The True and the False Church by Claude E. Holmes

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 14, 1915

The True and the False Church

By Claude E. Holmes

CLAUDE E. HOLMES

CARDINAL GIBBONS, in his book “The Faith of Our Fathers,” which is now in its sixty-seventh edition, says that Christ was “pleased to stamp upon his church certain shining marks, by which every sincere inquirer could easily recognize her as his only spouse. The principal marks or characteristics of the true church are her unity, sanctity, catholicity, and apostolicity, to which may be added the infallibility of her teachings and the perpetuity of her existence.”—Page 21.

The claim of the cardinal seems to be a reasonable and an assuring proposition. It is an easy matter, he thinks, to pick out the church today which bears these characteristics.

A noticeable and important fact of history, found in both secular and sacred annals, is that false teachers have been prevalent at all times. The apostle John in his message to the seven churches, which cover chronologically the period from his day to the end, sends warning of those who claim to be apostles and are not (Rev. 2:2), of those who are of the synagogue (church) of Satan (verse 9), and of false prophets (verse 20).

There is extreme danger that one may be deceived. For that reason God, through the apostle Paul, described a great power that was to counterfeit the true church. It was to be a falling away from the church of Christ, and was to continue along with it through its entire experience.

This apostasy is foretold in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, and manifests itself as a power “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.” 2 Thess. 2:4. This “mystery of iniquity” began in Paul’s day and is to continue until Christ’s second coming. So it must be in existence at the present time.

In the light of this prediction let us examine the cardinal’s rule. The pseudo-Christian church, by beginning in the apostle’s day and continuing intact until the second advent, bears the marks of apostolicity, unity, perpetuity, catholicity, etc. In fact, this false organization bears all the marks of the cardinal’s church. The cardinal says of indestructibility that “this fact alone stamps divinity on her brow.” If this is true, then divinity is stamped on the apostate church; for it is still in existence, and has been since Paul wrote. This argument proves too much in this case.

However, there is one of his marks that should be examined closer, that of “sanctity,” or “holiness,” as he terms it. The mystery of iniquity claims to be God, and therefore must of necessity assume holiness and infallibility, etc. But we wish further to test the Catholic Church on this point of holiness.

What is holiness? How can we distinguish a holy church from an unholy one. To be holy the church must keep holy that which God makes holy. In this particular the Catholic Church has made a great failure. It has ignored and made common that which God has made holy. Therefore it places itself outside the pale of the true church according to the cardinal’s own words, and unconsciously stamps itself as the mystery of iniquity. For there are but two churches, the true church of God and the apostate church. History knows no other organizations that bear these marks of antiquity, indestructibility, etc., but these two. If the Romish Church is not one, it is the other. If it is not the incarnation of the mystery of godliness, it is the mystery of iniquity. The writer believes it is the latter.

Now for the proof: The fourth commandment of the decalogue (Exodus 20) states plainly that we should “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” The specific day—the seventh—is then pointed out as the Sabbath, and directions are given for its observance.

By deliberately changing this institution established by the Creator, the Catholic Church brands itself as an unholy power. In attempting to excuse itself and support a counterfeit authority it places itself in a position that unquestionably reveals it as the mystery of iniquity.

Cardinal Gibbons says of the Pope:—“The Pope, therefore, be it known, is not the maker of the divine law; he is only its expounder. He is not the author of revelation, but only its interpreter. All revelation came from God alone through his inspired ministers, and it was complete in the beginning of the church. The Holy Father has no more authority than you or I to break one iota of the Scripture, and he is equally with us the servant of the divine law.”—Id., page 149.

If this is true, then the Pope is in a serious dilemma, for the cardinal further says: “You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday.”—Pages 111, 112.

If the Pope can only interpret what is already in the Scriptures, and there is no authority in them for sanctifying Sunday, what is the Pope but a usurper and a deceiver when he sets aside the Bible Sabbath for the first day? God’s holy day is thus desecrated every week.

It may be argued that the church and not the Pope changed the day. From the viewpoint of Catholic writers there seems to be some question as to which of these two is the superior. However that may be, the Pope, as chief shepherd and protector of the church and its morals, is duty bound to correct the church in its digression from the plain revelation of God’s Word. In thus departing from the divine law the church should be reproved and corrected by the Pope, and brought back into obedience to the fourth commandment.

Recently a Catholic editor said, “He who contradicts God’s law clearly intimates his desire to set the Lawgiver

aside.”—Pittsburgh Catholic, Oct. 8, 1914. That is exactly what the Catholic Church does in tampering with the law of God—it sets the Creator aside.

The Catholic Church bears all the marks of that apostate power which began in Paul’s day and continues until it shall be destroyed at Christ’s coming. Truly does a Catholic writer say, “The Catholic Church has not ‘had her day;’ her day will never come to an end until the world shall have come to an end.”—Short Answers, page 115. The true church does not come to an end when the Saviour returns, but really comes into its own.

The church of God, while it has various shining marks which the apostate church must of necessity bear, or it would not be a counterfeit, will above all things be obedient to the revealed will of God. His law will be respected and implicitly followed. It is on this vital point that the Catholic Church fails.

Takoma Park, D. C.