the great controversy-第125节

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them　strong　delusion；　that　they　should　believe　a　lie。〃　2　Thessalonians　2：10；
11。

Those　who　oppose　the　teachings　of　spiritualism　are　assailing；　not　men　alone；
but　Satan　and　his　angels。　They　have　entered　upon　a　contest　against
principalities　and　powers　and　wicked　spirits　in　high　places。　Satan　will　not
yield　one　inch　of　ground　except　as　he　is　driven　back　by　the　power　of
heavenly　messengers。　The　people　of　God　should　be　able　to　meet　him；　as　did
our　Saviour；　with　the　words：　〃It　is　written。〃　Satan　can　quote　Scripture　now
as　in　the　days　of　Christ；　and　he　will　pervert　its　teachings　to　sustain　his
delusions。　Those　who　would　stand　in　this　time　of　peril　must　understand　for
themselves　the　testimony　of　the　Scriptures。

560


Many　will　be　confronted　by　the　spirits　of　devils　personating　beloved
relatives　or　friends　and　declaring　the　most　dangerous　heresies。　These
visitants　will　appeal　to　our　tenderest　sympathies　and　will　work　miracles　to
sustain　their　pretensions。　We　must　be　prepared　to　withstand　them　with　the
Bible　truth　that　the　dead　know　not　anything　and　that　they　who　thus　appear
are　the　spirits　of　devils。

Just　before　us　is　〃the　hour　of　temptation；　which　shall　come　upon　all　the
world；　to　try　them　that　dwell　upon　the　earth。〃　Revelation　3：10。　All　whose
faith　is　not　firmly　established　upon　the　word　of　God　will　be　deceived　and
overcome。　Satan　〃works　with　all　deceivableness　of　unrighteousness〃　to　gain
control　of　the　children　of　men；　and　his　deceptions　will　continually
increase。　But　he　can　gain　his　object　only　as　men　voluntarily　yield　to　his
temptations。　Those　who　are　earnestly　seeking　a　knowledge　of　the　truth　and
are　striving　to　purify　their　souls　through　obedience；　thus　doing　what　they
can　to　prepare　for　the　conflict；　will　find；　in　the　God　of　truth；　a　sure
defense。　〃Because　thou　hast　kept　the　word　of　My　patience；　I　also　will　keep
thee〃　（verse　10）；　is　the　Saviour's　promise。　He　would　sooner　send　every　angel
out　of　heaven　to　protect　His　people　than　leave　one　soul　that　trusts　in　Him
to　be　overcome　by　Satan。

The　prophet　Isaiah　brings　to　view　the　fearful　deception　which　will　come　upon
the　wicked；　causing　them　to　count　themselves　secure　from　the　judgments　of
God：　〃We　have　made　a　covenant　with　death；　and　with　hell　are　we　at　agreement；
when　the　overflowing　scourge　shall　pass　through；　it　shall　not　come　unto　us：
for　we　have　made　lies　our　refuge；　and　under　falsehood　have　we　hid
ourselves。〃　Isaiah　28：15。　In　the　class　here　described　are　included　those　who
in　their　stubborn　impenitence　comfort　themselves　with　the　assurance　that
there　is　to　be　no　punishment　for　the　sinner；　that　all　mankind；　it　matters
not　how　corrupt；　are　to　be　exalted　to　heaven；　to　become　as　the　angels　of
God。　But　still　more　emphatically

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　561

are　those　making　a　covenant　with　death　and　an　agreement　with　hell；　who
renounce　the　truths　which　Heaven　has　provided　as　a　defense　for　the　righteous
in　the　day　of　trouble；　and　accept　the　refuge　of　lies　offered　by　Satan　in　its
steadthe　delusive　pretensions　of　spiritualism。

Marvelous　beyond　expression　is　the　blindness　of　the　people　of　this
generation。　Thousands　reject　the　word　of　God　as　unworthy　of　belief　and　with
eager　confidence　receive　the　deceptions　of　Satan。　Skeptics　and　scoffers
denounce　the　bigotry　of　those　who　contend　for　the　faith　of　prophets　and
apostles；　and　they　divert　themselves　by　holding　up　to　ridicule　the　solemn
declarations　of　the　Scriptures　concerning　Christ　and　the　plan　of　salvation；
and　the　retribution　to　be　visited　upon　the　rejecters　of　the　truth。　They
affect　great　pity　for　minds　so　narrow；　weak；　and　superstitious　as　to
acknowledge　the　claims　of　God　and　obey　the　requirements　of　His　law。　They
manifest　as　much　assurance　as　if；　indeed；　they　had　made　a　covenant　with
death　and　an　agreement　with　hell　as　if　they　had　erected　an　impassable；
impenetrable　barrier　between　themselves　and　the　vengeance　of　God。　Nothing
can　arouse　their　fears。　So　fully　have　they　yielded　to　the　tempter；　so
closely　are　they　united　with　him；　and　so　thoroughly　imbued　with　his　spirit；
that　they　have　no　power　and　no　inclination　to　break　away　from　his　snare。

Satan　has　long　been　preparing　for　his　final　effort　to　deceive　the　world。　The
foundation　of　his　work　was　laid　by　the　assurance　given　to　Eve　in　Eden：　〃Ye
shall　not　surely　die。〃　〃In　the　day　ye　eat　thereof；　then　your　eyes　shall　be
opened；　and　ye　shall　be　as　gods；　knowing　good　and　evil。〃　Genesis　3：4；　5。
Little　by　little　he　has　prepared　the　way　for　his　masterpiece　of　deception　in
the　development　of　spiritualism。　He　has　not　yet　reached　the　full
accomplishment　of　his　designs；　but　it　will　be　reached　in　the　last　remnant　of
time。　Says　the　prophet：　〃I　saw　three　unclean　spirits　like　frogs；　。　。　。　they
are　the　spirits　of　devils；　working　miracles；　which　go　forth

562

unto　the　kings　of　the　earth　and　of　the　whole　world；　to　gather　them　to　the
battle　of　that　great　day　of　God　Almighty。〃　Revelation　16：13；　14。　Except
those　who　are　kept　by　the　power　of　God；　through　faith　in　His　word；　the　whole
world　will　be　swept　into　the　ranks　of　this　delusion。　The　people　are　fast
being　lulled　to　a　fatal　security；　to　be　awakened　only　by　the　outpouring　of
the　wrath　of　God。

Saith　the　Lord　God：　〃Judgment　also　will　I　lay　to　the　line；　and　righteousness
to　the　plummet：　and　the　hail　shall　sweep　away　the　refuge　of　lies；　and　the
waters　shall　overflow　the　hiding　place。　And　your　covenant　with　death　shall
be　disannulled；　and　your　agreement　with　hell　shall　not　stand；　when　the
overflowing　scourge　shall　pass　through；　then　ye　shall　be　trodden　down　by
it。〃　Isaiah　28：17；　18。




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（563）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　35

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Liberty　of　Conscience　Threatened


Romanism　is　now　regarded　by　Protestants　with　far　greater　favor　than　in
former　years。　In　those　countries　where　Catholicism　is　not　in　the　ascendancy；
and　the　papists　are　taking　a　conciliatory　course　in　order　to　gain　influence；
there　is　an　increasing　indifference　concerning　the　doctrines　that　separate
the　reformed　churches　from　the　papal　hierarchy；　the　opinion　is　gaining
ground　that；　after　all；　we　do　not　differ　so　widely　upon　vital　points　as　has
been　supposed；　and　that　a　little　concession　on　our　part　will　bring　us　into　a
better　understanding　with　Rome。　The　time　was　when　Protestants　placed　a　high
value　upon　the　liberty　of　conscience　which　had　been　so　dearly　purchased。
They　taught　their　children　to　abhor　popery　and　held　that　to　seek　harmony
with　Rome　would　be　disloyalty　to　God。　But　how　widely　different　are　the
sentiments　now　expressed！

The　defenders　of　the　papacy　declare　that　the　church　has　been　maligned；　and
the　Protestant　world　are　inclined　to　accept　the　statement。　Many　urge　that　it
is　unjust　to　judge　the　church　of　today　by　the　abominations　and　absurdities
that　marked　her　reign　during　the　centuries　of　ignorance　and　darkness。　They
excuse　her　horrible　cruelty　as　the　result　of　the　barbarism　of　the　times　and
plead　that　the　influence　of　modern　civilization　has　changed　her　sentiments。

564


Have　these　persons　forgotten　the　claim　of　infallibility　put　forth　for　eight
hundred　years　by　this　haughty　power？　So　far　from　being　relinquished；　this
claim　was　affirmed　in　the　nineteenth　century　with　greater　positiveness　than
ever　before。　As　Rome　asserts　that　the　〃church　never　erred；　nor　will　it；
according　to　the　Scriptures；　ever　err〃　（John　L。　von　Mosheim；　Institutes　of
Ecclesiastical　History；　book　3；　century　II；　part　2；　chapter　2；　section　9；
note　17）；　how　can　she　renounce　the　principles　which　governed　her　course　in
past　ages？

The　papal　church　will　never　relinquish　her　claim　to　infallibility。　All　that
she　has　done　in　her　persecution　of　those　who　reject　her　dogmas　she　holds　to
be　right；　and　would　she　not　repeat　the　same　acts；　should　the　opportunity　be
presented？　Let　the　restraints　now　imposed　by　secular　governments　be　removed
and　Rome　be　reinstated　in　her　former　power；　and　there　would　speedily　be　a
revival　of　her　tyranny　and　persecution。

A　well…known　writer　speaks　thus　of　the　attitude　of　the　papal　hierarchy　as
regards　freedom　of　conscience；　and　of　the　perils　which　especially　threaten
the　United　States　from　the　success　of　her　policy：

〃There　are　many　who　are　disposed　to　attribute　any　fear　of　Roman　Catholicism
in　the　United　States　to　bigotry　or　childishness。　Such　see　nothing　in　the
character　and　attitude　of　Romanism　that　is　hostile　to　our　free　institutions；
or　find　nothing　portentous　in　its　growth。　Let　us；　then；　first　compare　some
of　the　fundamental　principles　of　our　government　with　those　of　the　Catholic
Church。

〃The　Constitution　of　the　United　States　guarantees　liberty　of　conscience。
Nothing　is　dearer　or　more　fundamental。　Pope　Pius　IX；　in　his　Encyclical
Letter　of　August　15；　1854；　said：　‘The　absurd　and　erroneous　doctrines　or
ravings　in　defense　of　liberty　of　conscience　are　a　most　pestilential　errora
pest；　of　all　others；　most　to　be　dreaded　in　a　state。'　The　same　pope；　in　his
Encyclical　Letter　of　December　8；　1864；　anathematized　‘those　who　assert　the
liberty　of　conscience　and　of　religious