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The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 4
Protestants now urge that the resurrection of Christ on Sunday,
made it the Christian Sabbath. But Scripture evidence is lacking.
No such honor was given to the day by Christ or his apostles. The
observance of Sunday as a Christian institution has its origin in that
“mystery of lawlessness” 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 concerning which the
Scriptures are silent?
In the sixth century the papacy had become firmly established.
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 papacy. The dragon had given to the beast
“his power, and his seat, and great authority.” [
Revelation 13:2
.]
And now began the 1260 years of papal oppression foretold in the
prophecies of Daniel and John. [
Daniel 7:25
;
Revelation 13:5-7
.]
Christians were forced to choose, either to yield their integrity and
accept the papal ceremonies and worship, or to wear away their
lives in dungeon cells, 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.” [
Luke 21:16, 17
.] Persecution
opened upon the faithful with greater fury than ever before, and the
world became a vast battle-field. For hundreds 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
[58]
place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand
two hundred and three-score days.” [
Revelation 12:16
.]
The accession of the Roman Church to power marked the be-
ginning 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 forgive-
ness of sins and for eternal salvation, 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 mediator, and that none could
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