Thus, whether it be the Father or the Son whose title is involved, the only day that can be called “the Lord’s day” is the Sabbath of the great Creator.[417] And here, at the close of the Bible history of the Sabbath, two facts of deep interest are presented: 1. That John expressly recognizes the existence of the Lord’s day at the very close of the first century. 2. That it pleased the Lord of the Sabbath to place a signal honor upon his own day in that he selected it as the one on which to give that revelation to John, which himself alone had been worthy to receive from the Father.
PART II—SECULAR HISTORY.
CHAPTER XII.
EARLY APOSTASY IN THE CHURCH.
General purity of the apostolic churches—Early decline of their piety—False teachers arose in the church immediately after the apostles—The great Romish apostasy began before the death of Paul—An evil thing not rendered good by beginning in the apostolic age—How to decide between truth and error—Age cannot change the fables of men into the truth of God—Historical testimony concerning the early development of the great apostasy—Such an age no standard by which to correct the Bible—Testimony of Bower relative to the traditions of this age—Testimony of Dowling—Dr. Cumming’s opinion of the authority of the fathers—Testimony of Adam Clarke—The church of Rome has corrupted the writings of the fathers—Nature of tradition illustrated—The two rules of faith which divide Christendom—The first-day Sabbath can only be sustained by adopting the rule of the Romanists.
The book of Acts is an inspired history of the church. During the period which is embraced in its record, the apostles and their fellow-laborers were upon the stage of action, and under their watchcare the churches of Christ preserved, to a great extent, their purity of life and doctrine. These apostolic churches are thus set forth as the proper examples for all coming time. This book fitly connects the narratives of the four evangelists with the apostolic epistles, and thus joins together the whole New Testament. But when we leave the period embraced in this inspired history, and the churches which were founded and governed by inspired men, we enter upon altogether different times. There is, unfortunately, great truth in the severe language of Gibbon:—
“The theologian may indulge the pleasing task of describing religion as she descended from Heaven, arrayed in her native purity. A more melancholy duty is imposed on the historian. He must discover the inevitable mixture of error and corruption, which she contracted in a long residence upon earth, among a weak and degenerate race of beings.”[418]
What says the book of Acts respecting the time immediately following the labors of Paul? In addressing the elders of the Ephesian church, Paul said:—
“For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”[419]
It follows from this testimony that we are not authorized to receive the teaching of any man simply because he lived immediately after the apostolic age, or even in the days of the apostles themselves. Grievous wolves were to enter the midst of the people of God, and of their own selves were men to arise, speaking perverse things. If it be asked how these are to be distinguished from the true servants of God, this is the proper answer: Those who spoke and acted in accordance with the teachings of the apostles were men of God; those who taught otherwise were of that class who should speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them.