{Chapter 3: An Era of Spiritual Darkness}
Please be advised to read the whole book of the Great Controversy to get Context.
#1
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.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 49
#2
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.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 49
#3
Almost imperceptibly the customs of heathenism found
their way into the Christian church.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 49
#4
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 Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 49
#5
Now the work of corruption rapidly progressed. Paganism, while appearing to be vanquished,
became the conqueror. Her spirit controlled the church. Her doctrines, ceremonies, and
superstitions were incorporated into the faith and worship of the professed followers of Christ.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 49-50
******* #6 *******
This COMPROMISE between paganism and Christianity
resulted in the development of "THE MAN OF SIN"
foretold in prophecy as opposing and exalting himself above God.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 50
******* #7 *******
To secure worldly gains and honors, the church was led to seek the favor and support of the
great men of earth; and having thus rejected Christ, she was induced to yield allegiance to
the representative of Satan-the bishop of Rome.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 50
******* #8 *******
More than this, the pope has been given the very titles of Deity. He has been styled "Lord God the
Pope", and has been declared infallible.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 50-51
#9
The same claim urged by Satan in the wilderness of temptation is still urged by him through the
Church of Rome, and vast numbers are ready to yield him homage.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 50-51
**** #10 ****
God has never given a hint in His word that He
has appointed any man to be the head of the church.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 51
#11
Romanists have persisted in bringing against Protestants the charge of heresy and willful
separation from the true church. But these accusations apply rather to themselves. They
are the ones who laid down the banner of Christ and departed from "the faith which
was once delivered unto the saints." Jude 3.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 51
******* #12 *******
Satan well knew that the Holy Scriptures would enable men to discern his deceptions and withstand
his power.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 51
******* #13 *******
In order for Satan to maintain his sway over men, and establish the authority of the papal usurper,
he must keep them in ignorance of the Scriptures.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 51
**** #14 ****
This logic was adopted by the Roman Church. For hundreds of years the circulation of the Bible
was prohibited. The people were forbidden to read it or to have it in their houses, and
unprincipled priests and prelates interpreted its teachings to sustain their pretensions.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 51-52
*** #15 ***
The detector of error having been removed, Satan worked according to his will.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 51-52
**** #16 ****
The decree of a general council finally established this system of idolatry. To complete the sacrilegious
work, Rome presumed to expunge from the law of God the second commandment, forbidding image worship, and
to divide the tenth commandment, in order to preserve the number.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 52
**** #17 ****
Satan, working through unconsecrated leaders of the church, tampered with the fourth commandment
also, and essayed to set aside the ancient Sabbath, the day which God had blessed and sanctified
(Genesis 2:2,3), and in its stead to exalt the festival observed by the heathen as "the venerable
day of the sun."
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 52
**** #18 ****
This change was not at first attempted openly. In the first centuries the true Sabbath had been kept
by ALL Christians.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 52
******* #19 *******
But with great subtlety Satan worked through his agents to bring about his object. That the attention
of the people might be called to the Sunday, it was made a festival in honor of the resurrection of
Christ. Religious services were held upon it; yet it was regarded as a day of recreation, the Sabbath
being still sacredly observed.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 52-53
*** #20 ***
While Christians generally continued to observe the Sunday as a joyous festival, he led them, in
order to show their hatred of Judaism, to make the Sabbath a fast, a day of sadness and gloom.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 52-53
******* #21 *******
In the early part of the fourth century the emperor Constantine issued a decree making Sunday a public
festival throughout the Roman Empire.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 53
******* #22 *******
The day of the sun was reverenced by his pagan subjects and was honored by Christians; it was the
emperor's policy to unite the conflicting interests of heathenism and Christianity.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 53
******* #23 *******
He was urged to do this by the bishops of the church, who, inspired by ambition and thirst
for power, perceived that if the same day was observed by both Christians and heathen, it would
promote the nominal acceptance of Christianity by pagans and thus advance the power and glory
of the church.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 53
#24
Through half-converted pagans, ambitious prelates,
and world-loving churchmen he accomplished his
purpose.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 53
#25
In nearly every council the Sabbath which God
had instituted was pressed down a little lower,
while the Sunday was correspondingly exalted.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 53-54
**** #26 ****
Thus the pagan festival came finally to be honored
as a divine institution, while the Bible Sabbath
was pronounced a relic of Judaism, and its observers
were declared to be accursed.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 53-54
**** #27 ****
He had dared to change the only precept of the
divine law that unmistakably points all mankind
to the true and living God.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 53-54
******* #28 *******
In the fourth commandment, God is revealed as the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and
is thereby distinguished from all false gods.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 53-54
******* #29 *******
Protestants now urge that the resurrection of Christ on Sunday made it the Christian Sabbath.
But Scripture evidence is lacking.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 54
******* #30 *******
The observance of Sunday as a Christian institution had its origin in that "mystery of lawlessness"
(2 Thessalonians 2:7, R.V.) which, even in Paul's day, had begun its work.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 54
******* #31 *******
Christians were forced to choose either to yield their integrity and accept the papal ceremonies
and worship, or to wear away their lives in dungeons or suffer death by the rack, the fagot,
or the headsman's ax.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 54-55
*** #32 ***
The accession of the Roman Church to power marked the beginning of the Dark Ages.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 55
*** #33 ***
They were taught that the pope was their earthly mediator and that none could approach God except
through him; and, further, that he stood in the place of God to them and was therefore to be
implicitly obeyed.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 55
**** #34 ****
When the Scriptures are suppressed, and man comes to regard himself as supreme, we need look only
for fraud, deception, and debasing iniquity.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 55-56
**** #35 ****
When the Scriptures are suppressed, and man comes to regard himself as supreme, we need look only
for fraud, deception, and debasing iniquity.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 55-56
**** #36 ****
To establish this claim, some means must be employed to give it a show of authority; and
this was readily suggested by the father of lies. Ancient writings were forged by monks.
Decrees of councils before unheard of were discovered, establishing the universal
supremacy of the pope from the earliest times. And a church that had rejected the truth greedily
accepted these deceptions.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 56
******* #37 *******
Wearied with the constant struggle against persecution, fraud, iniquity, and every other
obstacle that Satan could devise to hinder their progress, some who had been faithful builders
became disheartened; and for the sake of peace and security for their property and
their lives, they turned away from the true foundation.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 56
**** #38 ****
Many who professed conversion still clung to the tenets of their pagan philosophy, and
not only continued its study themselves, but urged it upon others as a means of extending
their influence among the heathen.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 58
#39
By this heresy is affirmed the existence of a place of torment, in which the souls of
such as have not merited eternal damnation are to suffer punishment for their sins, and
from which, when freed from impurity, they are admitted to heaven.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 58-59
*** #40 ***
This was supplied by the doctrine of indulgences. Full remission of sins, past, present, and future,
and release from all the pains and penalties incurred, were promised to all who would enlist in the
pontiff's
wars to extend his temporal dominion, to punish his enemies, or to exterminate those who dared deny his
spiritual supremacy.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 59
#41
With blasphemous presumption, they openly claimed the power of creating God, the Creator of all things.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 59
#42
In the thirteenth century was established that most terrible of all the engines of the papacy-
the Inquisition.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 59-60
#43
God's law, the standard of righteousness, having been removed, they exercised power
without limit, and practiced vice without restraint. Fraud, avarice, and profligacy
prevailed.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 60
#44
"There is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood
toucheth blood." Hosea 4:6, 1, 2. Such were the results of banishing the word of God.
The Great Controversy 1911 Edition, Page 60