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The Story of Redemption
finally established this system of popish idolatry. To complete the
sacrilegious 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 opened the way for a still
further disregard of Heaven’s authority. Satan tampered 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 festival observed by the heathen as “the venerable
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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 honor of the resurrection of
Christ. Religious services were held on it; yet it was regarded as a
day of recreation, the Sabbath being still sacredly observed.
Constantine, while still a heathen, issued a decree enjoining the
general observance of Sunday as a public festival throughout the
Roman Empire. After his conversion he remained a stanch advocate
of Sunday, and his pagan edict was then enforced by him in the
interests of his new faith. But the honor shown this day was not as
yet sufficient to prevent Christians from regarding the true Sabbath
as the holy of the Lord. Another step must be taken; the false sabbath
must be exalted to an equality with the true. A few years after the
issue of Constantine’s decree, the Bishop of Rome conferred on the
Sunday the title of Lord’s day. Thus the people were gradually led
to regard it as possessing a degree of sacredness. Still the original
Sabbath was kept.
The archdeceiver had not completed his work. He was resolved
to gather the Christian world under his banner, and to exercise his
power through his vicegerent, the proud pontiff who claimed to
be the representative of Christ. Through half-converted pagans,
ambitious prelates, and world-loving churchmen he accomplished
his purpose. Vast councils were held, from time to time, in which
the dignitaries of the church were convened from all the world.
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In nearly every council the Sabbath which God had instituted was