DAYS OF DANGER

Those days were full of danger for Christ's church. Only a few faithful Christians remained, but truth always had some witnesses. Sometimes it seemed that error would completely win and true religion would disappear from the earth. People forgot about the gospel. Forms of false religion multiplied. People were required to obey many rules.SRme 1.1486

The churches taught their people to look to the pope as the person who stood between them and God. People were taught that the only way they could earn God's favor was to do good works. They must take long trips to sacred places. People were to show great sorrow for their sins by suffering in various ways. They were to give large sums of money to the church. People were to worship objects and keep ancient customs. People must build great churches and altars. Acts such as these were thought necessary to satisfy God's anger, or to earn His favor. People were taught that God was the same as people who become angry over little things. People thought they must calm God's anger with gifts or with acts of suffering.SRme 1.1487

During the following centuries there was a continual increase of errors in the teachings of Rome. Many years before the papacy was established, the words of pagan teachers influenced the church. Many people who said they were Christians still believed pagan ideas. These people continued studying pagan principles. These people also urged other people in the church to study paganism so they might have more influence upon people who believed in paganism. In this way serious errors were introduced into the Christian faith.SRme 1.1488

An important false teaching was the belief that people do not really die, but continue to live after death. This belief led people to pray to saints and to worship Mary, the mother of Jesus. The belief that people do not really die led to the false belief that wicked people suffer punishment that lasts forever.SRme 1.1489

The belief that people burn forever in hell prepared the way for Rome to introduce another false teaching called purgatory. The Roman church said that purgatory is a place where people get ready for heaven by suffering for their sins. The idea of purgatory frightened trusting, believing people as well as people who were afraid of the unknown. People who had not sinned enough during life to be sent to hell after death, would be sent to purgatory. The people would suffer in purgatory for their sins until they were free of all impurity. Then the people could go into heaven.SRme 1.1490

Rome led her followers into another false teaching that brought great profit to the church. The church taught that forgiveness of all sins, past, present, and future could be earned. Freedom from pain and punishment for sin was promised to followers who would fight the pope's wars. These fighting people would enlarge the pope's kingdom, punish the pope's enemies, and get rid of people who dared deny the spiritual greatness of the pope.SRme 1.1491

Church members were also taught that by paying money to the church, they could free themselves from sin. And, with gifts, people could free the souls of their dead friends who were suffering in purgatory. By this means Rome filled the church treasuries and supported the expensive lifestyles of church leaders who said they represented Jesus. But Jesus had nowhere to lay His head. when He was on earth.SRme 1.1492

The Lord's Supper was turned into an idolatrous ceremony called the mass. The priests spoke in a language no one could understand. The people believed the priests turned simple bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Christ. The priests said they had the power to "create their Creator." All Christians were required, on threat of death, to swear their faith in this Heaven-insulting false teaching. People who refused were burned.SRme 1.1493

The papacy had great power and influence. The Holy Scriptures were almost unknown to the people and also to the priests. The same as the Pharisees of old, the papal leaders hated the truth that revealed their sins. The papal leaders used their power without limit, because God's law, the standard of righteousness, had been removed. Deceit, greed, and wickedness triumphed. Men committed crimes to gain wealth or position. The palaces of church leaders were filled with sin. Some of the leaders were guilty of crimes so terrible that the world's kings and rulers tried to remove the church leaders from their high positions. For centuries there was no progress in education, the arts, or in civilization. Moral and mental growth in the Christian world had stopped.SRme 1.1494