mercy of (iod. lie would
not be turned from his purpose, but held fast the Angel, and
urged Ins petition witii earnest, ngonizing cries, until ho
prevailed.

As Satan influenced Ksau to march against Jacob, so lio
will stir up the wicked to destroy Clod's j)eople in the time
of trouble. And as he accused Jacob, lie will urge his accu-
sations against the people of God. He numbers the world
as his subjects; but the little company who keep the com-
mandments of God are resisting his supremacy. If ho could
blot them from the earth, his triumph would bo complete.
Ho sees that holy angels are guarding them, and ho infers
that their sins have been pardoned; but he does not know
that their cases have been decided in the sanctuary above.
He has an accurate knowledge of the sins whitli he has
tempted them to commit, and he presents these before God
in the most exaggerated light, represennng this people to
be just as deserving as himself of exclusion from the favor
of God. He declares that the Lord cannot in justice forgive
their sins, and yet destroy him and his angels. Ho claims
them as his prey, and demands that they be given into his
hands to destroy.

As Satan accuses the people of God on account of their
sins, the Lord permits him to try them to the uttermost.
Their confidence in God, their faith and firmness, will be
severely tested. As they review the past, their hopes sink;
for in their whole lives they can see little good. They are
fully conscious of their weakness and unworthiness. Satau

w*Pg^^^

THE TIME OF TROUBLE.

61f»

oiuleuvors to terrify tliem with tho thought that tlu-ir casoH
uro h()|»cle«M, that tho wtaiii of tiioir (U'lileiiu'iit will ncvt-r
be wanlied awav. lie hopes to so tleHtrov their faith that
tlioy will yield to his temptations, and turn from their ullo-
gianco to God.

Though (lod's people will he surroinided hy enemies who
an; bent upon their di-struction, yet tho anguish which they
culler is not a dread of persecution for tho truth's sake; they
fear that every sin has not been repented of, and that
throuirh some fault in themselves thev shall fail to reah'ze
tho fulfillment of tho Saviour's promise, " I will keep theo
from tho liour of temptation which shall come upon all tho
world."' If they could hiivo tiio assurance of pardon, they
would not shrink from torture or death ; but should they
prove unworthy, and lose their lives because of their own
defects of character, thou God's holy name would bo re-
proached.

On every hand they hear tho plottings of treason, and seo
the active working of rebellion; and there is aroused within
them an intense desire, an earnest yearning of soul, that this
great apostasy may bo terminated, and tho wickedness of tho
wicked may como to an end. But while they plead with
God to st".y the work of rebellion, it is with a keen sense of
self-reproach that they themselves have no more power to
resist and urge back tho mighty tide of evil. They feel that
had they always employed all their ability in the service of
Christ, going forward from strength to strength, Satan's
forces would have less power to prevail against them.

They afflict their souls before God, pointing to their past
repentance of their many sins, and pleading the Saviour'^
promise, " Let him take hold of my strength, that ho may
make peace with mo ; and he shall make peace with me." *
Their faith does not fail because their prayers are not im-
mediately aiiswered. Though suffering the keenest anxiety,
terror, and distress, they do not cease their intercessions.

I' ;
(1/

II!

Kev. 3 : 10.

alsa. 27 :5.

■i

»:

,4 ^

They lay hold of the strength of God as Jacob laid hold of
the Angel; and the language of their souls is, " I will not let
thee go, except thou bless me."

Had not Jacob previously repented of his sin in obtaining
the birthriglit by fraud, God would not have heard his
prayer and mercifully preserved his life. So, in the time of
trouble, if the people of God had unconfessed sins to appear
before them while tortured with fear and anguish, they
would be overwhelmed; despair would cut off their faith,
and they could not have confidence to plead with God for
deliverance. But while they have a deep sense of their un-
worthiness, they have no concealed wrongs to reveal. Their
sins have gone beforehand to Judgment, and have been
blotted out; and they cannot bring them to remembrance.

Satan leads many to believe that God will overlook their
unfaithfulness in the minor affairs of life; but the Lord
shows in his dealings with Jacob that he will in nowise
sanction or tolerate evil. All who endeavor to excuse or
conceal their sirs, and permit them to remain upon the
books of Heaven, unconfessed and unforgiven, will be over-
come by Satan. The more exalted their profession, and the
more honorable the position which they hold, the more
grievous is their course in the sight of God, and the more
sure the triumph of their great adversar3\ Those who de-
lay a preparation for the day of God cannot obtain it in the
time of trouble, or at any subsequent time. The case of all
such is hopeless.

Those professed Christians who come up to that last fear-
ful conflict unprepared, will, in their despair, confess their
sins in words of burning anguish, while the wicked exult
over their distress. These confessions are of the same char-
rcter as was that of Esau or of Judas. Those who make
them lament the result of transgression, but not its guilt.
Tliey feel no true contrition, no abhorrence of evil. They
acknowledge their sin, through fear of punishment; but, like
Pharaoh of old, they would return to their defiance of
Heaven, should the judgments be removed.

THE TIME OF TROUBLE.

621

Jacob's history is also an assurance that God will not cast
off those who have been deceived, and tempted, and betrayed
into sin, but who have returned unto him with true repent-
ance. While Satan seeks to destroy this class, God will send
his angels to comfort and protect thorn in the time of peril.
The assaults of Satan are fierce and determined, his delu-
sions are terrible; but the Lord's eye is upon liis people, and
his ear listens to their cries. Their affliction is great, the
flames of the furnace seem about to consume them ; but the
Refiner will bring them forth as gold tried in the fire. God's
love for his children during the period of their severest trial
is as strong and tender as in the days of their sunniest pros-
perity; but it is needful for them to be placed in the furnace
fire; their earthliness must bo consumed that the image of
Christ may be perfectly reflected.

Tlie season of distress and anguish before us will require
a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger, — a
faith that will not faint, though severely tried. The period
of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time. Jacob
prevailed because he was persevering and determined. His
victory is an evidence of the power of importunate prayer.
All who will lay hold of God's promises, as he did, and be
as earnest and persevering as he was, will succeed as he suc-
ceeded. Those w!io are unwilling to deny self, to agonize
before God, to pray long and earnestly for his blessing, will
not obtain it. Wrestling with God — how few know wliat it
is ! How few have ever had their souls drawn out after God
with intensity of desire until every power is on the stretch.
When waves of despair which no language can express
sweep over the suppliant, liow few cling with unyielding
faith to the })romisos of God.

Those who exercise but little faith now, are in the greatest
danger of falling under tlio power of Satanic delusions and
the decree to compel the conscience. And even if tlioy en-
dure the test, they will be plunged into deeper distress and
anguish in the time of trouble, because they have never

¥1

622

THE GREA T CONTR VERSY.

made it a habit to trust in God. Tlie lessons of faith which
they have neglected, they will be forced to learn under a
terrible pressure of discouragement.

We should now acquaint ourselves with God by proving
his promises. Angels record every prayer that is earnest
and sincere. We should rather dispense with selfish grati-
fications than neglect communion with God. The deepest
poverty, the greatest self-denial, with his approval, is better
than riches, honors, ease, and friendship without it. AVe
must take time to pray. If we allow our minds to be ab-
sorbed by worldly interests, the Lord may give us time by
removing from us our idols of gold, of houses, or of fertile
lands.

The young would not bo seduced into sin if they would
refuse to enter any i)ath, save that upon, which they could
ask God's blessing. If the messengers who bear the last
solemn warning to the world would pray for the blessing
of God, not in a cold, listless, lazy manner, but fervently and
in faith, as did Jacob, they would find many places where
they could say, " I have seen God face to face, and my life
is preserved."^ They would be accounted of Heaven as
princes, having power to prevail with God and with men.

The " time of trouble such as never was," is soon to open
upon us; and we shall need an experience which we do not
now possess, and which many are too indolent to obtain.
It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation
than in realitv; but this is not true of the crisis before us.
The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude
of the ordeal. In that time of trial, every soul must stand
for himself before God. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job
were in the land, " as I live, saitli the Lord God, they shall
deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver
their own souls by their righteousness." '^

Now, while our great High Priest is making the atone-
ment for us, we should seek to become perfect in Christ. Not
even by a thought could our Saviour be brought to yield tO'

iGeu. 32:30. "Eze. 14:20.

the

poin

chei

'3,1

THE TIME OF TROUBLE.

623

the power of temptation. Satan finds in human hearts some
point where he can gain a foot-hold ; some sinful desire is
cherished, by means of which his temptations assert their
power. But Christ declared of himself, '* The prince of this
world cometli, and hath nothing in me." ' Satan could find
nothing in the Son of God that would enable him to gain
the victory. He had kept his Father's commandments, and
there was no sin in him that Satan could use to his advan-
tage. This is the condition in which those must be found
who shall stand in the time of trouble.

It is in this life that we are to separate sin from us, through
faith in the atoning blood of Christ. Our precious Saviour
invites us to join ourselves to him, to unite our weakness
to his strength, our ignorance to his wisdom, our un wor-
thiness to his merits. God's providence is the school in
which we are to learn the meekness and lowliness of Jesus.
The Lord is ever setting before us, not the way we would
choose, ^vhicli seems easier and pleasanter to us, but the
true aims of life. It rests with us to co-operate with the
agencies which Heaven employs, in the work of conforming
our characters to the divine model. None can neglect or
defer this work but at the most fearful peril to tlieir souls.

The apostle John in vision heard a loud voice in Heaven
exclaiming, " Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the
sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great
wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."*
Fearful are the scenes which call forth this exclamation from
the heavenly voice. The wrath of Satan increases as his
time grows short, and his work of deceit and destruction will
reach its culmination in the time of trouble.

Fearful sights of a supernatural character will soon be
revealed in the heavens, in token of the power of miracle-
working demons. The spirits of devils will go forth to the
kings of the earth and to the whole world, to fasten them
in deception, and urge them on to unite with Satan in his
last struggle against the government of Heaven. By these

'John 14: 30. "Rev. 12:12.

*,.:«• ^

a :;.(:!

624

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

agencies, rulers and subjects will be alike deceived. Per-
sons will arise pretending to be Christ himself, and claiming
the title and worship which belong to the world's Redeemer.
They will perform wonderful miracles of healing, and will
profess to have revelations from Heaven contradicting the
testimony of the Scriptures.

As the crowning act in the great drama of deception,
Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long
professed to look to the Saviour's advent as the consum-
mation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make
it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the
earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic
being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of
the Son of God given by John in the Ilevelation.* The
glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that
mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings
out upon the air, " Christ has come ! Christ has come ! " The
people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while
he lifts up his hands, and pronounces a blessing upon them,
as Christ blessed his disciples when he was upon the earth.
His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gen-
tle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gra-
cious, hea /only truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals
the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed char-
acter of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to
Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he ha.s
blessed. He declares that those who persist in keeping holy
the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to
listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This
is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the
Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the mul-
titudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these
sorceries, saying. This is " the great power of God." ''

But the people of God will not be misled. The teachings
of this false christ are not in accordance with the Scriptures.
His blessing is pronounced upon the worshipers of the beast

» Rev. 1 : 13-15.

" Acts. 8 : 10.

THE TIME OF TROUBLE.

625

ler.
m\i
the

and his image, — the very chiss upon whom the Bible de-
clares that God's unmingled wrath sliall be poured out.

And, furthermore, Satan is not permitted to counterfeit
the manner of Christ's advent. Tlio Saviour has warned
his people against deception upon this j)oint, and has clearly
foretold the manner of liis second coming. " There shall
arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great
signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they
shall deceive the very elect. . . . Wherefore if they shall
say unto you. Behold, he is in the desert; go not lorth : behold,,
he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the
hghtning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto
the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.'"
This coming, there is no possibility of counterfeiting. It will
be universally known — witnessed by the whole world.

Only those who have been diligent students of the Script-
ures, and who have received the love of the truth, will be
shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world
captive. By the Bible testimony these will detect the de-
ceiver in his disguise. To all, the testing time will come.
By the sifting of temptation, the genuine Cliristian will be
revealed. Are the people of God now so firmly estab-
lished upon his Word that they would not yield to the evi-
dence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to
the Bible, and the Bible only? Satan will, if possible, pre-
vent them from obtaining a preparation to stand in that
day. He will so arrange affairs as to hedge up their way,
entangle them with earthly treasures, cause them to carry
a heavy, wearisome burden, that their liearts may be over-
charged with the cares of this life, and the day of trial may
come upon, them as a thief.

As the decree issued by the various rulers of Christendom
against commandment-keepers shall withdraw the protection
of government, and abandon them to those who desire their
destruction, the people of God will flee from the cities and

' Matt. 24 : 24-27, 31; 25 : 31; Rev. 1 : 7; 1 Theas. 4 : 16, 17.

62G

THE GliL'AT CONTROVERSY,

villages, and associate together in companies, dwelling in
the most desolate and solitary places. Many will find refuge
in the strongholds of the mountains. Like the Christians
of the Piedmont valleys, they will make the high places of
the earth their sanctuaries, and will thank God for the
"munitions of rocks."' But many of all nations, and all
classes, high and low, rich and poor, black and white, will
be cast into the most unjust and cruel bondage. The be-
loved of God pass weary days, bound in chains, shut in by
prison bars, sentenced to be slain, some apparently left to
die of starvation in dark and loathsome dungeons. No
human ear is open to hear their moans; no human hand
is ready to lend them help.

Will the Lord forget his peop^'^ in this trying hour? Did
he forget faithful Noah when ^ idgments were visited upon
the antediluvian world? Did he forget Lot when the fire
came down from Heaven to consume the cities of the plain?
Did he forget Joseph surrounded by idolaters in Egypt?
Did he forget Elijah Avhen the oath of Jezebel threatened
him with the fate of the prophets of Baal ? Did he forget
Jeremiah in the dark and dismal pit of his prison-house ?
Did he foi'get the three worthies in the fiery furnace? or
Daniel in the den of lions ?

"Zion said, Jehovah hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath
forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that
she should not have compassion on the son of lier womb?
yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I
have graven thee upon tlie palms of my hands." * The Lord
of hosts has said, "He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple
of his eye." '

Though enemies may thrust them into prison, yet dungeon
walls cannot cut off the communication between their souls
and Christ. One Avho sees their everv weakness, who is
acquainted with every trial, is above all earthly powers; and
angels will come to them in lonely cells, bringing light and
peace from Heaven. The prison will be as a palace; for

• Isa. 33 : 16. '"Isa. 49 : 14-16. » Zech. 2 : 8.

■■•*«#

THE TIME OF TROlliLE.

627

lio
all
•ill

the ridi in faith dwell there, and the gloomy walls will be
lighted up with heavenly light, as when Paul and Sihis
prayed and sung praises at midnight in the Philippian
dungeon.

God's judgments will be visited upon tliose who are seek-
ing to oppress and destroy his ])eople. , His long forbearance
with the wicked endjoldens men in transgression, but their
imnishment is none the less certain and terrible because it
is long delayed. "The Lord shall rise up as in Mount
Perazim, ho shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that
he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass
his act, his strange act."' To our merciful God the act of
punishment is a strange act. "As I live, saith the Lord
God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.'"' The
Lord is "merciful and gracious, long-sutiering, and abundant
in goodness and truth," "forgiving iniquity and trans-
gression Mid sin." Yet he will "by no means clear the
guilty." " The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power,
and will not at all accj^uit the wicked."* By terrible things
in righteousness he will vindicate the authority of his down-
trodden law. The severity of the retribution awaiting the
transgressor may be judged l^y the Lord's reluctance to
execute justice. The nation with which he bears long, and
which he will not smite until it has filled up the measure
of its ini([uity in God's account, will fimdly drink the cup
of wrath unmixed with mercy.

Wiicn Christ ceases his intercession in the s"nctuary, the
unmingled wrath threatened against tho.se who worship the
bea.st and his image and receive his mark,* will be poured
out. The i^lagues ui)on Egypt when God was about to
deliver Israel, were similar in character to those more ter-
rible and extensive judgments which are to fall upon the
world just before the final deliverance of God's people. Says
the Revelator, in describing tlicsp terrific scourges, "There
fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had

'Isa. 28:21. ^Eze. 33:11. » Ex. 34 :6, 7; Nah. 1 :3.

* Rev. 14 : 9, 10.

628

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

tlie mark of tlio beast, and upon them which worshiped his
image." Tiio sea "became as the blood of a dead man, and
every living soul died in the sea." And "the rivers and
fountains of waters became blood." ' Terril)le as these in-
flictions are, God's justice stands fully vindicated. Tiie
angel of God declares, " Thou art righteous, Lord, . . .
because tlH)u hast judged thus. For they have shed the
blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them
blood to drink; for thoy are wortiiy." ' By condemning tiie
people of God to death they have as truly incurred the guilt
of their blood, as if it had been shed by their hands. In
like manner Christ declared the Jews of his time guilty of
all the blood of holy men which had been shed since the
days of Abel; for they possessed the same spirit, and were
seeking to do the same work, with these murderers of the
prophets.

In the plague that follows, power is given to the sun " to
scorcii men with fire. And men were scorched with great
heat." ' The prophets thus describe the condition of the earth
at this fearful time: "The land mourneth; . . . because
the harvest of the field is perished." "All the trees of the
field are withered; because joy is withered away from the
sons of men." "The seed is rotten under their clods, the
garners are laid desolate." " How do the beasts groan! the
herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture.
. . . The rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath
devoured the pastures of the wilderness." "The songs of
the temple shall be bowlings in that day, saith the Lord
God; there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they
shall cast them forth with silence." "

These plagues are not universal, or the inhabitants of the
earth would be wholly cut off. Yet they will be the most
awful scourges that have ever been known to mortals. All
the judgments upon men, prior to the close of probation,
have been mingled with mercy. The pleading blood of

» Rev. 16 : 2-6, 8, 9. « Joel 1 : 10-12, 17-20; Amos 8 : 3.

THE TIME OF TROUBLE.

629

Christ has shielded the sinnor from receiving tlie full measure
of his guilt; but in the final Judgment, wrath is poured out
unmixed with mercy.

In that day, multitudes will desire the shelter of God's
mercy which they have so long despised. "Behold, the
days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine
in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the Lord. And they shall
wander from sea to sea, and from the nortii even to the
east, tliey shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord,
and shall not lind it."'

The peoi)le of God will not be free from suffering; l)ut
while persecuted and distressed, while they endure priva-
tion, and sud'er for want of food, they will not be left to
perish. That God who cared for Elijah will not pass by one
of his self-sacrificing children. He wlio numbers the hairs
of their head will care for them, and in time of famine thev
shall be satisfied. While the wicked are dying from hunger
and pestilence, angels will shield the righteous, and supply
their wants. To him that " walketh righteously" is the
promise, "Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be
sure." "When the poor and needy seek water, and there
is none, and their tongue faileth for tiiirst, I the Lord will
hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them." *

"Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall
fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and
the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut oft"
from the fold, and th(>re shall l)e no herd in the stalls;" yet
shall they that fear him "rejoice in the Lord," and joy in
the God of their salvation.*

"The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord is thy shade upon thy
right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the
moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all
evil ; he shall preserve thy soul." " He shall deliver thee
from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pesti-

1 Amoa 8 : 11, 12. » Isa. 33 : 16; 41 : 17. ^ Hab. 3 : 17. 18.

630

Tin: GREAT COXTIiOVKRSr.

leiicc. IIo slmll cover tiioo with his feathers, aiul under liis
wings slialt thou trust; his truth sluiU he thy shiehl and
Luckier. Thou shalt not he afraid for tiie terror hy night;
nor for tlie arrow that llieth 1)V dav; nor for tl»o i)estilenco
that walkelh in (hirkness; nor for tlio destruction that wastetli
ttt noon(hiy. A thousand sliall fall at thy side, and ten
thousand at thy right liand; hut it shall not conio nigh
thee. Only with thine eves shalt thou hehold and see the
reward of the wicked. Because thou liast made tlio Lord,
which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy hahitation;
there shall no evil hefall thee, neither shall any plague
como nigh thy dwelling.'"

Yet to human sight it will appear that the people of (Jod
must soon seal their testimony with their hlood, as did the
martyrs hefore them. They themselves hegin to fear that
the Lord has left them to fall hy the liand of their enemies.
It is a time of fearful agony. Day and night they cry unto
God for deliverance. The wicked exult, and the jeering
cry is heard, " Where now is your faith? Why does not
God deliver you out of our hands if you are indeed his
people?" But the waiting ones remember Jesus dying upon
Calvary's cross, and the chief priests and rulers shouting
in mockery, "IIo saved others; himself he cannot save.
If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from
the cross, and we will believe him."^ Like Jacob, all are
wrestling with God. Their countenances express their in-
ternal struggle. Paleness sits upon every face. Yet they
cease not their earnest intercession.

Could men see with heavenly vision, they would behold
comj^anics of angels that excel in strength stationed about
those who have kept the word of Christ's patience. With
sympathizing tenderness, angels have witnessed their dis-
tress, and have lieard their prayers. They are w^aiting the
word of their Commander to snatch them from their peril.
But they must wait yet a little longer. The people of God

' Pa. 1 21 : 5-7 ; 91 : 3- 10. » Matt. 27 : 42 .

^''

Till': TIMIC OF TROriiLR.

631

iijUHt drink of tlio cup, and bo baptized vvitii the ])aptism.
The very di'lay, so painful to thoni, is tlio best annvvor to
their petitions. As they endeavor to wait trustingly for the
Lord to work, tl ley are h'll to e^ereiso faith, liope, and pa-
tience, which liavo been too little exercised during their
religious exi)erience. Yet for tho elect's sake, the tinio of
trouble will bo shortened. "Shall not(iod avengo his own
elect, which cry day and night inito liiiu? ... I tell
you that lio will avengo them speedily." ' Tho end will
t'onie more (piickly than men expect. Tho wlieat will bo
gathered and bound in sheaves for tho garner of God; tho
tares will bo bound as fagots for tho tires of destruction.

Tho heavenly sentinels, faithful to their trust, continue
their watch. Though a general decree has fixed tho tinio
when conmiandment-keepers may bo put to <leath, their
enemies will in sonio cases anticipate tho decree, and, before
tho time specified, will endeavor to take their lives. But none
can pass tho mighty guardians stationed about every faithful
soul. Some aro assailed in their flight from the cities and
villages; but tho swords raised against them break and fall
as powerless as a straw. Others aro defended by angels in
tho form of men of war.

In all ages, God has wrought through holy angels for the
succor and deliverance of his people. Celestial beings have
taken an active part in tho affairs of men. They have ap-
peared clothed in garments that shono as tho lightning;
they have come as men, in tho garb of wayfarers. Angels
liave appeared in human form to men of God. They have
rested, as if weary, under the oaks at noon. They have
accepted the hospitalities of human homes. They have
acted as guides to benighted travelers. They have, with
their own hands, kindled the fires of the altar. They have
opened prison doors, and set free the servants of the Lord.
Clothed with the panoply of Heaven, they came to roll away
the stone from the Saviour's tomb.

hi the form of men, angels are often in the assemblies of

'Luke 18:7, 8.

i,h'

■'f

C32

Tin: a hi: AT costrovkusv.

tho rightooiiH, and tlicy visit tlio asscMiiblics of (!m> wickccl,
UH ihoy went to Sodom, to iiiai<(^ u record of tlicir dccils, to
(U'tcrmiiH! whether tiiey have passed the homidarv of (mxI's
forbearance. Th(! Lord dehtihls in mercy; and for the sakt;
of a few who really serve him, Ik! restrains calamities, and
prolongM the tranquillity of multitudes. Little do sinners
against (lod realize that they are indel)te(l for their own
lives to tlio faithful few whom they delij^ht to ridiculo and
oppress.

Though tho rulers of this world know it not, yet often
ill their councils angels have been spokesmen. Human
eyes liavo looked upon them; human ears have listened to
their appeals; human lips have o[)posed their suggestions
and ridiculed their coun.sels; human hands have met them
with insult and abuse. In the council hall and tho court
of justice, these heavenly messengers have shown an inti-
mate acquaintance with human history; they have proved
themselves better able to j)l(>ad tho cause of the oppressed
than were tlieir ablest and most elotpient defenders. They
have defeated purposes and arrested evils that would have
greatly retarded tho work of God, and would have caused
great suffering to his people. In the hour of peril and dis-
tress, "tho angel of tho Lord cncanq)eth round about them
that fear him, and delivereth them.'"

With earnest longing, God's peoi)le await the tokens of
their coming King. As the watchmen are accosted, "What
of the night?" the answer is given unfalteringly, "'The
morning cometli, and also the night.'" Light is gleaming
upon the clouds above the mountain tops. Soon there will
be a revealing of His glorj^ The Sun of Righteousness is
about to shine forth. Tho morning and the night are both
at hand, — tho opening of endless day to the righteous, the
settling down of eternal night to the wicked."

As the wrestling ones urge their petitions before God, the
veil separating them from the unseen seems almost with-

iPs. 34:7. "Isa. 21 :11, 12.

Tin: riMF or rncniuj:.

fu\'\

♦ Irawii. 'I'lic liciivciis ^\u\\ willi the (liiuiiin;^M>l" ('(mml «lay,
and, liki' till' melody of aiij^i'l soii^s, tlic words fall upon
tlio oar, "Stand fast to your all(';4iaiu'('. 1I<'1|) is coiuinjj;."
Christ, the aliui;;lity victor, lioMs out to his weary solchcrs
a crown of iumiortal ^lory; and his voico comes from tiio
^'ates ajar: *' Lo, I am with yon. Ho not afraid. I am ac-
quainted with all your sorrows; I hav(» horno your griefs.
You uro not warring against untried enemies. I have
fought tho battle in your hehalf, and in mv name vou aro
more than con<[uerors."

Tho j)recious Saviour will send lu'lp just when we need
it. The way to Heaven is consecrated by his foot-prints.
Every thorn that wounds our feet has woundecl his. Kvery
cross that we aro calhul to ])ear, lui lias borno before us.
Tho Lord jtermits conflicts, to prepare tho soul for peace.
Tho time of trouble is a fearful ordeal for (Jod's people;
Init it is the time foi- every true believer to look \\\\ and by
faith lie may see the bow of promise encircling him.

"Tho redeemed of tho Lord shall return, and come with
singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall bo upon their
head; they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and
mourning shall flee away. I, even T, am ho that comforteth
you; who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of a man
that shall die, and of tho son of man which shall be made
as grass; and forgettest tho Lord thy Maker; . . . and
hast feared continually every day because of the fury of tho
oppressor, as if ho were ready to destroy? and where is tho
fury of tho oppressor? Tho ca[)tiyo exile hastencth that ho
may bo loosed, and that ho should not die in the pit, nor
that his bread should fail. But I am tho Lord thy G(k1,
that divided tho sea, whoso waves roared. Tho Lord of
hosts is his name. And I have put my words in thy mouth,
and I have covered thee in tho shadow of mino hand."

"Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, an<l drunken,
but not with wine: Thus saith thy Lord Jehovah, and thy
God that pleadeth the cause of his people. Behold, I have

': I

'^m^

634

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

taken out of thine hand tlie cup of trembhng, even the
<]rogs of the cup of my fury; tliou slialt no more drink it
again. But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict
thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, tliat we may
go over; and thou h.iit laid thy body as the ground, and
as the street, to them that went ove'"."'

The eye of God, looking down the ages, was fixed upon
the crisis which his people are to meet, when earthly powers
nhall be arrayed against tlu^n. Like the captive exile, they
will be in fear of death by starvation or by violence. But
the IIolv One who divided the Red Sea before Israel, will
manifest his mighty j>ower and turn their captivity. "They
shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when
I make up my jewels; and I will sj)are them, as a man
spareth his own son that serveth him,"' If the blood of
Christ's faithful witnesses were shed at this time, it would
not, like the blood of the martyrs, be as seed sown to yield
a harvest for God. Their fidelity would not be a testimony
to convince others of tne truth ; for the obdurate heart has
beaten back the wa'vcs of mccy until they return no more.
If the righteous wero new loti, to fall a prey to their enemies,
it would be a triumph for the prin jc of darkness. Says the
psalmist, " In the time of trouble ho shall hide me in his
pavilion; in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me."*
Christ has spoken: " Come, my people, enter thou into thy
chambers, and shut thy doors about thee; hide thyself as
it were for a little moment, until the indignation be over-
past. For, behold, the Lord cometli out of his place to
punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity."*
Glorious will be the deliverance of those who have patiently
waited for his coming, and whose names are written in the
book of life.

'Isa. 51:11-16, 21-23. ^ Mai. 3:17. Tu. 27:5. Usa. 2G : 20, 21.

CHAPTER XL.

IV 3

GOD'S PEOPLE DELIVERED.

AVhen the protection of Imnian laws shall be withdrawn
from those who honor the law of God, there will be, in dif-
ferent lands, a simultaneous movement for their destruction.
As the time appointed in the decree draws near, the people
will consi)ire to root out the liated sect. It will be deter-
mined to strike in one night a decisive blow, which shall
utterly silence the voice of dissent and reproof.

The people of God — some in i)rison cells, some liiddcn in
solitary retreats in the forests and the mountains — still plead
for divine protection, while in every quarter companies of
armed men, urged on by hosts of evil angels, are preparing
for the work of death. It is now, in the hour of utmost
extremity, that the God of Israel will interpose for the de-
liverance of his chosen. Saith the Lord: "Ye shall have
a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and
gladness of heart, as when one goeth ... to come
into the mountain of Jehovah, to the Might}' One of Israel.
And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and
shall show the lighting down of his arm, with tiie indig-
nation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire,
with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones." '

With shouts of triumph, jeering, and imjirecation, throngs
of evil men are about to rush upon their prey, when lo, a
dense blackness, dee})er than the darkness of the night, falls
upon the earth. Then a rainbow, shining with the glory
from the throne of God, spans the heavens, and seems to
tjncircle each praying company. The angry nmltitudes are

* Isa. 30 : 29, 30.

(635)

63G

THE GREAT CONrROVERSY.

suddeiilv (irrcsted. Tlieir niockiiio- cries die cawav. Tlu-
objects of tlieir murderous rage are forgotten, AVitli fearful
forebodings tiiey gaze upon the symbol of God's covenant,
and long to be shielded from its overpowering briglitness.

By the people of God a voice, clear and melodious, is
heard, saying, "Look up," and, lifting their eyes to the
lieavens, they behold the bow of promise. The black,
angry clouds that covered the firmament are parted, and
like Stephen they look uj) steadfjistly into Heaven, and see
the glory of God, and the Son of man seated upon his throne.
In his divine form they discern the marks of his humilia-
ti'^u; and from his lips they hear the request, presented
before his Father and the holy angels, "I will that they
also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am."'
Again a voice, musical and triumphant, is heard, saying,
"They come! they come! holy, harmless, and undefiled.
They have kept the word of my patience; the}' shall walk
among the angels;" and the pale, quivering lips of those
who have held fast their faith, utter a shout of victorv.

It is at midnight that God manifests his power for the
deliverance of his people. The sun appears, shining in its
strength. Signs and wonders follow in quick succession.
The wicked look with terror and amazement upon the scene,
while the righteous behold with solemn joy the tokens of
their deliverance. Everything in nature S'iems turned out
of its course. Tlie streams cease to flow. Dark, heavy
clouds come up, and clash against each other. In the midst
of the angry heavens is one clear space of indescribal)le
glory, whence comes the voice of God lik(^ the sound of many
waters, saying, " It is done." ^

That voice shakes the heavens and the earth. There is
a mighty earthquake, "such as was not since men were
upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great.'"'
The firmament appears to open and shut. The glory from
the throne of God seems flashing through. The mount-

1 John 17:24.

niev, 10:17, 18,

Oopyriithtad 1890.

THE (jrp:at earthquake.

M-H

■1.

i r

8i'

h i

i??''

r- ^1

■ f '

"i!

GOD'S PEOFLl-: DELIVERED.

687

ains shake like a ncd in the wind, and ragged rocks are
scattered on every side. Tliere is a roar as of a coming
tempest. Tlie sea is hished into fury. There is lieard tlie
shriek of the hurricane, like the voice of demons upon a
mission of destruction. The mIujIc eartli heaves and swells
like the waves of the sea. Its surface is breaking up.
Its very foundations seem to be giving way. Mountain
chains are sinking. Inhabited islands disappear. The
seaports that have become like Sodom for wickechicss, are
swallowed up by the angry waters. Babylon the CJreat hath
como in remend)rance before God, "to give unto her the
cup of the wine of tlie fierceness of his wrath.'" Clreat
hailstones, every one "about the weight of a talent," are
doing their work of destruction. The proudest cities of
the earth are laid low. The lordly palaces, upon which
the world's great men have lavished their wealtli in order
to glorify themselves, are crumbling to ruin before their
eyes. Prison walls are rent asunder, and God's people, who
have been held in bondage for their faith, are set free.

Graves are opened, and "many of them that slec[) in the
dust of the earth" "awake, some to everlasting life, and
some to shame and everlasting contempt."'* All who have
died in the faith of the tliird angel's message con»e forth
from tlie tomb glorified, to hear God's covenant of jieace
with those who have kei>t his law. " They also which pierced
Ilim,"' those that mocked and derided Christ's dying agonies,
and the most violent opposers of his tnitli and his people,
are raised to behold him in his glory, and to see the honor
placed upon the loyd and obedient.

Thick clouds still cover the sky; yet the sun now and
then breaks through, appearing like the avenging eye of
Jehovah. Fierce lightnings leap from the heavens, envel-
oping 'lie earth in a sheet of flame. Above the terrific roar
of thunder, voices, mysterious and awful, declare the do(jm
of the wicked. The M'ords spokei? are not comprehended

> lie\ . 10 : 1'.), L'l. ^ i)au. 12 : '1. ^ llev. 1 : 7.

H : h

. ■'^- ^1

'Ir i:

'i^

038

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

\iy all; but they are distinctly understood by the false
teachers. Those wlio a little before were so reckless, so
boastful and defiant, so exultant in their cruelty to God's
commandment-keeping people, are now overwhelmed witli
consternation, and shuddering in fear. Their wails are
heard above the sound of the elements. Demons acknowl-
edge the divinity of Clirist, and tremble before his power,
while men are supplicating for mercy, and groveling in
abject terror.

Said the prophets of old as they beheld in holy vision tlie
day of God: "IIowl ye; for the day of the Lord is at liand;
it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty." ' "Enter
into tlio rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of tfie Lord,
and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man
sliall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be
bowed down; and tlie Lord alone shall be exalted in tliat
day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every
one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is
lifted up; and ho shall be brought low." "In that day
a man shall cast the idols of his silver, and the idols of his
gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to
the moles and to the bats; to go into the clefts of the rocks,
and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord,
and for the glory of his majesty, when he arisoth to shake
terribly the earth." ^

Through a rift in the clouds, there beams a star whose
brilliancy is increased fourfold in contrast with the dark-
ness. It s})eaks hope and joy to the faithful, but severity
and wrath to the transgressors of God's law. Those who
have sacrificed all for Christ are now secure, hidden as in
the secret of the Lord's pavilion. They have been tested,
and before the world and the despisers of truth they have
evinced their fidelity to Him who died for them. A mar-
velous change has come over those who have held fast their
integrity in the very face of death. They have been sud-

1 Isa. 13:6. " Isa. 2 : 10-12, 20, 21 (margin).

GOD'S PEOPLE DELIVERED.

639

«lenly delivered from the dark and terrible tyranny of men
transformed to demons. Their faces, so lately pale, anxious,
and haggard, are now aglow with wonder, faith, and love.
Their voices rise in triumphant song: "God is our refuge
and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will
not we foar, though the earth be removed, and though the
mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the
waters thereof roar and bo troubled, though the mountains
shake with the swelling thereof"

While these words of holy trust ascend to Ciod, the clouds
sweep back, and the starry heavens are seen, unspeakably
glorious in contrast with the black and angry firmament
on either side. The glory of the celestial city streams from
tho gates ajar. Then there appears against the sky a hand
holding two tables of stone folded together. Says the prophet,
"The heavens shall declare His righteousness; for God is
judge himself."^ That holy law, God's righteousness, that
amid thunder and flame v;as proclaimed from Sinai as the
guide of life, is now revealed to men as the rule of judgment.
The hand opens the tables, and there are seen tho precepts
of the decalogue, traced as with a pen of fire. The words
are so plain that all can read them. Memory is aroused, the
darkness of superstition and heresy is swept from every mind,
and God's ten words, brief, comprehensive, and autiioritative,
are presented to the view of all the inhabitants of the earth.

It is impossible to describe the horror and despair of those
who have trampled U[)on God's holy requirements. The
Lord gave them his law; they might have compared their
characters with it, and learned their defects while then^ was
yet opportunity for repentance and reform; but in order to
secure the favor of the world, they set aside its precepts
and taught others to transgress. They have endeavored
to compel God's i)eople to profane his Sabbath. Now they
arc condemned by that law which they have despised.
With awful distinctness they see that they are without ex-

•Pt. 46:1-3. '•'Ps. 50:6.

\:n

\\S I

G40

TIU: GREAT t'ONTROVKRSY

ciise. Thoy chose whom tlioy wouhl serve and worship.
"Then shall ye return, and discern Ijetwecn the rigliteous
and the wicked, hetueen him tliat serveth God and liim
that servetli him not.'"

The enemies of CJod's hiw, from tlie ministers down to the
least among them, liave a new conception of trutli and duty.
Too late they see that the Sabbath of the fourth commaml-
ment is the seal of the living God. Too late they see the
true nature of their spurious sabbath, and the sandy foun-
dation upon which they have been building. They find
tliat they have been lighting against God. Religious teach-
ers have led souls to perdition while professing to guide them
to the gates of Paradise. Not until the day of final accounts
will it be known how great is the responsibility of men in
holy oifice, and how terrible are the results of their unfaith-
fulness. Only in eternity can we rightly estimate the lo.ss
of a single soul. Fearful will be the doom of him to whom
(Jod shall say, Depart, thou wicked servant.

The voice of God is heard from Heaven, declaring the
day and hour of Jesus' coming, and delivering the ever-
lasting ccn'enant to his j)eople. Like i)eals of loudest thun-
der, his words roll through the earth. The Israel of God
stand listening, with their eyes fixed upward. Their coun-
tenances are lighted up with his glory, and shine as did tlu-
face of Moses when he came down from Sinai. The wicked
cannot look U})on them. And when the blessing is pro-
nounced on those who have honored God by keejnng his
Sabbath holy, there is a mighty shout oi victory.

Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about
half the size of a man's hand. It is the cloud which sur-
rounds the Saviour, and which seems in the distance to l»i'
shrouded in darkness. The people of (.Jod know this to ]»e
the sign of the Son of man. In solemn silence they ga/e
upon it as it draws nearer the earth, becoming lighter an<l
more gloriouSj until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory

'Mai. 3:18.

GOD'S PEOPLE DELIVERED.

641

like consuming fire, and above it tlie rainbow of the cove-
nant. Jesus rides forth as a niiglity con(jueror. Not now
a " man of sorrows," to drink the bitter eu]) of shame and
woe, he comes, victor in Ileavon and earth, to judge the
living and the dead. " Faithful and True," " in righteous-
ness ho doth judge and make war." And "the armies in
Heaven follow him." ' With anthems of celestial melody
the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng, attend him on
his wav. Tlie firmament seems filled with radiant forms,^
"ten iliousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thou-
sands." No human i)en can portray the scene, nor mortal
mind is adequate to conceive its si)lendor. " His glory cov-
ered the lieavens, and the earth was full of his praise. And
his brightness was as the light." '^ As the living cloud
comes still nearer, every eye beholds the Prince of life. No
crown of thorns now mars that sacred head, but a diadem
of glory rests on his holy brow. His countenance outshines
the dazzling brightness of the noonday sun. " And he hath
on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of
kings, and Lord of lords." *

Before his presence, **all faces are turned into paleness;"
upon the rejecters of God's mercy falls the terror of eternal
despair. " The heart melteth, and the knees smite together,"
" and the faces of them all gather blackness." * The righteous
cry with trembling, " Who shall be able to stand ? " The
angels' song is hushed, and there is a period of awful silence.
Then the voice of Jesus is heard, saying, " My grace is suf-
ficient for you." The faces of the righteous are lighted up,
and joy fills every heart. And the angels strike a note
higher, and sing again, as they draw still nearer to the earth.

The King of kings descends upon the cloud, wrapped in
flaming fire. The heavens are rolled together as a scroll,
the earth trembles before him, and every mountain and
island is moved out of its place. "Our God shall come, and

til

■'■ m

1 Rev. 19:11, 14. ^Hab. 3:3, 4.

*Jer. :iO:6; Nah. 2:10.

•Rev. 19:16.

-I'll

r ' :)ip

642

THE (J HEAT CONTItOVEliiiY.

shall not keep silence; a firo shall devour hofore him, and
it shall he very teni}»estuouH round about him. lie shall
call to the heavens from above, and io the earth, that he
may judge his people." '

"And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the
rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and
every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the
dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the
mountains and rocks. Fall on us, and hide us from the face
of Ilim that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of
the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come; and who
shall ho able to stand ? " '^

The derisive jests have ceased. Lying lips are hushed
into silence. The clash of arms, the tumult of hattle, " with
confused noise, and garment^ rolled in hlood,"" is stilled.
Naught now is heard but the voice of prayer and the sound
of Aveeping and himentation. The cry hursts forth from
lips so lately scoffing, " The great day of His wrath is come;
and who shall he ahle to stand?" The wicked pray to be
huried hcneath the rocks of the mountains, rather than meet
the face of Him whom they have despised and rejected.

That voice which penetrates the ear of the dead, they
know. How often have its plaintive, tender tones called
them to repentance. How often has it been heard in the
touching entreaties of a friend, a brother, a Redeemer. To
the rejecters of his grace, no other could be so full of con-
demnation, so burdened with denuni:iation, as that voice
■which has so long pleaded, " Turn ye, turn ye from your
evil wavs; for why will ve die?"* Oh that it were to them
the voice of a stranger! Says Jesus: " I have called, and ye
refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man re-
garded. But ye have set at naught all my counsel, and
would none of my reproof." * That voice awakens memories
which they would fain blot out, — warnings despised, invi-
tations refused, privileges slighted.

»Ps. 50:3,4.
*i:ze. 33:11.

« Rev. 6 : 15-17.
* Prov. 1 : 24, 25.

"Isa. 9:5.

GOD'S PEOPLE DEUYKRED,

G43

There are those who mockod Clirist in liis Iminiliation,
AVitli thrilling power come to their minds the Huflerer's
words, when, adjured by tlie high priest, lie solemnly de-
clared, "Hereafter shall ye see the Hon of man sitting
on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of
lieaven."' Now they behold liim in Ins glory, and they
are yet to see liini sitting on the riglit liand of power.

Those wlio derided liis claim to be the Son of God are
speechless now. There is the liaughty Herod who jeered
at liis royal title, and bade the mocking soldiers crown liim
king. There are the very men who with impious hands
placed upon his form the purple robe, upon his sacred brow
the thorny crown, and in his unresisting hand the mimic
scepter, and bowed before him in blasphemous mockery.
The men who smote and spit upon the Prince of life, now
turn from his piercing gaze, and seek to flee from the over-
powering glory of his presence. Those who drove the nails
through his hands and feet, the soldier who pierced his side,
behold these marks with terror and remorse.

With awful distinctness do priests and rulers recall the
events of Calvary. With shuddering horror they remember
how, wagging their heads in Satanic exultation, they ex-
claimed, "lie saved others; himself he cannot save. If he
be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the
cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him
deliver him now, if he will have liim.'"^

Vividly they recall the Saviour's parable of the husband-
men who refused to render to their lord the fruit of the
vinevard, who abused his servants and slew his son. Thev
remember, too, the sentence which they themselves pro-
nounced: The lord of the vineyard will miserably destroy
those wicked men. In the sin and j)unishment of those
unfaithful men, the priests and elders see their own course
and their own just doom. And now there rises a cry of
mortal agony. Louder than the shout, "Crucify him! cru-
cify him!" which rang through the streets of Jerusalem,

» Matt. 26 : G4. ^ Matt. 27 : 42, 43.

|tll(

)• - 7 -ll

644

THE GREAT COXTJiOVEJi^F.

Fwc'lls tlu! iiwl'iil, (It'HjKiirin^ wail, "IIu is tho Son of (Jodf
llo is tho true Messiah!" Tlicy soek to f loo from tho pres-
ence of tho Kin^^ of kin^s. In tlu; deep cavoniM of tlio oiirth,.
rent asiuulcr by tlio warring of tlio clcmonts, they vainly
attonipi to hide.

In tho lives of all who rtjoct trutli, there are moments
when conscient'o uwakc^ns, whon memory presents the tort-
uring recollection of a life of liypocrisy, and the soul is har-
nssed with vain regrets. ]iut what are these compared with
tho remorse of that day when "fear cometh as desolation,"
when "destruction cometh as a whirlwind!'" Those who
Would liave destroyed Clirist and his faithful j)eople, now
witness the glory which rests upon them. In the midst of
their terror they hear the voices of the saints in joyful strains
exchiiming, "Lo, this is our God; we liave waited for him,,
and he will save us."'

Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and
the roar of thunder, the voice of tho Son of God calls forth
the sleeping saints. He looks u])on the graves of the right-
eous, then raising his hands to heaven ho cries, "Awake,,
awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust, and arise ! " Through-
out the length and breadth of the earth, the dead shall hear
that voice; and they that hear shall live. And the whole
earth shall ring with the tread of the exceeding great army
of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. From the
prison-house of death they come, clothed with immortal
glory, crying, " O death, where is thy sting? grave, where
is thy victory?"^ And the living righteous and the risen
saints unite their voices in a long, glad shout of victory.

All come forth from their graves the same in stature as
when they entered the tomb. Adam, who stands among
the risen throng, is of lofty height and majestic form, in
stature but little below the Son of God. He presents a
marked contrast to the people of later generations; in this
one respect is shown the great degeneracy of the race. But,

» Prov. 1 : 27. » lea. 25 : 9. » 1 Cor. 15 : 55- "^

GOD' S PKO/'L /•; I) KL 1 1 KR Klh

645

nil arise with tlio froHhnoss and vi^or of etcriml youlli. in
tlio beginning, man was created in tlie lilceness of Ciod, not
only in charaetor, l)ut in form and feature. Sin defaced and
almost obliterated the divine inuige; ])nt Christ camo to
restore that whicli Inid l)een lost. Ho will change our vile
bodies, and fashion them like unto his glorious body. The
mortal, corruptible form, devoid of comeliness, once polluted
with sin, becomes perfect, beautiful, and immortal. All
blemishes and deformities are left in the grave. Kestored
to the tree of life in the long-lost Kden, the redeemed will
"grow up'" to the full stature of the race in its primeval
glory. The last lingering traces of the curse of sin will bo
removed, and Christ's faithful ones will appear "in the
beauty of the Lord our God;" in mind and soul and body
reflecting the perfect inuigo of their Lord. Oh, wonderful
redemption! long talked of, long hoped for, contemplated
with eager anticipation, but never fully understood.

The living righteous are changed "in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye." At the voice of God they were glo-
rified; now they are made immortal, and with the risen
saints are caught up to meet their Lord in the Jiir. Angels
"gather together the elect from the four winds, from one
end of heaven to the other." Little children are borne by
holy angels to their mothers' arms. Friends long separated
by death are united, nevermore to part, and with songs of
gladness ascend together to the city of God.

On each side of the cloudy chariot are wings, and beneath
it are living wheels; and as the chariot rolls upward, the
wheels cry, " Holy," and the wings, as they move, cry,
" Holy," and the retinue of angels cry, " Holy, holy, holy.
Lord God Almighty." And the redeemed shout " Alleluia ! "
as the chariot moves onward toward the New Jerusalem.

Before entering the city of God, the Saviour bestows upon
his followers the emblems of victory, and invests them with
the insignia of their royal state. The glittering ranks are

1 Mai. 4:2.

:'f'

(346

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

drawn up, in the form of a hollow square, about their King,
w'lose form rises in majesty high above saint and angel,
whose countenance beams upon them full of benignant love.
Throughout the unnumbered host of the redeemed, every
glance is fixed upon him, every eye beholds His glory whoso
" visage was so marred more tlian any man, and his form
more than the sons of men." Upon the heads of the over-
comers, Jesus with his own right hand places the crown of
glory. For eacii there i?-: a crown, bearing his own "new
name,"' and the inscription, "Holiness to the Lord." In
every hand are placed the victor's palm and the shining
harp. Then, as the commanding angels strike the note,
every hand sweeps the harp strings with skillful toucli,
awaking sweet music in rich, melodious strains. Rapture
unutterable thrills ever}'' heart, and each voice is raised in
grateful praise: "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us
from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings:
and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and
dominion forever and ever." '■'

Before the ransomed throng is the holy city. Jesus opens
wid'3 the pearly gates, and the nations that have kept the
truth enter in. There they behold the Paradis.3 of God, the
home of Adam in his innocency. Then that voice, richer
than any music that ever fell on mortal ear, is heard, say-

ing, "Your conflict is ended." "Come, ye blessed of my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
icundation of the world."

Now is fulfilled the Saviour's prayer for his disciples, "I
will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me
where I am." " Faultless before the presence of His glory
with exceeding joy," ' Christ presents to the Father the pur-
chase of his blood, declaring, " Here am I, and the children
whom thou hast given me." " Those that thou gavest me
I have kept." Oli, the wonders of redeeming love! the
rapture of that hour when the infinite Father, looking;

1 Rev. 2:17. "Rev. 1:5, 6. >Ju(Ie24.

GOD'S PEOPLE DELIVERED.

647

upon the rtiiisomed, shall behold his imago, sin's discord
banished, its blight removed, and the human once more in
harmony with the divine !

With unutterable love, Jesus welcomes his faithful ones
to the "joy of their Lord." The Saviour s joy is in seeing,
in the kingdom of glory, the souls that have been saved by
his agony and humiliation. And the redeemed will be
sharers in this joy, as they behold, among the blessed, those
who have been won to Christ through their prayers, their
labors, and loving sacrifice. As they gather about the great
white throne, gladness unspeakable will fill their hearts,
when they behold those whom they have won for Christ, and
see that one has gained others, and these still others, all
brought into the haven of rest, there to lay their crowns at
Jesus' feet, and praise him through the endless cycles of
eternitv.

As the ransomed ones are welcomed to the city of God,
there rings out upon the air an exultant cry of adoration.
The two Adams are about to meet. The Son of God is
standing with outstretched arms to receive the father of our
race, — the being whom he created, who sinned against his
Maker, and for whose sin the marks of the crucifixion are
borne upon the Saviour's form. As Adam discerns the
prints of the cruel nails, he does not fall upon the bosom
of his Lord, but in humiliation casts himself at his feet,
crying, " Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain ! "
Tenderly the Saviour lifts him up, and bids him look once
more upon the Eden home from which he has so long been
exiled.

After his expulsion from Eden, Adam's life on earth was
filled with sorrow. Every dying leaf, every victim of sac-
rifice, every blighl; upon the fair face of nature, every stain
upon man's purity, was a fresh reminder of his sin. Ter-
rible was the agony of remorse as he beheld ini([uity abound-
ing, and, in answer to his warnings, met the reproaches cast
upon himself as the cause of sin. With patient humility

il !

i\ i.

648

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

lie bore, for nearly a tliousand years, the penalty of trans-
gression. Faithfully did ho repent of liis sin, and trust in
tlie merits of the promised Saviour, and he died in the hope
of a resurrection. The Son of God redeemed man's failure
and fall, and now, through the work of the atonement, Adam
is re-instater' in his first dominion.

Transported with joy, he beholds the trees that were once
his delight, — the very trees whose fruit he himself had gath-
ered in the days of his innocence and joy. He sees the vines
that his own hands have trainv d, the very flowers that he
once loved to care for. His mind grasps the reality of the
scene; he comprehends that this is indeed Eden restored,
more lovely now than when he was banished from it. The
Saviour leads him to the tree of life, and plucks the glorious
fruit, and bids him eat. He looks about him, and beholds
a multitude of his family redeemed, standing in the Paradise
of God. Then he casts his glittering crown at the feet of
Jesus, and, falling upon his breast, embraces the Redeemer.
He touclies the golden harp, and the vaults of Heaven echo
the triumphant song, "Worthy, worthy, worthy is the Lamb
that was slain, and lives again ! " The family of Adam take
\\\) the strain, and cast their crowns at the Saviour's feet as
they bow before him in adoration.

This reunion is witnessed by the angels who wept at the
fall of Adam, and rejoiced when Jesus, after his resurrection,
ascended to Heaven, having opened the grave for all ^vJlo
should believe on his name. Now they behold the work
of redemption accomplished, and they unite their voices in
the song of praise.

Upon the crystal sea before the throne, that sea of glass
as it were mingled with fire, — so resplendent is it with the
glory of God, — are gathered the company that have "gotten
the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his
mark, and over the number of his name." * With the Lamb
upon Mount Zion, "having the harps of God," they stand,

iRev. 15:2.

j ,: .' i'

GOD'S PEOPLE DELIVERED.

649

the hundred and forty and four thousand that were re-
deemed from among men ; and there is heard, as the sound
of many waters, and as the sound of a great thunder, "the
voice of harpers harping witli their harps." * And they sing
" a new song " before the throne, a song which no man can
learn save the hundred and forty and four thousand. It
is the song of Moses and the Lamb, — a song of deHverance.
None but the hundred and forty-four thousand can learn
that song; for it is the song of their experience, — an ex-
perience such as no other company have ever had. "These
are they which follow tlie Lamb whithersoever he goeth."
These, having been translated from the earth, from among
the living, are counted as "the first-fruits unto God and to
the Lamb." "These are they which came out of great
tribulation;"^ they have passed through the time of trouble
such as never was since there was a nation; they have en-
dured the anguish of tlie time of Jacob's trouble; they have
stood without an intercessor through the final outpouring
of God's judgments. But they have been delivered, for they
have "washed their robes, and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb." "Li their mouth was found no guile;
for they are without fault" before God. "Therefore are thej''
before the throne of God, and serve him day and niglit in
his temple; and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell
among tliem."^ They have seen the earth wasted with
famine and pestilence, the sun having power to scorch men
with great heat, and they themselves have endured suffering,
hunger, and tliirst. But "they shall hunger no more; nei-
ther thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on them,
nor any heat; for tlie Lamb which is in the mic^st of the
throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living
fountains of waters; and CJod shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes." ^

In all ages the Saviour's chosen have been educated and
disciplined in the school of trial. They walked in narrow

iRev. 14:1-5; 15:8; 7 : 14-17.

^ \ HI

650

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

paths on oarth ; they were purified in the furnace of afflic-
tion. For Jesus' sake they endured opposition, hatred, cal-
umny. They followed him through conflicts sore; they
endured self-denial ^ud exi)erienced bitter disappointments.
By their own painful experience they learned the evil of
sin, its power, its guilt, its woe; and they look upon it with
abhorrence. A sense of the infinite sacrifice nvle for its
cure, humbles them in their own sight, and fills their hearts
with gratitude and praise which those who have never fallen
cannot appreciate. They love much, because they have been
forgiven much. Having beci. partakers of Christ's suffer-
ings, they are fitted to be partakers with him of his glory.

The heirs of God have come from garrets, from hovels,
from dungeons, from scaffolds, from mountains, from deserts,
from the caves of the earth, from the caverns of the sea.
On earth they were " destitute, afflicted, tormented." Mill-
ions weiit dow^n to tiie grave loaded with infamy, because
they steadfastly refused to yield to the deceptive claims of
Satan. By human tribunals they were adjudged the vilest
of criminals. But now "God is judge himself.'" Now the
decisions of earth are reversed. " The rebuke of his people
shall he take away." ^ " They shall call them, The holy peo-
ple, The redeemed of the Lord." He hath appointed " to
give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourn-
ing, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."*
They are no longer feeble, afflicted, scattered, and oppressed.
Henceforth they are to be ever with the Lord. They stand
before the throne clad in richer robes than the most honored
of the earth have e\er worn. They are crowned with dia-
dems more glorious than were ever placed upon the brow of
earthly monarchs. The days of pain and weeping are for-
ever ended. The King of glory hrs wiped the tears from
all faces; every cause of grief has been removed. Amid
the waving of palm-branches they pour forth a song of
praise, clear, sweet, and harmonious ; every voice takes up

1 Ps. 60 : 6. '•' Isa. 25 : 8. » Isa. 62 : 12; 61 : 3.

GOD'S PEOPLE DELIVERED.

651

the strain, until the anthem swells through the vaults of
Heaven, "Salvation to our (jlod which sitteth upon the
throne, and unto the Lamb," And all the inhabitants of
Heaven respond in the ascription, "Amen: Blessing, and
glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power,
and might, be unto our (jiod forever and ever," '

In this life we can only begin to understand the woniler-
ful theme of redemption. With our finite comi)rehension
we may consider most earnestly the shame and the glory,
the life and the death, the justice and the mercy, tLat meet
in the cross; yet with the utmost stretch of our mental pow-
ers we fail to grasp its full significance. The length and
the breadth, the depth and the height of redeeming love
are but dimly comprehended. The plan of redemption will
not be fully understood, even when the ransomed see as they
are seen and know as they are known; but through the
eternal ages, new truth will continually unfold to the won-
dering and delighted mind. Though the griefs and pains
and temptations of earth are ended, and the cause removed,
the people of God will ever have a distinct, intelligent knowl-
edge of what their salvation has cost.

The cross of Christ will be the science and the song of"
the redeemed through all eternity. In Christ glorified they
will behold Christ crucified. Never will it be forgotten that
He whose power created and upheld the unnumbered worlds
through the vast realms of space, the Beloved of God, the
Majesty of Heaven, He whom cherub and shining serapli
delighted to adore,- -humbled himself to uplift fallen man;
that he bore the guilt and shame of sin, and the hiding of
his Father's face, till the woes of a lost world broke his heart,
and crushed out his life on Calvary's cross. That the Maker
of all worlds, the Arbiter of all destinies, should lay aside
his glory, and humiliate himself from love to man, will
ever excite the wonder and adoration of the universe. As
the nations of the saved look upon their Redeemer, and be-

1 Rev, 7 : 10, 12.

-652

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

hold the eteriuil glory of the Father shining in his counte-
nance; as they behold his throne, which is from everlasting
to everlasting, and know that his kingdom is to have no end,
they break forth in rapturous song, " Worthy, worthy is the
Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by his
own most precious blood ! "

The mystery of the cross explains all other mysteries. In
the light that streams fi'om Calvary, the attributes of God
which had filled us with fear and awe appear beautiful and
attractive. Mercy, tenderness, and parental love are seen to
blend with holiness, justice, and power. While we behold
the majesty of his throne, high and lifted up, we see his
character in its gracious manifestations, and comprehend,
as never before, the significance of that endearing title, our
Father.

It will be seen that He who is infinite in wisdom could
devise no plan for our salvation except the sacrifice of his
Son. The compensation for this sacrifice is the joy of peo-
pling the earth with ransomed beings, holy, happy, and
immortal. The result of the Saviour's conflict with the
powers of darkness is joy to the redeemed, redounding to
the glory of God, throughout eternity. And such is the
A'^alue of the soul that the Father is satisfied with the price
paid ; and Christ himself, beholding the fruits of his great
sacrifice, is satisfied.

CHAPTER XLI.

DESOLATION OF THE EARTH.

"Her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath-
remembered her iniquities." "In the cup wliich slie hath
filled, fill to her double. How much she hath glorified her-
self, and lived deiiciously, 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 deliciouslv with her,
shall bewail her, and lament for her, . . . saying, Alas,
alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one
hour is thy judgment come." '

"The merchants of the earth," that have "waxed rich
through the abundance of her delicacies," " shall stand afar
off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and
saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine
linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and
precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches
is come to naught." ^

Such are the judgments that fall upon Babylon in the
day of the visitation of God's wrath. She has filled up the
measure of her iniquity ; her time has come ; she is ripe for
destruction.

When the voice of God turns the captivity of his people,
there is a terrible awakening of those who have lost all in
the great conflict of life. While probation continued, they
were blinded by Satan's deceptions, and they justified their

»aev. 18:6-10, 3, 15-17.

(653)

'664

THE GREAT CONTROVERSr.

course of sin. Tlie rich prided themselves upon their supe-
riority to those who were less favored; hut they liad oh-
taincd their riclics by violation of the law of God. They
had neglected to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to
deal justly, and to love mercy. They had sought to exalt
themselves, and to obtain the homage of their fellow-creat-
ures. Now they are stripped of all that made them great,
and are left des^'+nty and defenseless. They look with terror
ujion the destr^, .,'\ \' the idols which they preferred be-
fore their Maker. They ^ avo sold their souls for earthly
riches and enjoyments, anti have not sought to become rich
toward God. The result is, their lives are a failure; their
pleasures are now turned to gall, their treasures to corrup-
tion. The gain of a life-time is swept away in a moment.
The rich bemoan the destruction of their grand houses, the
scattering of their gold and silver. But their lamentations
are silenced by the fear that they themselves are to perish
with their idols.

The wicked are filled with regret, not because of their
sinful neglect of God and their fellow-men, but because God
has conquered. They lament that the result is what it is;
but they do not repent of their wickedness. They would
leave no means untried to conquer if they could.

The world see the very class whom they have mocked
and derided, and desired to exterminate, pass unharmed
through pestilence, tempest, and earthquake. He who is
to the transgressors of his law a devouring fire, is to his
people a safe pavilion.

The minister who has sacrificed truth to gain the favor
of men, now discerns the character and influence of his
teachings. It is apparent that an omniscient eye was fol-
lowing him as he stood in tlie desk, as he walked the streets,
as he mingled with men in the various scenes of life. Every
emotion of the soul, every line written, every word uttered,
every act that led men to rest in a refuge of falsehood, has
been scattering seed; and now, in the wretched, lost souls
around him, he beholds the harvest.

Sal

daug|
then
of til

strenl
retuil

DESOLATION OF THE EARTH.

655

Siiith the Lord: "They have heai"(l the liurt of the
daughter of my })eople slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when
there is no peace." "With lies ye have made the heart
of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and
strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not
return from his wicked way, hy promising him life."'

" Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the
sheep of my pasture ! . . . Behold, I will visit upon you
the evil of yout doings." "Howl, ye shepherds, and cry;
and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock;
for your days for slaughter and your dispersions ar^ nccom-

plished; . . . and the shepherds shall liave i
flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape." '*

Ministers and people see that they have not sustained the
right relation to God. They see that they have rebelled
against the Author of all just and righteous lo'v. The set-
ting aside of the divine precepts gave rise to lousands of
springs of evil, discord, hatred, iniquity, until the earth
became one vast field of strife, one sink of corruption. This
is the view that now appears to those who rejected truth
and chose to cherish error. No language can express the
longing which the disobedient and disloyal feel for that
which they have lost forever, — eternal life. Men whom the
world has worshiped for their talents and eloquence now
see these things in their true light. They realize what they
have forfeited by transgression, and they fall at the feet of
those whose fidelity they have despised and derided, and
confess that God has loved them.

The people see that they have been deluded. They accuse
one another of having led them to destruction; but all unite
in heaping their bitterest condemnation upon the ministers.
Unfaithful pastors have proi)hesied smooth things; thev
have led their hearers to make void the law of God and to
persecute those who would keep it holy. Now, in tlieir
despair, these teachers confess before the world their work
of deception. The multitudes are filled with fury. "We

1 Jer. 8:11; Eze. 13 : 22. » Jer. 23 : 1, 2; 25 : 34, 35 (margin).

i.i

I ■'^. f

\' •. A

656

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

are lost! " tlioy cry, " ami you are the caiiso of our ruin ; " nml
thoy turn upon tiio fal.so shq>hertls. The very ones that once
admired tlicm most, will pronounce the most dreadful curses
upon them. Tlie very han<ls that once crowned tiiem witii
laurels \)'\\\ be raised for their destruction. The words which
were to slay God's people are now employed to destroy tiieir
enemies. Everywhere there is strife and bloodshed.

"A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the
Lord hath a controversy with the nations: ho will i)lead with
all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword."'
For six thousand years the great controversy has been in
j)rogress; the Son of God and his heavenly messengers have
been in conflict with the power of the evil one, to warn, en-
lighten, and save the children of men. Now all have made
their decision; the wicked have fullv united with Satan in
his warfare against God. The time has come for God to
vindicate the authority of his downtrodden law. Now the
controversy is not alone with Satan, but with men. "The
Lord hath a controversy with the nations;" "he will give
them that are wicked to the sword."

The mark of deliverance has been set upon those " that
sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done."
Now the angel of death goes forth, represented in Ezekiel's
vision by the men with the slaughtering weapons, to whom
the command is given: " Slay utterly old and young, both
maids, and little children, and women ; but come not near
any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanct-
uary." * Says the prophet, " They began at the ancient men
which were before the house." ^ The work of destruction
begins among those who have professed to be the spiritual
guardians of the people. The false w^atchmen are the first
to fall. There are none to pity or to spare. Men, women,
maidens, and little children perish together.

" The Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhab-
itants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth also shall
disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

ijer. 25:31. "£26.9:1-6. "Isa. 26:21.

V 3.

! if

DESOLATION OF THE EARTH.

657

"And this shall bo the phigue wherewith the Lord will smite
all the people that have fought against Jerusalem: Their
flesh shall eonsume away while they stand upon their feet,
and their eyes shall eonsume away in their holes, and their
tongue shall consume away in their mouth. And it shall
come to pass in that day that a great tumult from the Lord
shall be among them; and they shall lay hold everyone
on the hand of his neighbor, and liis hand shall rise up
against the hand of his neighbor."' In the mad strife of
their own fierce passions, and by the awful outpouring of
God's unmingled wrath, fall the wicked inhabitants of the
earth, — priests, rulers, and people, rich and poor, high and
low. " And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from
one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;
they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried." *

At the coming of Christ the wicked are blotted from the
face of the whole earth, — consumed with the spirit of his
mouth, and destroyed by the brightness of his glory. Christ
takes his people to the city of God, and the earth is emptied
of its inhabitants. "Behold, the Lord maketh the earth
empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down,
and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof." " The land
shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled ; for the Lord
hath spoken this word." "Because they have transgressed
the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting
covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and
they that dwell therein are desolate; therefore the inhab-
itants of the earth are burned." *

The whole earth appears like a desolate wilderness. The
ruins of cities and villages destroyed by the earthquake,
uprooted trees, ragged rocks thrown out by the sea or torn
out of the earth itself, are scattered over its surface, while
vast caverns mark the spot where the mountains have been
rent from their foundations.

Now the event takes place, foreshadowed in the last solemn

' Zech. 14 : 12, 13. " Jer. 26 : 33. s jga. 24 : 1, 3, 5, 6.
47

Hthi

li^

I- t

658

Tin: anKAT costrovkrsy.

service of tho day of ntonoment. When tho ministration
ill tl»() lioly of hulit'H had Ikkjii eom[)l(!t('d, and tii(» sins of
Israel liad lu'cn removed from the sanctnary ])y virtue of
tlio l)lo(>d of the sin-oll'ering, then tho scai)e-goat was j)re-
sented alive hefore tlio Lord; and in pn^senee of the con-
gregation tlie high priest confessed over liim "all the in-
iquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressiijns
in all their sins, putting them upon tho head of the goat."'
In like manner, when tho work of atonement in tho heav-
enly sanctuary has been completed, then in tho presence of
God and heavenly angels, and the host of tho redeemed, the
sins of God's people will be placed upon Satan; ho will be
declared guilty of all tho evil wlii(;h he has caused them to
commit. And as tho scape-goat was sent away into a land
not inhabited, so Satan will bo banished to the desolate earth,
an uninhabited and dreary wilderness.

Tho Revelator foretells the banishment of Satan, and the
condition of chaos and desolation to which tho earth is to
bo reduced; and lio declares that this condition will exist
for a thousand years. After presenting the scenes of the
Lord's second coming and the destruction of the wicked,
the prophecy continues: "I saw an angel come down from
Heaven, having tho key of tho bottomless pit and a great
chain in his hand. And he laid hold on tho dragon, that old
serpent, which is tho devil, and Satan, and bound him a
thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and
shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that ho should de-
ceive the nations no more, till the thousand vears should
bo fulfilled; and after that he must be loosed a little season." *

That the expression, "bottomless i)it," represents tho earth
in a state of confusion and darkness, is evident from other
scriptures. Concerning the condition of the earth " in the
beginning," the Bible record says that it "was without form,
and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep."*

'Gen. 1 :2; the word here translated "deep" ia the same that in Rev.
20 : 1-3 is rendered " bottomless pit."

»Lev. 16:21. "Rev. 20:1-3.

DESOLATIOX OF THE EARTH.

659

Prnpliocy toachos tlint it will ho brought back, pjirtially, nt
Iciist, to iliis condition. Looking forward to tiio great day
of Clod, tiiu prophet Jeremiah declares: "I heiield tiio oartii,
and, lo, it was without form, and void; and tho lioavens, and
they had no light. I beheld tho mountains, and, lo, tliey
trembled, and all tho hills moved lightly. I beheld, and,
lo, there was no man, and all tho binls of tho heavens were
fled. I beheld, and, lo, tho fruitful })laco was a wilderness,
and all tho cities thereof wore broken down."'

Here is to be tho homo of 8atan with his evil angels for
a thousand years. Limited to the earth, ho will not have
access to other worhls, to tempt and annoy those who have
never fallen. It is in this sense that ho is bound; there are
none remaining, U{)on whom he can exercise his power.
He is wholly cut off from the work of deception and ruin
which for so many centuries has been his sole delight.

The proi)het Isaiah, looking forward to the time of Satan's
overthrow, exclaims: "How art thou fallen from Heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cast down to
the ground, which didst weaken the nations." "Thou hast
said in thine heart, I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt
my throne above tho stars of God." " I will bo like the Most
High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides
of the i)it. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon
thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this tho man that made
the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made
the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof;
that opened not the house of Ills prisoners f " *

For six thousand years, Satan's work of rebellion has
"made he earth to tremble." He has "made the world a^i
a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof." And "he
opened not the house of his prisoners." For six thousand
years his prison-house has received God's people, and he
would have held them captive forever, but Christ has broken
his bonds, and set the prisoners free.

Even the wicked are now placed beyond the power of

^ Jer. -^ : 23-27. " Isa. 14 : 12-17.

660

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

Satan ; and alone with his evil angels he remains to realize
the effect of the curse which sin has brought. "The kings
of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in
his own house [the grave]. But thou art cast out of thy
grave like an abominable branch. . . . Thou shalt not
be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed
thy land, and slain thy people." ^

For a thousand vears, Satan will wander to and fro in the
desolate earth, to behold the results of his rebellion against
the law of God. During this time liis sufferings are intense.
Since his fall, his life of unceasing activity lias banished re-
flection ; but he is now deprived of his power, and left \ o
contemplate the part which he has acted since first he re-
belled against the government of Heaven, and to look for-
ward with trembling and terror to the dreadful future, when
he must suffer for all the evil that he has done, and be pun-
ished for the sins that he has caused to be committed.

To God's i^eople, the captivity of Satan will bring gladness
and rejoicing. Says the prophet: "It shall come to i^ass in
the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow,
and from thy trouble, and from the hard service wherein thou
wast made to serve, that tliou shalt take up this proverb
against the king of Babylon [here representing Satan], and
say. How hath the oppressor ceased ! . . . The Lord hath
broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers; that
smote the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, that
ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none
restrained." ^

During the thousand years between the first and the
second resurrection, the Judgment of the wicked takes place.
The apostle Paul points to this Judgment as an event that
follows the second advent. "Judge nothing before the time,
until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden
things of darkness, and will make manifest the coun&cls of
the hearts." * Daniel declares that when the Ancient of days.

» Isa. 14 : 18-20. « Isa. 14 : 3-6, Revised Version. » 1 Cor. 4 : 5.

. II

ill

DESOLATTOX OF THE EARTH.

661

•came, "Judgment was given to the saints of the Most High." '
At this time the righteous reign as kings and priests unto
God. John in the Revelation says: "I saw thrones, and
they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them,"
" They shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign
with him a thousand years." ^ It is at this time that, as
foretold by Paul, "the saints shall judge the world." ^ In
union with Christ they judge the wicked, comparing their
acts with the statute book, the Bible, and deciding every
case according to the deeds done in the body. Then the
portion which the wicked must suffer is meted out, accord-
ing to their works; and it is recorded against their names
in the book of death.

Satan also and evil angels are judged by Christ and his
people. >-^ lys Paul, "Know ye not that we shall judge
angels?" ^ And Jude declares that " the angels which kept
not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath
reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the
Judgment of the great day." *

At the close of the thousand years the second resurrec-
tion will take place. Then the wicked will be raised from
the dead, and appear before God for the execution of "the
judgment written." Thus the Revelator, after describing
the resurrection of the righteous, says, " The rest of the dead
lived not again until the thousand years were finished."*
And Isaiali declares, concerning the wicked, "They shall be
gathered together, as prisoners arc gatliered in the pit, and
shall be shut up in the prison, and after many daiji^ shall they
he visited" *

I Dan. 7 : 22. '' llev. '20 : 4, 6; 1 Cor. : 2, 3.

<Rev. 20:5; Isa. 24:22.

» Jnde 6.

i m

CHAPTER XLII.

THE CONTROVERSY ENDED.

At the close of the tliousand years, Christ again returns
to the eartli. He is accompanied by the host of tlie re-
deemed, and attended by a retinue of angels. As he de-
scends in terrific majesty, he bids the wicked dead arise to
receive their doom. They come forth, a mighty host, num-
berl'.ss as the sands of the sea. What a contrast to those
Avbo were raised at the first resurrection! The righteous
Mere clothed with imm.ortal youth and beauty. The wicked
bear the traces of disease and death.

Every eye in that vast multitude is turned to behold the
glory of the Son of God. With one voice the wicked hosts
exclaim, " Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the
Lord!" It is not love to Jesus that inspires this utterance.
The force of truth urges the words from unwilling lips. As
the wicked went into their graves, so they come forth, with
the same enmity to Christ, and the same spirit of rebellion.
They are to have no new probation, in which to remedy the
defects of their past lives. Nothing would l)e gained by this.
A life-time of transgression has not softened !heir hearts. A
second probation, were it given them, would be occupied as
Avas the first, in evading the recjuiroments of Cod and ex-
citing rebellion against him.

Christ descends upon the Mount of Olives, whence, after
his resurrection, he ascended, and where angels repeated the
promise of his return. Says the prophet, "The Lord my
Cod shall come, and all the saints with thee." "And his
feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which
is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives

(01.12)

THE CONTROVERSY EXDED.

.663

sliall cleave in the midst thereof, . . . and there shall
be a very great valley." "And the Lord shall beKing over
all the earth. In that day shall there be one Lord, and his
name one." ^ As the New Jerusalem, in its dazzling si)len-
dor, comes down out of Heaven, it rests ui)on the place i)uri-
fied and made ready to receive it, and Christ with his people
and the angels, enters the holy city.

Xow Satan pre])ares for a last mighty struggle for the
supremacy. While deprived of his power^^and cut off from
his work of deception, the prince of evil was miserable and
dejected; but as the wicked dead are raised, and he sees the
vast multitudes upon his side, his hopes revive, and he
determines not to yield the great controversy. He will
marshal all the armies of the lost under his banner, and
through them endeavor to execute his plans. The wicked
are Satan's captives. In rejecting Christ they have accepted
the rule of tlie rebel leader. Thev are readv to receive his
suggestions and to do his bidding. Yet, true to his early
cunning, he does not acknowledge himself to be Satan. He
claims to be the Prince who is the rightful owner of the
"world, and whose inheritance has been unlawfully wrested
from hi] 1. He represents himself to his deluded subjects
as a redeemer, assuring them that his power has brought
them forth from their graves, and that he is about to rescue
them from the most cruel tyranny. Tlie presence of Christ
having been removed, Satan works wonders to support ^•'<
claims. He makes the weak strong, and inspires all with
his own spirit and energy. He proposes to lead tliem
against the camp of the saints, and to take possession of
the city of God. AVith fiendish exultation lie i)()in{s to the
unnumbered millions wlio have been raised from the dead,
and declares that as their leader he is well al)lo to over-
throw the city, and regain his throne and liis kingdom.

In that vast throng are nnUtitudes of the long-lived race
that existed before the flood; men of lofty stature and giant
intellect, who, yielding to the control of fallen angels, de-

»Zech. 14:5, 4, 9.

fiSi

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

1 i

voted all their skill and knowledge to the exaltation of
themselves; men whose wonderful "works of art led the
Avorld to idolize their genius, hut whose cruelty and evil
inventions, defiling the earth and defacing the image of
God, caused him to hlot them from the face of his creation.
There are kings and generals who conquered nations, val-
iant men who never lost a hattle, proud, amhitious warriors
whose approach made kingdoms tremble. In death these
experienced no change. As they come up from the grave,
they resume the current of their thoughts just where it
ceased. They are actuated hy the same desire to conquer
that ruled them when they fell.

Satan consults with his angels, and then with these
kings and conquerors and mighty men. They look upon
the strength and numbers on their side, and declare that
the army within the city is small in comparison with theirs,
and that it can be overcome. They lay their plans to take
possession of the riches and glory of the New Jerusalem.
All immediately begin to prepare for battle. Skillful arti-
sans construct implements of war. Military leaders, famed
for their success, marshal the tlirongs of warlike men into
com})anies and divisions.

At last the order to advance is giv< ", ,ind the countless
host moves on, — an army such as was never summoned bv
earthly conquerors, such as the combined forces of all ages
since war began on earth could never equal. Satan, the
mightiest of warriors, leads the van, and his angels unite
their forces for this final struggle. Kings and warriors are
in his train, and the multitudes follow in vast companies,
each under its apjwinted leader. A\'ith military precision,
'^.e serried ranks advance over the earth's broken and un-
e-'ei; surface to the city of God. I^y connnand of Jesus, the
gates of the ls\ny Jerusalem are closed, and the armies of
S'dan siuTound the city^ ai d make ready for the onset.

Now Ci'.i'st ,'igain appears to the view of his enemies.
Far abov'j the city, upou a foundation of burnished gold, is
a throne high and lifted up. Upon this throne sits the Sou

^m.'..

^,^^^■J.\

THE VONTROVERSY ENDED.

Gli.')

of God, and around him are the subjects of his kingdom.
Tlie power and majesty of Christ no language can describe,
no pen portray, Tlie glory of the Eternal Father is en-
shrouding his Son. The brightness of his presence fills the
city of God, and flows out beyond the gates, flooding tlie
"whole earth with its radiance.

Nearest the throne are those who were once zealous in the
cause of Satan, but who, plucked as brands from the burn-
ing, have followed their Saviour with deep, intense devotion.
Next are those who perfected Christian characters in the
midst of falsehood and infidelity, those who honored the
law of God when the Christian world declared it void, and
the millions, of all ages, who were nuirtyred for their faith.
And beyond is the "great nmltitude, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and
tongues," "before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed
with white robes, and palms in their hands." ' Their war-
fire is ended, their victory won. They have run the race
and reached the prize. The palm branch in their hands is a
symbol of their triumph, the white robe an emblem of the
spotless righteousness of Christ which now is theirs.

The redeemed raise a song of praise that echoes and re-
echoes tnrough the vaults of heaven, "Salvation to our God
which sitteth upon tlie throne, and unto the Lamb." And
angel and seraph unite their voices in adoration. As the
redeemed have beheld the power and malignity of Satan,
they have seen, as never before, that no power but that of
Christ could have made them conquerors. In all tliat shin-
ing throng there are none to ascribe salvation to themselves,
as if they had prevailed by their own power and goodness.
Nothing is said of what they have done or suffered; but the
burden of every song, the key-note of every anthem, is. Sal-
vation to our God, and unto the Lamb.

In the presence of the assembled inhabitants of earth and
Heaven the final coronation of tlie Son of God likes place.
And now, invested with supreme majesty and power, the

» Rev. 7 : 9.

'I • '

f)66

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY,

King of kings pronounces sentence upon the rebels against
liis government, and executes justice ui)on those who have
transgressed his law and oppressed his people. Says the
prophet of God: "I saw a great white throne, and Him that
sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled
away; and there M'as found no place for them. And I saw
the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books
were opened; and another book was opened, which is the
book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things
which were written in the books, according to their works.'"

As soon as the books of record are opened, and tlie eye of
Jesus looks upon the wicked, they are conscious of every sin
which they have ever committed. They see just where
their feet diverged from the path of purity and holiness, just
how far pride and reliellion have carried them in the viola-
tion of the law of God. The seductive temptations which
they encouraged by indulgence in sin, the blessings per-
verted, the messengers of God despised, the warnings re-
jected, the waves of mercy beaten back by the stubborn,
unrepentant heart, — all appear as if written in letters of fire.

Above the thi'one is revealed the cross; and like a pano-
ramic view appear the scenes of Adam's temptation and
fall, and the successive steps in the great plan of redemp-
tion. The Saviour's lowly birth; his early life of simplicity
and obedience; his baptism in Jordan ; the fast and temp-
tation in [he wilderness; his public ministry, unfolding to
men Heaven's most precious blessings; the days crowded
witli d'>t(ls oJ' love and mercy, the nights of prayer and
watchin<5 ni the >-olitude of the mountains; the plottings of
envy, hate, and lualice which repaid his benefits; the awful,
mysterious agony in Gethsemane, beneath the crushing
weight of the sins of the whole world; his betrayal into the
hands of the murderous mob; the fearful events of that
night of horror, — the unresisting prisoner, forsaken by his
best-loved disci{)los, rudely hurried through the streets of
Jerusalem; the Son of God exultingly displayed before

J Rev. 20:11. 12.

THE CONTROVERSY EXDED.

66r

Annas, arraigned in the high priest's palace, in tlie judg-
ment liall of Pilate, before the cowardly and cruel Herod,
mocked, insulted, tortured, and condemned to die, — all are
vividly portrayed.

And now before the swaying multitude are revealed the
final scenes, — the patient Suti'erer treading the path to Cal-
vary; the Prince of Heaven hanging U[)on the cross; the
liaughty priests and the jeering rabble deriding his expiring
agony; the supernatural darkness; the heaving earth, the
rent rocks, the open graves, marking the moment when the
world's Redeemer yielded up his life.

The awful spectacle appears just as it was. Satan, his
angels, and his subjects have no power to turn from the
picture of their own work, Each actor recalls the part
■which he performed. Herod, wdio slew the innocent chil-
dren of Bethlehem that he might destroy the King of Israel;
the base Herodias, upon whose guilty soul rests the blood of
John the Baptist; the w^eak, time-serving Pilate; the mock-
ing soldiers; the priests and rulers and the maddened throng
who cried, "His blood be on us, and our children!" — all
behold the enormity of their guilt. They vainly seek to
hide from the divine majesty of His countenance, outshining
the glory of the sun, while the redeemed cast their crowns
at the Saviour's feet, exclaiming, "He died for me!"

Amid the ransomed throng are the apostles of Christ, the
heroic Paul, the ardent Peter, the loved and loving John,
and their true-hearted brethren, and with them the vast
host of martyrs; while outside the walls, with every vile
and abominable thing, are those by whom they were per-
secuted, imprisoned, and slain. There is Nero, that monster
of cruelty and vice, beholding the joy and exaltation of those
"whom he once tortured, and in whose extremest anguish he
found Satanic delight. His mother is there to witness the
result of her own work; to see how the evil stamp of char-
acter transmitted to lier son, the passions encouraged and
developed by her influence and example, have borne fruit
in crimes that caused the world to shudder.

668

Tl/E GREAT COXTROVERSY.

Tlierc aro papist priests and prelates, who claimed to be
Christ's ambassadors, yet employed the rack, the dungotjii,
and llio stake to control the consciences of his people. There
are the i)rond pontiffs who exalted themselves above God,
and presumed to change the law of the Most High. Those
^iretended fathers of the church have an account to render
to God from which they would fain be excused. Too late
they are made to see that the Omniscient One is jealous of
his law, and that he will in nowise clear the guilty. They
learn now that Christ identifies his interest with that of his
suffering people; and they feel the force of his own words,
'^Inasmuch as ve have done it unto one of the least of these
my brethren, yo have done it unto me." '

The whole wicked world stand arraigned at the bar of
God, on the charge of high treason against the government
of Heaven. They have none to plead their cause; they are
without excuse; and the sentence of eternal death is pro-
nounced against them.

It is now evident to all that the wages of sin is not noble
independence and eternal life, but slavery, ruin, and death.
The wicived see what thev have forfeited bv their life of
rebellion. The far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory was despised when offered them; but how desirable
it now appears. "All this," cries the lost soul, "I might
have had; but I cliose to put these things far from me.
Oh, strange infatuation! I have exchanged peace, happi-
ness, and honor, for wretchedness, infamy; and despair."
All see that their exclusion from Heaven is just. By their
lives they have declared, "We will not liave this Jesus to
reign over us."

As if entranced, the wicked have looked upon the coro-
nation of the Son of ( iod. They see in his hands the tables
of tlie divine law, the statutes which they have despised and
transgressed. They witness tlie outburst of wonder, ra])ture,
and adoratior from the saved; and as the wave of melody
sweeps over the nmltitudes without the city, all with one

^ Matt. 25 : 40.

the: coxTiiov£Rsy isxijed.

669-

^:'i

voice exclaim, "Groat and marvoloiis arc thy works, Lord
God Almighty; just and true aro thy ways, thou King of
saints;" and falling prostrate, they worship the Prince of life.

&!atan seems paralyzed as holjeholds the glory and majesty
of Christ. Ho who was once a covering cherub remembers
whence he has fallen. A shining seraph, " son of the morn-
ing; " liow changed, how degraded ! From the council where
once he was lionored, ho is forever excluded. He sees another
now standing near to the Father, veiling his glory. lie has
seen the crown placed U]wn the head of Ciirist by an angel
of lofty stature and majestic ])resence, and ho knows that
the exalted position of this angel might liavo been his.

Memory recalls the homo of his innocence and purity,
tho peace and content that were his until ho indulged in
murmuring against God, and envy of Christ. His accu-
sations, his rebellion, his deceptions to gain the sympathy
and support of the angels, his stubborn persistence in mak-
ing no effort for self-recovery when God would have granted
him forgiveness, — all come vividly before him. He reviews
his work among men and its results, — the enmity of man
toward his fellow-man, the terrible destruction of life, the
rise and fall of kingdoms, the overturning of thrones, the
long succession of tumults, conflicts, and revolutions. He
recalls his constant efforts to ojjpose the work of Christ and
to sink man lower and lower. He sees that his hellish plots
have been powerless to destroy those who have put their
trust in Jesus. As Satan looks upon his kingdom, the fruit
of his toil, he sees only failure and ruin. He has led the
multitudes to believe that the city of God would be an eas}'-
prey; but he knows that this is false. Again and agam, in
the progress of the great controversy, he has been defeated,
and compelled to yield. He knows too well the power and
majesty of tho Eternal.

The aim of the great rebel has ever been to justify him-
self, and to prove the divine government responsible for the-
rebellion. To this end he has bent all the power of hia

G70

TIIK a HEAT CONTROVERSY.

giant intellect, IIo has worked dcliboratoly Jind systemat-
ically, and with marvelous success, leading vast multitudes
to aceei)t his version of the great controversy which has
been so long in progress. For thousands of years this chief
of cons})ira('y has palmed oil falsehood for truth. But the
time hiis now come when the rebellion is to be finally de-
feated, and the history and character of Satan disclosed.
Tn liis last great edbrt to dethrone Christ, destroy his people,
and take possession of the city of (fO(l, the arch-deceiver has
been fully unnuisked. Those who have united with him
see the total failure of his cause. Christ's followers and the
loval angels behold tiie full extent of his machinations
against the government of (Jod. lie is the object of uni-
versal abhorrence.

Satan sees that his voluntary rebellion has unfitted him
for Heaven. He has trained his })owers to war against God;
the purity, peace, and harmony of Heaven would be to him
supreme torture. His accusations against the mercy and
justice of God are now silenced. The reproach which he
has endeavored to cast upon Jehovah rests "wholly upon
himself. And now Satan bows down, and confesses the
justice of his sentence,

" Who shall not fear thee, Lord, and glorify thy name?
for thou onlv art holv: for all nations shall come and wor-
ship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest,"^
Every question of truth and error in the long-standing con-
troversy has now been made plain. The results of rebellion,
the fruits of setting aside the divine statutes, have been laid
open to the view of all created intelligences. The working
out of Satan's rule in contrast with the government of God,
has been presented to the whole universe, Satan's own
^vorks have condemned him. God's wisdom, his justice,
and his goodness stand fully vindicated. It is seen that
all his dealings in the great controversy have been con-
ducted with respect to the eternal good of his people, and
ihe good of all the worlds that he has created. " All thy

1 Rev, 15 : 4.

Tin: CONTROVERSY KNDED.

671

works shall praise tlioo, O Lord; and thy saints hIiuU bless
tlu-e.'" The history of sin will stand to all eternity us a
witness that with the existenee of (Jod's law is bonnd up the
happiness of ail the beings he has ereated. With all the
fae^s of the great controversy in view, the whole universe,
l)oth loyal and rebellious, with one aeeord declare, "Just and
true are thy ways, thou King of saints,"

Before the universe has been clearly presented the great
sacrilice made by the Father and the Son in man's behalf.
The liour has c(nue when Christ occupies his rightful posi-
tion, and is gloritied above principalities and powers and
every name that is named. It was for the joy that was set
before him, — that lie might bring many ajwa unto glory, —
that lie endured the cross and despised the shame. And
inconceivably great as was the sorrow and the shame, yet
greater is the joy and the glory. He looks upon the re-
deemed, renewed in his own inuige, every heart bearing the
perfect impress of the divine, every face reflecting the like-
ness of their King, lie beholds in them the result of the
travail of his soul, and he is satisfied. Then, in a voice that
reaches the assembled multitudes of the righteous and the
wicked, ho declares, "Behold the purchase of my blood!
For these I suffered; for these I died; that they might dwell
in my i)resence throughout eternal ages." And the song of
praise ascends from the white-robed ones about the throne,
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and
riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and
blessing." *

Notwithstanding that Satan has been constrained to ac-
knowledge God's justice, and to bow to the supremacy of
Christ, his character remains unchanged. The spirit of re-
bellion, like a mighty torrent, again bursts forth. Filled with
frenzy, he determines not to yield the great controversy.
The time has come for a last desperate struggle against the
King of Heaven. He rushes into the midst of his subjects,
and endeavors to inspire them with his own furv, and arouse

I Ps. 145 : 10, « Rev. 5 : 12,

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

I.I

■tt lii 12.2

IHj i

|||>-25 IIJU ||.6

►

Photographic

Sdences
Corporation

23 WIST MAIN STRUT

WEBSTER, N.Y. MSM

(716) •73-4S03

672

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.

them to instant battle. But of all the countless millions
whom he has allured into rebellion, there are none now to
acknowledge his supremacy. His power is at au end. The
wicked are filled with the same hatred of God that inspires
Satan; but they see that their case is hopeless, that they
cannot prevail against Jehovah. Their rage is kindled
against Satan and those who have been his agents in decep-
tion, and with the fury of demons they turn upon them.

Saith the Lord : " Because thou hast set thine heart as the
heart of God ; behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon
thee, the terrible of the nations ; and they shall draw their
swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and tiiey shall
defile thy brightness. They shall bring thee down to the
pit." " I will destroy thee, covering cherub, from the
midst of the stones of fire. ... I will cast thee to the
ground. I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold
thee." "I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the
sight of all them that behold thee. . . . Thou shalt be
a terror, and never shalt thou be any more." '

" Every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and
garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning
and fuel of fire." "The indignation of the Lord is upon
all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath
utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the
slaughter." " Upon the wicked he shall rain quick burning
coals, fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest: this shall
be the portion of their cup." * Fire comes down from God
out of Heaven. The earth is broken up. The weapons con-
cealed in its depths are drawn forth. Devouring flames
burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks are on
fire. The day has come that shall burn as an oven. The
elements melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the
works that are therein are burned up.' The earth's surface
seems one molten mass, — a vast, seething lake of fire. It is
the time of the judgment and perdition of ungodly men, —

' Eze. 28 : 6-8, 16-19. ' Isa. 9 : 5; 34 : 2; Ps. 11 : 6 (margin).

•Mai. 4:1; 2 Pet. ,3:10.

THE CONTROVERSY ENDED.

673

" the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recoiu-
jtenses for the controversy of Zion." '

The wicked receive their recompense in the earth.' They
" .sliall be stubble; and the day tliat cometli shall burn tliem
up, saith the Lord of hosts." ^ Some are tlestroyed. as in a
moment, while others suffer many days. All are punished
"according to their deeds." Tlie sins of the righteous liav-
ing been transferred to Satan, he is made to suffer not only
for his own rebellion, but for all the sins which he has caused
Crod's people to commit. His punishment is to be fur greater
than that of those whom he has deceived. After all have
perished who fell by his deceptions, he is still to live and
suffer on. In the cleansing flames the wicked are at last
destroyed, root and branch, — Satan the root, his followers the
branches. The full penalty of the law has been visited ; the
demands of justice liave been met; and Heaven and earth,
beholding, declare the righteousness of Jehovah.

Satan's work of ruin is forever ended. For six thousand
years he has wrought his will, filling the earth with woe,
and causing grief throughout the universe. The whole
creation has groaned and travailed together in pain. Now
Cfod's creatures are forever delivered from his presence and
temptations. " The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet; they
[the righteous] break forth into singing."' And a shout
of praise and triumph ascends from the whole loyal uni-
verse. " The voice of a great multitude," " as the voice of
many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings," is
heard, saying, "Alleluia; for the Lord God omnipotent
reigneth."

While the earth was wrapped in the fire of destruction,
the righteous abode safely in the holy city. Upon those
that liad part in the first resurrection, the second death has
no power.* While God is to the wicked a consuming fire,
he is to his people both a sun and a shield.*

" And I saw a new heaven and a new earth ; for the first

2 Mai. 4:1. ^Isa. 14:7.

iTsa. .34:8; Prov. 11 :31.
-^ Rev. 20:0; Ps. 84:11.

48-

'-.\

674

THE GREAT COXTROVERSY.

heaven and the first eartli were passed away."* The lire
that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace
of tlio curse is swept away. No eternally burning liell will
keep before the ransomed the fearful consequences of sin.

One reminder alone remains: our Redeemer will ever bear
the marks of his crucifixion. Upon his wounded head, upon
his side, his hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel
work that sin has wrought. Says the prophet, beholding
Christ in his glory, " lie had bright beams coming out of his
side; and there was the hiding of his i)Ower." '^ That pierced
side whence flowed the crimson stream that reconciled man
to God, — there is the Saviour's glory, there " the hiding of
liis power." "Mighty to save," through the sacrifice of re-
demption, he was therefore strong to execute justice ui)on
them that despised God's mercy. And the tokens of his
humiliation are his highest lionor; through the eternal ages
the wounds of Calvary will show forth his praise, an^^ de-
clare his power.

" O Tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of
Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first donunion." ' The
time has come, to which holv men have looked with lonir-
ing since the flaming sword barred the first pair from Eden,
— the time for "the redemption of the jiurchased possession."*
The earth originally given to man as his kingdom, betrayed
by him into the hands of Satan, and so long held by the
mighty foe, has been brought back by the great plan of
redemption. All that was lost by sin has been restored.
**Thus saith the Lord . . . that formed the earth and
made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he
formed it to be inhabited." * God's original purpose in the
creation of the earth is fulfilled as it is made the eternal
abode of the redeemed. "The righteous shall inherit the
land, and dwell therein forever."*

A fear of making the future inheritance seem too material
has led many to spiritualize away the very truths which lead

iRev. 21:1.
<Isa. 45:18.

*Hab. 3:4 (margin).
6Ps. 37:29.

8Micah4:8; Eph. 1 : 14.

lis to look upon it as our home. Clirist assured his disciples
that he went to prepare mansions for them in the Fatlier's
house. Those who accept the teachings of God's Word vill
not be wholly ignorant concerning the heavenly ahode.
And yet, "eye hath not scon, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath
prepared for them that love him.'" Human language is
inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous. It will
be known only to those who behold it. No finite mind can
comprehend the glory of the Paradise of God.

In the Bible the inheritance of the saved is called a coun-
try.' There the heavenly Shepherd leads his Hock to
fountains of living waters. The tree of life yields its fruit
every month, and the leaves of the tree are for tho service
of the nations. There are ever-flowing streams, clear as
crystal, and beside them waving trees cast their shadows
upon the paths prepared for the ransomed of tho Lord.
There tho widespreading i)lains swell into hills of beauty,
and tho mountains of God rear their lofty summits. On
those peacofnl plains, beside those living streams, God's
people, so long pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a home.

" My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and
in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting-places." "Violence
shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction
within thy borders; but tiiou shalt call thy walls Salvation,
and thy gates Praise." " They shall build houses, and in-
habit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the
fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit;
they shall not plant, and another eat: . . . mine elect
shall long enjoy the work of their hands." ^

There, "the wilderness and the solitary place shall be
glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as
the rose." " Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree,
and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree." *
^'The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard

ig;i

UCor

:9. « Heb. 11 : 14-16. » Isa. 32 : 18; 60 : 18; 65 :21, 22.

■Isa. 35:1; 55: 13.

676

THE GREAT COXTIWVEUSY,

bIuiU lie down with the kid; . . . and a little cliihl shall
load them." " They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my
holy mountain/" saith the Lord.

Pain cannot exist in the atmosphere of Heaven. There
will be no more tears, no funeral trains, no badges of mourn-
ing. "There sliall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor
crying, ... for the former things are passed away."'^
"The inhabitant shall not say, I am sick; the people that
dwell therein shall be forgiven their inic^uity." *

There is the New Jerusalem, the metropolis of the glorified
new earth, "a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and
a royal diadem in the hand of thy God." ' " Her light was like
imto u st(jno most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear
as crystal." " The nations of them which are saved shall
walk in the light of it; and the kings of the earth do bring
their glory and honor into it."" Saith the Lord, "I will
rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people."^ "The tab*
ernaclo of God is with men, and he will dwell with them,
and they shall be his people, and God himself shall bo with
them, and be their God." *

In the city of God "there shall be no night." None will
need or desire repose. There will be no weariness in doing
the will of God and offering praise to his name. We shall
evcT feel the freshness of the morning, and«shall ever be far
from its close. " Aiid they need no candle, neither light of
tlie sun; for the Lord God giveth them light."' The light
of the sun will be superseded by a radiance which is not
painfully dazzling, yet which immeasurably surpasses the
brightness of our noontide. The glory of God and the Lamb
floods the hol}^ city with unfading light. The redeemed
walk in the sunless glory of j)erpetual day.

"I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty
and the Lamb are the temple of it." ' The people of God
are privileged to hold open communion with the Father and
the Son. Now we "see through a glass, darkly."* We be-

ilsa. 11 :6, 9; 33:24; 62:3; 65:19.
»Kev. 22:5; 21:22.

»Rev. 21:4, 11,24, 3.
« 1 Cor. 13 : 12.

0op7ri8ht«d isn.

THE DOMINION RESTORED.

.hi

ho
of
se(
si)

kll

pi;
er(
ni<
fai
m.
th

dc
fo;
ca

\V(

eii
re
ar
tr
of

ol
ti

a1
n
d<

k
aj
d
a

hold the image of God reflected, as in a mirror, in the works
of nature and in hin dealings with men; hut tlicn wo siiall
see him faee to face, without a dimming veil hctwecn. Wo
shall stand in his i)resence, and behold the «^lory of ids
countenance.

There the redeemed shall "know, even as also thcv are
known." The loves and syn nathies which God himself has
l)lanted i'l the soul, shall there find truest and sweetest ex-
ercise. The pure communion with h<dy beings, the har-
monious social life with the blessed angels and with the
faitliful ones of all ages, who have washed their roljes and
made them white in the b! .^d of the Lamb, the sacred ties
tliat bind together ** the whole family in Heaven and earth,'"
— these help to constitute the happiness of the redeemed.

There, immortal minds will contemplate with never-failing
<lelight the wonders of creative power, the mysteries of re-
deeming love. There is no cruel, deceiving foo to tempt to
forgetfulness of God. Every faculty Avill bo developed, every
capacity increased. The acquirement of knowledge will not
weary the mind or exhaust the energies. There the grandest
enterprises may be carried forward, the loftiest aspirations
reached, the highest ambitions realized; and still there will
arifc,e new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new
truths to comprehend, fresh objects to call forth the ))Owers
of mind and soul and body.

All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study
of God's redeemed. Unfettered by mortality, they wing their
tireless flight to worlds afar,— worlds that thrilled with sorrow
at the spectacle of human woe, and rang with songs of glad-
ness at the tidings of a ransomed soul. With unutterable
delight the children of earth enter into the joy and the
wisdom of unfallen beings. They share the treasures of
knowledge and understanding gained through ages upon
ages in contemplation of God's handiwork. With un-
dimmed vision they gaze upon the glory of creation, — suns
and stars and systems, all in their appointed order circling

» Eph. 3:15.

OTS

rilK CHEAT COXTROVKliSV.

tho throno of Deity. Upon all things, from tho lonst to the
greatest, tho Creator's name is written, ami in all are the
riches of liis power displayed.

And tlio years of eternity, as they roll, will hring richer
and still more glorious revelations of ( Jod and of Christ. As
knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and hap-
piness increase. Tho more men learn of God, tho greater
will bo their admiration of his character. As Jesus opens
before them tho riches of redemption, and tho amazing
achievements in tho great controversy with Satan, tho
hearts of tho ransomed thrill with more fervent devotion,
and with more rapturous joy they sweep the harps of goM;
and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thou-
sjiiids of voices unite to swell tho mighty chorus of praise.

"And everv creature which is in Heaven, and on the
earth, and under tho earth, and such as are in the sea, and
all that arc in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor,
and glory, and power, bo unto Him that sitteth upon the
throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever." '

The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no
more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony
and gladness beats tlirough the vast creation. From Him
who created all, flow life and light and gladness, through-
out the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest
atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inani-
mate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare
that God is Love.

»Rev. 5:13.

APPENDIX.

GENERAL NOTES.

NOTE X. Paok 53.— t'onstautiuu'H Sunday law, issued a. d. 321, was as
follows: —

" Let all tlio judges and town people, and the occupation of all trades
rest on tlio venerable day of tlus sun; but let those who are Hituated in the
country, freely and at full liberty attend to the buxineHH of agriculture; be>
cause it often happens that no other day is so fit for sowinij corn and planting
vines; lest, the critical moment being let tilip, men should lose the coniniod-
ities granted by Heaven."

Of thik' taw, so high an authority as the " Kncyclnpedia Brittannica"
plainly says: " It was Coustantine the Great who first made a law for the
proper observance of Sunday; and who, according to Kusubius, appointed
thattit should bo regularly celebrated throughout the Koinan Empire. Before
him, and even in his time, they observed tiie Jewish Sabbath, as well as
Sunday." As to the degree of reverence with which Sunday was regarded,
and the manner of its observance, Mosheim says that in consequence of the
law enacted by Coustantine. the first day of the week was " oltserved with i/miter
solemnity than it hud /oitnerly been. " ' Yet Coustantine permitted all kindj of
agricultural labor to be performed on Sunday! Bishop Taylor declares that
"the primitive Cliristians did all manner of works upon the Lord's day."'
The same statement is made by Morer: "The day [Sunday] was not wholly
kept in abstaining from common business; nor did they [ChristiansJ any
longer rest from their ordinary affairs (such was the necessity of those times)
than during the divine service."^ Says Cox: "There is no evidence that
either at this [the time of Constantine], or at a period much later, the ob-
servance was viewed as deriving any obligation from the fourth command-
ment; it seems to have been regarded as an institution corresponding in
nature with Christmas, Good Friday, and other festivals of the church."*

NOTE a. Page 54. — In the twelfth chapter of Revelation we have an
a symbol a great red dragon. In the ninth verse of that chapter this uymbol
is explained as follows: " Auu the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent,
called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; ho was cast
out into the earth, and his angels were cast out wifh him." Undoubtedly
the dragon primarily represents Satan. But Satan does not appear upon the

^ Eccl. Hist. , cent. 4, part 2, chap. 4, sec. 5.

*Duct. Dubitant., part 1, book 2, chap. 2, rule G, sec. 59.

* Dialogues on the Lord's Day, p. 233.

* Cox's Sabbath Laws, p. 28L

(679)

ArrKxnix.

earth in |M!r80ii; liu works tlirougli agcnta. It was in tho pcTHuu of wlokud
nivii tliut hu flouijlit to (luatroy .Fuiiiih as huou as ho wuh lM>rn. Wherevor Natan
has )>oon ahlu to cuiitrol a governiiu-nt so fully that it would carry out his
ilusigns, that nation bvcainu, for tlio tiiiiu, Satau'a rtproxentativu. This wuh
tlio cuHu with all thu gruut heathen nations. For instance, sco Kiiiikit-l JS,
whtTO Satan iH rt'pruHuntud as actual king of Tyre. This was lH!uauHe hi-
fully controlled that gnvernniunt. In the tirst centuries of the Cliristian era,
Home, of all tlie pagan nations, wum Satan's chief agent in opposing the gospel,
and was therefore represented hy tlie dragon.

But tliere came u time when paganism in tho Roman Empire fell before
the advancing/orm of (.'hristianity. Tiien, as is stated on page .54, " Paganism
had given place to tlio papacy. Tlie dragon had given to the beast ' his power,
and his seat, and great authority.'" That is, Satan then beg:m to work
through the papacy, just as he had formj.ly worked through paganism. But
tiio papacy is not represented by tho dragoii, because it is nocessaiy to in-
troduce another symbol in order to show tho change in tho J'onii of the oppo-
sition to (iod. Previous to the rise of the papacy, all opposition to tho law
of God had been in the form of pa^'ani.sm, — Gotl had been openly delied; but
from that time the opposition was 'tarried on under tho guiso of professed
allegiance to him. The papacy, however, was no less tho instrument of Satan
than was pagan Rome; for uU the power, the seat, and the great authority
of tho papacy, were given it by the dragon. And so, although the pope pro-
fesses to 1)0 the vicegerent of Christ, he is, in reality, the vicegerent of Satun
— he is antichrist.

The be.'ist which is a symbol of tho papacy is introduced in Revelation
13; and following it, in the same line of prophecy, "another beast" ii
seen "coming up," ' which exercises "all the power of the first beast before
him," that is, in his sight. This other bea^t must therefore be a persecuting
power also; and thisf is shown in that "it spake as a dragon. " The papacy
received all its power from Satan, and tho two-horned beast exercises tho
same power; it also becomes'the direct? agent of Satan. And its Satanic char-
acter is further shown in that it enforces the worship of the image of the beast,
by means of false miracles. "He doeth great wonders, so that he maketh
fire come down from heaven on the earth in ther sight) of men, and deceivetk
them that dwell on the earth by thot means of those miracles which he had
power to do. "

The first persecuting power is represented by the dragon itself; in
heathanism there was open alliance with Satan, and open deAanoe of God.
In the second persecutinjj power, the dragon is masked; but the spirit of
Satan actuates it, — the dragon supplies the motive power. In the third per-
secuting power, all traces of ttie dragon are absent, and a lamb-like beast
appears; but when it speaks, its dragon voice betrays the Satanic power con-
cealed under a fair exterior, and shows it to be of the same family as the two
preceding powers. In all the opposition to Christ and his pure religion, " that
old serpent, called the devil, and Satan," — "the god of this world," — is the
moving power; earthly persecuting powers are simply instruments in hia

hands.

» Rev. 13:11-14.

GKSEIiAL NOTES.

e^t

NOTE 3. pAtiB •)'J8. — That thu ruatlur iiiuy auu the ruuHDiiablt'iicM of
Mr. Millur'H poiitioa 011 V>j prophetio puriotU, wu copy tho foUowiiig, wliiuh
wuM publiHhud in thu Advent Herald, Uuntuii, in March, i8*>0, in aiuwur tu «
curruHpondon t : —

" It is hy tliu Canon of i'toluiny that the great prophetical period of the
acvonty weeks is \\xvx\. Thin Canon plaiteit thu suvuath yo.ir of Artaxerxua
in the year n. (\ 457; und the accuracy of thu Canon is dt-nionHtratcd hy thu
concurrent agreuuicnt of more than twenty uclipHes. Thu Huventy weeks
date frr)in thu going fortli of a decree rcspucting tlie restoration of Jerusalem.
There were no di-cues hetweeii tlio Huventh and tweiitietli years of Arta-
xerxos. Four lumdred and ninety years, beginning with the seventh, must
commence in n. 0. 457, and end in a. i>. 34. Commencing in tlie twentieth,
they must commence in u. 0. 414, and cmd in a. i>. 47. As no event occurred
in A. \>. 47 to mark their termination, we ennnot reckon from tho twontietli;
we must therefore look to tliu seventli of Art:ixcr\es. Tliis date wo cannot
change from n. c. 457 wit!iout tirst demonstrating the inaccuracy of Ptolemy's
Canon. To do this, it would be necessary to show that the largo number of
eclipses by which its accuracy has been repeatedly demonstrated, have not
been correctly computed; and sucii a result would unsettle every chrono-
logical date, and leave tho settlement of epochs and tlie adjustment of eras
entirely at tho mercy of every dreamer, so t'lat chronology would bo of no
more value tlian nure guess-work. As the seventy weeks nut tt terminate in

A. J>. 34, unless the seventh of Artaxerxcs is wrongly fixed, and as that cannot
be changed without some evidence to t!iat elTect, we inciuirn, What evidence
marked that termination? The time when the apostles turned to the Tien-
tiles harmonizes with that date better than any other wliich has been named.
And tho crucifixion, in a. d. 31, in the midst of tho last week, n sustained
by a mass of testimony which cannot be easily invalidated. "

As tho 70 weeks and the 2.300 days have a common starting-point, tho
calculation of Mr. Miller is verified at a glance by subtracting the 457 years

B. c. from the 2300. Thus,

2300
457

1843 A. D.

The year 1843 was, however, regarded as extemling to the spring of 1844.
The reason for this, briefly stated, is as follows: Anciently tlie year did not
commence in midwinter, as now, but at the first new moon after the vernal
equinox. Therefore, as tho period of 2300 days was begun in a year reckoned
by tlie ancient method, it was considered necessary to conform to that method
to its close. Hence, 1843 was counted as ending in the spring, and not in
the winter.

But the 2300 days cannot be reckoned from the beyinning of the year 457
B. c. ; for the decree of Artaxerxes — which is the starting-point — did not go
into effect until the autumn of that year. Conset^uently the 2300 days, be-
ginning in the autumn of 457 B.C., must extend to the autumn of 1844 A. D.
(See small diagram on plate opposite page 328.)

682

APPENDIX.

This fact not being at first perceived by Mr. Miller and his associates,
they looked for the coming of Christ in 1843, or in the spring of 1844; hence
the lirst disappointment and the seeming delay. It waa the discovery of the
correct time, in connection with other Scripture testimony, that led to the
tnovoment known as the "midnight cry " of 1844. And to this day the com-
l)utation of the prophetic periods placing the close of the 2300 days in the
autumn of 1844, stands without impeachment.

NOTE 4. Page 373. — The >itory that the Adventists made robes with
which to ascend "to meet the Lord in the air," was invented by those who
wished to reproach the cause. It was circulated so industriously that many
believed it; but careful inquiry proved its falsity. For many years a large
reward has been oflFered for proof that one such instance ever occurred; but
the proof has not been produced. None who loved the appearing of the
Saviour were so ijimrant of the teachings of the Scriptures as to suppose that
robes which th^y could make would be necessary for that occasion. The only
robe which the saints will need to meet the Lord will be that of the right-
eousness of Christ. See Rev. 19 : 8.

NOTE 5. Page 374.— Dr. Geo. Bush, Professor of Hebrew and Oriental
Literature in the New York City University, in a letter addressed to Mr.
Miller, and published in the Advent HeraUl for March, 1844, made some very
important admissions relative to his calculations of the prophetic times. Mr.
Bush says: —

"Neither is ifc to be objected, as I conceive, to yourself or your friends,
that you have devoted much time and attention to the study of tho chronoloyy
of prophecy, and have labored much to determine the commencing and closing
dates of its great periods. If these periods are actually given by the Holy
rrhost in the piophetic books, it was doubtless with the design that they
should be studied, and probably, in the end, fully understood; and no man
is to be charged with presumptuous folly who reverently makes the attempt
to do this. ... In taking a day as the prophetical term for a year, I
believe you are sustained by the soundest exegesis, as well as fortified by
the high names of Mede, Sir Isaac Newton, Bishop Newton, Kirby, Scott,
Keith, and a host of others, who have long since come to substantially your
conclusions' on this head. They all agree that the leading periods mentioned
by Daniel and John do actually expire about this wje of the world, and it would
be a strange logic that would convict you of heresy for holding in effect the
same views which stand forth so prominently in th.) notices of these eminent
divines." " Your results in this field of inquiry do not strike me as so far
out of the way as to affect any of the great interests of truth and duty. "
" Your error, as I apprehend, lies in another direction than your chronoloiiy."
"You have entirely mistaken the nature 0/ the events which are to occur
when those periods have expired. This is the head and front of your ex-
pository offending. . . . The great event before the world is not its
physical conflagration, but its moral regeneration. Although there is doubtless
a sense in which Christ may be said to come in connection with tlie passing

GENERAL NOTES.

683

away of the fourth empire and of the Ottoman power, and hia kingdom to be
illustriously esta'ilished, yet that will be found to be a gjiirilual comimj in tlie
power of hi:] g< ol, in tlie ample outpouring of hia Spirit, and the gloriotis
administration of his providence." Evidently, Mr. Bush looked for the con-
version of thu world as the event to mark the termination of the 2300 days.
Both Mr. Miller and Mr. Bush were right on the time question, and both
were mistaken in the event to occur at the close of the great periods.

The doctrines taught by Mr. Miller did not originate with him; every
point advanced in his oxpositions of ])rophecy, taken separately, waa admitted
by some among his opponents. Hence there were none who condemned all
hia views, and those who attempted to refute him found that there waa as
great diversity among themselves as betwee* him and them. They had not
only to overtlu-ow Mr. Miller a theory, but each had to correct those of the
others. This being the case, their arguments could, of course, have little
weight with thobe who had received his views.

To oppose ^Miller, men who had been regarded as leailers of religious
thought wore ready to abandon long-established pripciples of Protestant
interpretation. The Boston /Pecorrfer (Orthodox Cong.) said: "It must needs
be acknowledged that our faith is yreatly shaken in the interpretations on which,
in common with most of our own brethren, we have hereto/ore relied, and which
form the fouiulation of the baseless theoriea of Miller " I

In their determination to disprove Mr. Miller's positions, some were ready
even to join with Universalists, adopting indefinite and spiritualizing methods
of exposition, in place of those principles of literal interpretation which are
an essential feature of the Protestant faith. Of the arguments brought for-
ward by Professors Stuart and Bush the New York Evangelist spoke as follows:
"The tendency of these views is to destroy the Scripture evidence of the
doctrine of any real end of the world, any day of final judgment, or general
resurrection of the body. Tho style of interpretation, we assert, tends fear-
fully to Universalisvu This tendency we are prepared to prove." So also
the Hartford Universaliit said of Professor Stuart: "He puts an uncom-
promising veto upon the popular interpretations of Daniel and Revelation,
and tinites with Universali.its in contending that most of their contents had
special reference to, and their fulfillment in, scenes and events which trans-
pired but a few years after those books were written." It was thus that
popular ministers prepared the minds of thousands to lightly regard the tes-
timony of the Scriptures.

NOTE 6. Pagk 41 1 . — That the earth is the sanctuary was inferred from
those scriptures which teach that the earth will be purified and fitted up for
the eternal dwelling-place of the saints, according to the original design of
the Creator. Advcntists understood this just as it was tauglit by Wesley
and others. And their minds did not rest on any other dwelling-place or any
other thing which needed cleansing. The only scriptures which we ever
knew to be offeicd in favor of the earth or any dwelling-place of man being
called the sanctuary, fairly disprove the position. They are only three in
number, as follows: —

'^!

i I

684

APPENDIX,

Ex. 15 : 17: "Thou shalt bring them [the people] in, and plant them in
the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast
made for tliee to dwell in; in the sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands ha\ o
established. " Without taking time or space to give an exposition of the text,
it is sufficient for the present purpose to remark that it disproves the idea of the
earth being the sanctuary. Whatever construction may be placed upon the
text, it teaches that the people were not then in the sanctuary; but they were
in the earth. Then it is claimed that it referred to that part of the earth into
which they were to be brought, namely, Palestine. Th.o is disproved by tho
second text.

Josh. 24 :2G: "And Joshua w^rote these words in the book of the law of
God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by
the sanctuary of the Lord." The stone and the oak were in Palestine, but
they were Iry the sanctuary of the Lord — not in it. And the other text is
more restrictive still, and equally conclusive against tlie inference to wliicli
reference is lierein made.

Ps. 78 : 54: " And he brought tliem [his people] to the border of his sanct-
uary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased." The
mountain was Mount Moriah, on vhich the temple of Solomon was built;
yet being brought unto it is called being brought "to the border of his
sanctuary. " Thus these texts do not prove that the earth is the sanctuary,
but rather the reverse.

Jehoshaphat's prayer gives the true idea of the relation of that land to
the sanctuary: "Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants
of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham
thy friend forever ? And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary
therein for thy name. '' 2 Chron. 20 : 7, 8. This corresponds to the command
in Ex. 25 :8: "And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among
them." In tiiis same book is given a minute description of the sanctuary, its
erection, and approval by the Lord. The, process of cleansing the sanctuary
is described in Leviticus 16. While the children of Israel possessed Canaan,
Solomon built a temple, in which was a holy and a most holy place; and the
vessels of the movable sanctuary, which was made in the desert of Sinai,
were transferred to the temple. This was then the sanctuary, — the dwelling-
place of God's glory upon the earth.

Some have inferred that the earthly sanctuary was a symbol of the church,
reasoning from those scriptures in which the church is called the temple of
God. But it is not infrequently the case in Scripture that in difiFerent con-
nections the same figure is employed to represent difiFerent objects. The Bible
plainly teaches that the holy places of the earthly sanctuary were " patterns
of things in the heavens." Heb. 9:23. The expression, "temple of God,"
is sometimes employed to designate the sanctuary in Heaven, and sometimes
the church. Its significance, in each case, must be determined by the context.

NOTE 7. Page 429.— Almost all Adventists, including Mr. Miller, did,
for a short time after their disappointment in 1844, believe that the world
had received its last warning. They could hardly think otherwise, with their

GENERAL NOTES.

685

faith in the message which they had given, — "The hour of his Judgment is
come. " Rev. 14 : 6, 7. They naturally thought that this proclamation must
close the dispensation.

But the idea that the work of the gospel was finished was soon renounced,
except by some fanatical ones who would neither be counseled nor receive
instruction. One class who relinquished the view that "the door of mercy
was shut," were led to do this because they discovered tliat other mesaayea were
to be proclaimed after that declaring. The hour of Judgment is come; and that
that of the third angel, the last one, was to go to "many peoples, anil nations,
and tongues, and kings." They learned that the Judgmeiit sits in Heaven
before the coming of the Lord; that the judgment of the righteous is fully
accomplished while Jesus is yet tlieir Advocate before tlie Father's tiirone;
that eternal life is instantly given to the saints when their Saviour comes,
which is proof that they have been judged and acquitted.

With the light on the third message they also received light on the
sanctuary and its cleansing, by which they understood that the antitypical
work of the day of atonement, which was accomplished in the most holy
idace, wds that which was pointed out by the message which they had given.
They saw that there were two veils or doors in the temple of God (Heb. 9 : 3),
and that at that time one was shut and the other was opened. With earnest
zeal and new hope they preached these truths, and urged their fellow-men
to seek an entrance by faith into the most holy place within the second veil,
where our great High Priest is gone to blot out the sins of all his faithful ones,
from Abel to the present time,

NOTE 8. Page 435.— Pvev. 14:6, 7. foretells the proclamation of the
first angel's message. Then the prophet continues: " There followed another
angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, . . . and the third angel fol-
lowed them." The word here rendered "followed," means, in constructions
like that in this text, " to go with." Liddell and Scott render the word thus:
"To follow one, (jo after or icith him." Robinson says: " To follow, to <jo with,
to accompany anyone." It is the same word that is used in Mark 5 : 24: " And
Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him."
It is also \ised of the redeemed one hundred and forty-four thousand, where
it is said: "These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he gocth."
Rev. 14 : 4. In both these places it is evident that the idea intended to be
conveyed is that of going together, in company with. So in 1 Cor. 10:4,
where we read of the children of Israel that " they drank of that spiritual
Rock that followed them," the word "followed" is tran.slated from the same
Greek word, and the margin has it, " went with them." From this we learn
that the idea in Rev. 14:8, 9, is not simply that the second and third angel i
followed the first in point of time, but that they went with it. The three
messages are but one threefold message. They are three only in the order
of their rise. But having risen, they go on together, and are inseparable.

NOTE g. Paue 447. — The bishops of Rome began, very early, to de-
mand obedience from all the churches. Of this the dispute between the
Eastern and the Western churches respecting Easter is a striking illustration.

I i '

686

APPENDIX.

This dinpute arose in the second century. Says Mosheim: "The Christians of
this century celebrated anniversary festivals in commemoration of the death
and resurrection of Christ. . . . The day which was observed as the anni-
versary of Clirist's death was called the ptmchal day, or Passover." Like tlie
Jews, Christians celebrated "a sacred feast, at which they distributed a pas-
chal lamb in memory (»f the holy supper." The Christians of Asia Minor kept
this feast on the fourteenth day of the first Jewish mouth, when the Jew»
celebrated their Pa-ssover, and when Christ is said to have eaten the paschal
lamb with his disciples. Three days thereafter, a festival was observed iu
honor of the resurrection. The Western churches, on the other hand, cele-
brated the resurrection of Christ on the Sunday following the Jewish Pass-
over, and observed the paschal feaat on the night preceding Sunday, thus
connecting the commemoration of Christ's death with that of his resurrection.

"Toward the conclusion of this [the second] century, Victor, bishop of
Bome, endeavored to force the Asiatic Christians, by the pretended authority of
his laws and decrees, to follow the rule which was observed by the Western
churches in this point. Accordingly ... he wrote an imperious letter
to the Asiatic prelates, commanding them to imitate the exam^He of the
Western Christians with respect to the time of celebrating the festival of Easter.
The Asiatics answered this lordly requisition . . . with great spirit and
resolution, that they would by no means depart, in this manner, from the
custom handed down to them by their ancestors. Upon this the thunder
of excommunication began to roar. Victor, exasperated by this resolute an-
swer of the Asiatic bishops, broke communion with them, pronounced them
unworthy of the name of his brethren, and excluded them from all fellowship
with the Church of Home."' This, says Bower, was "the first essay of
papal usurpation."

F'or a lime, however, Victor's etforts availed little. No regard was paid
to his letters, and the Asiatics continued to follow their ancient practice.
But by enlisting the support of the imperial power, which the church for so
many centuries controlled to serve her purposes. Borne finally conquered.
The Council of Nice, "out of complaisance to Constantino the Great, ordered
the solemnity of Easter to be kept everywhere on the same day, after the
custom of Bome. " ' This decree, " backed by the authority of so great an
emperor," was decisive; " none but some scattered schismatics, now and then
appearing, that durst oppose the resolution of that famous synod. "^

NOTE lo. Page 505. — There is no more remarkable movement of the
present day, and no one fraught with more vital consequences to men and
nations, than the rapidly reviving influence of the pa[)acy in national affairs.
The papacy is fast moving into the place of the greatest influence of any
earthly organization. In Europe, to say nothing of Catholic countries,
which, as a matter of course, are subject to the pope, Chancellor Bismarck
has made Germany virtually subject to the dictation of the papacy; England
has invited the interference of the pope in her political affairs in the contest

' Mosheim, Eccl. Hist., cent. 2, part 2, chap. 4., H 9, 11.

'^Bower's History of the Popes, vol. 1, pp. 18, 19.

* Hevlyn, History of the Sabbath, part 2, chap. 2, sees. 4, 6.

GENERAL NOTES.

687

with Ireland ; auil even tbc Czar of Russia has shown himself willing to make
overtures to the papacy. On the oceasion of the golden jubilee of the i)riest-
hogd of Leo XIII., It Is^well known that, except the kingdom of Italy and
the united kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, every nation, Protestant as well
as Catholic, 'paid grateful respect to Rome.

If any nation might justly be expected to keep clear of Komish intiuencea,
the United States of America should be the ono above all others, aa it ia
constitutionally pledged to have nothing at all to do toward " an eatabliah-
ment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Yet this nation ia
iu nowise behind the others in paying assiduous court to Home. When tlie
papal delegates came to America bearing to Cardinal Gibbons the trappings
of his Romiah dignity, a government vesael was dispatched down New York
liarbor to meet them, with the papal flag, instead of the atars and stripea,
flying from the place of honor. And at the inveatiture of Cardinal Gibbons
with the purple of a papal prince, President Cleveland sent him a letter of
congratulation. The Converted Catholic says that a larger number of senators
and representatives send their sons to the Jeauit College at Georgetown — one
of the suburbs of the national capital — than to all the other institutions of
learning at Washington, which proves either that the larger number of senators
and representatives are Catholics, or that Rome has more influence with
senators and representatives than have all the educational institutions in
Washington put together. In view of this fact, it is not to be wondered at
that Rome decided to build her national university at the national capital.

Hon. L. Q. C. Lamar, Secretary of the Interior under President Cleve-
land, was charged with giving to Catholics more positions in his department
than to other denominations. His reply waa that "if Roman Catholics have
been recognized to a greater extent than other denominationa, it is only be-
cauae they have asked more largely; " and explained thia by saying that the
Romish Church haa at Washington " an energetic and tireless director, who
ia active to seize opportunities for extending missionary and educational work
among the Indians." The Christian Union says that four-fifths of the gov-
ernment Indian schools, under religious control, have been given to Roman
Catholics. The Assistant Attorney-General, of the Department of the In-
terior, under President Cleveland's administration, — Mr. Zach. Montgomery, —
is a Roman Catholic, with all the Roman Catholic <umity to the public schools,
and hesitates not to use his official position and influence to show it. During
his term of office, in an address at Carroll Institute, he openly denounced the
public-school system as godless, .anti-parental, and destructive of liappiness.
And the United States Senate fully knew his amity to the public schools
when it confirmed hia appointment as Assistant Attoiney-General. The New
York Observer says that the only public hospital that receives any government
aid is a Roman Catholic one.

In a published letter to Hon. Warner Miller, one of the delegates at
large from New York to the National Republican Convention, 1888, Hon.
John Jay, late Alinister to Austria, says that the Roman Catholics even now
"coolly discuss the disposition they will make of the United States, as a
people already subject to the Vatican by the Irish votes. Archbishop Lyncht

688

APPENDIX.

of Canada, wrote to Lord Randolph Churchill (the Ch\,-chman, N^w York,
April 2, 1887): 'The Irish vote is a great factor in America.' 'The power
of their organizations is increasing every day. ' ' They hold already the bal-
ance of power in the presidential and other elections.'" Further Mr. Jay
says: "The announcement of Mr. Chamberlain's appointment as Fishery
Commissioner was promptly followed by a reminder that no treaty he might
make would stand a chance of ratification. The suggestion that Mr. Phelps,
our Minister to England, might be nominated as Chief Justice, brought a
quick announcement that the nomination would bo defeated. ... It was
recently stated in the United States Senate (February 16, 1888), in a debate
on the bill for 'national aid in the establishment and temporary support of
common schools,' . . . that a senator had showed to the speaker, who
had read it with his own eyes, the original letter of a Jesuit priest. In this
letter he begged a member of Congress to oppose the bill and kill it, saying
that they had organized all over the country for its destruction, that they
had succeeded in the Committee of the House, and that they would destroy
the bill inevitably; and it is a fact thai) the bill, having three times passed
the Senate in three different Congresses, each time with a larger vote in its
favor, has been repeatedly smothered in the Committee of the House, by
those who knew that there w£,?i a majority in tlie House in favor of the bill;
and for six years the legislation «. t Congress has been [thus] arrested. "

The Roman Church largely controls the secular press of the country;
and the leading "Protestant" religious papers, such as the New York Evan-
yelist, the Christian at Work, the Christian Union, and the Independent, all pay
flattering tribute to the papacy. The Evangelist, of March 29, 1888, ackno\^l-
edges Cardinal Gibbons as its " only cardinal; " the Independent wishes Pope
Leo XIII. "a long reign and Godspeed in his liberali":ing polloy;" Christian
at WovTc salutes him as "Holy Father," and in the name of " the whole Chris-
tian world " glorifies him as "this venerable man whose loyalty to God and
zeal for the welfare of humanity are as conspicuous as his freedom from many
errors and bigotries of his predecessors is remarkable;" and the Christian Union,
January 26, 1888, acknowledges him as " a temporal prince " and "supreme
pontiff."

NOTE II. Page 573, — These movements are apparent under diverse
forms and in different ways, but the organization which embodies almost
every form, and works in every way to gain its end, is the National Reform
Association. It originated in a conference representing ' ' eleven different
denominations of Christians from seven of the States of the Union." It now
has the support of prominent men from " all branches of the church," of the
National Woman's Christian T'imperance Union, and the Prohibition jiarty.
It proposes to have our national Constitution amended, "in order to constitute
a Christian government," "acknowledging Almighty God as the source of all
authority and power in civil government, the Lord Jesus Christ as the ruler
among the nations, his revealed will as the supreme law of the land; " and
so placing "all Christian laws, institutions, and usages of our government on
an undeniable legal basis in the fundamental law of the land." One of its
propositions, announced by David Gregg, D. D., pastor Park Street Church,

GEXERAL NOTES.

689

Boston, is that the State has " the right to command the consciences of men."
Another, announced by the Christian S'nteaman, is that government must
"enforce upon all that come among us the laws of Christian morality."
Another, announced by the Rev. E. B. Graham, is that "if the opponents
of the Bible do not like our government and ita Christian features, let them go
to some wild, desolate land; and, in the name of the devil, and for the sake
of the devil, subdue it, and set up a government of their own on infidel and
atheistic ideas, and then, if they can stand it, stay there till they die."
Another, announced by Jonathan Edwards, D. D. , is that Jews, and all Chris-
tians who keep the seventh day, are to be classed as atheista, and " must
be treated, as for this [National Reform] question, one party " with atheists,
who " cannot dwell together on the same continent " with the National Re-
form Christianity.

Anybody can see at a glance that the establishment of the National Re-
form theory of government would be but the establishment of a theocracy.
And this is, in fact, what they propose to establish. They say that "a re-
public thus governed is of Him, through the people, and is as really and
truly a theocracy as the government of Israel." A monthly reading of the
National W. C. T. U., written by Miss Willard, on God in government,
says: "A true theocracy is yet to come, [and] the enthronement of Christ
in law and law-makers, hence I pray devoutly, as a Christian patriot, for the
ballot in the hands of women. " And in her annual address to the National
W. C. T. U. Convention, of 1887, Miss Willard said: "The kingdom of
Christ ' must enter the realm of law through the gateway of politics. . . .
There are enough temperance men in both [the Democratic and Republican
parties] to take possession of the government and give us national prohibition
in the party of the near future, which is to be the party of God. . . . We
pray Heaven to give them no rest . . . until they shall . . . swear
an oath of allegiance to Christ in politics, and march in one great army ' up
to the polls to worship God.' ... I firmly believe that the patient,
steadfast work of Christian women will so react on politics within the next
generation tliat the party of God will be at the front. " Now a man-made
theocracy is only a scheme of government which puts man in the place of
God. Thati is precisely the theory upon which the papacy was built, and
that is jus£ what the papacy is. The National Reform theory is identical
with that of the papacy ; therefore the establishment of the National Reform
theory in this government will be but the setting up of a living image of the
papacy. Advocating, as these parties are, the papal tl>fiory, it is not to be
wondered at that they are anxious to secure the co-operation of the papacy
in carrying their scheme to success. The Christian Statesman if the official
organ of the National Reform Association, and in an editorial, December 1 1,
1884, that paper said: " We cordially, gladly, recognize the fact that in the
South American republics, and in France and other European countries, the
Roman Catholics are the recognized advocates of national Christianity, and
stand opposed to all the proposals of secularism. . , . Whenever they are
wiilitKj to co-operate in resisting the progress of political atheism, we will gladly join
■hands with thcnu lu a World's Conference for the promotion of national

690

APPENDIX.

Christianity — which ought to be held at no distant day — many countries
could be represented only by Roman Catliolics. " And in that mme \ tk^t,
VufV'st 31, 1881, Rev. Sylvester Scovil said: "This ccmmon interest ["of
all religious people in the Sabbath" — Sunday] ought both to atiengthen oui*
determination to work, and our readiness to co-operate in every way .vith
our Roman Catholic fellow-cit'zcns. AVe may be subjected to some rebuffs
in our first proffers, and the time is not yet come when the Roman Church
will consent to strike hands with other churches — as such; but tiu> c. ne has
come to make repeated advances, and gladly to accept co-operal ju in any
form iu which they may be willing to exiiibit it. It is one of the necessities
of the situation. The nexua between the two great divisions of Christianity
on (questions of moral lej(,Islation is a thing worthy the consideration of our
beat minds and our men of largest experience in sucji Affairs." In perfect
accord with this is the Encyclical of Po' Leo XIII., 1885, which directs
that " all Catholics should do all in their pjwer to cause the constitutions of
States, and legislation, to be modeled on the principles of the true church,
and all Catholic writers and journalista should never lose sight, for an in-
stant, from the view of the above prescriptions." Therefore as the purpose
of the National Reform Association is identical with that of Rome, it is only
to be expected that they should show a readiness to " gladly join hands. '*
And whenever Protestantism gains contro.' of the civil power, whether with.
or without the aid of Rome, that will be but to erect an image of the papacy.

NOTE la. Page 578.— There are still observers of the Bible Sabl^th
in Abyssinia. Joseph Wolff, in his journal for 183P, giving an account of his
visit to that country, says that "the Sabbath of the Jews, t. c, Saturday, is
kept strictly among the Abyssinians in the province of Hamaziea."

NOTE 13. Pages 605, 613.— The word "seal " is used in the Scriptures
in various senses, even as in common life. The definition given by Webster,
the most comprehensive, is as follows: "Thnt which confirms, ratifies, or
makes stable; assurance; that which au^ lenticates; that which secures, makes
reliable, or stable. " The terms "ir.ark and "sign," also given by him, are
used in the Scriptures as synonymous with seal, as in Rom. 4:11.

In the covenant with Noah it is r.sed in the sense of assurance, or evi-
dence of stability. The bow in the cloud was given as a sign or token that
God would not again destroy the earth by a flood. Gen. 9 : 13. In the
covenant with Abraham, circumcision was the token or sign. This ratified,
or made sure; for they who had not this token were cut off. Gen. 17 : 11, 14.
This sign or token was an institution, a rite. Gesenius gives "a memorial"
as one definition of the word found in the original of these textn. But a
memorial, in the sense of a reminder, or a remembrancer, is a token or sign.

In Ex. 31 : 17 and Eze. 20 : 12, 20, the Sabbath of the Lord is called a
sign. It is a memorial of the Creator's work, and so a sign of his po\ er and
Godhead. Rom. 1 :20. This is also an institution, as was circumcision; but
there is this distinction: circumcision was a sign in the flesh, while the Sab-
bath is a sign in the mind. "ITallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a
rign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God."'
Eze. 20:20.

GENERAL NOTES.

G91

In Eze. 9 : 4 the word used in tho original is translated mark. Geseniua
Bays, "amark, aiijn." The Septungint gives the same word in this text that
is given in the Greek of Rom. 4:11, rendered "sign." Thus the words
sign, mark, and seal are applied to the same things, or used aa of like sig*
nification, in the Scriptures.

In Eze. 9 : 4 and Rev. 7:2, 3, the mark or sign is said to bo placed in the
J'oreheada of the servants of God. Both these scriptures refer to a time when
utter destruction is coming on the ungodly. The seal is placed upon God's
people as a safeguard to preserve them from the evil impending. But "the
fc-^head " is evidently used as a figure, to denote the int^lect or mind, aa
" uiO heirt " is used to denote the disposition or affections. To mark or seal
in the forehead is the same as to " write in the mind. " Heb. 10 : 16.

The Sabbath is the sign of God; it is the seal of his law. Isa. 8:16. It
is the token of his authority and power. It is a sign whereby we may know
that he is God, and therefore it is appropriately said to bo placed in the fore-
head. The worshipers of the beast (Revelation 13) are said to receive his mark
in their foreheads or in their hands. As the forehead represents the intellect,
the hand represents power, as Ps. 89 :4S, "Shall he deliver his soul from the
hand of the grave?" Compulsory worship is not acceptable to God; his
servonts are sealed only in their foreheads. But it is acceptable to wicked
powers; it has always been craved by the Romish hierarchy. See chapter
25 for proof on the nature of this mark. The sign or seal of God is his
•Sabbath, and the seal or mark of the beast is ir direct opposition to it; it
is a counterfeit sabbath on the "day of the sun." According to Rev. 14:
9-12, they who do not receive the mark of the beast keep the com-
mandments of God; and the Sabbath is in the fourth precept; they keep
the Sabbath of the Lord; they have his sign or seal. The importance of this
sign is shown in this, that the fourth commandment is the only one in the
law which distinguishes the Creator from false gods. Compare Jer. 10:10-12;
Acts 17 : 23, 24; Rov. 14 : 6, 7, etc. And it is that part of his law for keeping
which his people will suffer persecution. But when the wrath of God comes
upon the persecutorc who are found enforcing the sign or mark of the beast,
then they will realize the importance of the Sabbath, — the seal of the living
God. They who turn away from that which the Lord spoke when his voice
shook the earth, will confess their fatal error when his voice ohall shake the
heavens and the earth. Heb. 12 :25, 26; Joel 3 ; 9-16, and others. See also
pages 639, 640 of this book.

\i-

biwCRAPHICAL NOTES.

COLUMBA. The goBpel was (irHt curried to Orcnt Britain in the second'
century; and thence, through the labors of Succat, or St. Patrick, in the
fourth century, it Hpn-ad to Ireland. The invasion of Britain by the pagan
Saxons, a. v. 440, resulted in very nearly uprooting the Ciiristian faith in
England and Scotlaiul. But it was revived, a hundred years later, through
the labors of Columba, a native of Ireland, from one of tho churches that had
grown up under Suceat's labors. Colurnba was very active in spreading the
gospel in his own country, when, his attention being called to the condition
of the heathen Piuts, ho determined to undertake their conversion. With a
few companions ho established himself on the little island of lona, or Icolmkill,
off the west coast of Scotland. A church and college grew up here; and
through the evangelists sent out from thence, the gospel was disseminated
through a considerable part of Europe.

Columba was of princely birth, "of lofty stature, and noble bearing. He
was a man of (|uick perception, and great force of character; one of those mas-
terful minds that mould and sway otliers. " " He had an intense love for tho
Word of God, and spent much time in reading, studying, and copying it. He
gave much time also to prayer and to the guiding of the communities which
put tliomselves under his care, endeavoring to train them in useful arts as
well as in Christian knowledge."

Columba labored personally, and with great success, in Scotland and
England, and several times visited Irclaml. His last days were spent at lona,
"the isle of his heart," as ho usually called it. The closing scene was moat
touching. The day before his death, being taken to the hill which overlooked
the mission house and its little farm, he stood surveying it for some time, and,
lifting up both his hands, he invoked upon it the divine blessing. ' ' lieturn-
ing to his hut, he resumed his daily task in transcribing the Psalter, and
proceeded to the place where it is written, ' They that seek the Lord shall not
lack any good thing. ' * Here,' lie said, at the close of the page, ' I must atop.*
When the bell for matins rang, he hastened to the church, and, ere the breth-
ren could join him, ho had fainted before the altar. Unable to speak, he
made a feeble effort once more to raise his right hand to bless them, and, with
joy beaming in his face, passed to his rest."

Columba was born at Gartan, County Donegal, Ireland, A. v. 521; died
at lona, Scotland, 597.

THE WALDENSES — The name Waldenses is said to have been derived
from Peter Waldo, a merchant of Lyons, France, who lived about 1150
■'%. r>. Finding opportunity^ in the midst of a life of business activity, for the
8tu<ly of letters, he was led to the Bible, and, receiving the truths of the
gospel, he devoted his life to the work of au evangelist. He rendered an im-
(692)

BJOGIiArilJCAL XOTl'S.

693

portant aervice to the oauao of reform, l>y procuring, nt his own ex[Miuse and
under hia auperviaion, a traaHlatiun of the Netv ToHtaniitiit into the Honiaunt
tongue, then the vernacular uf Suuthem Franco. Thix wua the timt complete
translation of the Scriptures into any of the languages uf medieval Kuropc,
and was the only one available for popular \iHe.

But the primitive ChriMtiaua known vm Waldenaea, or Vaudois, oxisted
before the days of Waldo. From tlio earlieat times there have lieen Christians
holding the fuitli of the apostolic church, and bearing toHtimony against
Koinish tyranny and corruption. The diocese of Milan — which included thu
plains of Lomliardy, the Alps of Piedmont, and tlie southern provinces of
France — exceeded in extent the temporal dominions of thu Kr)man seo; and
it was not until thu middle of the eleventh oentary that Milan acknowledged
the supremacy of the pope. Even then many of thu people repudiated the
action of their prelates, and in the mountains of I'iedmont maintained tiieir
independence of Rome. In the south of France the Albigenses otFered a
similar resistance to the popish usurpations.

The persecution which began under Innocent III., in. the thirteenth
century, resulted in the extinction of the Albigense.s, and it coutinueil, with
murderous violence, against the Vaudois for hundreds of years. For the
sake of peaoo, many at last resorted to an outward conformity to Rome.
But with the Reformation, a new life animated the dwellers in thu riedmont
valleys. Again they witnessed for their faith, and the fires of persecution
were rekindled. Again and again bodies of soldiers were dispatciied against
them. Massacre succeeded massacre. Tortures the most horrible that were
ever perpetrated by fiends in human form, were visited upon aged men,
helpless women, and little chi en. In 1C85 the conquest was completed.
All the surviving inhabitants o. the valleys were dragged away to fill the
prisons of their com^uerors. Neglect, barbarity, and pestilence wrought
their dreadful work; and in less than one year, out of fourteen thousand who
had entered, only three thousand came forth when the prison doors were
opened. These were sentenced to exile, and in the dead of winter a large
number made their way across the Alps, to a place of refuge. Hundreds
perished, and after terrible sufTering, the survivors reached the gates of
Geneva. A few years later, part of this company returned to their mount-
ains, an I recovered possession of their deserted homes.

In * he eighteenth century, religious persecution gi-nerally subsided. Yet
in 1799 the Waldenses were still subjected to many civil restrictions; tlieir
children were often stolen, or taken from them by force, in order to be edu-
cated in the Catholic faith, and tliey had to pay tithes to the Romish clergy.
It was not until 1848 tliat they were admitted, by tlie rulers of Piedmont, to
e(|ual enjoyment with others of all social and political rights. Within the
States of the church, however, the pope still reigned supreme, and his ])ower
was a standing menace to religious freedom. But in 1870 the stronghold of
popery fell. Soon the New Testament was printed in Rome, by the hand of
a young Waldensian, under the very windows of the Vatican. And one of
the prisons was converted into a publishing house, and in the torture-

694

APPENDIX.

chamber that once echoed the cries of the martyrs of .Teiun, the preas was set
up, from which the gosiMil of peacu was Huiit out to all the land.

JOHN WYCLIFFE, or John of Wycliffo, the greatest of "the re-
formers before the Reformation," was born about 13*24, in the village of the
same name, in Yorkshire, England. His death occurred in 1384. Of his
early life, little in known. He received his education at the University of
Oxford, which even at that early date numbered not less than thirty thousand
students. Until near the oloae of his life he continued to reside and to teach
here. By his defense of the action of Kdward III. in refusing the pope'a
demand for tribute, and his advocacy of popular rights when delegated to
treat with the papal nuncios in the Netherlands, WyclifTe won the confidence
and approval of the king and the people. Tliough pursued by the relentless
enmity of the pope and his supporters, and at last driven from the university,
ho was appointed by the king to the rectory of Lutterworth, where he devoted
himself to the translation of the Bible into the mother-tongue. " Wycliffe
was eminent as a scholar, a diplomatist, and a preacher." " His wonderful
learning and intellectual ability gave him a commanding influence in the uni-
versity. But the Bible was his standard and staple; his sermons are really
saturated with it. His object is always to defend the truth of Christ. "

JOHN HUSS, of Hussinetz, Bohemia, born in 1378, was chief among
those by whom tho torch of truth was handed down from Wyclitio to the
refr niers of tho sixteenth century. He was educated at the University of
Prague, and in 1402 became rector of the ur.iversity, and preacher of Beth-
lehem Chapel. He did nut apprehend the truth so clearly as did ^yyclitfe,
he held to papal doctrines which the Engliuh reformer bad renounced; but he
maintained tlie great fundamental truth of the infallibility of the Scriptures,
and faithfully rebuked the vices of the church; and he laid down his life aa
a witness to hia fidelity. He was burned at Constance, in 1415.

"Huss was much less remarkable for the amount of his mental endow-
ments and acquirements than for the candor M'ith which he formed his con-
victions, the tenacity with whicli he held them, the unselfish enthusiasm with
which he spoks them. He cannot be said to havo added ... to tlie
intellectual wealth of the world; but hia contribution to its moral capital
was immense." Ho has been justly pronounced "one of the bravest of the
martyrs who have died in the cause of honesty and freedom, of progress and
of growth toward the light. "

JEROME OF PRAGUE, the devoted friend of Huss, was a descendant
of a noble Bohemian family. After spending several years at the University
of Prague, he continued his studies at the leading universities of France,
Germany, and England, at each receiving the degree of doctor of divinity.
At Oxford he became acquainted with the writings of Wycliffe, and studied
them with great enthusiasm. "Until now," he said, "we had nothing but
the shell of science; Wycliffe first laid open the kernel." He engaged in trans-
lating WycliflFe's writings into the Bohemian language, and, on returning to Bo-
hemia, joined Huss in promulgating the reformed doctrines. Jerome was bora
about 1365. and was burned at the stake in Constance, in 1416.

BIO GiiArmcAL yo tes.

605

MARTIN LUTHER. h:iHlulieii, a little town ia tho Thuriii^ian foruat,
Saxony, was tho hirtlipW-u of Liithur, the greutoHt of tho ruformera. Horn
in 14H:i, whun tho revival of luttcra had alruoily hogiin, and tho niinda of men
weru uwaki.-ning from the atupor of mi-diovulitm, Luther wua, under Otxl, to
loud tlu-m from tho bonda){e of 8Ui>uratition. In hia hoyhood hu waa aent to
Hchdol at Munafeld, iit Matjduburg, and nt Kiavnaoli, and l-vimi tliun miinifuated
H keen power of intollect. At KiatMiach, aa hu aang before tho houaea, and
aaked for broad for C'hriat'a aaku, lio attracted tho notice of the kindly Uriula
Cotta, who received him into lier home, and gave a niother'a care to tho poor
young acholar. In l.'iOl Luther entore<l tho UniverHity of Krfurt; fouryeara
Inter ho abandoned hia atudies, for the monaatcry. }Io waa ordained prieat in
l')07, and tiu! following year was calleil to a chair in tho Univemity at Witten-
berg. Tlie famous theaes against indulgences were poatcd in 1517; and in
15*il ho appeared at the Diet of Worms. For twonty-tivo yeara tho decree
of outlawry here pronounced hung over him; yet, like Wyclifl'e, ho was to die
in peace. Though nearly the whole of hia active lifo waa H^Mmt at WitteD'
berg, hia death occurred at Eisleben, hia native place, where, worn out with
hia mighty lubora, ho expired Foliruury 18, 1*)4().

" Luther's phyaical lifo was largely one of autFeriug. Hia form, in early
life, waa spare, though in after-years ajiproaching to corpulence. The full-
ness of face given him in his later pictuns, liowever, is auid to have been the
reault, not of robustnetis, but of a dropsical tendency resulting from his early
austerities. Hia habits were abstemious. His voice was not loud nor strong;
it was their lightning, not their thunder, by which tho mighty etfects of his
words were produced.

"The character of Luther lies so opin in his life that it is hardly neces-
sary to trace its lines. Ho was so ingenuous that if all the world iiad con-
spired to cover up his faults, his own hand would have uncovered tliem. His
violence was that of a mighty nature, strong in conviction, waging tho battle
of truth against implacable foes. That he was unseltish, earnest, honest, in-
flexibly brave in danger, full of tenderness and liumanity; that ho was one of
the great creative spirits of the race, mighty in word and deed, matchless as
a popular orator, one of the very people, yet a princo among princes, a child
of faith, a child of (iod, — this is admitted by all."

PHILIP MELANCTHON, the friend of Luther, and his co-laborer in
the German Reformation, was l)oru in 1497. He was the son of a master-
armorer of Bretten, in the duchy of Baden, and was a rc^lative and pupil of the
celebrated Reuchlin, who did so much to introduce the study of Greek and
Hebrew into Germany. The strength and clearness of Melancthon's under-
standing made the acquisition of knowledge a deligiit. At tlie age of twelve
years, he entered the University of Heidelberg, and at seventeen took his
doctor's degree. It was about this time that he changed his name from
Schwartzerd ("black earth") to the Greek Melancthon, which signifies tho
same thing. In those times it was not unusual for learned men to translate
their names from German to Latin or Greek. At twenty-one, Melancthon
was called to the Greek professorship at Wittenberg, and then began the

<i|

696

APPENDIX.

friendship with Luther which continued till the great reformer's death.
Melancthon compares Luther to Elijah, and calls him "the man full of the
Holy Ghost." And Luther, contrasting himself witli Melancthon, wrote:
" I was bound to fight with rabble and devils, for wliich reason my books are
very belligerent. I am the rough pioneer, who must break road; but Master
Philip comes along softly and gently, sows and waters heartily, since ( Jod
hath richly endowed liim with gifts." It was Melancthon 'a logical mind and
polished pen that wrote the confession of Augsburg, whose clearness, strength,
simplicity, and elegance were acknowledged even by its foes. He died at
Wittenberg, in 1560, and was buried beside Luther in the castle church.

ULRIC ZWINGLE was born New Year's day, 1484, in the little villaye
of Wildhaus, in a narrow valley of southeastern Switzerland. He was the first
of Swiss reformers, and his work exerted a widespread influence. Zurich was
the scene of his most important labors; he was called to this city in 1519, and
in 1525 the Reformation had become established here without violence, and
almost without disturbances. As other cities and entire districts accepted
the reformed faith, the popish cantons took up arms to oppose the right of
religious liberty. In the struggle that followed, Zwingle, who acted as chap-
lain for the reformed forces, fell on the field of Cappel, October 11, 1531.

"Zwingle was a bold reformer, an able scholar, an eloquent preacher, a
patriotic republican, and far-sighted statesman. He lacked the genius and
depth of Luther and Calvin, the learning of Melancthon and Qicolampadius;
but he was their equal in honesty of purpose, integrity of character, heroic
courage, and devotion to the cause of reformation, and he surpassed them in
liberality."

JOHN (ECOLAMPADIUS — Q^colampadius is called " the reformer of
Basel, " but the wide extent of his influence entitles him to a more compre-
hensive appellation. In his intellectual and moral qualities he bore a striking
resemblance to Melancthon. ' ' There are several illustrations in the period of
the Reformation, that the Lord delights to send out his disciples in pairs
when he has a great work to accomplish. Luther stood side by side with
Melancthon, Calvin with Beza, and G^colampadiua with Zwingle."

fficolampadius was born in 1482, in the present kingdom of WUrtemberg.
He early regarded Luther's teaching with favor, and, in 1522, upon being
invited to Basel, he entered upon his work as a reformer. The city was at
this time the most important intellectual center in Switzerland, the seat of its
only university, and the residence of its most extensive printers. Q"]colampa
dius was soon appointed to a chair in the university, and in 1529 the Reforma-
tion was established in Basel. Here Q^colampadius died, in 1531.

JACQUES LEFEVRE, an eminent scholar, and one of the earliest of
French reformers, was born about 1450, and died in 153(5. Lefevre was a pro-
fessor in the University of Paris, when, about 1507, he began to study the
Bible. He published commentaries on difTerent portions of the Scriptures, and
in 1521 one of his works was condemned as heretical. But by the favor of
Francis I. and the princess Margaret, the proceedings against him were stopped.
In 1523 his French version of the New Testament was issued. After the battle

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES.

697

of Pavia, however, and the imprisonment of Francis in Madrid, the papist
party resorted to the most vigorous measures against the reformers, and
Lefevre, then seventy-five years of ago, fled to Strasburg. Soon after the king's
release he was recalled, and, after publishing his translation of the Old Testa-
ment, he retired to Nerac, the residence of Margaret of Navarre, where he
died. Lefevre had accepted the fundamental principles of the Reformation,
and maintained them in his writings; yet he retained his connection v/ith the
liomish Church, hoping that a reform might take place in the church itself.
Studious and peace-loving, he shrank from open conflict. But his lack of
boldness to confess the truth caused him bitter remorse in his last hours.
With tears and heart-rending anguish he exclaimed, "I am condemned. I
have concealed the truth which I ought to have professed and openly borne
witness to." Day and night he continued to utter this cry, but was at last
enabled to cast his burden upon Christ, and he died trusting in the mercy
of God.

WILLIAM PAREL, one of the boldest pioneers of the Reformation
in Switzerland and France, was born in Dauphiny, a province of Eastern
France, in 1489. He was a zealous and successful student, and became pro-
fessor in one of the colleges of Paris. Receiving the principles of the reformed
faith, he tlirew himself, with all the strength of his ardent nature, into the
work of the gospel. Being forced to flee from France, he repaired to Basel,
and formed a warm friendship with Zwingle and Qilcolampadiua, who could not
but be attracted by his energy and self-sacrifice, while they perceived his lack
of discretion, wliich sometimes led him to imprudence and even rashness.
But Erasmus, the politic and conservative scholar, could not tolerate tlie un-
compromising reformer, and, through his influence, Farel was forced to leave
Basel. A large part of his long and active life was, however, spent in Switz-
erland, in labors that were at once vast and perilous; and they resulted in
establishing the reformed faith in a considerable part of that country.

In 1582, Farel went as deputy from the reformers to the Waldensian Synod
in the .alley of Angrogna. He was ever after held in high esteem by the
Vaudois, and exerted a strong influence over them. Through many vicissi-
tudes, dangers, and sufferings, lie continued laboring for the Reformation until
the very day of liis death, which occurred at Neuchatel, in 1565. ** Farel was
an ardent, impulsive man; a missionary rather than an organizer; an iconoclast
rather than a theologian. " Beza says tlmt in his preaching "he excelled in
a certain sublimity, so that none could hear his thunders without trembling."

JOHN CALVIN. — At Noyou, in Picardy, about seventy miles northeast
of Paris, Calvin was born in 1509; he died at Geneva in 15G4. Calvin early
renounced Romanism, and in 1534 was forced to flee from France. In 1536
he published at Basel the most celebrated of all his works, "The Institutes of
the Christian Religion. " The same year he entered upon his labors at Geneva,
where nearly all liis subsequent life was spent. Here his methods of govern-
ment and reform were strictly observed, this being the condition upon which
alone he would consent to remain. Under his rule, immorality of every sort
was sternly suppressed. Besides the refugees that flocked to Geneva from

698

APPENDIX.

nearly all parts of Europe, thousands of students resorted thither, drawn by
the fame of his lectures and those of Beza.

" Calvin's habits were frugal and unostentatious. He had a clear under*
standing, an extraordinary memory, and a firmness and intiexibility of purpose
which no opposition could overcome, no variety of objects defeat, no vicissi-
tude shake. In his principles he was devout and sincere." Some acts of
intolerance have cast a shadow upon his public career, but his character in
private life was without a stain. As preacher, author, pastor, and leader of
the Reformation throughout Europe, the extent of his labors is almost in-
credible. His health was feeble, yet he continu«!d his work almost to the day
of his death. He chose to be poor, refusing additions to his moderate salary,
and declining presents, except for the purpose of giving them to the poor.
Though often accused of amassing wealth, he left at his death little more
than two hundred dollars. At his own request, he was buried without pomp,
and no monument marks his grave.

MENNO SIMONS, '*a reformer whose apostolic spirit and labors have
thus far failed to receive the recognition they deserve." He was bom about
1492, in Northern Holland. He died in Holstein in 1559.

In 1536, Menno withdrew from the Romish Church. His opposition to
the doctrine of infant baptism separated him from the Lutheran and Reformed
churches. It was his earnest effort, while firmly opposing fanaticism, to
restore in the church the purity and simplicity of apostolic days; a personal
profession of faith in Christ was required as a prerequisite to baptism, and
purity of life was a condition of church-membership.

HANS TAUSEN, born in Denmark, in 1494; died in 1561. In 1524 he
began to preach the reforme-^ doctrines. He was the first preacher of the
Reformation in Denmark, and; with Bugenhagen, was the chief agent in its
establishment in that country.

OLAF AND LAURENTIUS PETRI were born at Orebro, Sweden,
the former in 1497, the latter in 1499. Olaf died at Stockholm in 1552,
Laurentius at Upsala in 1573. They were chiefly instrumental in the es-
tablishment of the Reformation in Sweden, under the protection of the king,
Gustavus Vasa.

WILLIAM TYNDALE, one of the most eminent English reformers of
the sixteenth century, was born about 1484. Soon after accepting the re-
formed faith he formed the design of translating the Scriptures into the En-
glish language, and was forced to flee to the Continent to escape persecution.
The Now Testament was printed at Cologne and Worms in 1525. His subse-
quent history is involved in obscurity. He was engaged in the translation and
printing of the Old Testament, and the publication of various works setting
forth the doctrines of the Reformation. To elude the emissaries of the
English king and prelates, he pursued his work in secret, and so carefully did
he conceal his places of retreat that they are even yet unknown. In 1534 he
ventured to settle at Antwerp, where he was arrested. At the castle of Vilvor-
•den, a few miles from Brusseld, he was strangled and burned, October 6, 1536.
It cannot he proved that Henry VIII. had any direct agency in his executi':',

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES.

699

but he made no eflfort to save him. The martyr's last prayer was, " Lord, open
the eyes of the king of England. "

The value of Tyndale 's labors as a translator of the Scriptures and a
promoter of the Reformation in England, has never been adequately appreci-
ated. The millions who in all quarters of the earth enjoy the blessings of the
English Bible, owe him a debt of gratitude; for the authorized version has
his for its basis. In his own time his teachings shaped the views of many of
the leaders in the English Reformation, who also sealed their testimony with
their blood.

HUGH LATIMER, sometimes called "the John Knox of England," was
born about 1470. His father was a plain yeoman, "who," sfvys Latimer,
" brought up his children in godliness and the fear of God." Latimer was
educated at Cambridge, and was a zealous papist, but, through the efforts of
the martyr Bilney, he accepted the doctrines of the Reformation. His fearless
presentation of the truth won the favor of Hetiry VIII., wlio appointed him
. bishop of Worcester, but upon the passage of "the bloody act of the six
articles," enforcing a belief in transubstantiation, with other popish errors,
Latimer promptly resigned hia position. He was afterward arrested, and was
for six years held a prisoner in the Tower. Released on the accession of
Edward VI., he was ofiFered his bishopric, but he firmly declined the honor,
and continued faithfully to rebuke the vices of the times. When Mary came
to the throne he was again committed to the Tower. Though he was now
eighty years old, no respect was shown for his great age. He steadfastly
maintained his faith, and was burned at Oxford in 1555. Latimer was not a
man of great learning; he was plain in speech; but he was brave, honest,
and devoted, a reprover of sin both in high places and in low.

NICHOLAS RIDLEY, an English bishop and martyr, eminent for his
learning and piety, was born about 1500. He studied at Cambridge, also at
the most celebrated universities of France and the Netherlands. Through the
favor of Cranmer he was appointed chaplain to King Henry, and, in the reign
of Edward, he became bishop of London. After Mary's accession he was,
with Latimer, burned at the stake iu 1555. Being denied permission to speak
unless he recanted, he said, " So long as the breath is in my body, I will never
deny my Lord Christ and his known truth. God's will be done in me."

In his private life. Bishop Ridley was pronounced "a pattern of piety,
humility, temperance, and regularity." Fox speaks of him as "a man beau-
tified with excellent qualities, . . . godly learned, and now written,
doubtless, in the book of life. "

JOHN KNOX, the reformer of Scotland, was born ii: ' 505. He was edu-
cated at the University of Glasgow, and was ordained a Catholic priest. The
writings of Jerome and Augustine, and the influence of the martyr Wishart,
set him free from the fetters of Rome, and lie became a preacher of the gospel.
When the castle of St. Andrews was taken by the French, Knox was made
prisoner, and being carried to Rouen he served for nineteen months as a galley-
slave. Upon his release the state of affairs in Scotland forbade his return,
and he spent some time in England, acting as chaplain to Edward VI. Whea

700

APPENDIX.

Mary came to the thrtme, he went to Frankfort and Geneva, in each place
becoming pastor of the English exiles. He was much esteemed by Calvin,
whose doctrines he advocated. Returning to Scotland in 1559, he was,
through the influence of the Romanists, proclaimed an outlaw and a rebel,
but, nothing daunted, he pursued his labors, taking an active part in the estab-
lishment of the Reformation in that country until his death, in 1572.

JOHN BUNYAN, so widely known as the author of " Pilgrim's Progress,"
was born in England, in 1628. He was the son of a tinker of Elstow, and
was himself brod to the same trade. He, however, acquired some of the
rudiments of education, and, though little inclined to religion, was far supe-
rior in morals to most of his class. He served for a time in the parliamentary
army, and here one of his comrades, while filling his post, was killed.
Bunyan felt that a divine hand had interposed to save his life, and he was
thus led to give his attention to religious things. After long and severe c(m-
flicts he found peace in Christ. He joined the Baptists, and became an
exhorter, and, after a time, one of their most distinguished preachers.

In 1660, under the oppressive measures enforced at the Restoration,
Bunyan was thrown into Bedford jail, where he remained for twelve years.
Eor the support of his family he took up the making of tagged thread boot-
laces, but he firmly refused either to sacrifice his faith or to escape from his
prison by strategem, as he might easily have done. He was offered his
freedom if he would give up preaching, and was told that if he persisted in
defying the law, he would he sentenced to banishment, and to death should
he return to England. His answer was, "If you let me out to day, I will
preach again to-morrow." But liis persecutors were thwarted; for the "Pil-
grim's Progress," which he wrote in his dungeon, has taught the truths of
salvation wherever the English language is spoken, and it has been translated
into every tongue of Christendom. It is one of the favorite books that, after
Holy Scripture, the missionary to the lieathen tianslates for his converts.

After his release, Bunyan i^reached with great zeal and success, gaining
the appellation of " Bishop Bunyan. " The Bible was his constant companion,
the source of his wisdom, and the inspiration of his genius. Self-sacrifice for
the truth's sake and for the good of others was the rule of his life. Ho died
at the age of sixty, from exposure in a storm while returning from a success-
ful effort to reconcile a father to his son. There are few more striking exam-
ples of the educating, transforming power of the Hr.^y Scriptures upon both
the intellect and the heart, than is presented in the history of John Bunyan.

JOHN WESLEY, the founder of Methodism, was born at Epworth,
England, in 17' '3. His father was a minister of the Church of England. His
mother, from whom he received his early training and education, was a woman
of great intelligence and deep piety, firm yet wise in discipline, and a skillful
teacher. He studied at Oxford, and won a high reputation for scholarship.
It was here that the famous " Holy Club" was formed, John and Charles
Wesley, Whitefield, and others uniting together for devotional exei'cises, min-
istering to the sick and the poor, visiting prisons, etc.

In 1725, Wesley received ordination to the ministry. When a mission to

^^f

niO GRA PIIICA L NO TES.

701

Georgia for the conversion of tho Indians was projected, and a call was made
for "a clergyman inured to contempt of the ornaments and conveniences of
life, to bodily austerities, and to serious thoughts," Wesley responded. He
remained two years in the colony, but without opportunity to accomplish the
object of his mission. He returned to Fngland in 1738, and the same year
fully received th« doctrine of justification by faith, and began to preach it.
He especially devoted himself to the work of cairying the gospel to the poor
and neglected classes. Finding the churches closed against him, lie finally
resorted to open-air preaching. "I could hardly reconcile myself," he says,
" to this strange way of preaching in the fields, . . . having been all my
life (till very lately) so very tenacious of every point relating to decency and
order that I should have thought the saving of souls almost a sin if it had
not been done in a church." Until his death, in 1791, he continued his labors
in England, Scotland, and Ireland. During his life he traveled upwards of
two hundred and fifty thousand miles, and preached forty thousand sermons,
besides the oversight of all his churches and congregations, an immense cor-
respondence, and the preparation of his voluminous writings.

GEORGE WHITEFIELD, one of the most celebrated e< '■ olists of
modern times, was a native of Gloucester, England. Educated at uxford, and
a member of the Methodist Club, he was the first of their number who pro-
fessed conversion. He was ordained in 1736, and labored especially to benefit
the multitudes who were not reached by the ordinary ministrations of the
church. He seven times visited America, preaching in all the large c'ties.
He also labored extensively in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and made a
visit to Holland. Whitefield diflfered from Mr. Wesley in regard to the doc-
trine of predestination, and the separation which resulted gave rise to the
two branches, Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists. He died in 1770, at the
age of fifty-six, as he was preparing for a seventh missionary tour through
the United States.

The power of Whitefield's preaching was acknowledged by all clashes;
multitudes flocked to hear him, and extensive revivals followed his labors.
Not infrequently he preached three or four times a day. The day before his
death he spoke at Exeter, Mass., holding a large audience spell-bound for two
hours. He went to Newburyport, intending to preach next day. As he was
retiring to his chamber at night, seeing the people gathered in the hall below,
he stopped, and spoke to them from the staircase until his candle burned out
in the socket. The next morning he was dead.

JOHN ROBINSON, the Pilgrim pastor, was born in England, in 1575.
He was educated at Cambridge, and became a minister of tlie Established
Church; but feeling that the ecclesiastical supremacy accorded to the king was
contrary to the teachings of Christ, he resolved upon separation. The decision
was a painful one, and in referring to it he says, "Had not the truth been
in my heart 'as a burning fire shut up in my bones,' I had never broken
those bonds, . . . but had suffered the light of God to have been put out
in mine own unthankful heart by other men's darkness." Robinson was
among the exiles who found refuge in Holland, and he became pastor of the

702

APPENDIX.

Pilgrim church at Leyden, where he was highly esteemed both for piety and
scholarship. When the Pilgrims decided to seek a home in America, it was
found necessary to divide the company, and as the majority remained at
Leyden, to follow their brethren at a later period, they claimed the min-
istry of their pastor. But Robinson was not to accompany his Hock to the
New World. He died at liCyden, in 1625. Hia family afterwartl joined the
exiles, and his descendants were among the colonists of Iiew England.

Eobinaon's character may be read in his farewell address to the Pilgrims.
He was one of the few men that, in every age, have been the hope of reform,
— men who, instead of resting their faith upon the creed or teaching of the
church, will build only upon the eternal foundation of the Word of God.

ROGER WILLIAMS, pre-eminently the advocate of religious freedom,
was a native of Wales, born about 1600. Ho died in Rhode Island, in 1683.
Williams took orders in the Church of England; but soon, he says, his
" conscience was persuaded against the national church and ceremonies and
bishops." He went to America in 1631, but being too radical and outspoken
even for the Puritan colonies, he was sentenced to banishment. One of the
regulations enacted by those law-makers was: "If any person or jjcrsons
within this jurisdiction . . . shall deny their [the magistrates'] lawful
right or authority ... to punish the outward breaches of the first table
[of the decalogue], , . . every such person or persons shall be sentenced
to banishment." As Williams stoutly denied the jurisdiction of the magis-
trates in religious matters, he stood condemned.

He had been accused of advancing opinions that were dangerous to the
peace and order of the commonwealth; but upon proceeding to Rhode Island
he founded a community in which perfect religious liberty prevailed, and
where these very teachings were freely permitted; yet life, property, and civil
government were as secure here as in Massachusetts. Thus it V'as demon-
strated that Williams' teachings were not dangerous to the peace and order
of the State, that the charges against him were unsustained, and that his
banishment from Massachusetts was unjust.

"Williams' character as a man and a Christian was above reproach. Even
hia bitterest opponents spoke of him personally in terms of high respect.
He was an especial friend of the Indians. He studied their language, re-
spected and defended their title to their lands, and when the Massachusetts
Colony and other white settlements were threatened with Indian hostilities,
he was able, by his acquaintance and friendship with leading chiefs, to avert
the impending dangers." It was thus that Williams requited the injustice
which he had suffered.

WILLIAM MILLER, the well-known prophetic expositor, was born
at Pittsfield, Mass., in 1782. During the greater part of his life, however,
his home was at Low Hampton, New York, where he died in 1849. The son
of an officer in the army of the Revolution, Mr. Miller himself served in the
war of 1812, holding a captain's commission in the regular army. He had
imbibed deistical sentiments before entering the army, but his integrity of
character rendered the profligacy of the camp so distasteful to him that upon,
the expiration of the war he gladly abandoned a military life.

BIOGRAPHICA L NO TES.

703

The fact that deism denies a future existence prevented him from giving
a cordial assent t^ tlie doctrine, though he did n )t accept the Scriptures as
inspired. Wlien, however, he came to look upon the Bible as its own in-
teipreter, instead of accepting the current theological teaching as the ex-
ponent of revelation, all his difficulties were swept away. From the year
1818, when he reached the conclusion that the personal coming of Christ was
noax, he continued for thirteen years prayerfully investigating the subject,
but mentioning his views only in private. He entered upon their public pre-
sentation in 1831, and, between this time and 1844, deliven^d four thousand
lectures in five hundred different towns. About two hundred ministers ac-
cepted his views, and five hundred public lecturers engaged in their promul-
gation. In nearly a thousand places, congregations of believers wero raised
up, comprising about fifty thousand persons. Under Mr. Miller's labors
alone, not less than six thousand souls wero converted to Christ, and the
number was probably much greater. Of the converts, fully seven hundred
were avowed infidels before attending his lectures.

Though mistaken in regard to the exact time of the second advent, his
belief was unchanged as to the manner and nearness of the Saviours coming.
In 1845 he wrote: "I have candidly weighed the objections advanced
against these views; but I have seen no arguments that were sustained by
the Scriptures, that, in my opinion, invalidated my position. I cannot,
therefore, conscientiously refrain from )oking for my Lord, or from exhorting
my fellow- men, as I have opportunity, to be in readiness for that great event."
Yet he felt that his own work was nearly ended. " I shall leave to my
younger brethren," he said, "the task of contending for the truth. Many
years I toiled on alone; God has now raised up those who will fill my place."
Ho continued, however, to preach from time to time, as the increasing in-
firmities of age would permit; and he died in full faith of the doctrines which
he had proclaimed.

JOSEPH WOLFF, the famous Hebrew missionary and traveler, was
born in 1795, in Bavaria. " Endowed with almost unprecedented linguistic
talent, a quick power of perception, lively temperament, and great prudence,
he became acquainted, at a very early age, with the most prominent men in
different countries of Europe. In 1812 he was baptized at Prague by a
Benedictine monk. At Rome, where he went to be educated as a missionary,
he devoted himself to the study of Oriental languages, intending to carry the
gospel to both Jews and Mohammedans. He enjoyed the favor of the most
prominent men, including that of Pope Pius VII.; but the liberal views
which he expressed on various occasions made him suspected in tho eyes of
the Inquisition, and he had to leave the college and the eternal city. lu
England, he speedily found friends. The founders of the London Society for
the Jews, perceiving his special fitness for missionary work, effected his en-
trance to Cambridge University, where he continued his Oriental studies.

" During his adventurous life as a traveler, — in Europe, Asia, America,
and a part of Africa, — he became acquainted with kings and princes, as well
as with the most learned men of all ecclesiastical relations. In the greatest
perils he showed an undaunted courage, and great presence of mind. He

704

APPENDIX.

preached everywhere, — at one time in this language, at another in a different
one; and whtTevur he went, he understood hovr to interest the most promi-
nent men and women in behalf of his mission. " V/orn with the hibora and
exposures of his lonjj journey iuga, lie spent his hist years as the rector of di
English country parisli, where he died, in 1802.

JOHN / LBERT BENGEL was horn in WUrt^mburg, in 1687; died in
1751. Ho is Uiiivorsally regarded as a man of eritical judgment, of extensive
learning, and solid piety. He was the author of severr.l Bildical works of
great valre, both critical and exegetical, which still form a part of the treas-
ures of tiie Bible student. Beiigel'c rule of interpretation was "to put noth-
ing into the fcieriptures, but to draw every thing /rom them, and suffer nothing
to remain hidden that is really in them. " .

LOUIS GAUSSEN, born in 1700, was a native of (ieneva, and a clergy-
man of the Reformed Church. Ho was known throughout Switzerland as an
earnest upholder of evangelical Christianity, and was associated with Dr.
Merle d'Aubi<j;iie and others, in seeking to substitute a seriptural faith for
tlie rationalistic philosoiiby wliich jx-rvadcd (ieiicva. He eneouiitcKd deter-
mined opposition, ami was at last suspended by the consistory. In 18.34 he
took thu chair of theology in the newly-founded e^'angelical school of Geneva,
and bee, mo the author of various works upon the Scriptures. His death
occurre in 18G.'{.

PI JS IX AND THE DECREE OF INFALLIBILITY From Mr.

Gladst jne's tract, "The Vatican Decrees," wo condense the following brief
accoiiit of the promulgation of the decree of infallibility under Pope Pius IX.:
The Vatican Council was solemnly opened, amid the sound of innumerable
bells and the cannon of St. Angelo, Deceml)er 8, 1S09, in ttie Basilica of the
Vatican. At the fourth public session, July 18, 1S70, the decree of papal
infallibility was proclaimed. This decree not only asserts the power of the
Roman pontiff over all other churches, but attributes to him "an immediate
jurisdiction, to which all Catholics, both piistors and people, are bound to
submit in matters not oidy oi .'r.ith and morals, but even of discipline and
government." It declares that the pope, when speaking "in his official
capacity, to the Christian world on subjects relating to faitii and morals, is
infallible," and that his decisions aro final and irreversible.

Tliis crowning act of papal blasphemy was speedily followed by the fall
of tho pope's temporal sovereignty. On the second of September, 1870, six
weeks from the time when the decree of infallibility was proclaimed, " the
French Empire, which had been the main support of the temporal power of
the pope, collapsed with the surrender of Napoleon III., at the old Huguenot
stronghold of Sedan, to the Protestant King William of Prussia; and on the
twentieth of September the Italian tfoops, in the name of King Victor
Emanuel, took possession of Rome, as the future capital of united Italy."
From the day when Pius IX. appeared before the people of Rome, at the
annouBoement of his infallibility, he was never again seen m public. Shorn
of his temporal power, and disdaining to own himself subject to the national
authority, the proud pontiff of Rome continued, until his death, in 1878, a
self -constituted prisoner in the palace of the Vatican.

erent
roini-
) and

uf dl

ed in

nsivc
ka of
treas-
uoth-
thing

ergy-
as an
Dr.
1 for
leter-
t4 he
ieva,
Leath

[ Mr.
briet
IX.:

rable
f the
)apal
I the
diate
id to
and
Hcial
Is, ia

(fall
I, six
"the
er of
enot
. the
ictor
ily."
i the
horn
ional
78, a