Notwithstanding the apostasy of the Romish Church, her utter
departure from the faith because of the substitution of a man-made
system of ecclesiasticism for the personal presence and authority
of the Holy Ghost, Protestants have not profited (but in part) by
her fall; they have very generally fallen into a like snare.
The apostolic church fully recognized the personal presence and
authority of the Holy Ghost. He was fully accepted as their teacher
and guide. They fully embraced the words of Jesus: "When he, the
Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth"--yea,
"teach you all things," even the "deep things" of God. Hence, we
hear Peter saying unto Ananias, "Why hath Satan filled thine heart
to lie to the Holy Ghost?" The presence of the divine Spirit was to
them a certainty.
In Acts 13:2 we read, "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted,
the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work
whereunto I have called them." Here the authority of the Holy Ghost
is recognized. Thus we see that the early church needed no man-made
system; being filled with the Holy Ghost they fully accepted him as
their teacher and guide. But in process of time the church lost her
primitive power; the presence of the Holy Ghost seemed less real.
The necessity of a teacher and guide was felt; hence the absence of
the Holy Ghost necessitated the substitution of another teacher and
guide, a "dead ecclesiasticism," called the Holy Catholic Church
(?), with the prerogative of the divine Spirit--thus priesthood was
exalted and invested with power to forgive sins; and the pope made
the "visible head of the church," or the vicar of Jesus Christ upon
earth. But the church felt the need of an "infallible teacher";
the loss of the divine Paraclete necessitated a substitution, if
the resemblance of the apostolic church be maintained; hence the
system must supply the lack. Thus the dogma of infallibility was
conceived, ending in the exaltation of the pope of Rome above all
that is called God, or that is worshiped--the "man of sin" "sitting
in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."
Any man-made system of ecclesiasticism must necessarily be lifeless
and powerless, just in proportion as it fails to recognize the
personal presence and authority of the Holy Ghost, and sets up its
own order and authority.
Indeed the modern church has so far lost sight of the veritable
presence and authority of the personal Holy Ghost, that everything
seems reduced to man-ordered system--yea, an endless treadmill of
works. The form of religion takes the place of vital godliness, and
the people seem to have forgotten that there is any Holy Ghost.
It is said history repeats itself; let us consider what meaneth the
cry of "fanatic" now so prevalent in the sects as used against the
holiness movement. Perhaps we may learn a lesson from Rome--why
did the Romish hierarchy persecute the Reformers? Simply because
there had been substituted a wire-bound ecclesiasticism (a man-made
system) for the presence and authority of the personal Holy Ghost;
a lifeless system--yea, a dead ecclesiasticism was thought to be
the one holy catholic church. It was not allowed that any could
be loyal to God unless loyal to the system, hence the cry of
"heretic," which today finds its counterpart in the term "holiness
fanatic" as used by the dominant sects against holiness men. In
their devotion to churchism they lose sight of the personal Holy
Ghost, and exalt the system. We must go back to apostolic ground;
the presence and power of the Holy Ghost must mark (or make
manifest) the church. The blinding power of churchism will deceive
nominal professors in the Protestant sects just as effectually as
it did in the Roman Church. It is eternally true that the natural
man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. The great
Sanhedrin judged it right that Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory,
judged to be a vile deceiver, should be crucified between two
thieves; the Romish Church considered it right to burn "heretics";
and in all ages the mystic Babylon of Revelation has persecuted the
true saints of God.
Thus it will be till the time of the end.