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The Sins of Babylon
I saw that since the second angel proclaimed the fall of the churches, they have been
growing more and more corrupt. They bear the name of being Christ’s followers; yet it is
impossible to distinguish them from the world. Ministers take their texts from the Word of
God, but preach smooth things. To this the natural heart feels no objection. It is only the spirit
and power of the truth and the salvation of Christ that are hateful to the carnal heart. There
is nothing in the popular ministry that stirs the wrath of Satan, makes the sinner tremble, or
applies to the heart and conscience the fearful realities of a judgment soon to come. Wicked
men are generally pleased with a form of piety without true godliness, and they will aid and
support such a religion.
Said the angel, “Nothing less than the whole armor of righteousness can enable man
to overcome the powers of darkness and retain the victory over them. Satan has taken full
possession of the churches as a body.
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The sayings and doings of men are dwelt upon instead of the plain, cutting truths of the Word
of God. The spirit and friendship of the world are at enmity with God. When the truth in its
simplicity and strength, as it is in Jesus, is brought to bear against the spirit of the world, it
at once awakens the spirit of persecution. Very many who profess to be Christians have not
known God. The natural heart has not been changed, and the carnal mind remains at enmity
with God. They are Satan’s faithful servants, notwithstanding they have assumed another
name.”
I saw that since Jesus left the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary and entered within
the second veil, the churches have been filling up with every unclean and hateful bird. I
saw great iniquity and vileness in the churches; yet their members profess to be Christians.
Their profession, their prayers, and their exhortations are an abomination in the sight of God.
Said the angel, “God will not smell in their assemblies. Selfishness, fraud, and deceit are
practiced by them without the reprovings of conscience. And over all these evil traits they
throw the cloak of religion.” I was shown the pride of the nominal churches. God is not
in their thoughts; their carnal minds dwell upon themselves; they decorate their poor mortal
bodies, and then look upon themselves with satisfaction and pleasure. Jesus and the angels
look upon them in anger. Said the angel, “Their sins and pride have reached unto heaven.
Their portion is prepared. Justice and judgment have slumbered long, but will soon awake.
Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.” The fearful threatenings of the third angel
are to be realized, and all the wicked are to drink of the wrath of God. An innumerable host
of evil angels are spreading over the whole land and crowding the churches. These agents of
Satan look upon the religious bodies
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with exultation, for the cloak of religion covers the greatest crime and iniquity.
All heaven beholds with indignation human beings, the workmanship of God, reduced
by their fellow men to the lowest depths of degradation and placed on a level with the brute
creation. Professed followers of that dear Saviour whose compassion was ever moved at the
sight of human woe, heartily engage in this enormous and grievous sin, and deal in slaves and
souls of men. Human agony is carried from place to place and bought and sold. Angels have
recorded it all; it is written in the book. The tears of the pious bondmen and bondwomen,
of fathers, mothers, and children, brothers and sisters, are all bottled up in heaven. God will
restrain His anger but little longer. His wrath burns against this nation and especially against
the religious bodies that have sanctioned this terrible traffic and have themselves engaged in it.
Such injustice, such oppression, such sufferings, are looked upon with heartless indifference
by many professed followers of the meek and lowly Jesus. And many of them can themselves
inflict, with hateful satisfaction, all this indescribable agony; and yet they dare to worship
God. It is solemn mockery; Satan exults over it and reproaches Jesus and His angels with
such inconsistency, saying, with hellish triumph, “Such are Christ’s followers!”
These professed Christians read of the sufferings of the martyrs, and tears course down
their cheeks. They wonder that men could ever become so hardened as to practice such
cruelty toward their fellow men. Yet those who think and speak thus are at the same time
holding human beings in slavery. And this is not all; they sever the ties of nature and cruelly
oppress their fellow men. They can inflict most inhuman torture with the same relentless
cruelty manifested by
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papists and heathen toward Christ’s followers. Said the angel, “It will be more tolerable for
the heathen and for papists in the day of the execution of God’s judgm

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