_The Declensions of Christianity, an Argument of its Truth_.
Luke xviii. 8.
"_When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth_?"
That the coming of the Son of man, is here intended of Christ's coming
at the commencement of the latter day glory, hath been alleged in the
preceding discourse, and several considerations adduced in proof.
Additional evidence will arise from a view of the prophecies _relative
to the great declensions_ which were to take place in the church,
during the gospel day. These, we observed, are of two kinds, one, a
_corruption of religion_, the other _its rejection_.
The intimations given of them in the new testament, are chiefly found
in the writings of St, Paul, Peter and John. They are noticed also by
Jude. The two former suffered martyrdom under Nero. When the time of
their departure drew nigh, they had separately a view of the then
future state of the church; "particularly of the declension which were
to take place in the kingdoms of this world, shall become the kingdom
of our Lord and Christ." St. John had the same opened to his view in
the isle of Patmos.
St. Paul in his second epistle to the Thessalonians, after rectifying
the mistake of those who thought the day of judgment then at hand,
proceeded to inform them that there would be great declensions in the
church before the end of the world. "Let no man deceive you, by any
means, for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away
first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who
opposeth himself above all that is called God, or is worshipped; so
that as God, he sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he
is God." The antichristian defection is here evidently intended. The
apostle toucheth on the same subject in his first epistle to Timothy,
and directs him "to put the brethren in remembrance of these things,"
to prevent surprise when they should happen. This was the first great
declension which was to be permitted in the church.
In his second epistle to the same Christian bishop, written not long
before his death, he resumes the subject of the defections which were
to happen in the church, but with a more particular reference to
defections of a different kind, and of a latter date. Having exhorted
Timothy to faithfulness in the discharge of official duty, he adds a
reason; "For the time will come when they will not endure sound
doctrine; but after their own lusts, shall heap to themselves
teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn their ears from the
truth, and shall be turned unto fables."
This doth not answer to the Romish defection. It was never the
character of that church to "heap to themselves teachers." They never
ran after those of other persuasions, who brought new doctrines. Their
errors were of the contrary kind. They rejected and persecuted every
teacher who did not derive from their _infallible head_, and teach as
he directed. But "itching ears" have misled many of those, who "are
moved away from the hope of the gospel. By turning to fables they have
made shipwreck of faith, and fallen a prey to those who lie in wait to
deceive."
St. peter wrote with equal plainness of the general defections; but
those of infidelity are the subject of his prophecies--"There shall be
false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable
heretics, _even denying the Lord that bought them_, and bring upon
themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious
ways; by reason of whom the truth shall be evil spoken of." The
heresies here intended are depicted too minutely to be mistaken. The
heresiarchs are described as immoral, vain and proud, pretending to
superior knowledge and penetration, despising law and government, and
trampling them under their feet.
Toward the close of his second epistle, the apostle remarks, that he
"wrote to stir up pure minds by way of remembrance; that they might be
mindful of the words spoken before, by the holy prophets"--that is, of
the predictions of inspired men, who had forewarned them of those
deceivers--"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last
days, scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying where is the
promise of his coming?" And he refers them to St. Paul, who had
predicted their rise in the church--"Even as our beloved brother Paul
also, according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you: As
also in all his epistles, speaking in them _of these things_"--He adds
--"Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware,
lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from
your own stedfastness."
The short epistle of St. Jude is little other than a prophetic
description of the same apostasy and its leaders, whom he terms
"ungodly men, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, and
_denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ_--These are
murderers, complainers, walking after their own lusts, and their
mouths speaking great swelling words--But beloved, remember ye
the words which were _spoken before_ of the apostles of our Lord Jesus
Christ; how they told you there should be mockers in the last time,
who should walk after their own lusts."
The errors of Rome are not here intended. They are manifestly errors
of a later date, which were to appear after those of Rome should
subside, having lost their influence. It is repeatedly noted that they
were to arise in _the last days_. They are errors of which this age is
witness--errors which have spread, and are yet spreading? those of
infidelity and atheism, with their usual attendants, immorality in
every hideous form. We should therefore "remember the words which were
spoken before"--the warnings which have been given us of those
defections, which were to intervene those of Antichrist, and _the
coming of the Son of man_.
The Apocalypse, though of more difficult interpretation, contains some
particulars sufficiently intelligible and to our purpose. The writer
enlarges on the Romish apostasy, which he describes more minutely than
any who had preceded him, both in its rise and progress, and also in
the circumstances which should attend its overthrow. He foretells the
spirit, pride, riches, glare of ornaments, strange abominations, and
unprecedented cruelties; the power, signs and lying wonders, which
were to render Rome the wonder and dread of the whole earth. The
portrait is in every part so exact and circumstantial, that none who
are acquainted with the history of that church, can mistake it; unless
blinded by interest or prejudice.
The apostle predicts also the other great defection which was to
follow the antichristian, though in language more obscure and
figurative, "And I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, come out of
the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of
the mouth of the false prophet for they are the spirits of devils,
working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and the
whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God
Almighty." *
* Vid. a discourse on this subject by Timothy Dwight, D.D. President
of Yale College, printed at Newhaven, A.D. 1798.
It deserves particular notice that all these strange declensions,
which were foretold, as to take place in the church, and world, are
represented as _antecedent_ to Christ's reign on earth, and
terminating _before_ the commencement of that blessed era.
It is farther to be observed that during the whole antichristian
defection, God's "two witnesses were to prophecy clothed in
sackcloth." God would have a small, but sufficient number of faithful
servants, who, in low and humble circumstances, would maintain the
truth and be witnesses for him during the reign of man of sin. But
about the end of his reign, they will have finished their testimony.
Their enemies will then prevail against them and destroy them, and for
a short term there will be none to stand up for God +--none to warn
the wicked, or to disturb them in their chosen ways. And they are
represented as exulting in their deliverance from the society of those
who amidst their departures from the living God, had tormented them,++
by warnings of future wrath, and an eternity according to their works.
For this is the way in which God's witnesses torment the wicked.
* * * *
+ Comparatively None. The number will be exceedingly small--the times
resemble those just before the flood, when Noah was said to stand
alone. The pageantry of Romish worship may be kept up in that church,
till mystical Babylon shall be destroyed, in the awful manner foretold
in the Revelation; but infidelity hath long since, tipped the
foundation of catholic religion, being grafted on the ruins of
superstition. The absurd doctrines, and legendary tales of popery, may
have been credited in the dark ages, when many of the clergy were
unable to write their names, or so much as read their alphabet; but
the belief of them is utterly inconsistent with the light everywhere
diffused since the revival of literature.
++ Tormented them. This language is remarkable. It intimates that the
pains occasioned in the wicked, by the warnings of the faithful are
the same, in kind, as those of the damned, and that they are often
severe. This accounts for the mad joy of infidelity--for the frantic
triumphs of those who have persuaded themselves that religion is a
fable. It accounts for the representation here given of the conduct of
an unbelieving world, when infidelity shall have become universal, and
the dead body of religion lie exposed to public scorn. Such is the
time here foretold--a time when the age of atheism may be vauntingly
termed "the age of reason."
* * * * *
God's witnesses testify not only against antichristian errors, but
also against infidelity and the immorality it occasions. When he
ceases to have witnesses there will be none to testify against either
the one or the other. The world must _then_ be deluged in infidelity
and atheism. This agrees with the representation given by the apostle;
who describes the enemies of God as refusing graves to his slaughtered
witnesses, and causing their dead bodies to lie exposed to public
view, that they may rejoice over them, and congratulate one another on
their deliverance from the company of those who had disturbed them in
their sinful indulgences; and such as continuing to be the state of
"the people, and kindreds, and tongues, and nations," till the
witnesses are raised from the dead and ascend to heaven in the
presence of their enemies; when Christianity will revive, and Christ's
reign on earth begin.
These representations may be designed to intimate that the term in
which infidelity will appear to be universal, will be so short that
the warnings of the faithful will not be forgotten--that they will
be kept in mind by the exultations occasioned by deliverance from the
fears of religion, and from the presence of those who had excited
those fears, by exhibiting proofs of religion which they could not
refute. And how natural and common are such exultations, with those
devoid of religious fear? But agreeably to the view given by the
apostle, when such shall have become the state of the world, and the
nations shall be thus felicitating themselves in full persuasion that
all religion is a dream, and death an eternal sleep, the signals of
Christ's coming to take the kingdom, will be given, and witnesses of
the truth of Christianity, which cannot be disputed, suddenly arise,
to the surprize and confusion of scoffing sinners; multitudes of whom
will be swept off by desolating judgments to prepare the way for "the
people of the saints of the most high, _whose kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom_." For that desolations are to close the sad scene
of apostasy, and prepare Christ's way is clearly foretold;
particularly by St. John, who beheld, in vision, "the kings of the
earth, and of the whole world, gathered to the battle of the great day
of God Almighty;" and saw such an effusion of their blood, that "the
harvest of the earth might be considered as reaped, the vine of
the earth as cut and cast into the great wine press of the wrath of
God, whence flowed blood to the horses bridles." *
Thus from the general tenor of prophecy it appears that infidelity
will have overspread the world _when the Son of man shall come_ to
reign upon it: And as this agrees to no other coming of his foretold
by the prophets, there can be no reasonable doubt what _coming_ is
intended in the text. If we keep these things in mind, we will not
wonder at the declensions of religion and prevalence of infidelity.
They will remind us of the remark made by our Savior to his sorrowing
disciples just before his sufferings, "these things have I told you,
that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of
them."
Before, or about the time of this _coming of the Son of man_,
Antichrist will fall--Mahomedan delusion terminate--"The Jews look to
him whom they pierced, and mourn--be gathered the second time" from
their dispersions, and returned to their own land, and the fullness of
the Gentiles be brought in. Perhaps these may be the signs of Christ's
coming, intended by the resurrection of the witnesses, When these
events shall take place "the Lord will be king over all the earth. In
that day there will be one Lord and his name one."
* Revelation xiv. 15, 20.