Part 11 (1/2)

These are the great principles corrupted by the Papacy. Instead of the one supreme G.o.d, we find another in the temple of G.o.d, ”showing himself that _he_ is G.o.d.” Christ was not recognized as the supreme and only head of the church; but instead the Pope claimed the t.i.tle of universal head and legislated supreme, while his decrees and anathemas were accepted as from Jehovah himself. Christ was not regarded as the only mediator between G.o.d and man, but the virgin Mary and the saints were exalted to share the mediatorial throne, the mother being more honored than the Son. Penance, counting of beads, works of supererogation, were believed to be more effectual in obtaining forgiveness of sin than living faith in our only Redeemer. Finally, in place of the humble ministers of Christ whom he appointed to officiate in his church, there were haughty lords and rulers, making the most extravagant claims to power and authority over the minds and consciences of men. The court of the temple was the s.p.a.ce outside of the sanctuary occupied by the congregation while the wors.h.i.+p within was conducted by the priests. John was told to leave this out and measure it not; for it was given to the Gentiles to tread under foot, or profane, for the s.p.a.ce of forty and two months, or twelve hundred and sixty days. In the estimation of a Jew, the Gentiles were all idolaters and outside of G.o.d's covenant favor. As a symbol, then, we are to understand that the great body of wors.h.i.+pers thus brought to view are not the true children of G.o.d at all, but are, as it were, uncirc.u.mcised, idolatrous Gentiles, having no connection whatever with the great head of the church and no part in the covenant of his mercy. The whole city of Jerusalem was to be given over to this profane mult.i.tude and by them desecrated for forty-two months, denoting that this great company of wors.h.i.+pers was to const.i.tute the visible, external church during the period specified. It is as though the city of Jerusalem were occupied by the idolatrous heathen, and the Jews driven out as aliens. These Gentiles, then, were to const.i.tute the one great (so-called) universal church--the Church of Rome.

Forty and two months, or twelve hundred and sixty days, are symbolic time, signifying twelve hundred and sixty years, during which time the power of apostasy was to reign supreme over the minds of men. The same period is also referred to frequently in subsequent chapters. It is necessary, then, for us to ascertain at what period of time the church was given over to a profane mult.i.tude that was not the true people of G.o.d. Some have supposed that this must refer to the time when Popery became fully established. Such, however, could not be the case (although the time-period includes that important event); for the power of apostasy was greatly developed centuries before the final supremacy of the Popes was established, and was necessary in order to prepare the way for their exaltation. The Popes obtained their authority by degrees. In A.D. 606 the emperor Phocas conferred the t.i.tle ”Universal Bishop” upon the Pope of Rome. In A.D. 756 the Pope became a temporal sovereign. Yet the power of Papal usurpation did not reach the summit until the reign of the impious Hildebrand, who succeeded to the Popedom in A.D. 1073, under the t.i.tle of Gregory VII. But according to the symbols before us, we must look for a period not so much when the Popes were enabled to definitely enforce their arrogant claims, as when the ministry became corrupted and when the inhabitants of the city, or the devotees of the visible church, became a profane mult.i.tude entirely estranged from the covenant of promise. The usurpations of the ministry that accompanied this great change in the external church have been considered already under the symbols of chapter VI. This mighty transformation to a church containing nothing but uncirc.u.mcised Gentiles was fully accomplished during the latter half of the third century, from which date we must look for the true disciples of the Lord as entirely separate from the hierarchy. A few quotations from standard and ecclesiastical histories will show this important epoch in the rise of the Papacy that plunged the world into almost universal apostasy.

”The living church retiring gradually within the lonely sanctuary of a few solitary hearts, an external church was subst.i.tuted in its place, and all its forms were declared to be of divine appointment. Salvation no longer flowing from the Word, which was henceforward put out of sight, the priests affirmed that it was conveyed by means of the forms they had themselves invented, and that no one could obtain it but by these channels.... The doctrine of the church and the necessity of its visible unity, which had begun to gain ground in the _third century_, favored the pretensions of Rome.” D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation, Book I, Chap. 1.

”At the end of the third century almost half the inhabitants of the Roman empire, and of several neighboring countries, professed the faith of Christ. About this time endeavors to preserve a unity of belief, and of church discipline, occasioned numberless disputes among those of different opinions, and led to the establishment of an ecclesiastical tyranny.” Encyclopaedia of Religious Knowledge.

Concerning the Roman diocese, the Encyclopaedia Britannica says, ”Before the termination of the third century the office was held to be of such importance that its succession was a matter of interest to ecclesiastics living in distant sees.” Vol. XIX, p. 488.

”Almost proportionate with the extension of Christianity was the decrease in the church of vital piety. A philosophizing spirit among the higher, and a wild monkish superst.i.tion among the lower orders, fast took the place in the third century of the faith and humility of the first Christians. Many of the clergy became very corrupt, and excessively ambitious. In consequence of this there was an awful defection of Christianity.” Marsh's Church History, p. 185.

”We have found it almost necessary to separate, and indeed widely to distinguish the events of the two first, from those of the third century, for nearly at this point we are disposed to place the FIRST CRISIS in the internal history of the church.” Waddington's Church History.

”This season of external prosperity was improved by the ministers of the church for the exertion of new claims, and the a.s.sumption of powers with which they had not been previously invested. At first these claims were modestly urged, and gradually allowed; but they laid a foundation for the encroachments which were afterwards made upon the rights of the whole Christian community, and for lofty pretensions to the right of supremacy and spiritual dominion.... Several alterations in the form of church government appear to have been introduced during the third century. Some degree of pomp was thought necessary.... The external dignity of the ministers of religion was accompanied by a still greater change in its discipline.... Many of the Jewish and Pagan proselytes ...

languished in the absence of ceremonies which were naturally adapted to the taste of the unreflecting mult.i.tude, while the insolent infidel haughtily insisted upon the inanity of a religion which was not manifested by an external symbol or decoration. In order to accommodate Christianity to these prejudices, a number of rites were inst.i.tuted; and while the dignified t.i.tles of the Jewish priesthood were through a compliance with the prejudices of that people, conferred upon the Christian teachers, many ceremonies were introduced which coincided with the genius of Paganism. The true gospels were taught by sensible images, and many of the ceremonies employed in celebrating the heathen mysteries were observed in the inst.i.tutions of Christ, which soon in their turn obtained the name of mysteries, and served as a melancholy precedent for future innovations, and as a foundation for that structure of absurdity and superst.i.tion which deformed and disgraced the church.” Rutter's History of the Church, pp. 52-56.

This ”season of external prosperity” mentioned by Rutter began with the accession of Gallienus to the imperial throne in A.D. 260. Up to this time the hand of persecution had been raised against the church almost incessantly; but from 260 until the reign of Diocletian persecution almost ceased, during this s.p.a.ce of about forty years. But this period also marked the greatest decline in spiritual things and a marvelous development of the hierarchy. Speaking of the bishop of Rome in these times, Dowling says, ”He far surpa.s.sed all his brethren in the magnificence and splendor of the church over which he presided; in the riches of his revenues and possessions; in the number and variety of his ministers; in his credit with the people; and in his sumptuous and splendid manner of living.” History of Romanism, p. 34.

Ammia.n.u.s Marcellinus, a Roman historian, who lived during these times, adverting to this subject, says: ”It was no wonder to see those who were ambitious of human greatness, contending with so much heat and animosity for that dignity, because when they had obtained it, they were sure to be enriched by the offerings of the matrons, and of appearing abroad in great splendor, of being admired for their costly coaches, and sumptuous feasts, outdoing sovereign princes in the expenses of their table.” This led Proetextatus, a heathen, who was praefect of the city, to say, ”Make me bishop of Rome, and I'll be a Christian too!”

Speaking of the period now under consideration, Eusebius, ”the father of church history,” ”mentions one Paul, who was at this time bishop of Antioch; who lived in luxury and licentiousness, and who was a teacher of erroneous doctrines, and usurped so great authority that the people feared to venture to accuse him. In the conclusion of the same chapter in which this is found, he shows that after a general council was held at Antioch, this Paul was excommunicated and robbed of his bishopric by the bishops of Rome and Italy; from this it appears that they possessed an authority still greater than that usurped by Paul.” The following are his words: ”Paul, therefore, having thus fallen from the episcopate, together with the true faith as already said, Domnus succeeded in administration of the church at Antioch. But Paul being unwilling to leave the building of the church, an appeal was made to the emperor Aurelian, who decided most equitably on the business, ordering the building to be given up to those whom the Christian bishops of Italy and Rome should write.” Eccl. History, Book VII, Chap. 30. The Encyclopaedia Britannica says that this council at which Paul was excommunicated was held ”probably in the year 268,” and that ”Paul continued in his office until the year 272, when the city was taken by the emperor Aurelian, who decided in person that the church-building belonged to the bishop who was in epistolary communication with the bishops of Rome and Italy.”

Vol. XVIII, p. 429.

The above extracts show not only the development of error in the church, but also the great power already obtained by the hierarchy. Geo. Fisher says, ”The accession of Constantine [A.D. 312] found the church so firmly organized under the hierarchy that it could not lose its ident.i.ty by being absolutely merged in the state.” History of the Christian Church, p. 99.

In the year A.D. 270 Anthony, an Egyptian, the founder of the monastic inst.i.tution, fixed his abode in the deserts of Egypt and formed monks into organized bodies. ”Influenced by these eminent examples [Anthony, Hilarion, et al.] immense mult.i.tudes betook themselves to the desert, and innumerable monasteries were fixed in Egypt, Ethiopia, Lybia and Syria. Some of the Egyptian abbots are spoken of as having had five, seven, or even ten thousand monks under their personal direction; and the Thebias, as well as certain spots in Arabia, are reported to have been literally crowded with solitaries. Nearly a hundred thousand of all cla.s.ses, it is said, were at one time to be found in Egypt.... Although the enthusiasm might be at a lower ebb in one country than in another, it _actually affected the church universal_, so far as the extant materials of ecclesiastical history enables us to trace its rise and progress.... The more rigid and heroic of the Christian anch.o.r.ets dispensed with all clothing except a rug, or a few palm leaves round the loins. Most of them abstained from the use of water for ablution; nor did they usually wash or change the garments they had once put on; thus _St. Anthony_ [the founder of this order] bequeathed to Athanasius a skin in which his sacred person had been wrapped for half a century.

They also allowed their beards and nails to grow, and sometimes became so hirsute, as to be actually mistaken for hyaenas or bears.” Hist. of Romanism, pp. 88, 89. Reader, what was the condition of the so-called church in A.D. 270 that could make the introduction of such abominations possible? Although many more historical quotations on this point might be added, I will conclude with the two following extracts from Joseph Milner.

”We shall, for the present, leave Anthony propagating the monastic dispositions, and extending its influence not only into the next century, but for many ages after, and conclude this view of the state of the _third century_, with expressing our regret that the faith and love of the gospel received toward the close of it a dreadful blow from the encouragement of this unchristian practise.” Cen. III, Chap. 20.

”Moral, and philosophical, and monastic instructions will not effect for men what is to be expected from evangelical doctrine. And if the faith of Christ was so much declined (and its decayed state _ought to be dated from about the year 270_), we need not wonder that such scenes as Eusebius hints at without any circ.u.mstantial details took place in the Christian world.” Cent. IV, Chap. 1.

After reading the foregoing statements of historians, the reader will, I believe, agree with me that the year 270 is a consistent date to mark the time when the visible external church was wholly given over to the profane mult.i.tude of uncirc.u.mcised, idolatrous Gentiles to tread under foot. Measuring forward the allotted period of twelve hundred and sixty years brings us to the exact date of the first Protestant creed (_the Augsburg Confession_) in A.D. 1530. We must point to this date both for the end of Rome's universal spiritual supremacy and for the rise of Protestantism. D'Aubigne, in his History of the Reformation, when he comes to this period, says: ”The conflicts. .h.i.therto described have been only partial; we are entering upon a new period, that of general battles. Spires (1529) and Ausburg (1530) are names that s.h.i.+ne forth with more immortal glory than Marathon, Pavia, or Marengo. Forces that up to the present time were separate, are now uniting into one energetic band.” Book XVIII, Chap. 1. ”The first two books of this volume contain the most important epochs of the reformation--the Protest of Spires, and the Confession of Augsburg.... I determined on bringing the reformation of Germany and German Switzerland to the _decisive epochs_ of 1530 and 1531. The history of the reformation, properly so called, is then in my opinion almost complete in those countries. The work of faith has there attained its apogee: that of conferences, of interims, of diplomacy begins.... The movement of the sixteenth century has there made its effort. I said from the very first, It is the history of the reformation and not of Protestantism that I am relating.” D'Aubigne, Preface to Vol.

V.

The next important object in the vision is the ”two witnesses” that prophecied in sackcloth. From the description given, it would appear at first that these witnesses were active intelligent agents; and as such, belonging to the department of human life, they would symbolize the church, the number two denoting the ministry and the people of G.o.d. But the church is already symbolized in this chapter, the angel representing the ministry, as in the preceding chapter, and John, who is clearly one of the symbolic agents in this vision, representing the church; therefore the two witnesses must be representative of something else.

Since the actions ascribed to them are drawn from the department of human life, it is evident that their interpretation is to be found in connection with the affairs of the church. By way of explanation, verse 4 represents them to be ”the two olive-trees, and the two candle-sticks standing before the G.o.d of the earth,” although it is not stated that any olive-trees and candle-sticks were shown in this prophetic vision.

In this reference is made to the fourth chapter of Zechariah, where two olive-trees are represented as standing one on each side of a golden candle-stick, distilling into it their oil for light. When asked for the signification of the two olive-trees and the candlestick, the angel answered, ”This is the _Word_ of the Lord ... by my _Spirit_, saith the Lord.” Ver. 6. That the Word of G.o.d and the Spirit of G.o.d are special witnesses is proved by many texts. Jesus said, ”Search the Scriptures ... they are they which _testify_ of me.” John 6:39. ”This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a _witness_ unto all nations.” Mat. 24:14. ”The Holy Ghost also is a _witness_.” Heb. 10:15.

”The Spirit itself beareth _witness_.” Rom. 8:16. ”It is the Spirit that beareth _witness_.” 1 John 5:6. It is the Spirit acting in conjunction with the Word of G.o.d that gives spiritual life, through regeneration, unto men, and which opens their understanding that they may know the things of G.o.d. 2 Cor. 2:9-15.

G.o.d may have given us the explanation that these two witnesses were the same as the olive-trees and the candle-sticks to prevent our being led astray with the supposition that they were actually intelligent agents.

(I speak humanly.) Accepting this statement, the actions of these witnesses here described can be explained only by the figure of speech known as Personification, by which it is proper, under certain conditions, to attribute life, action, and intelligence to inanimate objects. Thus, the blood of Abel is said to have cried from the ground.

Gen. 4:9, 10. ”The stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.” Hab. 2:11. ”The hire of the laborers ...

which is of you kept back by fraud crieth: and the cries ... are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.” Jas. 5:4. ”The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Isa. 55:12. I would not attempt to vary from the general order and explain these two witnesses by the figure of personification, were it not for the fact that the two olive-trees and the two candle-sticks are here given as a means of explanation; and trees and candle-sticks, we know, are not active, intelligent agents, and consequently do not necessarily symbolize such.

To ”hurt” the Word and Spirit of G.o.d is to oppose, corrupt, or pervert their testimony and to turn people away from them; and the judgments of Heaven are p.r.o.nounced in that Word and by that Spirit against such as turn away from the truth unto fables. They shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. Rev. 20:15; 22:8. It is also said of them: ”These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.”

This indicates the fact that these were G.o.d's own special witnesses sent in his name and by his authority, as were the prophets of old. Elijah shut up heaven by prayer; Moses called down the plagues upon Egypt; and these were G.o.d's attestations that they were his divinely commissioned servants. So these two witnesses had power to shut heaven and to smite the earth with plagues, not literally, but herein is symbolically set forth the fact that they were G.o.d's appointed agents, even though despised and rejected, like Elijah in the midst of apostate Israel and Moses amid idolatrous Egypt, yet, like them, with the seal of Heaven upon their ministry.

In the beginning of this dispensation these two witnesses were the vicars of Christ in his church upon earth. The word of G.o.d and the Spirit of G.o.d were the Governors of his people. At that time they had perfect freedom of action among the children of G.o.d; but when the apostasy arose, the governing power of the Word and Spirit of G.o.d in the church was gradually usurped by the rising hierarchy, until, finally, men had entire authority in what was called the visible church. This was brought about when, to quote Mosheim's words, the bishops grasped the power and authority ”to prescribe authoritative rules of faith and manners.” D'Aubigne explains it thus: ”Salvation no longer flowing from the _Word_, which was henceforward put out of sight, the priests affirmed that it was conveyed by means of the forms they had themselves invented, and that no one could attain it except by these channels....