Is there one true and divine religion in the world? The answer of the
people in this country generally is, that there is. Touching this
answer we entertain not a doubt. There is in this world one religion
from God, and of supreme and absolute authority. It covers the whole
ground, and leaves not the least room for any other. All others are
departures from it, corruptions of it, or amalgamations with something
else. That one religion was given by Christ and his apostles. Christ
is the Author of it. He is the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and
the Ending. “All authority in heaven and on earth is given to him.”
His religion, and no other, has the divine, the supreme, and the
absolute authority in it. There is not one particle of divine authority
in any other. All others are usurpations, existing in antagonism and
rebellion, and will be overthrown.
The Papal religion is a compound, or an amalgamation of Judaism,
Christianity and Paganism, the latter, by far, preponderating. Its
great love for, and attachment to the Latin, is in deference to
Paganism. While it contains some truth, and some parts of the religion
of Christ, it can not be said, in truth, to be _that religion_.
It is another, a departure, an apostasy; beyond recovery, and the
divine command to the people of God involved in it, is to “Come out
of her, that you be not partaker of her sins, and that you receive
not of her plagues.” Rev. xviii. 4. God says, “Her sins” (the sins
of Mystery Babylon) “have reached to heaven, and God has remembered
her iniquities.” This iniquitous system, as a distinct religion, was
not in the world for ages after the true religion was established. We
need inform no one a little acquainted with the New Testament, that
no such being as the Pope was in the church, nor in the world, in the
time of the apostles; nor does he appear in the early history of the
church at all. We might as well look into the Bible or early history
for an account of Mohammed, or the Mormon prophet, as for the Pope.
Neither the Pope nor Mohammed appear at all in history, for hundreds
of years after the establishment of the only true religion. Nor was
there a Cardinal or an Archbishop, during the same period. These
dignitaries were not _developed_ till long after the founding of the
New Institution. The entire priesthood of the Papacy, as now found, as
also the Nuns and Sisters of Charity, are wanting in all the history,
and, we may safely say, in everything written in the early centuries.
There is not a trace of them in the Bible, except in prophecy, nor in
any writing, for hundreds of years after the apostles. This any man
knows who has read and reflected at all.
The idea of the Papacy existing, except in embryo, insidiously coming
up, without a Pope, a Cardinal, an Arch-bishop, a Bishop, a Priest, a
Nun, or Sister of Charity, for centuries after Christ, is one of the
most preposterous things ever imposed on the credulity of mankind. Yet
the very mention of these dignitaries is lacking in all the writings of
several of the early centuries, either in the Bible or out of it. There
is not a trace of them in any writing of the period of which we speak,
Jewish, Christian, Infidel or Pagan. There is nothing clearer than that
the Papal religion came up too late to have the least claim to be the
true religion. The same is true of the Mohammedan religion. The true
religion was in the world long centuries before Mohammedanism had an
existence. It was born too late to be the true religion.
The true religion was born in Jerusalem. The Papacy was born in
Rome. Rome has been its seat—its Eternal City. It did not begin in
Jerusalem, but in Rome. Mohammedanism was not born in Jerusalem, but in
Mecca. It did not originate with Jesus but with Mohammed. A religion
not known till hundreds of years after Christ and his apostles, most
unequivocally is not the true religion. We need not trouble the reader
with the mention of any religion, born at a later date, in another
place, or originating with another person. Such a religion certainly
has no claim to be the true one. The true religion originated with
Jesus, in Jerusalem, and in the time of Christ and the apostles. Any
religion that did not originate with Jesus, in Jerusalem, and in the
time of Christ and the apostles, and that does not appear in the
accounts found on the pages of the New Testament, nor any writings of
the first three centuries, is out of the question. If the very name of
any religion, the person with whom it originated, and other important
matters connected with it, are not found in the Bible, nor a trace of
it in history for hundreds of years after Christ, it is out of the
question.
Is there any way to determine what the true religion is? Is it anywhere
distinctly set forth, revealed and embodied in writing, so that we can
find it separate from everything else? It is distinctly set forth by
Christ and his apostles, separate from everything else. They revealed
it as complete religion in itself, containing all things necessary to
life and godliness—the final the last will of God to man. It is the
culmination, the embodiment and consummation of infinite wisdom and
goodness in one religion, for all nations of men that dwell on all
the face of the earth. Can we find it? Can we tell what it is? Can we
practice and enjoy it? We claim that we can find it, practice it and
enjoy it. Can we determine what it requires us to believe, what it
requires us to do, and what it promises us? If we have to say no to
all this, we are in a deplorable condition truly. But we claim that we
can find the true religion, determine what it is, practice and enjoy
it; that we can determine what it requires us to believe, what it
requires us to do, and what it promises us. This being so, there is
not an excuse for any man being irreligious, taking up with a wrong
religion, thinking that something is the true religion that is not,
believing something that it does not require, doing something it does
not command, or hoping for something it does not promise.
There is one book in which the religion of Christ is set forth. That
one book is the Bible. In that book the one religion, the only true
religion, is set forth; set forth correctly by the unerring Spirit of
all revelation and all divine wisdom. Not another religion is found in
that book, now in force. No man goes to that book to find an account
of the Pope, a Cardinal, or an Archbishop of the Papal type. No man of
intelligence goes there to find an account of Mohammed, or the Koran.
No man of intelligence goes to the Bible to find an account of the
Church of England, its origin, rise, or any part of its history. No
man goes to the Bible to find an account of Lutheranism, its origin,
rise, or any part of its history. There never was a Lutheran before
Martin Luther lived, in the sixteenth century. No man goes to the Bible
to find an account of the origin of Presbyterianism. There never was
a Presbyterian before John Calvin. No man goes to the Bible to find
the origin, rise, or any part of the history of Methodism. There never
was a Methodist before John Wesley. We do not go to the Bible to find
an account of George Fox, Ann Lee, Joe Smith, etc.; nor of Quakerism,
Shakerism, or Mormonism. These persons are not Bible characters, and
these religions are not Bible religions. They came not into existence
till long ages after the last words of the Bible were written. The true
religion had been in the world ages before these were born. This ends
all controversy about their claims to be the true religion. The true
religion was a finality. In its closing words it forbids any addition.
There is not an item in any religion in the world that is right that
did not come from the Bible. All parties admit that all that comes
from the Bible is right, and all that does not come from the Bible is
without authority. Their differences are about what is not in the Bible
and not about what is in the Bible. They all believe the Bible, but
they do not believe what each other have in their other books that
is not in the Bible. It is not the Bible that makes the Baptists,
for there is nothing in the Bible about the Baptists, and then the
Episcopalians have the Bible and believe it as much as the Baptists
do, and it does not make them Baptists. It is not the Bible that makes
Episcopalians, for the Presbyterians have the Bible and believe it as
much as the Episcopalians do, and it does not make them Episcopalians.
It is not the Bible that makes Presbyterians, for there is nothing in
the Bible about Presbyterians, and then the Methodists have the Bible
and believe it as much as the Presbyterians do, and it does not make
them Presbyterians.
The movement about the beginning of this century was not to establish
a new church, or a new religion, but to return to the Lord, find the
old religion and the old church; receive, believe and practice what the
old religion, as set forth in Scripture, requires, and nothing else.
No movement can go back of this, nor rise above it, if it does what it
claims. What remains for us, is to stand to it, maintain it and carry
it out practically and faithfully.