Isa. 24:5-"The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant."

Dan. 7:21, 25-"I beheld, and the same horn made war with the Saints, and prevailed against them. . . . And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of times."

Matt. 11:12-"And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."

John 12:35-"Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth."

Acts 20:29, 30-"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."

*2 Thess. 2:3-"Let no man deceive you by any means; for there shall come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition."

2 Tim. 4:3-"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears."

*2 Pet. 2:1, 2-"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in abominable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of."

*1 John 4:3-"And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God; and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now it is already in the world."

*Rev. 12:4, 5-"And the dragon stood before the woman which was delivered, ready to devour her child after it was born. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand and two hundred and threescore years."

Rev. 13:7-"And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them; and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."

2 Tim. 1-5; Jude 18.

HISTORICAL NOTES ON APOSTASY

Mosheim says: "The Christian church was scarcely formed when in different places, there started up certain pretended reformers, who not satisfied with the simplicity of that religion that was taught by the apostles, meditated changes of doctrine and worship."-1 Cent., part 2, chapter 5.

Again he says: "There is no institution so pure and excellent which the corruption and folly of man will not in time alter for the worse, and load with additions foreign to its nature and original design. Such, in a particular manner, was the fate of Christianity. In this century many unnecessary rites and ceremonies were added to the Christian worship, the introduction of which was extremely offensive to wise and good men."-2 Cent., part 2, chapter 4.

John Wesley: "The gifts of the Holy Spirit were no longer to be found in the Christian church; because the Christians had turned heathens again, and had only a dead form left."-94th Sermon.

John Wesley, in his 94th Sermon: "It does not appear that these extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were common in the church for more than two or three centuries. We seldom hear of them after that fatal period when Emperor Constantine called himself a Christian, and from a vain imagination of promoting the Christian cause thereby, heaped riches and power and honor upon the Christians in general, but in particular upon the Christian clergy. . . . The cause of this was not (as has been vulgarly supposed) because there was no more occasion for them because all the world had become Christian. This is a miserable mistake; not a twentieth part of it was then nominally Christian."

John Wesley says: "The times that we have reason to believe are at hand-if they are not already begun, are what many pious men have termed the latter day glory, meaning the time wherein God would gloriously display his power and love in the fulfillment of the promise that the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. The generality of Christians can see no signs of the glorious day that is approaching; but how is this to be accounted for?"-71st Sermon.

Sir Isaac Newton said: "About the time of the end, in all probability, a body of men will be raised up who will turn their attention to the prophecy; and insist upon their literal fulfillment in the midst of much clamor and opposition."-William Newton, Lectures on Daniel, page 201.

Alexander Campbell said: "The primitive gospel in its effulgence and power is yet to shine out in its original splendor to regenerate the world."-Haiden's History page 37.

"But the preparation of a people for the coming of the Lord must be the result of the restoration of the ANCIENT GOSPEL and ORDER OF THINGS."-Ibid., page 292, published by Standard Publishing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Rev. Roger Williams:-"There can be no recovery out of that apostasy till Christ shall send forth new apostles to plant churches anew."

FULLNESS OF TIMES

†Luke 3:8-"Until the fullness of time, and the law and the testimony shall be sealed, and the keys of the kingdom shall be delivered up again unto the Father."

*Luke 21:23, 24-"And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Now these things he spake unto them, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem" (24).

Rom. 11:25-"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in."

Eph. 1:10-"That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him."

Gal. 4:4.

D. and C. 26:3-"Unto whom I have committed the keys of my kingdom, and a dispensation of the gospel for the last times; and for the fullness of times, in which I will gather together in one all things, both which are in heaven and which are on earth."

D. and C. 76:7-"Who are cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of Almighty God until the fullness of times, when Christ shall have subdued all enemies under his feet, and shall have perfected his work."

D. and C. 105:12-"For unto you . . . is the power of this priesthood given, for the last days and for the last time, in the which is the dispensation of the fullness of times."

D. and C. 107:13-"For I deign to reveal unto my church things which have been kept hid from before the foundation of the world; things that pertain to the dispensation of the fullness of times."

D. and C. 110:18, 20-"Things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this the dispensation of the fullness of times. . . . The voice of Peter, James, and John. . . . declaring themselves as possessing the keys of the kingdom, and of the dispensation of the fullness of times."

MERIDIAN OF TIME

†Gen. 5:43-"For they would not hearken unto his voice, nor believe on his Only Begotten Son, even him whom he declared should come in the meridian of time; who was prepared from before the foundation of the world."

†Gen. 6:60, 65-"The name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous judge, who shall come in the meridian of time. . . . This is the plan of salvation unto all men, through the blood of mine Only Begotten, who shall come in the meridian of time."

†Gen. 7:52, 53-"When shall the blood of the righteous be shed, that all they that mourn may be sanctified, and have eternal life? And the Lord said, It shall be in the meridian of time; in the days of wickedness and vengeance."

*Heb. 9:26-"For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now once in the meridian of time hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

D. and C. 17:5-"That as many as would believe and be baptized, in his holy name, and endure in faith to the end, should be saved: not only those who believed after he came in the meridian of time in the flesh, but all those from the beginning."

D. and C. 39:1-"Jesus Christ. . . . the same which came in the meridian of time unto my own, and my own received me not."

DAYS COUNTED FOR YEARS

Num. 14:34-"After the number of days in which he searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise."

Ezek. 4:4-6-"Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it; according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days; so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days; I have appointed thee each day for a year.

Dan. 7:25-"And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of times."

Dan. 8:14-"And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."

Dan. 9:24-27-"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression. . . . Unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks. . . . . . .And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off. . . . . . . And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week."

Dan. 12:7, 11, 12-"And sware by him that liveth forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. . . . And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days."

Rev. 11:2-"But the court which is without the temple, leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles; and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months."

*Rev. 12:5, 14-"And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand and two hundred and threescore years. . . . That she might flee into the wilderness, into her place; where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent" (6, 14).

Rev. 13:5-"And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months."

VARIABLE MEANING OF "DAY"

(In all of the following texts "day" is from the Hebrew Yowm which Dr. Strong states is "a space of time defined by an associated term." Always used in the early chapters of Genesis, and mostly used throughout the Old Testament.)

Gen. 1:8, 11, 17, 21-"The evening and the morning were the first day . . . the evening and the morning were the second day . . . the evening and the morning were the third day . . . the evening and the morning were the fourth day" (5, 8, 13, 19).

*Gen. 2:4-"The generations of the heaven, and of the earth, when they were created in the day that I the Lord God made the heaven and the earth."

I Sam. 8:18-"Ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day."

Ps. 110:3 "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power."

Ps. 137:7-"Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem."

*Isa. 4:1-"In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth excellent and comely to them that are escaped of Israel" (2).

Isa. 11:10-"In that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious."

Isa. 27:12, 13-"It shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel . . . and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem."

Ezek. 34:12-"So will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day."

Nahum 2:3; Zech. 2:11; 3:10; *4:10; 8:9; 14:9; *Luke 13:32; John 8:56.

VARIOUS MEANINGS OF YOWM (HEBREW FOR DAY)

In Gen. 18:11; 24:1; Zech. 8:4, it is translated "age." In I Kings 14:19, 29, it is rendered "chronicles." In Gen. 26:8; Num. 20:15; Deut. 10:10; Josh. 11:18; I Sam. 7:2, it is "time." In Josh. 24:7; 2 Chron. 15:3, it is "season." In Gen. 29:14; Lev. 25:8, it is "space." In Exod. 13:10; Lev. 25:29; Judg. 17:10, it is "year" (Authorized Version).

MISSION OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

*Matt. 3:29-"For I am he who was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord and make his paths straight" (3).

*Matt. 11:15-"And if ye will receive it, verily, he was the Elias, who was for to come and prepare all things" ( 14).

*Matt. 17:10-"Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things, as the prophets have written" (11).

*Mark 9:3-"And there appeared unto them Elias and Moses, or in other words, John the Baptist and Moses and they were talking with Jesus" (4).

*Luke 1:15-17-"For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God; and he shall go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

*Luke 7:26-28-"But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. This is the one of whom it is written, Behold I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee. For I say unto you, Among those who are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist."

*John 1:21 22-"And he confessed, and denied not that he was Elias; but confessed saying; I am not the Christ. And they asked him, saying; How then art thou Elias? And he said, I am not that Elias who was to restore all things" (20, 21).

John 10:41-"And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle; but all things that John spake of this man were true."

*Mark 9:9-1 1; *John 1:28.

APOSTASY OF THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH

HISTORICAL NOTES

History shows that the apostasy from the original faith was gradual and covered a period of several centuries, becoming more heretical after a number of centuries had passed away, involving many controversies and schisms in the church. Many of the following historical quotations are from Mosheim's Institutes of Ecclesiastical History, Dr. Murdock's translation being used because of its recognized fidelity to the original work and general superiority.

Of The first century, Mosheim states in Part II, chapter V, of his history:

"Christian churches had scarcely been gathered and organized, when here and there men rose up, who, not being contented with the simplicity and purity of that religion which the apostles taught, sought out new inventions, and fashioned religion according to their own liking."-Section 1.

"So long as the greater part of the apostles were alive, to watch over the churches, these innovators were not very successful, and seem to have had no great number of followers. But gradually, they acquired more influence; and before the decease of all those whom Christ had himself instructed, they laid the foundations of those sects, which afterwards exceedingly disturbed the Christian community and gave rise to so many contests."-Section 2.

"The sacred Scriptures themselves-to say nothing of other ancient documents-put it beyond controversy, that even in the first century, in various places, men infected with Gnostic leprosy began to erect societies distinct from the other Christians; . . . Under the appellation of Gnostics, are included all those in the first ages of the church, who modified the religion of Christ, by joining with it the Oriental philosophy, in regard to the source of evil, and the origin of this material universe."-Section 3.

"Hence there necessarily arose among them a multitude of opinions, which were extremely foreign from the precepts of Christ. Their belief, that the world was not created by the supreme God in whom is all perfection, but by one or more inferior deities of a bad or at least of an imperfect character, would not allow them to admit the divine authority of the O. T. scriptures; and it led some of them to venerate and extol the serpent, the prime author of sin among men, and likewise several of the vilest persons mentioned in the Jewish scriptures."-Section 5.

"If those now mentioned are excluded from the number of the heretics of the first century, the first place among the Christian sects, and also among those denominated Gnostics, seem to belong to the Nicolaitans, of whom Jesus Christ himself expressed his detestation, Apoc. ii., 6, 14, 15."-Section 15.

Of the second century, he informs us in Part II, chapter III:

"From this venerable simplicity, insensibly, there was a considerable departure; . . . many principles also were imprudently adopted, which were derived from philosophy, and that too not of the most solid character. This change arose from two principal causes. The first lay in the disposition of certain teachers, who wished to make Christianity appear in harmony with the decisions of philosophy, and who thought it elegant to state Christian precepts in the language of philosophers, jurists, and rabbis. The other cause is found in the discussions with the opposers and corrupters of the truth."-Section 2.

"It is certain that to religious worship, both public and private, many rites were added, without necessity and to the great offence of sober and good men. . . . First, there is good reason to suppose the Christian bishops purposely multiplied sacred rites for the sake of rendering the Jews and the pagans more friendly to them."-Chapter IV, Sections 1, 2.

Of the third century, he says in Part II, Chapter I:

"Gradually the friends of philosophy and literature acquired the ascendency. To this issue Origen contributed very much; for having early imbibed the principles of the new Platonism, he inauspiciously applied them to theology, and earnestly recommended them to the numerous youth who attended on his instructions. . . . Some also of the disciples of Plotinus, connected themselves with the Christians, yet retained the leading sentiments of their master."-Section 5.

"Yet while the ancient mode of church government seemed in general to remain unaltered, there was a gradual deflection from its rules, and an approximation towards the form of a monarchy. For the bishops claimed much higher authority and power than before, and encroached more and more upon the rights not only of the brotherhood, but also of the presbyters. . . . This change in the form of ecclesiastical government was followed by a corrupt state of the clergy. For although examples of primitive piety and virtue were not wanting, yet many were addicted to dissipation, arrogance, voluptuousness, contention, and other vices. . . . The presbyters imitated the example of their superiors, and neglecting the duties of their office, lived in indolence, and pleasure."-Chapter II, Sections 3, 4.

"That the Saviour is to reign a thousand years among men, before the end of the world, had been believed by many in the preceding century, without offence to any: all, however, had not explained the doctrine in the same manner, nor indulged hopes of the same kind of pleasures during that reign. In this century the millenarian doctrine fell into disrepute, through the influence especially of Origen, who strenuously opposed it, because it contravened some of his opinions." -Chapter III, Section 12.

"All the monuments of this century which have come down to us, show that there was a great increase of ceremonies. . . . Secondly: the use of incense was now introduced, at least into many churches. . . . To the celebration of the Lord's supper, those who conducted religious worship annexed longer prayers and more of ceremony; . . . But all believed it absolutely necessary to the attainment of salvation; and therefore they universally wished infants to partake of it. . . . In the sign of the cross, they supposed there was great efficacy against all sorts of evils, and particularly against the machinations of evil spirits; and therefore no one undertook anything of much moment, without first crossing himself."-Chapter IV, Sections 1, 2, 3, 5.

Of the fourth century, Part 1 states:

"It is very evident that the victories of Constantine the Great, and both the fear of punishment and the desire of pleasing the Roman emperors, were cogent reasons, in the view of whole nations as well as of individuals, for embracing the Christian religion."-Section 23.

In Part II, chapter 2, he remarks:

"Hence, at the close of this century, only the shadow of the ancient form of church government remained; and the former rights of the presbyters and the people were engrossed chiefly by the bishops; while those of the whole church passed into the hands of the emperors or their provincial governors and magistrates."-Section 2.

"Yet the number of the bad began gradually to increase, so that the truly pious and godly appeared more rare. . . . But as the times continually waxed worse and worse, the more honorable and powerful could sin with impunity, and only the poor and the unfortunate felt the severity of the laws."-Chapter III, Section 17.

Concerning Aeries and others who opposed superstition and errors, he states:

"He seems to have aimed to reduce religion to its primitive simplicity, . . . There were various persons of this sort in the fourth century, who were disgusted with the progress of superstition and of errors respecting the true nature of religion, and who opposed the general current; but the only fruit of their labor was, that they were branded with infamy."-Sections 21, 22.

"For the Christian bishops introduced, with but slight alterations, into the Christian worship, those rites and institutions by which formerly the Greeks, Romans, and other nations had manifested their piety and reverence towards their imaginary deities; supposing that the people would more readily embrace Christianity, . . . ."-Chapter IV, Section 1.

In Chapter V, Mosheim further declares:

"The history of Christianity under Constantius (C. 352-362), presents the picture of a most stormy period, and of a war among brethren, which was carried on without either religion, or justice, or humanity."-Section 14.

In a footnote (33), Athanasius, Sozmen, and others are cited in proof of the above, with the statement that:

"But the Christians, who from the principles of their holy religion should have been united in the closest bonds of brotherhood and in unbroken peace, were engaged in unceasing war, during the reign of these emperors. The victorious party bore down upon the vanquished with false accusation, banishments, deprivations of office, anathemas of councils, artifice and violence."-Ibid., footnote.

Of the fifth century, in Part II, chapter III, we read:

"Many of those however, who attempted to explain and illustrate these doctrines, opened the way rather for disputation than for a rational faith and a holy life; for they did not so much explain, as involve in greater obscurity and darken with ambiguous terms and incomprehensible distinctions, the deep mysteries of revealed religion. . . . The superstitious notions and human devices, by which religion was before much clogged, were very considerably augmented. The aid of departed saints was implored with supplications by vast multitudes, and no one censured this absurd devotion. . . . These unembodied spirits were supposed very frequently to visit and to be much attached to the places where their bodies were buried. And this opinion, derived to Christians from the Greeks and Romans, drew a great conflux of supplicants to the sepulchres of the saints."-Sections 1, 2.

The following extracts are taken from the sermons of John Wesley:

"The gifts of the Holy Spirit were no longer to be found in the Christian Church, because the Christians had turned heathens again, and had only a dead form left."-Sermon 94.

All the following are from Sermon Sixty-six, preached from 2 Thess. 2:7:

"How early and how powerfully did the 'mystery of iniquity' work in the church at Corinth. Not only schisms, heresies, animosities, fierce and bitter contentions, but actual, open sins. We meet with abundant proof that in all the churches the tares grew up with the wheat, and that the 'mystery of iniquity' did every work in a thousand forms. When James wrote his epistle the tares had produced a plentiful harvest. There was envy, strife, confusion and every evil work. Whoso reads with attention will be inclined to believe that the tares had well nigh choked the wheat, even at this early period, and that, among the most of them, no more than the form of godliness was left."

Quoting 2 Peter 2:1-3, he says:

"Nor does this apostle mention them as infecting any one particular church only, but as a general plague which even then was dispersed far and wide among the Christians to whom he wrote. We easily infer what was the state of the church in general from that of the seven churches in Asia; all but Philadelphia and Smyrna were corrupted so that many of them were not a jot better than the present races of Christians, and our Lord then threatened what he has long since performed, 'to remove the candlestick from them.'

"Such is the authentic account of the mystery of iniquity working even in the apostolic church, given not by Jews, nor by heathens, but by themselves.

"We have been apt to imagine that the primitive church was all excellence, and perfection; and such without doubt it was on the 'Day of Pentecost'; but how soon did the fine gold become dim; how soon was the wine mixed with water; how little time before the Christians were scarcely to be distinguished from the heathens.

"And if so bad in the first century, we can not suppose it to have been any better in the second; undoubtedly it grew worse and worse. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage in the third century, gives an account of his time, which in reading one would be apt to imagine was concerning the present century, so totally void of true religion that the Christians of Africa were exactly like the Christians of England today. The converts practiced all kinds of abominations exactly as they did before conversion, in no way differing in their tempers, or in their lives.

"A Christian nation, a Christian city (according to the ancient pattern), was no longer to be found. Has the case altered since the reformation? How little are any of these reformed Christians better than the heathen? Have they more (I will not say communion with God-although there is no Christianity without it), but have they more justice, mercy, and truth, than the inhabitants of China and Hindostan?

"I doubt whether you ever knew a Christian in your life. I believe that you never did, and perhaps you never will; for you will not find them in the great and gay world, and none are Christians but they that walked as Christ walked; though they are called Christians, yet they are as far from it as hell is from heaven."

Professor Swing of Chicago gave expression to the following views at the time the Presbyterians dedicated their new church after the great fire, namely February 1, 1874, as in a scrap cut by the writer from the paper that gave his sermon the next day:

"This kingdom of the Lord has either by accident or design, been broken up into many fragments, and we meet today in the name of only one of these numerous and widely scattered parts. . . . Until the wise men have shown us that all these sects must be resolved into one let us feel that we are only one among a multitude of these kingdoms of God. This house which we dedicate to God this day, wears the name of Presbyterian on its party flag, not because the kingdom of Christ is Presbyterian, but because our form of church government and of thought are cast in the Presbyterian mold."

"Conventions of delegates from several churches assembled for deliberations, were called by the Greeks Synods, and by the Latins Councils; and the laws agreed upon in them were called canons, that is, rules. These councils-of which no vestige appears before the middle of this [2nd] century, changed nearly the whole form of the church."-Mosheim's Ecclesiatical History, Book 1, Part 2, chapter 2, page 117.

"In the Russo-Greek Church there exist some sects without priests, because in their idea the gift of consecration by laying on of hands, which had continued from the apostles down to Nicon (q. v.), had been lost by the apostasy of Nicon, and of the clergy seduced by him, and thus all genuine priesthood had become impossible."-McClintock and Strong's Cyclopedia, Volume 4, page 522.

In the Roman church, apostasy was fostered by the acts of Justin II, who ruled from 565 to 578, of which a History of the Church, published in London in 1854, declares: "He was dissolute, utterly abandoned to luxury and inordinate pleasures: and to such a degree was he inflamed with desire for the property of others, as to convert everything into a means of unlawful gain; standing in no awe of the Deity even in the case of bishoprics, but making them a matter of public sale to any purchasers that offered." Of his conduct, a work by Professor Stebbing states: "His reign was one of continued infamy; and it would be difficult to determine by which he was most degraded-his avarice, his cruelty or his licentiousness."-History of the Christian Church, Volume 1, page 303.

When Simon (Acts 8:18) offered money for the divine power of the sacred office, Peter replied: "Thy money perish with thee."

Of the sixth century we read: "In the different kingdoms of the western empire different modes were adopted for adjusting the appointments to clerical offices. A custom prevailed in France for the monarch to dispose of ecclesiastical appointments by sale."-Ruter's Church History, page 125.

Another historian states: "Before the close of the sixth century, the world was at ease, and superstition had made most rapid strides. The great mass of ministers were excessively ignorant, and led away themselves by the phantasies, did little but delude and destroy the people. A thousand rites were performed; each one of which was supposed to have some wonderful power. A thousand rites were produced, whose touch, it was said, could heal the body and the mind."-Marsh's Ecclesiastical History, page 213.

Ruter's History also declares: "The union of the church with the state, the power bestowed on the clergy, and the encouragement given to monkery, were fruitful sources of many evils. It was in this century, and chiefly by these measures, that a foundation was laid for the great apostasy so conspicuous during the dark ages in the raise and establishment of the papal power."-Century 4, chapter 1, page 69.

From Hireling Ministry None of Christ's the statement of Roger Williams (1652) is quoted as follows:

"In the poor small span of my life, I desired to have been a diligent and constant observer, . . . and yet cannot, in the holy presence of God, bring in the result of a satisfactory discovery, that either the begetting ministry or the apostles or messengers to the nations, or the feeding or nourishing ministry of teachers, according to the first institution of the Lord Jesus, are yet restored and extant."-Cramp's Baptist History, page 462.

One of his biographers sets forth this conviction of Roger Williams:

"He denied that any ministry now exists which is authorized to preach the gospel to the impenitent, or to administer the ordinances. He believed that these functions belonged to the apostolic race of ministers, which was interrupted and discontinued when the reign of Antichrist commenced, and which will not, as he thought, be restored, till the witnesses shall have been slain and raised again."-Ibid., page 462.

Cave's Primitive Christianity states concerning changes that the church made in the order and rank of ministerial offices:

"For the understanding of this it is necessary to know, that when Christianity came to be fully settled in the world, they contrived to model the external government of the church, as near as might be to the civil government of the Roman empire."-Volume I, Part I, chapter 8, page 162. (This suggests the "image of the beast" of Revelation 13:14, 15.)

IMAGES AND IDOLS

The Christians of the first three centuries strictly condemned the use or making of images for worship. But from the fifth century onward, the matter became a source of bitter contention. Neander's Church History of the first period states:

"Those who exercised trades contrary to the general and recognized principles of Christianity, were not admitted to baptism, before they had pledged themselves to relinquish them. . . . Among these trades were reckoned all which had the smallest connection of any kind whatever with idolatry, and might contribute to its furtherance, . . . Many who wished to continue these trades, as a means of subsistence, excused themselves under the plea, that they were no worshippers of idols, and that they considered these images not as objects of religion, but as mere objects of art; but in those days it must have argued great lukewarmness in religious feeling, to separate religion and art so sophistically."-Section III, page 161.

In the fourth century, the Emperor Constantine promoted the use of relics and images in various churches, and it was professed that his mother had found the cross on which Christ was crucified. Ruter's Church History informs us:

"A degree of respect, not less superstitious than that paid to the wood of the cross, was demonstrated by Constantine toward the image of Christ, which he commanded to be made of the most precious materials, and to be placed in the most superb apartment of the imperial palace. The invocation of saints arose in this century."-Chapter II, page 75.

Concerning the fifth century and later, Tytler's General History states:

"The most obstinate source of controversy in those ages was the worship of images; a practice which was at first opposed by the clergy, but was afterwards, from interested motives, countenanced and vindicated by them. It was, however, long a subject of division in the church."-Section VI, paragraph 3, page 115.

From the seventh century it increased, and Montagu is quoted in Presidency and Priesthood:

"The fatuous superstition of that age is perhaps more fitly illustrated by the third canon of the Eighth General Council, which was held in Constantinople in A. D. 870. 'We decree that the holy image of our Lord Jesus Christ, the liberator and Saviour of all men, shall be adored equally with the Book of the Holy Gospels. . . . The same rule applies to the image of Mary, his pure mother and the mother of God; so it does, also, to the images of the holy angels, and also to the images of the most praiseworthy apostles, and prophets, and martyrs, and holy men, and to images of all the saints; we must honor and adore all those images also."-Page 349.

In 813 the Armenian Emperor Leo began to reign, and soon forbade image worship and banished some of the chief church dignitaries who had promoted it; but after his death in 822, his successor recalled many of them. Dr. Dupin's History of the Church, Second Edition, remarks concerning his and later acts in the matter:

"He left all men free to worship or not worship images, and published a Regulation, forbidding the abuses he pretended had been introduced in worshipping images, as the taking of crosses out of churches to put images in their places; the paying of adoration to the images themselves; the clothing of statues; the taking of them for Godmothers to children; . . . He also ordered all images that were in low places to be removed, and those which were raised high to remain, that they might serve instead of books to ignorant people, but would not allow them to be worshipped, nor candles to be lighted to their honor, or incense to be offered to them. . . . It is to be here observed, that the controversy touching the use and worship of images, occasioned a division at that time in the Western, as well as in the Eastern Church. The Pope and the Romans adhered to the decree of the Council of Nice; Claudius Clement, a Spanish priest, disciple to Felix of Urgel, and afterwards bishop of Turin, believed, with the Iconoclasts, that they ought to be removed out of the churches . . . but young Michael coming to the Empire in 841, under the guardianship of his mother Theodota, held a Council at Constantinople, in which the Iconoclasts were condemned, the worship of images restored according to the decree of the Council of Nice, and John, Patriarch of Constantinople, who favored the Iconoclasts, was deposed. Methodius was put in his place. It does not appear that there was any controversy afterwards in the West about images."-Volume III, chapter 1, pages 3 4.

In Volume II, Book III, Mosheim's History notes the cause of this innovation:

"The occasion of introducing images into churches, was in a great measure the ignorance of the people, which rendered pictures a help to them; whence they have been called the people's Bible."-Part II, chapter III, footnote 20 to Section 9.

RESTORATION OF THE KINGDOM

IN THE LAST DAYS

Isa. 11:12-"And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth."

Dan. 2:44-"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever."

*Matt. 20:6-9-"And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and said unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They said unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He said unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right ye shall receive."

*Matt. 22:8, 9-"Then said he to his servants, The wedding is ready; but they who were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage."

*Matt. 24:32-"And again, this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come, or the destruction of the wicked" (14).

Eph. 1:10-"That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him."

Rev. 14:6, 7-"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water."

Rev. 18:4-"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."

Rev. 19:9-"And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb."

Isa. 2:2-4; 5:26; 18:3; 49:22; 66:19, 20; Micah 4:1-3.

I Nephi 3:187-"Blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost."

I Nephi 4:16-"Then shall the fullness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentile, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our seed."

3 Nephi 7:31-"In the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fullness of these things shall be made known unto them."

I Nephi 3:19, 152; 6:52-56; 7:13-15; 2 Nephi 5:16-22; 12:42-44; 3 Nephi 9:57-59, 65-68, 85-87.

A LATTER-DAY APOSTASY

Jer. 17:5, 6-"Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm; and the man whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited."

*2 Thess. 2:3, 4-"Let no man deceive you by any means; for there shall come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."

*1 Tim. 4:1-3-"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared as with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."

2 Tim. 3:1-9-"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves. . . . Without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth; men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further; for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was."

2 Tim. 4:3, 4-"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

*2 Peter 2:1, 2-"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in abominable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of."

Jude 1:18, 19-"Mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. . . . Sensual."

D. and C. 38:4-"And now I show unto you a mystery, a thing which is had in secret chambers, to bring to pass even your destruction, in process of time, and ye knew it not, but now I tell it unto you."

D. and C. 64:7 (Could remain in Zion if faithful [1831]. Rebellious be "plucked up," "sent away.")

D. and C. 83:8 (Saints in Zion to be judged and scourged).

D. and C. 98:1-3 (Driven from Zion because of transgression).

D. and C. 107:10 (Commanded to build a temple. Sufficient time granted to do so).

D. and C. 107:11 (Rejection as church on noncompliance).

D. and C. 107:14 (Promises [to reveal, etc.] ignored, if unfaithful).

SOME EVIDENCES

"Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, saint and sinner! When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this world. . . . HE IS OUR FATHER AND OUR GOD, AND THE ONLY GOD WITH WHOM WE HAVE TO DO."-Journal of Discourses, Volume 1, page 50.

"I could tell you much more about this; but were I to tell you the whole truth, blasphemy would be nothing to it, in the estimation of the superstitious and overrighteous of mankind."-Journal of Discourses, Volume 1, page 51.

"This revelation has been in my possession many years, and who has known it? None but those who should know it. I keep a patent lock on my desk, and there does not anything leak out that should not."-Supplement, Volume 15, page 31, Millennial Star, Advocate, Volume 1, number 10, page 104.

"Well, he gets his endowment, and what for? To go to California and reveal everything he can, and stir up wickedness and prepare himself for hell."-Journal of Discourses, Volume 2, page 144.

"Let me give you the definition in brief: Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the holy priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell."-Journal of Discourses, Volume 2, page 31.

Kirtland Endowment, Millennial Star, Volume 15, pages 723-729.

Journal of History, Volume 18, pages 43-72, 159-188.

"If I have any knowledge touching the condition of this people at the present time, and the way they-are taught, led, counseled, and dictated by those who go before them to open up the way, it is directly opposite of that we saw in the days of Joseph the Prophet."-Journal of Discourses, Volume 1, page 78.

Compare Acts 2:1-3.

HERESIES

Gal. 1:7, 8-"But there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

*2 Pet. 2:1-"But there were false, prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in abominable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

*Matt. 15:8; *I Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Tim 3:1-7; Jude 4; Rev. 2:14, 15.

WARNING

Titus 3:9, 10-"But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and striving about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is a heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject."

D. and C. 119:4-"That the work of restoration to which the people of my church are looking forward may be hastened in its time, the elders must cease to be overcareful concerning the return of those who were once of the faith but were overcome in the dark and cloudy day, fearing lest they should bring in hidden heresies to the overthrowing of the work; for verily, there are some who are chosen vessels to do good."

2 John 1:7-10.

FULLNESS OF THE GENTILES

Luke 21:23-"Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (24).

*Luke 21:25-"In the generation in which the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled, there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity, like the sea and the waves roaring."

*Luke 21:32-"Verily I say unto you, this generation, the generation when the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled, shall not pass away till all be fulfilled."

Rom. 11:25-"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in."

Rom. 15:11, 12; Rev. 7:9; 14:6.

RESTORATION OF LATTER DAYS

EXPECTED

Looked forward to by many religious leaders and Bible students.

A book issued in 1534 on Restitution, by Rothmann, is cited by Bax as follows:

"The world, declares Rothmann, has fallen from the truth, in that it has been misled by the papacy and by the so-called Evangelical teachers, but the time is at hand when Christ shall restore the world lost in sin and this restitution or restoration of the world shall take place by means of the lowly and unlearned."-Rise and Fall of the Anabaptists, page 260.

Near the latter part of the 17th century, Sir Isaac Newton predicted:

"About the time of the end, in all probability, a body of men will be raised up who will turn their attention to the prophecies, and insist upon their literal fulfillment in the midst of much clamor and opposition."-Lectures on Daniel, page 201.

Poiret's work, translated from the French in 1713, declares:

"In the world's sixth, which is its old age, it shall by the favor of Jesus Christ receive one more Dispensation of his Grace, which will be the last the wicked world is ever to expect. It will consist, as the former did, in appearing, revelation and re-establishment of some ordinances."-Economy of the Restoration of Man, Volume 4, page 205.

About the middle of the 17th century, Roger Williams held:

"He conceived that the church of Christ has so fallen into apostasy as to have lost both its right form and the due administration of the ordinances, which could only be restored by some new apostolic or specially commissioned messenger from above. . . . He conceived that the apostasy of anti-christ hath so far corrupted all that there can be no recovery out of that apostasy till Christ shall send forth anew."-Struggles and Triumphs of Religious Liberty, pages 238, 239, quoted in Presidency and Priesthood, pages 109, 110.

Taking for a text Matthew 16:3, John Wesley preached Sermon Seventy-one, on "The Signs of the Times," and the following extracts are taken from it:

"The times that we have reason to believe are at hand-if they are not already begun-are what many pious men have termed the time of the Latter Day Glory; meaning the time wherein God would gloriously display his power and love in the fulfillment of the promise that 'the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.' The generality of Christians can see no signs of the glorious day that is approaching; but how is this to be accounted for? How is it that men who can now 'discern the face of the sky,' who are not only great philosophers but great divines, as eminent as ever the Sadduccees or Pharisees were, do not discern the signs of the glorious times, which if not begun are nigh even at the door.

"And yet the wise men of the world, men of learning and renown, cannot understand what we mean by talking of an extra-ordinary work of God. They cannot discern the signs of these times. They see no signs at all of God's arising to maintain his own cause, and set up his kingdom over all the earth."

"What could God have done which he hath not done to convince you that the day is coming, that the time is at hand when he will fulfill His glorious promise. and will arise to maintain his own cause and set up his kingdom."

Early in the 19th century, Alexander Campbell declared:

"But the preparation of a people for the coming of the Lord must be the result of the restoration of the ancient gospel and order of things."-The Christian System, page 311.

He is further quoted by Hayden as saying:

"The promise is that 'at evening-time it shall be light.' The primitive gospel, in its effulgence and power, is yet to shine out in its original splendor to regenerate the world."-History of the Disciples in the Western Reserve, page 36.

NAUVOO TEMPLE UNFINISHED

As the revelation given in January, 1841, (D. and C. 107:10, 11) provided that if the Nauvoo temple was not built within the appointed time, (during which baptisms for the dead should be acceptable to the Lord), the church would be rejected, some facts of historic interest in this respect are given. A revelation stating the critical situation was given October 31, 1841, by Presiding Patriarch Hyrum Smith:

"'Thus saith the Lord;' 'there shall not be a General Assembly for a General Conference assembled together until the house of the Lord shall be finished, and the baptismal font, and if we are not diligent the church shall be rejected and their dead also', 'Saith the Lord.'-"Times and Seasons, Volume 3, page 589 (also see Church History. Volume 2, page 551).

On December 13, 1841, the Twelve wrote an epistle to the Saints, with the warning:

"The building of the temple of the Lord, in the city of Nauvoo, is occupying the first place in the exertions and prayers of many of the saints at the present time, knowing as they do, that if this building is not completed speedily, 'we shall be rejected as a church with our dead,' for the Lord our God hath spoken it."-Times and Seasons Volume 3, page 625 (also Church History, Volume 2, page 559).

It was well understood that to finish the temple was imperative; yet, while a Masonic lodge building and many other constructions were completed, the Nauvoo Temple was still left unfinished after the death of Joseph Smith, for on August 15, 1844, an epistle from the Twelve, signed by its president, announced:

"The temple must be completed by a regular system of tithing, according to the commandments of the Lord."-Times and Seasons, Volume 5, page 619 (also Church History, Volume 2, page 560).

In spite of this announcement, the temple had not been completed more than a year and four months later when the church was preparing to abandon Nauvoo. Officials had an editorial issued in the Times and Seasons in January, 1846, stating of the temple:

"The attic story was finished in December, and if the Lord continues to favor us, the first story above the basement will be completed ready for meeting in the month of February."-Volume. 6, page 1096 (also Church History, Volume 3, page 132).

In defiance of the "Thus saith the Lord" of October 31, 1841, forbidding the holding of a General Conference until the temple should be finished (noted above), several such conferences were held, one, on October 6, 1845, being held in the unfinished temple itself, of which the Church History states:

"The General Conference convened in the unfinished temple October 6, 1845, and continued over the 8th."-Volume 3, page 127.

In addition to this, the temple was desecrated by being used as a workshop before the end of 1845, as mentioned by Governor Ford:

"During the winter of 1845-46 the Mormons made the most prodigious preparations for removal. All the houses in Nauvoo, and even the temple, were converted into workshops; and before spring, more than twelve thousand wagons were in readiness."-History of Illinois, page 412 (also Church History, Volume 3, page 164).

Answering reports that the temple was finished, Joseph Smith, son of the Joseph Smith who was killed June 27, 1844, stated in 1871 that it was burned unfinished:

"It has been stated by those whose duty it was to know, that the Temple at Nauvoo was finished, 'completed as Joseph designed.' This statement is not true. In no sense can it be said truthfully, that any part of the Temple at Nauvoo was completed, with the possible exception of the main assembly room into which the front doors opened."-Church History, Volume 3, page 667.

Concerning work done on it before it was burned, he further stated:

"The corner stone was laid April 6, 1841, and the burning occurred October 8, 1848. The saints, however, left Nauvoo in 1846, no work probably being done upon the Temple after the spring or summer of that year."-Ibid., page 668 (Saints' Herald, Volume 19, page 18).

In the United States Circuit Court, Western District of Missouri, Western Division, at Kansas City, evidence in Case No. 1720, called the Temple Lot Case, was presented in 1893-In this case, James Whitehead, the private secretary of Joseph Smith from early June, 1842, until said Smith's death, June 27, 1844, said:

"I have been in the temple at Nauvoo many times; I used to measure the stone work, and carpenter work, and all that. There was a font in the temple for the Baptism for the dead. It stood on Twelve (12) oxen, cut out of stone. It never was used, because Joseph Smith was killed and the temple was never finished."-Plaintiff's Abstract of Evidence, published at Lamoni, Iowa, 1893, pages 34, 35.

John W. Brackenbury, who lived in Nauvoo about seven years, testified in the case:

"I remember about the Temple at Nauvoo; it was never finally completed. I was at Nauvoo from the time I first went there, in the spring of 1839, until sometime in 1846, we left at the time of the hegira from Nauvoo. I was there once since that time. I forget whether it was in 1849 or 1850. No, sir, the temple was not finished, and when I went back there that time the temple was torn down. When I was there in 1846, it was not finished."-Ibid., page 232.

Answering some erroneous statements, Alexander H. Smith, brother of Joseph Smith whose statement appears above, and who had lived at Nauvoo, supports the above:

"The upper auditorium; the plastering was not done, the floor was only the rough boards, intended only for the lining, was laid, and from this floor upward the stairs, except in the tower, or circular main stairs, were also temporary; the upper floor which was to have been divided into numerous rooms was laid, and partitioned off with cotton factory cloth, and used for some purposes before the saints were driven away. I was told that, the cloth of those partitions was subsequently used for wagon covers, by the saints on their journey across the plains. To my knowledge the temple never was finished, and those who have been led to believe it was, have been deceived. I make this statement freely for the benefit of the present and future generations."-Church History, Volume 2, pages 564, 565.

In view of these statements by men of well-known veracity, it may be noted that Brigham Young agrees with their testimony in remarks made at St. George Temple, January 1, 1877, concerning the temple in Nauvoo:

"We built one in Nauvoo. I could pick out several before me now that were there when it was built, and know just how much was finished and what was done. It is true we left brethren there with instructions to finish it, and they got it nearly completed before it was burned; but the saints did not enjoy it. Now we have a temple which will all be finished in a few days, and of which there is enough completed to commence work therein, which has not been done since the days of Adam, that we have any knowledge of."-Journal of Discourses, Volume 18, page 304; (Church History, Volume 2, page 566).