Babylon–Mother and Daughters continued

“Let it not be forgotten that while the various reformation movements did valuable work in the “cleansing of the sanctuary,” yet only the temple class, the sanctuary class, has ever been the true Church, in God’s reckoning. The great human systems called churches, have never been more than NOMINALLY the Church.

They all belong to a false system which counterfeits, misrepresents and hides from the world the true Church, which is composed only of fully consecrated and faithful believers, who trust in the merit of the one great sacrifice for sins. These are to be found scattered here and there within and outside of these human systems, yet always separate from their worldly spirit. They are the “wheat” class of our Lord’s parable, clearly distinguished by him from the “tares.”

Not comprehending the real character of these systems, as individuals they have humbly walked with God, taking his Word as their counselor and his spirit as their guide. Nor have they ever been at ease in Zion (nominal spiritual Zion, Amos 6:1), where they have often painfully observed that the spirit of the world, operating through the unrecognized “tare” element, endangered spiritual prosperity. They are the blessed mourners in Zion, to whom God hath appointed “beauty for ashes, and the oil of joy for mourning.” (Matt. 5:4; Isa. 61:3) It is only in this “harvest” time that the separation of this class from the “tare” element is due; for it was the Lord’s purpose to “let both grow together until the harvest [the time in which we are now living].” Matt. 13:30

Hence it is that this class is now being awakened to a realization of the real character of these condemned systems. As previously shown, the various reform movements, as predicted by the prophet (Dan. 11:32-35), were “overcome by flatteries:” each one, after accomplishing a measure of cleansing, stopped short; and, so far as they found it practicable, they imitated the example of the Church of Rome in courting and receiving the favor of the world at the expense of their virtue–their fidelity to Christ, the true Head of the Church. Church and state again made common cause, in a measure united their worldly interests, at the expense of the real, the spiritual, interests of the church; and progress and reform in the church were again at a standstill. Indeed, a retrograde movement set in, so that today many of them are much farther from the proper standard, both of faith and practice, than in the days of their founders.

Some of the reformed churches were even admitted to share in authority and power with earthly rulers; as, for instance, the Church of England, and the Lutheran Church in Germany. And those who have not succeeded to that extent have (as in this country, for instance) made many compromising overtures to the world for smaller favors. It is also true that while the world powers have advanced the worldly ambitions of the unfaithful church, the church has also freely admitted the world to her communion and fellowship; and so freely, that the baptized worldlings now form the large majority of her membership, filling nearly every important position, and thus dominating her.

This was the disposition which degraded the church in the beginning of the age, which brought about the great falling away (2 Thess. 2:3,7-10), and which gradually, but rapidly, developed the Papal system.

This loose character, early assumed by the various reform movements, and which gradually developed sectarian organizations (the various denominations or churches), continues to the present day; and the more these organizations grow in wealth, numbers and influence the further they fall from Christian virtue and develop the arrogance of their mother. A few earnest Christians in the various sects observe this to some extent, and with shame and sorrow confess and lament it. They see that every possible effort is made by the various sectarian organizations to please the world and to court its favor and secure its patronage. Elegant and costly church edifices, lofty spires, chiming bells, grand organs, fine furnishments, artistic choirs, polished orators, fairs, festivals, concerts, plays, lotteries and questionable amusements and pastimes are all arranged with a view to securing the world’s approval and support. The grand and wholesome doctrines of Christ are thrust to the background, while false doctrines and sensational topics take their place in the pulpit, the truth is ignored and forgotten, and the spirit of it lost. In these particulars how truly, the daughters resemble the mother organization!

As one among numerous evidences of the freedom and even pride with which this relationship of the Protestant sects to Papacy is owned, we give the following sentiments of a Presbyterian clergyman, quoted from one of his sermons as published by the daily press. The gentleman said:

“Wince as you will, you must admit that this (the Catholic Church) is the Mother Church. She possesses an unbroken history extending back to the time of the apostles. [Yes, that is where the apostasy began. 2 Thess. 2:7, 8] For every fragment of religious truth which we prize, we are indebted to her as the depository. If she has no claims to being the true Church, then are we bastards and not sons.”

“Talk about missionaries to labor amongst Romanists! I would as soon think of sending missionaries amongst Methodists and Episcopalians and United Presbyterians and Lutherans for the purpose of converting them into Presbyterians.”

Yes, nearly all the doctrinal errors so tenaciously held by Protestants were brought with them from the Roman Church, though beyond the gross errors of Papacy, such as the sacrifice of the mass, the worship of saints, of the virgin Mary and of images, the auricular confession, the granting of indulgences, etc., considerable progress was made by each of the reform movements. But alas! Protestants of today are not only willing, but anxious, to make almost any compromise to secure the favor and assistance of the old “mother” from whose tyranny and villainy their fathers fled three centuries ago. (As always, the lessons of past are never learned, and thus doomed to be repeated) Even those principles of truth which at first formed the ground of protest are being gradually forgotten or openly repudiated. The very foundation doctrine of “justification by faith” in the “continual sacrifice” is rapidly giving way to the old Papal dogma of justification by works and by the sacrilegious sacrifice of the mass. And numbers both in pulpits and in pews now openly declare that they have no faith in the efficacy of the precious blood of Christ as the ransom-price for sinners.” (D30-33)

Continued with next post.