the great controversy-第85节

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had　it　been　accepted；　would　have　corrected　the　evils　that　were　shutting　them
away　from　Him。　Had　they　received　the　message　from　heaven；　humbling　their
hearts　before　the　Lord　and　seeking　in　sincerity　a　preparation　to　stand　in
His　presence；　the　Spirit　and　power　of　God　would　have　been　manifested　among
them。　The　church　would　again　have　reached　that　blessed　state　of　unity；
faith；　and　love　which　existed　in　apostolic　days；　when　the　believers　〃were　of
one　heart　and　of　one　soul；〃　and　〃spake　the　word　of　God　with　boldness；〃　when
〃the　Lord　added　to　the　church　daily　such　as　should　be　saved。〃　Acts　4：32；　31；
2：47。

If　God's　professed　people　would　receive　the　light　as　it　shines　upon　them
from　His　word；　they　would　reach　that　unity　for　which　Christ　prayed；　that
which　the　apostle　describes；　〃the　unity　of　the　Spirit　in　the　bond　of　peace。〃
〃There　is；〃　he　says；　〃one　body；　and　one　Spirit；　even　as　ye　are　called　in　one
hope　of　your　calling；　one　Lord；　one　faith；　one　baptism。〃　Ephesians　4：3…5。

Such　were　the　blessed　results　experienced　by　those　who　accepted　the　advent
message。　They　came　from　different　denominations；　and　their　denominational
barriers　were　hurled　to　the　ground；　conflicting　creeds　were　shivered　to
atoms；　the　unscriptural　hope　of　a　temporal　millennium　was　abandoned；　false
views　of　the　second　advent　were　corrected；　pride　and　conformity　to　the　world
were　swept　away；　wrongs　were　made　right；　hearts　were　united　in　the　sweetest
fellowship；　and　love　and　joy　reigned　supreme。　If　this　doctrine　did　this

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for　the　few　who　did　receive　it；　it　would　have　done　the　same　for　all　if　all
had　received　it。

But　the　churches　generally　did　not　accept　the　warning。　Their　ministers；　who；
as　watchmen　〃unto　the　house　of　Israel；〃　should　have　been　the　first　to
discern　the　tokens　of　Jesus'　coming；　had　failed　to　learn　the　truth　either
from　the　testimony　of　the　prophets　or　from　the　signs　of　the　times。　As
worldly　hopes　and　ambitions　filled　the　heart；　love　for　God　and　faith　in　His
word　had　grown　cold；　and　when　the　advent　doctrine　was　presented；　it　only
aroused　their　prejudice　and　unbelief。　The　fact　that　the　message　was；　to　a
great　extent；　preached　by　laymen；　was　urged　as　an　instrument　against　it。　As
of　old；　the　plain　testimony　of　God's　word　was　met　with　the　inquiry：　〃Have
any　of　the　rulers　or　of　the　Pharisees　believed？〃　And　finding　how　difficult　a
task　it　was　to　refute　the　arguments　drawn　from　the　prophetic　periods；　many
discouraged　the　study　of　the　prophecies；　teaching　that　the　prophetic　books
were　sealed　and　were　not　to　be　understood。　Multitudes；　trusting　implicitly
to　their　pastors；　refused　to　listen　to　the　warning；　and　others；　though
convinced　of　the　truth；　dared　not　confess　it；　lest　they　should　be　〃put　out
of　the　synagogue。〃　The　message　which　God　had　sent　for　the　testing　and
purification　of　the　church　revealed　all　too　surely　how　great　was　the　number
who　had　set　their　affections　on　this　world　rather　than　upon　Christ。　The　ties
which　bound　them　to　earth　were　stronger　than　the　attractions　heavenward。
They　chose　to　listen　to　the　voice　of　worldly　wisdom　and　turned　away　from　the
heart…searching　message　of　truth。

In　refusing　the　warning　of　the　first　angel；　they　rejected　the　means　which
Heaven　had　provided　for　their　restoration。　They　spurned　the　gracious
messenger　that　would　have　corrected　the　evils　which　separated　them　from　God；
and　with　greater　eagerness　they　turned　to　seek　the　friendship　of　the　world。
Here　was　the　cause　of　that　fearful　condition　of　worldliness；　backsliding；
and　spiritual　death　which　existed　in　the　churches　in　1844。

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In　Revelation　14　the　first　angel　is　followed　by　a　second　proclaiming：
〃Babylon　is　fallen；　is　fallen；　that　great　city；　because　she　made　all　nations
drink　of　the　wine　of　the　wrath　of　her　fornication。〃　Revelation　14：8。　The
term　〃Babylon〃　is　derived　from　〃Babel；〃　and　signifies　confusion。　It　is
employed　in　Scripture　to　designate　the　various　forms　of　false　or　apostate
religion。　In　Revelation　17　Babylon　is　represented　as　a　woman　a　figure
which　is　used　in　the　Bible　as　the　symbol　of　a　church；　a　virtuous　woman
representing　a　pure　church；　a　vile　woman　an　apostate　church。

In　the　Bible　the　sacred　and　enduring　character　of　the　relation　that　exists
between　Christ　and　His　church　is　represented　by　the　union　of　marriage。　The
Lord　has　joined　His　people　to　Himself　by　a　solemn　covenant；　He　promising　to
be　their　God；　and　they　pledging　themselves　to　be　His　and　His　alone。　He
declares：　〃I　will　betroth　thee　unto　Me　forever；　yea；　I　will　betroth　thee
unto　Me　in　righteousness；　and　in　judgment；　and　in　loving…kindness；　and　in
mercies。〃　Hosea　2：19。　And；　again：　〃I　am　married　unto　you。〃　Jeremiah　3：14。
And　Paul　employs　the　same　figure　in　the　New　Testament　when　he　says：　〃I　have
espoused　you　to　one　husband；　that　I　may　present　you　as　a　chaste　virgin　to
Christ。〃　2　Corinthians　11：2。

The　unfaithfulness　of　the　church　to　Christ　in　permitting　her　confidence　and
affection　to　be　turned　from　Him；　and　allowing　the　love　of　worldly　things　to
occupy　the　soul；　is　likened　to　the　violation　of　the　marriage　vow。　The　sin　of
Israel　in　departing　from　the　Lord　is　presented　under　this　figure；　and　the
wonderful　love　of　God　which　they　thus　despised　is　touchingly　portrayed：　〃I
sware　unto　thee；　and　entered　into　a　covenant　with　thee；　saith　the　Lord　God；
and　thou　becamest　Mine。〃　〃And　thou　wast　exceeding　beautiful　and　thou　didst
prosper　into　a　kingdom。　And　thy　renown　went　forth　among　the　heathen　for　thy
beauty：　for　it　was　perfect　through　My　comeliness；　which　I　had　put　upon　thee。
。　。　。　But　thou　didst　trust　in　thine　own　beauty；　and　playedst　the　harlot
because　of　thy　renown。〃　〃As　a　wife　treacherously　departeth　from　her

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husband；　so　have　ye　dealt　treacherously　with　Me；　O　house　of　Israel；　saith
the　Lord；〃　〃as　a　wife　that　committeth　adultery；　which　taketh　strangers
instead　of　her　husband！〃　Ezekiel　16：8；　13…15；　32；　Jeremiah　3：20。

In　the　New　Testament；　language　very　similar　is　addressed　to　professed
Christians　who　seek　the　friendship　of　the　world　above　the　favor　of　God。　Says
the　apostle　James：　〃Ye　adulterers　and　adulteresses；　know　ye　not　that　the
friendship　of　the　world　is　enmity　with　God？　whosoever　therefore　will　be　a
friend　of　the　world　is　the　enemy　of　God。〃

The　woman　（Babylon）　of　Revelation　17　is　described　as　〃arrayed　in　purple　and
scarlet　color；　and　decked　with　gold　and　precious　stones　and　pearls；　having　a
golden　cup　in　her　hand　full　of　abominations　and　filthiness：。。。and　upon　her
forehead　was　a　name　written；　Mystery；　Babylon　the　Great；　the　mother　of
harlots。〃　Says　the　prophet：　〃I　saw　the　woman　drunk　with　the　blood　of　the
saints；　and　with　the　blood　of　the　martyrs　of　Jesus。〃　Babylon　is　further
declared　to　be　〃that　great　city；　which　reigneth　over　the　kings　of　the
earth。〃　Revelation　17：4…6；　18。　The　power　that　for　so　many　centuries
maintained　despotic　sway　over　the　monarchs　of　Christendom　is　Rome。　The
purple　and　scarlet　color；　the　gold　and　precious　stones　and　pearls；　vividly
picture　the　magnificence　and　more　than　kingly　pomp　affected　by　the　haughty
see　of　Rome。　And　no　other　power　could　be　so　truly　declared　〃drunken　with　the
blood　of　the　saints〃　as　that　church　which　has　so　cruelly　persecuted　the
followers　of　Christ。　Babylon　is　also　charged　with　the　sin　of　unlawful
connection　with　〃the　kings　of　the　earth。〃　It　was　by　departure　from　the　Lord；
and　alliance　with　the　heathen；　that　the　Jewish　church　became　a　harlot；　and
Rome；　corrupting　herself　in　like　manner　by　seeking　the　support　of　worldly
powers；　receives　a　like　condemnation。

Babylon　is　said　to　be　〃the　mother　of　harlots。〃　By　her　daughters　must　be
symbolized　churches　that　cling　to　her　doctrines　and　traditions；　and　follow
her　example　of　sacrificing

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the　truth　and　the　approval　of　God；　in　order　to　form　an　unlawful　alliance
with　the　world。　The　message　of　Revelation
14；　announcing　the　fall　of　Babylon　must　apply　to　religious
bodies　that　were　once　pure　and　have　become　corrupt。　Since　this　message
follows　the　warning　of　the　judgment；　it　must　be　given　in　the　last　days；
therefore　it　cannot　refer　to　the　Roman　Church　alone；　for　that　church　has
been　in　a　fallen　condition　for　many　centuries。　Furthermore；　in　the
eighteenth　chapter　of　the　Revelation　the　people　of　God　are　called　upon　to
come　out　of　Babylon。　According　to　this　scripture；　many　of　God's　people　must
still　be　in　Babylon。　And　in　what　religious　bodies　are　the　greater　part　of
the　followers　of　Christ　now　to　be　found？　Without　doubt；　in　the　various
churches　professing　the　Protestant　faith。　At　the　time　of　their　rise　these
churches　took　a　noble　stand　for　God　and　the　truth；　and　His　blessing　was　with
them。　Even　the　unbelieving　world　was　constrained　to　acknowledge　the
beneficent　results　that　followed　an　acceptance　of　the　principles　of　the
gospel。　In　the　words　of　the　prophet　to　Israel：　〃Thy　renown　went　forth　among
the　heathen　for　thy　beauty：　for　it　was　perfect　through　My　comeliness；　which
I　had　put　upon　thee；　saith　the　Lord　God。〃　But　they　fell　by　the　same　desire
which　was　the　curse　and　ruin　of　Israelthe　desire　of　imitating　the
practices　and　courting　t