Union With the World

Many Protestant churches have followed Rome's example of connection with “the kings of the earth”—the state churches, by their relation to secular governments; and other denominations, by seeking favor of the world. The term “Babylon”—confusion—may be applied to these bodies professing to derive their doctrine from the Bible, yet divided into almost innumerable sects with conflicting creeds.HF 238.3

A Roman Catholic work argues that “if the Church of Rome were ever guilty of idolatry in relation to the saints, her daughter, the Church of England, stands guilty of the same, which has ten churches dedicated to Mary for one dedicated to Christ.”^{3Richard Challoner, The Catholic Christian Instructed, Preface, pp. 21, 22.}HF 238.4

And Dr. Hopkins declares: “There is no reason to consider the antichristian spirit and practices to be confined to that which is now called the Church of Rome. The Protestant churches have much of antichrist in them, and are far from being wholly reformed from ... corruptions and wickedness.”^{4Samuel Hopkins, “A Treatise on the Millennium,” Works, vol. 2, p. 328.}HF 239.1

Concerning the separation of the Presbyterian Church from Rome, Dr. Guthrie writes: “Three hundred years ago, our church, with an open Bible on her banner, and this motto, ‘Search the Scriptures,’ on her scroll, marched out from the gates of Rome.” Then he asks the significant question: “Did they come clean out of Babylon?”^{5Thomas Guthrie, The Gospel in Ezekiel, p. 237.}HF 239.2