WHAT IS A CHURCH?

A Christian Church is an assembly or congregation of faithful men. An anti-Christian Church is an assembly or congregation of unfaithful men. This Church proves itself corrupt and anti-Christian. 1st. By trampling on humanity or disregarding its claims. 2nd. By becoming carnally minded and covetous. 3rd. By ceasing to do the work for which Christian Churches were founded. And 4th, by disregarding or renouncing any of the fundamental truths of the Bible. This I believe is the mildest form of an anti-Christian Church, and whoever remains in it is far from being blameless in the sight of men, and of course criminal in the sight of God; hence the imperious necessity for the call, “come out of her my people.” That the Bible does speak of such a call is perfectly clear from the following testimony, “Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, - go ye out of the midst of her, be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.” Isaiah 52-11. Jeremiah speaking of literal Babylon, and John of mystical Babylon, shows clearly that the first is a type of the second, and harmonizes with other prophets and makes the subject clear in this last message to the Churches. He says, “Flee out of the midst of Babylon and deliver every man his soul.” “We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed, forsake her,” - 9 v. God says the Daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor, it is time to thresh her, yet a little while and the time of her harvest shall come,” 33rd v. This shows clearly that the message is to her before the harvest, which is the end of the world. Again in 45th v, “My people go ye out of the midst of her and deliver ye every man his soul.” - Micah shows that the Daughter of Zion shall go out of the City into the field, 4:10. John says, “the woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” Here in 13th v, the Daughter of Zion is called upon to thresh, and thou shalt beat in pieces many people. Zac. says, “Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon,” Zechariah 2:7-12, and Zephaniah 3:14,BP2 67.2

20. These scriptures show a work to be performed before the Resurrection. And that the Daughter of Zion is the true Church, the remnant that have literally gone out of the City [the Church] into the fields and into the woods, and there held their meetings.BP2 68.1

Paul is in perfect harmony with these, and says, “wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Almighty,” 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18. Come out from what? See 14 v. from unrighteous unbelievers. Where did Paul learn this doctrine before the visions in Rev. was given? why from the very Prophets which I have quoted, and he makes the promise strong by quoting God for his author. I suppose that every rational person would admit that these prophecies relating to this subject would be fulfilled, and this message given before the second advent. Says the reader, the great difficulty with me is that I don’t believe that this Woman, called “Mystery Babylon,” “the great city,” represents the present organized churches. Well, but it represents something. O yes. What is it, then? There are but four names or expositions given to Babylon that I have read of, and only one of these can be the true. Let us try them by a simple rule. The first, then, as the Advent Shield says, the kingdoms of this world are comprised in Babylon. Isaiah says, “depart ye, depart ye, go out from thence.” Jeremiah says, “flee out of the midst of Babylon - my people go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul.” Micah says, “For now shalt thou go forth out of the city” (Babylon). Zac. says, “Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.” Paul says, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate.” The last cry is, “Come out of her my people, that ye be not P A R T A K E R S OF H E R S I N S.” Come out of what? Why out of the world! - that is what the Shield calls Babylon. Where shall we go? We are told, up to meet the Lord in the air. Who cannot see, to say the least of it, that this is a perversion of these texts? Do look at their connection, especially the three last. See if they will compare with 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, and 1 Corinthians 15:52. Besides it is absolutely contradicting the angel to say that Babylon is the kingdoms of this world, for he says the woman (Babylon) which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” How can a city reign over itself?BP2 68.2

2nd. Babylon has also been called the City of Rome. “Come out of the City of Rome, my people.” They are not there, nor have not been for many hundreds of years. Anti-Christ reigns there.BP2 69.1

3rd. The Papacy or Catholic Church has been called Babylon. Come out of the Catholic Church, my people. You call in vain, they are not there - they departed from her certainly 300 years ago.BP2 69.2

4th. And last, the cry is made in the Protestant churches, “Come out of her, my people.” What is now the response? Thousands on thousands dissolve their connection, and out they come, under the full conviction that this loud cry is to them, and the churches which they are leaving are fallen Babylon, because they have rejected the message which preceded this. “The hour of his judgment is come.” Their houses which they have closed against this second advent message, are left unto them desolate. God has left them in their own confusion. And hundreds and thousands of them have in their own way acknowledged it since. I ask you to look back to the summer and fall of 1844, where you see the fulfilment of this 3rd angel’s message in a most wonderful and striking manner in almost every town and city throughout New England. Why not some where else just as well? Because the sun was darkened here, and these flying messengers, as I have shown, multiplied and congregated here - and this being the lightest spot under the whole heavens, the angels were seen, their message was heard first here, and then carried out to the utmost bounds of the earth. It is true, many of the Middle and Western and some of the Southern States, and the Canadas, have joined. Some object because it was not simultaneous in England, etc. If you will look at the 14, ch. again, you will see that it was the first messenger only that sent his message to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. It has also been objected that the dark day was no sign, because it did not extend farther. But who does not know that it was more striking on this account? If as much as I have now written in these forty lines, had been recorded as history some few years ago, say relative to the sounding of the sixth angel or the sixth plague, who would have doubted? What then shall we do with the above, and much more that could be added, if necessary? Yes, I could begin to call names, and show from seventy-five to one hundred living cases in Fairhaven and New Bedford that fulfilled this prophecy, that either came out or were turned out of the churches about this time. It makes no difference whether they are infidels or backsliders now; they then claimed to be God’s people, and they were so long as they obeyed, in his fear. I am aware that there were many others that left these churches before and at this time that had no faith in this message, but they saw the church was pro-slavery, and had no sympathy for the poor, down-trodden slave; on this ground alone (and this was clear duty,) they came out from her unhallowed communion. The advent doctrine was the last, and crowning test which God ever gave his people to come away and separate themselves from all unrighteous unbelievers. Why, who does not remember what a perfect rush there was to get out of these churches just before the message ended in the closing up of A Cry at Midnight? They seemed to be as thoroughly convinced of this duty as many ministers and laymen did that thronged to the water side to be buried with Christ in baptism, being satisfied that they had withstood this ordinance as long as they dared to. Notwithstanding Mr. Miller took the ground as I have quoted that Babylon’s second fall would be, or the second angel’s message fulfilled at the second advent, he has in the same books previously noticed, (Advent Library, No. 47, page 19-20,) admitted the whole message in its time and place. Hear him:BP2 69.3