History tells how the change started The apostle Paul foretold the great apostasy when he said, “I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30). He declared that the day of Christ should not come, “except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” And furthermore, the apostle warns his brethren that “the mystery of iniquity doth already work” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 7, KJV). The Bible prophecy testifies to the fact that the Roman Catholic Church changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. In the book of Daniel 7:25, it says “And he shall speak words against the Most High, and think to change the times [sacred feasts and holy days] and the law.” History tells us that the nominal conversion of Constantine, in the early part of the 4th century, caused great rejoicing; and the world, cloaked with a form of righteousness, walked into the church. The work of corruption rapidly progressed. Pagan practice while appearing to be vanquished became the conqueror. Her spirit controlled the church. Her doctrines, ceremonies, and superstitions were incorporated into the faith and worship of the professed followers of Christ. The deadly compromise between paganism and Christianity resulted in the development of “the man of sin” foretold in prophecy as opposing and exalting himself above God. That systematic form of false religion is a masterpiece of Satan’s power—a monument of his efforts to seat himself upon the throne to rule the earth according to his will. Remember Satan once tried to form a compromise with Christ. He tempted the Son of God in the wilderness showing Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, offered to give all into His hands if He would but acknowledge the supremacy of the prince of darkness. Christ rebuked the presumptuous tempter and forced him to depart (Matthew 4:1-11). Satan meets greater success in presenting the same temptation to man. To secure worldly gains and honors, the church was led to seek the favor and support of great men of earth; and having thus rejected Christ, she was induced to yield allegiance to the representative of Satan—the bishop of Rome. It is a major doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church that the pope is the visible head of the [catholic] universal church of Christ, invested with supreme authority over bishops and pastors in all parts of the world. More than this, the pope has been given the very titles of Deity, styled as “Lord God the Pope,” and was declared infallible. He demands the homage of all men like his master Satan. The Roman Catholic Church has persisted in bringing against the Protestants the charge of heresy and willful separation from the true church. These accusations apply rather to themselves. They are the ones who laid down the banner of Christ and departed from “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). Sunday is a pagan day for worship of the sun god as practiced by Emperor Constantine even before his nominal conversion. In A.D. 321, he issued an edict “forcing the judges and town people and the occupation of all trades to rest in the “venerable day of the sun.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Article Sunday. Constantine labored untiringly to unite the worshipers of the old and the new in one religion; the pagan converts and the nominal Christians into one mongrel church, the Roman Catholic Church in Vatican. All his laws and contrivances are aimed at promoting this popular amalgamation of religions to perpetuate himself into power. He would by all lawful and peaceable means melt together a purified heathenism and a moderated Christianity. Of all his blending and melting together of Christianity and heathenism, none is easier to see through than this making of his Sunday law: The Christians worshiped their Christ, the heathen their Sun-god… [They should now be combined]. H. G. Heggtveit, Illustreret Kirkehistorie, 1895 p. 202.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 23:32:31 +0000
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