The European Union in Prophecy The EU in Prophecy I | Page 358

The European Union in Prophecy
The Roman Church has not relinquished her claim to supremacy; and when the
world and the Protestant churches accept a sabbath of her creating, while they reject
the Bible Sabbath, they virtually admit this assumption. They may claim the
authority of tradition and of the Fathers for the change; but in so doing they ignore
the very principle which separates them from Rome--that "the Bible, and the Bible
only, is the religion of Protestants." The papist can see that they are deceiving
themselves, willingly closing their eyes to the facts in the case. As the movement for
Sunday enforcement gains favor, he rejoices, feeling assured that it will eventually
bring the whole Protestant world under the banner of Rome.
Romanists declare that "the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an
homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Catholic] Church."--
Mgr. Segur, Plain Talk About the Protestantism of Today, page 213. The enforcement
of Sundaykeeping on the part of Protestant churches is an enforcement of the worship
of the papacy--of the beast. Those who, understanding the claims of the fourth
commandment, choose to observe the false instead of the true Sabbath are thereby
paying homage to that power by which alone it is commanded. But in the very act of
enforcing a religious duty by secular power, the churches would themselves form an
image to the beast; hence the enforcement of Sundaykeeping in the United States
would be an enforcement of the worship of the beast and his image.
But Christians of past generations observed the Sunday, supposing that in so
doing they were keeping the Bible Sabbath; and there are now true Christians in
every church, not excepting the Roman Catholic communion, who honestly believe
that Sunday is the Sabbath of divine appointment. God accepts their sincerity of
purpose and their integrity before Him. But when Sunday observance shall be
enforced by law, and the world shall be enlightened concerning the obligation of the
true Sabbath, then whoever shall transgress the command of God, to obey a precept
which has no higher authority than that of Rome, will thereby honour popery above
God. He is paying homage to Rome and to the power which enforces the institution
ordained by Rome. He is worshipping the beast and his image. As men then reject the
institution which God has declared to be the sign of His authority, and honour in its
stead that which Rome has chosen as the token of her supremacy, they will thereby
accept the sign of allegiance to Rome--"the mark of the beast." And it is not until the
issue is thus plainly set before the people, and they are brought to choose between the
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