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Liberty of Conscience Threatened, Part 6
Rome’s Stealthy Progress
Marvelous in her shrewdness and cunning is
the Roman Church. She can read what is to be. She bides her time, seeing that
the Protestant churches are paying her homage in their acceptance of the false
sabbath and that they are preparing to enforce it by the very means which she
herself employed in bygone days. Those who reject the light of truth will yet
seek the aid of this self-styled infallible power to exalt an institution that
originated with her. How readily she will come to the help of Protestants in
this work it is not difficult to conjecture. Who understands better than the
papal leaders how to deal with those who are disobedient to the church?
The Roman Catholic Church, with all its
ramifications throughout the world, forms one vast organization under the
control, and designed to serve the interests, of the papal see. Its millions of
communicants, in every country on the globe, are instructed to hold themselves
as bound in allegiance to the pope. Whatever their nationality or their
government, they are to regard the authority of the church as above all other.
Though they may take the oath pledging their loyalty to the state, yet back of
this lies the vow of obedience to Rome, absolving them from every pledge
inimical to her interests.
History testifies of her artful and
persistent efforts to insinuate herself into the affairs of nations; and having
gained a foothold, to further her own aims, even at the ruin of princes and
people. In the year 1204, Pope Innocent III extracted from Peter II, king of
Arragon, the following extraordinary oath: “I, Peter, king of Arragonians,
profess and promise to be ever faithful and obedient to my lord, Pope Innocent,
to his Catholic successors, and the Roman Church, and faithfully to preserve my
kingdom in his obedience, defending the Catholic faith, and persecuting
heretical pravity.”—John Dowling, The History of
Romanism, b. 5, ch. 6, sec. 55. This is in harmony with the claims
regarding the power of the Roman pontiff “that it is lawful for him to depose
emperors” and “that he can absolve subjects from their allegiance to unrighteous
rulers.”—Mosheim, b. 3, cent. 11, pt. 2, ch. 2, sec. 9, note 17. (See also
Appendix note for page 447.)
And let it be remembered, it is the boast of
Rome that she never changes. The principles of Gregory VII and Innocent III are
still the principles of the Roman Catholic Church. And had she but the power,
she would put them in practice with as much vigor now as in past centuries.
Protestants little know what they are doing when they propose to accept the aid
of Rome in the work of Sunday exaltation. While they are bent upon the
accomplishment of their purpose, Rome is aiming to re-establish her power, to
recover her lost supremacy. Let the principle once be established in the United
States that the church may employ or control the power of the state; that
religious observances may be enforced by secular laws; in short, that the
authority of church and state is to dominate the conscience, and the triumph of
Rome in this country is assured.
God’s word has given warning of the
impending danger; let this be unheeded, and the Protestant world will learn what
the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the snare.
She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence
in legislative halls, in the churches, and in the hearts of men. She is piling
up her lofty and massive structures in the secret recesses of which her former
persecutions will be repeated. Stealthily and unsuspectedly she is strengthening
her forces to further her own ends when the time shall come for her to strike.
All that she desires is vantage ground, and this is already being given her. We
shall soon see and shall feel what the purpose of the Roman element is. Whoever
shall believe and obey the word of God will thereby incur reproach and
persecution.
The Great
Controversy, pp. 580-581
Next part: The Impending
Conflict
All Scriptures are quoted
from the New King James Version, including those originally quoted by Ellen
White from the King James Version.—Editors
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