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Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers
them to lay aside reason and the fear of God and follow custom and
tradition.
“I will influence popular ministers to turn the attention of their
hearers from the commandments of God. That which the Scriptures
declare to be a perfect law of liberty shall be represented as a yoke of
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bondage. The people accept their minister’s explanations of Scrip-
ture and do not investigate for themselves. Therefore, by working
through the ministers, I can control the people according to my will.
“But our principal concern is to silence this sect of Sabbath
keepers. We must excite popular indignation against them. We will
enlist great men and worldly-wise men upon our side, and induce
those in authority to carry out our purposes. Then the sabbath which
I have set up shall be enforced by laws the most severe and exacting.
Those who disregard them shall be driven out from the cities and
villages, and made to suffer hunger and privation. When once we
have the power, we will show what we can do with those who
will not swerve from their allegiance to God. We led the Romish
church to inflict imprisonment, torture, and death upon those who
refused to yield to her decrees; and now that we are bringing the
Protestant churches and the world into harmony with this right arm
of our strength, we will finally have a law to exterminate all who
will not submit to our authority. When death shall be made the
penalty of violating our sabbath, then many who are now ranked
with commandment keepers will come over to our side.
“But before proceeding to these extreme measures, we must exert
all our wisdom and subtlety to deceive and ensnare those who honor
the true Sabbath. We can separate many from Christ by worldliness,
lust, and pride. They may think themselves safe because they believe
the truth, but indulgence of appetite or the lower passions, which
will confuse judgment and destroy discrimination, will cause their
fall.
“Go, make the possessors of lands and money drunk with the
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cares of this life. Present the world before them in its most attractive
light, that they may lay up their treasure here and fix their affections
upon earthly things. We must do our utmost to prevent those who
labor in God’s cause from obtaining means to use against us. Keep
the money in our own ranks. The more means they obtain, the
more they will injure our kingdom by taking from us our subjects.