The Falling Away
The Body of the Church Destroyed
Notwithstanding that the early officers of the Church were endowed
with the Holy Priesthood and exercised the spiritual gifts, which were
to remain until all came "unto a perfect man unto the stature of the
fulness of Christ," there came a great and terrible change, absolutely
destroying the perfect body of the Church. In its place arose a strange
organization which eventually gained dominion over the earth and ruled
the destinies of men, not in love unfeigned, but in blood and carnage
most appalling, and with an iron hand.
The Falling Away Predicted
The rise of this power had been predicted by many of the prophets of
old and by the apostles of our Lord. Even the Savior, when instructing
his disciples regarding the signs of the times, intimated that this
would occur. Isaiah, seven centuries before the birth of Christ,
predicted that the time would come when the earth would be defiled
under its inhabitants because of the transgression of the law, the
changing of ordinances and the breaking of the new and everlasting
covenant. It is evident that this was to occur in the latter days,
and not in the days of Israel's subjection to the law, for the law of
Moses was not an everlasting covenant. This prophecy was to receive its
consummation in the day when the earth, defiled by the wickedness and
corruption of its inhabitants, should be cleansed by fire and few men
left (Isaiah 24:1-6).
The Prophecies of Isaiah and Amos
Speaking of this event Isaiah says: "For the Lord hath poured out upon
you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets
and your rulers, the seers hath he covered." Shortly before this time,
Amos also predicted that the time would come when the Lord would send a
famine in the land, "not a famine of bread," said he, "nor a thirst for
water, but of hearing the words of the Lord."
The Vision of Daniel
Daniel saw in vision the overthrow of the Church established by the
Savior in the meridian of time. In his vision of the four beasts,
representing the kingdoms seen by Nebuchadnezzar in his dream, he saw
one horn, or power, come up among the ten that succeeded the Roman
Empire, "more stout than his fellows." This horn had eyes and a mouth
that spake very great words against the Most High, and three other
kingdoms were subdued by this great horn. The same power "made war with
the saints and prevailed against them," and through continued conflict
and exercise of might was able to "wear out the saints of the Most
High" and thought to "change times and laws." This blasphemous power
was to rule until the coming of the Ancient of Days, when the kingdom
and dominion was to be "given to the people of the saints of the Most
High whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom."
Apostasy Commenced in Days of Apostles
The falling away from the faith commenced before the close of the
ministry of the apostles. Paul, when at Miletus taking his final
departure from the elders of Ephesus who had come to meet him,
earnestly entreated them to take heed to feed the Church of God, for,
said he, "I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves
enter in among you, not sparing the flock, and of yourselves shall men
arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them."
He also took occasion to warn the Saints at Thessalonica not to be
deceived regarding the ushering in of the second advent of the Son of
God, "for that day," he wrote to them, "shall not come, except there
come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called
God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of
God, showing himself that he is God."
The Predictions of Paul
The Saints at Galatia commenced very early to depart from the faith.
Timothy was warned by Paul, and instructed that in the last days
perilous times would come and men would be "lovers of their ownselves,
covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false
accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more that lovers
of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof."
Moreover, he said the time would come, "when they will not endure sound
doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves
teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from
the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."
Prophecy of Peter
Peter, likewise, by the spirit of prophecy, bore record of the
departure from the faith when he wrote to the Saints, saying: "But
there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be
false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies,
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 way of truth shall be evil spoken of." Then he sought to
impress upon the minds of the Saints the fact that the prophets before
him had also predicted these direful events, saying: "That ye may be
mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and
of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior; 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?
for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were
from the beginning of the creation."
The Mystery of Iniquity
As already stated, Paul declared to the Thessalonians that the "mystery
of iniquity" was already at work, and to Timothy he said: "All they
which are in Asia be turned away from me." He had, we are led to
believe, had some dispute with Asiatic converts, for he wrote to
Timothy in great sorrow because some of his companions had forsaken him
and were advocating doctrines contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In trying to correct these evils he was left to contend alone, for he
adds: "At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me."
Decline of Spiritual Gifts
It was not long after the departure of the apostles that spiritual
gifts ceased to be manifest in the Church. The decline of these
blessings, which are inseparably connected with the Church of Christ,
led to the belief, so prevalent even in this day, that they were not to
be continued, having been instituted in the incipiency of the Church,
merely as a means of aiding in its establishment, after which they were
no longer needed.
Revelation and heavenly communication also came to an end. There was
no more vision, for the people had closed their eyes. This condition
also led to the universal belief, which the world holds even now, that
the canon of scripture is full and there is to be no more scripture,
notwithstanding the Lord has revealed through his servants that
revelation is to continue.
Changes in Church Government
The offices in the Priesthood were also changed because those unto whom
the Gospel was preached would not endure sound doctrine, but after
their own lusts heaped to themselves teachers having itching ears and
were "men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith."
The Church Taken from Among Men
Instead of apostles and prophets there came, as time went on, a very
different ecclesiastical order from that instituted by the Lord. The
Church established by the Redeemer was taken from the earth because of
continued persecution and apostasy, until there was but a dead form
of the true Church left. The great ecclesiastical organization that
arose and claimed to be the Church of Christ was of gradual growth. The
change from truth to error was not made all in one day. It commenced
in the first century and continued during the immediate centuries that
followed, until the Church established in the days of the apostles was
no more to be found among men. Without the direction of inspired men,
who could communicate with God, the change was a natural one.
Rise of the Church of Rome
In the beginning of the fourth century this great religious power,
under the Emperor Constantine became the state religion of the Roman
Empire. From that time forth its dominion spread and before many
years had passed away it became the ruling power in religion in the
so-called civilized world. By it "times and laws" were changed. The
simple principles of the Christian faith were embellished almost beyond
recognition with pomp and mystic rites borrowed from pagan worship. The
priests and potentates, who officiated in these ceremonies, no longer
followed the simple customs of the humble fishermen of Galilee but,
dressed in splendid and costly robes, with mitres on their heads, they
performed their various parts in pride and with mystifying ceremonies
that over-awed and bewildered the humble people.
Changes in the Doctrines of the Church
The correct doctrine regarding the Godhead taught by Jesus Christ,
was changed into a mystery. The ordinance of baptism was changed from
burial in the water for the remission of sins, to sprinkling of a
little water on the head. Sprinkling of infants, miscalled baptism, a
custom which "is mockery before God, denying the mercies of Christ,
and the power of the Holy Spirit," became a fixed and universal
custom. Changes in the administration of the sacrament of the Lord's
supper were also introduced, and the doctrine advanced that the bread
and wine became the flesh and blood of our crucified Redeemer, by
transubstantiation. Those who entered the ministry were forbidden
to marry, and many other changes, which need not be mentioned here,
were made in the principles of the Gospel, in the functions of the
Priesthood and the worship of the Lord.
Temporal Power of the Pope
Rome became the capital of this ecclesiastical power and the bishop or
pope, as he was called, its head. As its power grew it claimed dominion
not only in matter religious, but in civil affairs as well. During the
acme of its glory it ruled practically the known world. By it kings
were made and by it they were dethroned. Unless they bowed before the
papal power in abject submission they were made to feel the weight of
its mighty hand.
Frederick Seebohm, in his _Era of the Protestant Revolution_, says:
"Kings were not secure on their thrones till they had the sanction
of the Church. On the other hand the clergy claimed to be free from
prosecution under the criminal laws of the land they lived in.
They struggled to keep their own ecclesiastical laws and their own
ecclesiastical courts, receiving authority direct from Rome, and with
final appeal, not to the crown, but to the pope."
"To establish an accusation against a bishop," writes Motley, in his
_Rise of the Dutch Republic_, "seventy-two witnesses were necessary;
against a deacon, twenty-seven; against an inferior dignitary, seven;
while two were sufficient to convict a layman."
Power of the Clergy
Few outside of the clergy were educated enough to read and write;
therefore priests became the lawyers, diplomats, ambassadors,
instructors and prime ministers in the nations. All learned men talked
and wrote in Latin, which was the language of Rome. It is said that
for centuries a man convicted of a crime in England, by showing that
he could read or write, could claim the benefits of a trial in the
ecclesiastical court, which, "by long abuse came to mean exemption from
the punishment of the criminal law of the land."
Not only did the priests fill these important offices where they
were enabled to wield great power and to control, very largely, the
destinies of nations, but many of them became extremely avaricious and
"divined for money." Jean de Valdez, brother of the secretary to King
Charles V, wrote of the times as follows: "I see that we can scarcely
get anything from Christ's ministers but for money; at baptism money,
at bishoping money, at marriage money, for confession money--no, not
extreme unction without money! They will ring no bells without money,
no burial in Church without money; so that it seemeth that Paradise is
shut up from them that have no money. The rich is buried in the Church,
the poor in the church-yard. The rich may marry with his nearest kin,
but the poor not so, albeit he be ready to die for love of her. The
rich may eat flesh in Lent, but the poor may not, albeit fish perhaps
be much dearer. The rich man may readily get large indulgences, but
the poor none, because he wanteth money to pay for them" (_Era of the
Protestant Revolution_, p. 60).
In addition to all this they taxed the people in various ways,
receiving a tithing from all produce of the farms, a tenth of the land
and of the wages of the working man. Writes Motley: "Not content,
moreover, with their territories and their tithings, the churchmen
perpetually devised new burdens upon the peasantry. Plows, sickles,
horses, oxen, all implements of husbandry were taxed for the benefit of
those who toiled not, but who gathered into barns."
Sale of Indulgences
Some of these ecclesiastical rulers became so avaricious and filled
with the spirit of greed that they advanced the blasphemous doctrine of
forgiving sins by the sale of indulgences. It is claimed by the Church
of Rome that these evils were the sins of individuals who perverted
the doctrine of the church in relation to penance and forgiveness
of sin. The indulgence was, according to their teaching, "a pardon
usually granted by the pope, through which the contrite sinner escaped
a part, or all, of the punishment which remained even after he had
been absolved. The pardon did not therefore forgive the guilt of the
sinner, for that had necessarily to be removed before the indulgence
was granted; it only removed or mitigated the penalties which even the
forgiven sinner would, without the indulgence, have expected to undergo
in purgatory."[1]
However, the sale of indulgences in various parts of Europe, was a
means of creating large fortunes for those who sanctioned it. There
was no crime in the category for which the power of forgiveness was
not offered if the party seeking it could pay the price. The various
countries were districted and farmed for the collection of these
revenues, according to John Lathrop Motley, the historian, who writes:
"The price current of the wares offered for sale was published
in every town and village [in the Netherlands]. God's pardon for
crimes already committed, or about to be committed, was advertized
according to a graded tariff. Thus poisoning, for example, was
absolved for eleven ducats, six livres tournois. Absolution for
incest was afforded at thirty-six livres, three ducats. Perjury
came to seven livres and three carlines. Pardon for murder, if not
by poison, was cheaper. Even a parricide could buy forgiveness at
God's tribunal at one ducat, four livres, eight carlines. Henry de
Mountfort, in the year 1448, purchased absolution for that crime
at that price. Was it strange that a century or so of this kind of
work should produce a Luther? Was it unnatural that plain people,
who loved the ancient Church, should rather desire to see her
purged of such blasphemous abuses than to hear of St. Peter's dome
rising a little nearer to the clouds on these proceeds of commuted
crime? . . . The Netherlands, like other countries, are districted
and farmed for the collection of this papal revenue. Much of the
money thus raised remains in the hands of the vile collectors.
Sincere Catholics, who love and honor the ancient religion, shrink
with horror at the spectacle offered on every side. Criminals
buying paradise for money, monks spending the money thus paid in
gaming houses, taverns, and brothels; this seems to those who have
studied their Testaments a different scheme of salvation from the
one promulgated by Christ. There has evidently been a departure
from the system of earlier apostles. Innocent conservative souls
are much perplexed; but at last all these infamies arouse a giant
to do battle with the giant wrong."[2]
Thus were the prophecies of the scriptures fulfilled; the laws
transgressed by a power that exalted itself "above all that is called
God" and in his sacred name speaking "great words against the Most
High."
Notes
1. _History of Western Europe_, p. 39, James Harvey Robinson.
2. _The Rise of the Dutch Republic_, vol. 1, pp. 63-66, Motley.