Page:Studies in the Scriptures - Series I - The Plan of the Ages (1909).djvu/274

 2 68 The Plan of the Ages.

it; the apostles had no time for it; nor have any of the saints who are following their example.

The early Church, shortly after the death of the apostles, fell a prey to this very temptation. The preaching of the coming Kingdom of God, which would displace all earthly kingdoms, and of the crucified Christ as the heir of that Kingdom, was unpopular, and brought with it persecution, scorn and contempt. But some thought to improve on God's plan, and, instead of suffering, to get the Church into a position of favor with the world. By a combination with earthly powers they succeeded. As a result Papacy was developed, and in time became the mistress and queen of nations. Rev. 17 : 3-5 ; 18 : 7.

By this policy everything was changed : instead of suf- fering, came honor ; instead of humility, came pride \ in- stead of truth, came error ; and instead of being perse- cuted, she became the persecutor of all who condemned her new and illegal honors. Soon she began to invent new theories and sophistries to justify her course, first deceiving herself, and then the nations, into the belief that the prom- ised millennial reign of Christ HAD COME, and that Christ the King was represented by her popes, who reigned over the kings of the earth as his vicegerents. Her claims were successful in deceiving the whole world. " She made all nations drunk" with her erroneous doctrines (Rev, 17:3), intimidating them by teaching that eternal torment awaited all who resisted her claims. Soon the kings of Europe were crowned or deposed by her edicl, and under her supposed authority.

Thus it comes that the kingdoms of Europe to-day claim to be Christian kingdoms, and announce that their sover- eigns reign "by the grace of God," /. <?., through appoint- ment of either Papacy or some of the Protestant seels. For though the Reformers abandoned many of Papacy's

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