Comments on: Pope Leo Urges Catholic Lawmakers to Take the Lead in Shaping Global Politics https://adventmessenger.org/pope-leo-urges-catholic-lawmakers-to-take-the-lead-in-shaping-global-politics/ News and commentary from a Biblical world view on current events, top stories, social trends and political and religious events. Fri, 05 Sep 2025 08:30:35 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Dan Turturică https://adventmessenger.org/pope-leo-urges-catholic-lawmakers-to-take-the-lead-in-shaping-global-politics/comment-page-1/#comment-86750 Fri, 05 Sep 2025 08:30:35 +0000 https://adventmessenger.org/?p=23098#comment-86750 Augustine is the symbol of the union of church and state and of the persecution and death of Sabbath keepers. How demoralizing the influence of the monastic hysteria was may be seen in the transformation wrought in Augustine (A. D. 354-430). This renowned writer of the church (probably of all Catholic Fathers, the most adored by the papacy) was forced by the popular pressure into the views of Jerome, and was in correspondence with him. His complete surrender to the policy of persecution is given at length by Limborch.32 Augustine, from his episcopal throne in north Africa, gave to the papacy a deadly weapon; he invented the monstrous doctrine of “Compel them to come in!” Thus he laid the foundation for the Inquisition. Intoxicated with Greek philosophy, he cried out that its spirit filled his soul with incredible fire.33 He had wandered nine long years in Manichaeism, which taught the union of church and state and exalted the observance of the first day of the week.34 Augustine found many reasons why the doctrines and practices of the church should be enforced by the sword.35 The doctrine “Compel them to come in,” sent millions to death for no greater crime than refusing to believe in the forms of ecclesiastical worship enforced by the state. Such was the atmosphere of the age in which Vigilantius ministered.

In his day another controversy existed which was to rock the Christian world. Milan, center of northern Italy, as well as all the Eastern churches, was sanctifying the seventh-day Sabbath, while Rome was requiring its followers to fast on that day in an effort to discredit it. Interesting pictures of the conflict are given by an eminent scholar and writer, Dr. Peter Heylyn.36 Ambrose, the celebrated bishop of Milan, and Augustine, the more celebrated bishop of Africa, both contemporaries of Vigilantius, described the interesting situation. Ambrose said that when he was in Milan he observed Saturday, but when in Rome he fasted on Saturday and observed Sunday. This gave rise to the proverb, “When you are in Rome, do as Rome does.” Augustine deplored the fact that in tow neighboring churches in Africa, one observed the seventh-day Sabbath, another fasted on it.37 The Sunday law is coming. Let us praise the Lord who chooses us as his witnesses.
32 Limborch, The History of the Inquisition, Vol. 1, ch. 6,pp. 30-33.
33 Schaff, History of the Christian Church, 3d Period, Vol. 2, par. 173, pp. 724, 725.
34 Milman, The History of Christianity, vol.2, pp.270-275.
35 Ruffini, Religious Liberty, pages 26,27.
36 Heylyn who, in 1612, wrote The History of the Sabbath to expose the Puritans’ false claims for Sunday.
37 Heylyn, The History of the Sabbath, in Historical and Miscellaneous Tracts, page 416.
Truth Triumphant page 49

]]>