ascended from the midst of crackling flames.
By faith they saw Christ and angels gazing upon them with the
deepest interest and regarding their steadfastness with approval. A
voice came from the throne of God: “Be thou faithful unto death,
and I will give thee a crown of life.” Revelation 2:10.
In vain were Satan’s efforts to destroy the church of Christ by
violence. God’s workmen were slain, but the gospel continued to
spread and its adherents to increase. Said a Christian: “The oftener
we are mown down by you, the more in number we grow; the blood
of Christians is seed.”1
Satan therefore laid his plans to war more successfully against
God by planting his banner in the Christian church to gain by artifice
what he failed to secure by force. Persecution ceased. In its stead
were substituted the allurements of temporal prosperity and honor.
Idolaters were led to receive a part of the Christian faith, while they
rejected essential truths. They professed to accept Jesus, but had no
conviction of sin and felt no need of repentance or change of heart.
With some concessions on their part they proposed that Christians
should make concessions, that all might unite on the platform of
“belief in Christ.”
Now the church was in fearful peril. Prison, torture, fire, and
sword were blessings in comparison with this! Some Christians
stood firm. Others were in favor of modifying their faith. Under a
cloak of pretended Christianity, Satan insinuated himself into the
church to corrupt their faith. [29]
Most Christians at last consented to lower the standard. A union
was formed between Christianity and paganism. Although the worshipers
of idols professed to unite with the church, they still clung to
their idolatry, only changing the objects of their worship to images
of Jesus, and even of Mary and the saints. Unsound doctrines, superstitious
rites, and idolatrous ceremonies were incorporated into th