The European Union in Prophecy by Ellen White

The European Union in Prophecy
Roman Catholic Opposition to Papal Infallibility (London: John Murray, 1909). For
the non-Roman view, see George Salmon, Infallibility of the Church (London: John
Murray, rev. ed., 1914).
Page 52. Image worship.--"The worship of images . . . was one of those
corruptions of Christianity which crept into the church stealthily and almost without
notice or observation. This corruption did not, like other heresies, develop itself at
once, for in that case it would have met with decided censure and rebuke: but, making
its commencement under a fair disguise, so gradually was one practice after another
introduced in connection with it, that the church had become deeply steeped in
practical idolatry, not only without any efficient opposition, but almost without any
decided remonstrance; and when at length an endeavour was made to root it out, the
evil was found too deeply fixed to admit of removal. . . . It must be traced to the
idolatrous tendency of the human heart, and its propensity to serve the creature more
than the Creator. . . .
"Images and pictures were first introduced into churches, not to be worshiped,
but either in the place of books to give instruction to those who could not read, or to
excite devotion in the minds of others. How far they ever answered such a purpose is
doubtful; but, even granting that this was the case for a time, it soon ceased to be so,
and it was found that pictures and images brought into churches darkened rather
than enlightened the minds of the ignorant--degraded rather than exalted the
devotion of the worshiper. So that, however they might have been intended to direct
men's minds to God, they ended in turning them from Him to the worship of created
things."--J. Mendham, The Seventh General Council, the Second of Nicaea,
Introduction, pages iii-vi.
For a record of the proceedings and decisions of the Second Council of Nicaea,
A.D. 787, called to establish the worship of images, see Baronius, Ecclesiastical
Annals, vol. 9, pp. 391-407 (Antwerp, 1612); J. Mendham, The Seventh General
Council, the Second of Nicaea; Ed. Stillingfleet, Defense of the Discourse Concerning
the Idolatry Practiced in the Church of Rome (London, 1686); A Select Library of
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, 2d series, vol. 14, pp. 521-587 (New York, 1900);
Charles J. Hefele, A History of the Councils of the Church, From the Original
543