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Appendix
343
of the Lord,—the seventh day. The Sunday-Sabbath institution is
traced directly to the Romish Church, which, indeed, claims the
honor of originating it; and no one has been able to dispute this
claim. The Sabbath of Jehovah commemorates the creation of the
heavens and the earth, and the commandment for its observance was
given that the earth and its inhabitants might glorify the creator. The
law which compels the observance of the Sunday-Sabbath annuls
the commandment of God, and the earth and them that dwell therein
are caused to do homage to the power which originated it, by resting
thereon. Protestants have ascribed various institutions to the papacy,
and applied this prophecy to them; but in none is the earth, in
distinction from those who dwell upon the earth, caused to worship
that power, except in the Sunday rest enforced upon all the land.
9. And this sufficiently shows that it is no mere assumption
to say that Catholics and Protestants will unite in enforcing the
Sunday. Catholics honor it as the evidence of their authority to
“institute festivals of precept, and to command them under sin,”
and Protestants are making most strenuous efforts for its universal
enforcement. It is a well-known fact that most of the protestant
denominations are greatly modifying their opposition to the Catholic
Church, and united action of the two bodies in favor of the sunday
is by no means improbable. But a few years ago this view was
taught on the strength of the prophecy alone. New we
see
in passing
events strong indications of its fulfillment. The special object of the
“National Reform Association’ is to procure a religious amendment
to the National Constitution that the Sunday may be rescued from
desecration and universally enforced.
10. This beast not only compels the earth and its inhabitants
to worship the first beast, as above noticed, but it causes them that
dwell upon the earth to make an image to the first beast. This can be
done only by a union of Church and State, or by so subordinating
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the civil to the ecclesiastical power that the State will be compelled
to enforce the tenets and requirements of the Church. A Religious
Amendment to the Constitution of the United States would speedily
insure this result.
11. This exposition of the prophecy is confirmed by the message
from the Lord found in
Revelation 14:9-12
, which is based altogether
on the facts of
Revelation 13:11-17
, and which condemns in the very