In tracing the silver line of God’s grace in His beloved people, we have now to notice a report which was widely spread among the Christians after the beginning of the third century. It occurred towards the close of the reign of Aurelius, and led him, it is said, to change the course of his policy towards the Christians. In one of his campaigns against the Germans and Sarmatians—who were then called barbarians—he was thrown into a situation of extreme peril. The burning sun shone full in the faces of his soldiers; they were hemmed in by the barbarians; they were exhausted by wounds and fatigue, and parched with thirst; while, at the same time, the enemy was preparing to attack them. In this extremity, the twelfth legion, said to be composed of Christians, stepped forward and knelt down in prayer; suddenly the sky was overspread with clouds, and the rain began to fall heavily. The Roman soldiers took off their helmets to catch the refreshing drops; but the shower speedily increased to a storm of hail, accompanied with thunder and lightning, which so alarmed the barbarians that the Romans gained an easy victory.
The emperor, so struck with such a miraculous answer to prayer, acknowledged the interposition of the God of the Christians, conferred honors on the legion, and issued an edict in favor of their religion. After this, if not before, they were called “the thundering legion.” Historians, from Eusebius down, have noticed this remarkable occurrence.
But, like a tale that is often told, many things have been added to it. There is good reason to believe, however, that a providential answer in favor of the Romans was given to prayer. This much seems quite evident. And to faith there is nothing incredible in such an event; though some of the circumstances related are questionable. For example, a Roman legion at that time would probably number five thousand men; and there may have been a great many Christians in the twelfth—which was a distinguished legion—yet it would be hard to believe that they were all Christians.
On their return from the war, they no doubt related to their brethren the merciful intervention of God in answer to prayer; and which the Church would record and spread amongst the Christians to His praise and glory. But the facts are even more fully confirmed by the Romans. They also believed that the deliverance came from heaven, but in answer to the prayers of the emperor to the gods. Hence the event was commemorated, after their usual manner on columns, medals, and paintings. On these the emperor is represented as stretching forth his hands in supplication, the army as catching the rain in their helmets; and Jupiter as launching forth his bolts on the barbarians, who he slain on the ground.
A few years after this remarkable event, Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher and the persecutor, died. Great changes quickly followed. The glory of the empire, and the effort to maintain the dignity of the old Roman religion, expired with himself; but Christianity made great and rapid advancement. Men of ability and learning were raised up about this time, who boldly and powerfully advocated its claims with their pens. These are called Apologists. TERTULLIAN, an African, who is said to have been born A.D. 160, may be considered as the ablest and the most perfect type of this class.
The more enlightened of the heathen now began to feel that if their religion was to withstand the aggressive power of the gospel, it must be defended and reformed. Hence the controversy commenced; and one Celsus, an Epicurean philosopher, said to be born in the same year as Tertullian, stood forth as the leader on the controversial side of Paganism. From about this period—the closing years of the second century-church records become more in-foresting, because more definite and reliable. But before proceeding farther with the general history, it may be well to retrace our steps and glance briefly at the internal history of the Church from the beginning. We shall thus see how some of the things which are still observed, and with which we are familiar, were first introduced.
CHAPTER 9.
The Internal History of The Church.
Here we step once more on sure ground. We have the privilege and satisfaction of appealing to the sacred writings. Before the canon of scripture was closed, many of the errors, both in doctrine and practice, which have since troubled and rent in pieces the professing Church, were allowed to spring up. These were detected and exposed by the inspired apostles, in the wisdom and grace of God. If we keep this in mind, we shall not be surprised to meet with many things in the internal history of the Church entirely contrary to scripture. Neither need we have any difficulty in withstanding them. We have been armed by the apostles. The love of office and pre-eminence in the Church was manifested at an early period, and many observances of mere official invention were added. The “grain of mustard seed” became a great tree—the symbol of political power on the earth: this was and is the outward aspect of Christendom; but inwardly the leaven did its evil work, “till the whole was leavened.”
Those who have carefully studied Matt. 13 with other passages in the Acts and the epistles relating to the profession of the name of Christ, should have a very correct idea of both the early and later history of the Church. It embraces the entire period, from the sowing of the seed by the Son of man, until the harvest, though under the similitude of the kingdom of heaven. This is a great relief to the mind, and prepares us for many a dark and distressing scene, wickedly perpetrated under the fair name and cloak of Christianity. We will now turn to some of these passages.
1. Our blessed Lord, in the parable of the wheat and tares, predicts what would take place. “The kingdom of heaven,” He says, “is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.” In course of time “the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit.” This was the rapid spread of Christianity in the earth. But we also read “then appeared the tares also.” These were false professors of Christ’s name. The Lord Jesus sowed good seed. Satan, through the carelessness and infirmity of man, sowed tares. But what was to be done with them? Were they to be rooted out of the kingdom? The Lord says, No; “lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest;” that is, till the end of the age or dispensation when the Lord comes in judgment.
But here, some may inquire, Does the Lord mean that the wheat and the tares are to grow together in the Church? Certainly not. They were not to be rooted out of the field, but to be put out of the Church when manifested as wicked persons. The Church and the kingdom are quite distinct, though the one may be said to be in the other. The field is the world, not the Church. The limits of the kingdom stretch far beyond the limits of the true Church of God. Christ builds the Church; men have to do with extending the proportions of Christendom. If the expression, “the kingdom of heaven,” meant the same as “the Church of God,” there ought to be no discipline at all. Whereas the apostle, in writing to the Corinthians, expressly says, “Put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” But he was not to be put out of the kingdom, for that could only be done by taking away his life.
The wheat and the tares are to grown together in the field until the harvest. Then the Lord Himself, in His providence, will deal with the tares. They shall he bound in bundles and cast into the fire. Nothing then can be plainer than the Lord’s teaching in this parable. The tares are to be put away from the Lord’s table, but not rooted out of the field. The Church was not to use worldly punishments in dealing with ecclesiastical offenders. But, alas, the very thing which the Lord is here guarding His disciples against came to pass, as the long list of martyrs so painfully shows. Pains and penalties were brought in as discipline, and the refractory were handed over to the civil power to be punished with fire and sword.
2. In Acts 20 we read that “grievous wolves” would make their appearance in the Church after the departure of the apostle. In Paul’s Epistles to the Thessalonians—supposed to be his first inspired epistles—he tells them that the mystery of iniquity was already at work, and that other evil things would follow. In writing to the Philippians he tells them, weeping, that many walk as “the enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” Many were calling themselves Christians, but minding earthly things. Such a state of things could not escape the spiritual eye of him whose one object was Christ in glory, and practical conformity to His ways when on earth. In his Second Epistle to Timothy—probably the last he ever wrote—he compares Christendom to “a great house,” in which are all manner of vessels, “some to honor, and some to dishonor.” This is a picture of the outward universal church. Nevertheless, the Christian cannot leave it, and individual responsibility can never cease. But he is to clear himself from all that is contrary to the name of the Lord. The directions are most plain and precious for the spiritually minded in all ages. The Christian must have no association with that which is untrue. Such is the meaning of purging himself from the vessels to dishonor. He is to clear himself from all that is not to the Lord’s honor. John and the other apostles speak of the same things, and give the same divine directions; but we need not here pursue them further. Enough has been pointed out to prepare the reader for what we must meet with in that which calls itself Christian.
THE IMMEDIATE FOLLOWERS OF THE APOSTLES.
Here an important question arises, and one that has been often asked, At what time, and by what means, did clericalism—the whole system of clergy—gain so firm a footing in the professing church? To answer this question fully would be to write in detail the internal history of the Church. Its growth and organization were gradual. The constitution and character of the christian Church were wholly changed by the introduction of the clerical system. In short, it was recast in the mold of Judaism. The distinction between bishops and presbyters, between a priestly order and the common priesthood of all believers, and the multiplication of church offices, followed rapidly as consequences. But, however obscure and difficult to trace many of the details of clericalism may be, we have no doubt as to its real source—the synagogue was its model.
We learn from the whole of the New Testament that Judaism was the unwearied and unrelenting enemy of Christianity in every point of view. It labored incessantly, on the one hand to introduce its rites and ceremonies; and on the other, to persecute unto the death all who were faithful to Christ and to the true principles of the Church of God. This we see especially from the Acts and the Epistles. But when the extraordinary gifts in the Church ceased, and when the noble defenders of the faith, in the persons of the inspired apostles, passed away, we may easily imagine how Judaism would prevail. Besides, the early churches way, chiefly composed of converts from the Jewish synagogue, who long retained their Jewish prejudices.
Clericalism, then, we firmly believe, sprang from Judaism. From the days of the apostles until now the root of the whole fabric and dominion of clericalism is there. Philosophy and heresy, no doubt, did much to corrupt the Church and lead her to join hands with the world; but the order of the clergy and all that belongs to it must be founded on the Jews’ religion. It is more than probable, however, that many may have been persuaded then, as many have been since, that Christianity is a continuation of Judaism, in place of being its perfect contrast. The Judaizing teachers boldly affirmed that Christianity was merely a graft on Judaism. But throughout the epistles we everywhere learn that the one was earthly and the other heavenly; that the one belonged to the old, and the other to the new creation; that the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
We will now return to the immediate followers of the apostles.
The apostolical fathers, as they are called, such as Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius, and Barnabas, were the immediate followers of the inspired apostles. They had listened to their instructions, labored with them in the gospel, and probably had been familiarly acquainted with them. But, notwithstanding the high privileges which they enjoyed as scholars of the apostles, they very soon departed from the doctrines which had been committed to them, especially as to church government. They seem to have completely forgotten—judging from the epistles which bear their names—the great New Testament truth of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the assembly. Surety both John and Paul speak much of the presence, indwelling, sovereign rule, and authority of the Holy Spirit in the Church. John 13-15, Acts 2 Cor. 12; 14, Eph. 1-4 give plain directions and instructions on this fundamental truth of the Church of God. Had this truth been maintained according to the apostle’s exhortation, “Endeavoring to keep”—not to make—“the unity of the Spirit,” clericalism could never have found a place in Christendom.
The new teachers of the Church seem also to have forgotten the beautiful simplicity of the divine order in the Church. There were only two orders of office bearers—ciders and deacons. The one was appointed to attend to the temporal, the other to the spiritual need of the assembly of the saints. Elder or bishop simply means overseer, one who takes a spiritual oversight. He may have been “apt to teach,” or he may not; he was not an ordained teacher, but an ordained overseer. And as for the institutions of divine appointment, we only find in the New Testament, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Nothing could be more simple, more easily understood, or more plain, as to all the directions given for faith and practice; but there was no room left for the exaltation and glory of man in the Church of God. The Holy Ghost had come down to take the lead in the assembly, according to the word of the Lord, and the promise of the Father; and no Christian, however gifted, believing this, could take the place of leader, and thus practically displace the Holy Spirit. But, from the moment that this truth was lost sight of, men began to contend for place and power, and of course the Holy Spirit had no longer His right place in the assembly.
Scarcely had the voice of inspiration become silent in the Church, than we hear the voice of the new teachers crying loudly and earnestly for the highest honors being paid to the bishop, and a supreme place being given to him. Not a word about the Spirit’s place as sovereign ruler in the Church of God. This is evident from the epistles of Ignatius, said to have been written A.D. 107. Many great names, we are aware, have questioned their authenticity; and many great names contend that they have been satisfactorily proved to be genuine. The proofs on either side lie outside of our line. The Church of England has long accepted them as genuine, and consider them as the basis, and as the triumphant vindication of the antiquity of episcopacy. The following are a few specimens of his admonitions to the Churches.