The European Union in Prophecy The EU in Prophecy I | Page 233

The European Union in Prophecy
may appear to bring the world nearer to the church, does in reality but bring the
church nearer to the world.
The great principle so nobly advocated by Robinson and Roger Williams, that
truth is progressive, that Christians should stand ready to accept all the light which
may shine from God's holy word, was lost sight of by their descendants. The
Protestant churches of America,--and those of Europe as well,--so highly favoured in
receiving the blessings of the Reformation, failed to press forward in the path of
reform. Though a few faithful men arose, from time to time, to proclaim new truth
and expose long-cherished error, the majority, like the Jews in Christ's day or the
papists in the time of Luther, were content to believe as their fathers had believed
and to live as they had lived. Therefore religion again degenerated into formalism;
and errors and superstitions which would have been cast aside had the church
continued to walk in the light of God's word, were retained and cherished. Thus the
spirit inspired by the Reformation gradually died out, until there was almost as great
need of reform in the Protestant churches as in the Roman Church in the time of
Luther. There was the same worldliness and spiritual stupor, a similar reverence for
the opinions of men, and substitution of human theories for the teachings of God's
word.
The wide circulation of the Bible in the early part of the nineteenth century, and
the great light thus shed upon the world, was not followed by a corresponding advance
in knowledge of revealed truth, or in experimental religion. Satan could not, as in
former ages, keep God's word from the people; it had been placed within the reach of
all; but in order still to accomplish his object, he led many to value it but lightly. Men
neglected to search the Scriptures, and thus they continued to accept false
interpretations, and to cherish doctrines which had no foundation in the Bible.
Seeing the failure of his efforts to crush out the truth by persecution, Satan had
again resorted to the plan of compromise which led to the great apostasy and the
formation of the Church of Rome. He had induced Christians to ally themselves, not
now with pagans, but with those who, by their devotion to the things of this world,
had proved themselves to be as truly idolaters as were the worshipers of graven
images. And the results of this union were no less pernicious now than in former ages;
pride and extravagance were fostered under the guise of religion, and the churches
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