A National Sunday Law Means National Apostasy To secure popularity and patronage, legislators will yield to the demand for a Sunday law By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness.... {LDE 132.4} As the approach of the Roman armies was a sign to the disciples of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, so may this apostasy be a sign to us that the limit of God’s forbearance is reached.—Testimonies for the Church 5:451 (1885). {LDE 133.1} We must take a firm stand that we will not reverence the first day of the week as the Sabbath, for it is not the day that was blessed and sanctified by Jehovah, and in reverencing Sunday we should place ourselves on the side of the great deceiver {LDE 133.2} When the law of God has been made void and apostasy becomes a national sin, the Lord will work in behalf of His people.—Selected Messages 3:388 (1889). {LDE 133.3} The people of the United States have been a favored people, but when they restrict religious liberty, surrender Protestantism, and give countenance to popery, the measure of their guilt will be full, and “national apostasy” will be registered in the books of heaven.—The Review and Herald, May 2, 1893. {LDE 133.4} National Apostasy Will Be Followed by National Ruin When our nation, in its legislative councils, shall enact laws to bind the consciences of men in regard to their religious privileges, enforcing Sunday observance, and bringing oppressive power to bear against those who keep the seventh-day Sabbath, the law of God will, to all intents and purposes, be made void in our land, and national apostasy will be followed by national ruin.—The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 7:977 (1888). {LDE 133.5} It is at the time of the national apostasy when, acting on the policy of Satan, the rulers of the land will rank themselves on the side of the man of sin. It is then the measure of guilt is full. The national apostasy is the signal for national ruin.—Selected Messages 2:373 (1891). {LDE 134.1} Roman Catholic principles will be taken under the care and protection of the state. This national apostasy will speedily be followed by national ruin.—The Review and Herald, June 15, 1897. {LDE 134.2} When Protestant churches shall unite with the secular power to sustain a false religion, for opposing which their ancestors endured the fiercest persecution, then will the papal sabbath be enforced by the combined authority of church and state. There will be a national apostasy, which will end only in national ruin.—Evangelism, 235 (1899). {LDE 134.3} When the state shall use its power to enforce the decrees and sustain the institutions of the church—then will Protestant America have formed an image to the papacy, and there will be a national apostasy which will end only in national ruin.—The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 7:976 (1910). {LDE 134.4} Universal Sunday Legislation History will be repeated. False religion will be exalted. The first day of the week, a common working day, possessing no sanctity whatever, will be set up as was the image of Babylon. All nations and tongues and peoples will be commanded to worship this spurious sabbath.... The decree enforcing the worship of this day is to go forth to all the world.—The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 7:976 (1897). {LDE 134.5} As America, the land of religious liberty, shall unite with the papacy in forcing the conscience and compelling men to honor the false sabbath, the people of every country on the globe will be led to follow her example.—Testimonies for the Church 6:18 (1900). {LDE 135.1} The Sabbath question is to be the issue in the great final conflict in which all the world will act a part.—Testimonies for the Church 6:352 (1900). {LDE 135.2} Foreign nations will follow the example of the United States. Though she leads out, yet the same crisis will come upon our people in all parts of the world.—Testimonies for the Church 6:395 (1900). {LDE 135.3} The substitution of the false for the true is the last act in the drama. When this substitution becomes universal God will reveal Himself. When the laws of men are exalted above the laws of God, when the powers of this earth try to force men to keep the first day of the week, know that the time has come for God to work.—The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 7:980 (1901). {LDE 135.4} The substitution of the laws of men for the law of God, the exaltation, by merely human authority, of Sunday in place of the Bible Sabbath, is the last act in the drama. When this substitution becomes universal God will reveal Himself. He will arise in His majesty to shake terribly the earth.—Testimonies for the Church 7:141 (1902). {LDE 135.5} The Whole World Will Support Sunday Legislation The wicked ... declared that they had the truth, that miracles were among them, that angels from heaven talked with them and walked with them, that great power and signs and wonders were performed among them, and that this was the temporal millennium that they had been expecting so long. The whole world was converted and in harmony with the Sunday law.—Selected Messages 3:427, 428 (1884). {LDE 136.1} The whole world is to be stirred with enmity against Seventh-day Adventists because they will not yield homage to the papacy by honoring Sunday, the institution of this antichristian power.—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 37 (1893). {LDE 136.2} Those who trample upon God’s law make human laws which they will force the people to accept. Men will devise and counsel and plan what they will do. The whole world keeps Sunday, they say, and why should not this people, who are so few in number, do according to the laws of the land?—Ms 163, 1897. {LDE 136.3} The Controversy Centers in Christendom The so-called Christian world is to be the theater of great and decisive actions. Men in authority will enact laws controlling the conscience, after the example of the papacy. Babylon will make all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Every nation will be involved. Of this time John the Revelator declares: [Revelation 18:3-7; 17:13, 14, quoted]. “These have one mind.” There will be a universal bond of union, one great harmony, a confederacy of Satan’s forces. “And shall give their power and strength unto the beast.” Thus is manifested the same arbitrary, oppressive power against religious liberty—freedom to worship God according to the dictates of conscience—as was manifested by the papacy, when in the past it persecuted those who dared to refuse to conform with the religious rites and ceremonies of Romanism.—Selected Messages 3:392 (1891). {LDE 136.4} In the great conflict between faith and unbelief the whole Christian world will be involved.—The Review and Herald, February 7, 1893. {LDE 137.1} All Christendom will be divided into two great classes—those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and those who worship the beast and his image and receive his mark.—The Great Controversy, 450 (1911). {LDE 137.2} As the Sabbath has become the special point of controversy throughout Christendom and religious and secular authorities have combined to enforce the observance of the Sunday, the persistent refusal of a small minority to yield to the popular demand will make them objects of universal execration.—The Great Controversy, 615 (1911). {LDE 137.3} As the decree issued by the various rulers of Christendom against commandment keepers shall withdraw the protection of government, and abandon them to those who desire their destruction, the people of God will flee from the cities and villages and associate together in companies, dwelling in the most desolate and solitary places.—The Great Controversy, 626 (1911). {LDE 138.1} Show No Defiance Those who compose our churches have traits of character that will lead them, if they are not very careful, to feel indignant, because on account of misrepresentation their liberty in regard to working on Sunday is taken away. Do not fly into a passion over this matter but take everything in prayer to God. He alone can restrain the power of rulers. Walk not rashly. Let none boast unwisely of their liberty, using it for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God, “Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” [1 Peter 2:17]. {LDE 138.2} This advice is to be of real value to all who are to be brought into strait places. Nothing that shows defiance or that could be interpreted as maliciousness must be shown.—Manuscript Releases 2:193, 194 (1898). {LDE 138.3} Refrain From Work on Sunday In regard to the Southern field, [Sunday-law enforcement was especially severe in the southern states in the United States in the 1880s and 1890s. See American State Papers (The Review and Herald, 1943, 517-562).] the work there must be done as wisely and carefully as possible, and it must be done in the manner in which Christ would work. The people will soon find out what you believe about Sunday and the Sabbath for they will ask questions. Then you can tell them, but not in such a manner as to attract attention to your work. You need not cut short your work by yourself laboring on Sunday.... {LDE 138.4} Refraining from work on Sunday is not receiving the mark of the beast.... In places where the opposition is so strong as to arouse persecution, if work is done on Sunday, let our brethren make that day an occasion to do genuine missionary work.—The Southern Work, 70 (1895). {LDE 139.1} If they should come here and say “You must close up your work and your presses on Sunday,” I would not say to you, ... “Keep your presses going,” because the conflict does not come between you and your God.—Ms 163, 1898. {LDE 139.2} We should not feel it enjoined upon us to irritate our neighbors who idolize Sunday by making determined efforts to bring labor on that day before them purposely to exhibit an independence. Our sisters need not select Sunday as the day to exhibit their washing.—Selected Messages 3:399 (1889). {LDE 139.3} Engage in Spiritual Activities on Sunday I will try to answer your question as to what you should do in the case of Sunday laws being enforced. {LDE 139.4} The light given me by the Lord at a time when we were expecting just such a crisis as you seem to be approaching, was that when people were moved by a power from beneath to enforce Sunday observance, Seventh-day Adventists were to show their wisdom by refraining from their ordinary work on that day, devoting it to missionary effort. {LDE 139.5} To defy the Sunday laws will but strengthen in their persecution the religious zealots who are seeking to enforce them. Give them no occasion to call you lawbreakers.... One does not receive the mark of the beast because he shows that he realizes the wisdom of keeping the peace by refraining from work that gives offense.... {LDE 140.1} Sunday can be used for carrying forward various lines of work that will accomplish much for the Lord. On this day open-air meetings and cottage meetings can be held. House-to-house work can be done. Those who write can devote this day to writing their articles. Whenever it is possible, let religious services be held on Sunday. Make these meetings intensely interesting. Sing genuine revival hymns, and speak with power and assurance of the Saviour’s love.—Testimonies for the Church 9:232, 233 (1909). {LDE 140.2} Take the students out to hold meetings in different places, and to do medical missionary work. They will find the people at home and will have a splendid opportunity to present the truth. This way of spending Sunday is always acceptable to the Lord.—Testimonies for the Church 9:238 (1909). {LDE 140.3}
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