Battle of the Bibles - Present Truth

The following year an editorial in The Protestant Magazine astutely observed:
"The Protestant reformation of the sixteenth century was an organised movement
to set aside the authority of the popes, councils and tradition, and to return to the
unadulterated teaching of Holy Scripture. The present partial failure of Protestantism is
due to the repudiation of this fundamental feature of that movement" (ibid p 293).
Fortunately, by the 'seventies, Adventists were still taking such Protestant
warnings seriously. Maxwell's advice was largely ignored as Seventh-day Adventist
congregations clung tenaciously to their beloved King James Version.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Rome's Little Helper
It is historically demonstrable that denominational apostasy usually comes from
the top. It is the result of organisational heresy which filters through its employees to the
church congregations. Furthermore, it is a fact that such changes come slowly, for time
and funerals are an integral part of the process.
It should never be forgotten that the term "apostasy" means a turning away from
a position previously espoused. Therefore, when we speak of "Apostate Protestantism",
we are referring to churches that have turned their back on the Reformation and have, or
are going back to the "Mother Church" - Rome.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has used this term ever since its inception to
describe the decline in Protestantism generally. Few realised that by the mid-twentieth
century the process was well under way within their own denomination!
A few people had pondered the increasing efforts to replace the King James
Bible with the National Council of Churches Revised Standard Version. Its failure to be
accepted by Adventist congregations defused any serious attempt to probe the real
purpose behind the introduction of those modern versions, which of course was an
attempt to provide Biblical support for a developing conspiracy to lead "The Truly
Protestant Church" back into the arms of Rome. 21
21 Said L.E. Froom, Secretary of the general Conference Ministerial Association,
in the official SDA Church magazine, Review and Herald: "We see that the Seventh-day
Adventists are truly Protestant, in taking the prophecies of the Bible from 'the Bible and
the Bible only"' (Sept 23, 1948, p 10). Further evidence of Adventists genuine protest
against Roman Catholicism is their refusal to worship on the day set apart by Rome -
"the venerable day of the Sun".
Ever since their fledgling church had published its views on "The Great
Controversy Between Christ and Satan", back in 1887, Seventh-day Adventism had
gained the particular attention of the Papacy. The book itself was proscribed. (22
Proscribe - to denounce and condemn as dangerous, to prohibit.) No wonder! Its author,
Ellen G. White, a convert to Adventism from the Methodist Church, made it quite plain
that Protestantism in America was imperilled by Roman Catholic action.
In a chapter titled: "The Aims of the Papacy" she wrote: “Protestants have
tampered with and patronised popery; they have made compromises and concessions
which papists themselves are surprised to see, and fail to understand. Men are closing
their eyes to the real character of Romanism, and the dangers to be apprehended from
her supremacy. The people need to be aroused to resist the advances of this most
dangerous foe to civil and religious liberty" (P 566).
7