As the wrath of the people shall be excited by false charges , they will pursue a course toward God ' s ambassadors very similar to that which apostate Israel pursued toward Elijah . The miracle-working power manifested through spiritualism will exert its influence against those who choose to obey God rather than men . Communications from the spirits will declare that God has sent them to convince the rejecters of Sunday of their error , affirming that the laws of the land should be obeyed as the law of God . They will lament the great wickedness in the world and second the testimony of religious teachers that the degraded state of morals is caused by the desecration of Sunday . Great will be the indignation excited against all who refuse to accept their testimony .
Satan ' s policy in this final conflict with God ' s people is the same that he employed in the opening of the great controversy in heaven . He professed to be seeking to promote the stability of the divine government , while secretly bending every effort to secure its overthrow . And the very work which he was thus endeavoring to accomplish he charged upon the loyal angels . The same policy of deception has marked the history of the Roman Church . It has professed to act as the vicegerent of Heaven , while seeking to exalt itself above God and to change His law . Under the rule of Rome , those who suffered death for their fidelity to the gospel were denounced as evildoers ; they were declared to be in league with Satan ; and every possible means was employed to cover them with reproach , to cause them to appear in the eyes of the people and even to themselves as the vilest of criminals . So it will be now . While Satan seeks to destroy those who honor God ' s law , he will cause them to be accused as lawbreakers , as men who are dishonoring God and bringing judgments upon the world .
God never forces the will or the conscience ; but Satan ' s constant resort--to gain control of those whom he cannot otherwise seduce--is compulsion by cruelty . Through fear or force he endeavors to rule the conscience and to secure homage to himself . To accomplish this , he works through both religious and secular authorities , moving them to the enforcement of human laws in defiance of the law of God .
Those who honor the Bible Sabbath will be denounced as enemies of law and order , as breaking down the moral restraints of society , causing anarchy and corruption , and calling down the judgments of God upon the earth . Their conscientious scruples will be pronounced obstinacy , stubbornness , and contempt of authority . They will be accused of disaffection toward the government . Ministers who deny the obligation of the divine law will present from the pulpit the duty of yielding obedience to the civil authorities as ordained of God . In legislative halls and courts of justice , commandment keepers will be misrepresented and condemned . A false coloring will be given to their words ; the worst construction will be put
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