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God’s Law Immutable
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them which dwell therein to worship the first beast” indicates that
the authority of this nation is to enforce homage to the papacy.
Such action would be contrary to the genius of its free institu-
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tions, to the solemn avowals of the Declaration of Independence,
and to the Constitution. The Constitution provides that “Congress
shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or pro-
hibiting the free exercise thereof,” and that “no religious test shall
ever be required as a qualification to any office of public trust under
the United States.” Flagrant violation of these safeguards to liberty
is represented in the symbol. The beast with lamblike horns—in
profession pure, gentle, and harmless—speaks as a dragon.
“Saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make
an image to the beast.” Here is presented a form of government in
which the legislative power rests with the people, a most striking
evidence that the United States is the nation denoted.
But what is the “image to the beast”? How is it to be formed?
When the early church became corrupted, she sought the support
of secular power. The result: the papacy, a church that controlled
the state, especially for the punishment of “heresy.” In order for
the United States to form an “image of the beast,” the religious
power must so control the civil government that the state will also
be employed by the church to accomplish her own ends.
Protestant churches that have followed in the steps of Rome have
manifested a similar desire to restrict liberty of conscience. An ex-
ample is the long-continued persecution of dissenters by the Church
of England. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, non-
conformist pastors and people were subjected to fine, imprisonment,
torture, and martyrdom.
Apostasy led the early church to seek the aid of civil government,
and this prepared the way for the papacy—the beast. Said Paul:
“There” shall “come a falling away, ... and that man of sin be
revealed.”
2 Thessalonians 2:3
.
The Bible declares: “In the last days perilous times shall come.
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For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters,
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent,
fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded,
lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of