The Great Controversy The Great Controversy | Page 50

Chap. 3 - An Era of Spiritual Darkness
The apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, foretold
the great apostasy which would result in the establishment of the papal
power. 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 worshiped; 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. Even at that early date he saw, creeping into
the church, errors that would prepare the way for the development of the
papacy.
Little by little, at first in stealth and silence, and then more openly
as it increased in strength and gained control of the minds of men,
“the mystery of iniquity” carried forward its deceptive and blasphemous
work. Almost imperceptibly the customs of heathenism found their way
into the Christian church. The spirit of compromis e and conformity was
restrained for a time by the fierce persecutions which the church endured
under paganism. But as persecution ceased, and Christianity entered
the courts and palaces of kings, she laid aside the humble simplicity
of Christ and His apostles for the pomp and pride of pagan priests and
rulers; and in place of the requirements of God, she substituted human
theories and traditions. The nominal conversion of Constantine,

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