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Reaping the Whirlwind
217
be applied to these bodies professing to derive their doctrine from
the Bible, yet divided into almost innumerable sects with conflicting
creeds.
A Roman Catholic work argues that “if the Church of Rome
were ever guilty of idolatry in relation to the saints, her daughter,
the Church of England, stands guilty of the same, which has ten
churches dedicated to Mary for one dedicated to Christ.
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And Dr. Hopkins declares: “There is no reason to consider the
antichristian spirit and practices to be confined to that which is now
called the Church of Rome. The Protestant churches have much of
antichrist in them, and are far from being wholly reformed from ...
corruptions and wickedness.
Concerning the separation of the Presbyterian Church from
Rome, Dr. Guthrie writes: “Three hundred years ago, our church,
with an open Bible on her banner, and this motto, ‘Search the Scrip-
tures,’ on her scroll, marched out from the gates of Rome.” Then
he asks the significant question: “Did they come clean out of Baby-
lon?
First Departures From The Gospel
How did the church first depart from the simplicity of the gospel?
By conforming to paganism, to facilitate acceptance of Christianity
by the heathen. “Toward the latter end of the second century most
of the churches assumed a new form. ... As the old disciples retired
to their graves, their children, along with new converts, ... came
forward and new-modeled the cause.” “A pagan flood, flowing into
the church, carried with it its customs, practices, and idols.
The
Christian religion secured the favor and support of secular rulers.
It was nominally accepted by multitudes. But many “remained in
substance pagans, especially worshiping in secret their idols.
Has not the same process been repeated in nearly every church
calling itself Protestant? As the founders who possessed the true
3
Richard Challoner, The Catholic Christian Instructed, Preface, pp. 21, 22.
4
Samuel Hopkins, “A Treatise on the Millennium,” Works, vol. 2, p. 328.
5
Thomas Guthrie, The Gospel in Ezekiel, p. 237.
6
Robert Robinson. Ecclesiastical Researches (ed. 1792), ch. 6, par. 17, p. 51.
7
Gavazzi, Lectures (ed. 1854), p. 278.