Complete Silence of New Testament

Protestants acknowledge “the complete silence of the New Testament so far as any explicit command for the Sabbath [Sunday, the first day of the week] or definite rules for its observance are concerned.”^{3George Elliott, The Abiding Sabbath, p. 184.}HF 277.1

“Up to the time of Christ's death, no change had been made in the day”; and, “so far as the record shows, they [the apostles] did not ... give any explicit command enjoining the abandonment of the seventh day Sabbath, and its observance on the first day of the week.”^{4A. E. Waffle, The LorD's Day, pp. 186-188.}HF 277.2

Roman Catholics acknowledge that the change of the Sabbath was made by their church, and declare that Protestants, by observing Sunday, recognize her power. The statement is made: “During the old law, Saturday was the day sanctified; but the Church, instructed by Jesus Christ, and directed by the Spirit of God, has substituted Sunday for Saturday; so now we sanctify the first, not the seventh day. Sunday means, and now is, the day of the Lord.”^{5Catholic Catechism of Christian Religion.}HF 277.3

As the sign of the authority of the Catholic Church, papist writers cite “the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of; ... because by keeping Sunday, they acknowledge the church's power to ordain feasts, and to command them under sin.”^{6Henry Tuberville, An Abridgement of the Christian Doctrine, p. 58.}HF 277.4

What then is the change of the Sabbath, but the sign, or mark, of the authority of the Roman Church—“the mark of the beast”?HF 277.5

The Roman Church has not relinquished her claim to supremacy. When the world and the Protestant churches accept a sabbath of her creating, while they reject the Bible Sabbath, they virtually admit this assumption. In so doing they ignore the principle which separates them from Rome—that “the Bible, and the Bible only, is the religion of Protestants.” As the movement for Sunday enforcement gains favor, it will eventually bring the whole Protestant world under the banner of Rome.HF 278.1

Romanists declare that “the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Catholic] Church.”^{7Mgr. Segur, Plain Talk About the Protestantism of Today, p. 213.} Enforcing a religious duty by secular power would form an image to the beast; hence the enforcement of Sundaykeeping in the United States would be an enforcement of the worship of the beast and his image.HF 278.2

Christians of past generations observed Sunday supposing they were keeping the Bible Sabbath, and there are now true Christians in every church who honestly believe that Sunday is of divine appointment. God accepts their sincerity and integrity. But when Sunday observance shall be enforced by law and the world shall be enlightened concerning the true Sabbath, then whoever shall transgress the command of God to obey a precept of Rome will thereby honor popery above God. He is paying homage to Rome. He is worshiping the beast and his image. Men will thereby accept the sign of allegiance to Rome—“the mark of the beast.” It is not until the issue is thus plainly set before the people and they are brought to choose between the commandments of God and the commandments of men, that those who continue in transgression will receive “the mark of the beast.”HF 278.3