THE GOSPEL PRESERVED IN ITS PURITY TO PROTESTANTS.
By Joel C. Rogers
THE good tidings of great joy to all people is that Jesus will have all men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4), so this gospel is easy of comprehension and all can understand it. Jesus gave it to all men in its purity and simplicity, as he designed it to remain until he comes in power and glory. This gospel is embraced in two principles: faith in Jesus (John 6:29; Acts 16:31) and obedience to the commandments of God (Matt. 19:17). Both these are based on the one great principle of love. It would seem that all could receive such a gospel as this, given in love to save man from perishing (John 3:16); but all did not receive it. Even those who should have been first to welcome the glad news did not receive it. John 1:11. And why not?—Because it was contrary to their traditions and commandments of men. Mark 7:7, 13. God had given them his commandments in purity, and he added no more. Deut. 5:22. But the scribes and Pharisees did add more, until the word of God was made of none effect, and their hearts so filled with their own traditions that their minds were blinded to the light of the glorious gospel of Christ. Jesus called these professed teachers of the people "blind leaders of the blind," and said both they and their followers should fall into the ditch. He did not scruple even to call them hypocrites because they pretended to teach God's law, but failed to keep it. Matthew 23. He said they were fools, vipers, children of hell, full of hypocrisy and iniquity; and while branding them with such fearful condemnation for daring to trifle with the high commands of God, he magnified the law in all its purity. He showed that it is so exceeding broad and deep that it searches out the very thoughts and intents of the heart. Matt. 5:17-28. He showed that he came to die because it had been broken. Matt. 9:13; 1 John 3:4. Thus by this pure gospel Jesus strips off the traditions and commands of men, leaving God's law as it was given. Jesus ever taught that his Father's law was founded upon the everlasting principle of love, that obedience to it is a manifestation of our love, and that his gospel is in perfect harmony with it. While the Lawgiver said it required love to God (Deut. 6:5) and love to man (Lev. 19:18), Jesus also said, "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matt. 22:40. While God said by Solomon that the fear of God and the keeping of his commandments is the whole duty of man, he said also by John, "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." Again Jesus says if we love him, we will keep his commandments, even as he kept his Father's; and his command is love, so is his Father's, and all is one great gospel of love from the foundation of the world. See John 14:23, 24; 15:10-12; Eph. 1:4; Rev. 13:8. The first advent of Jesus to the earth was to unfold and unveil this gospel of love, in all its purity and power, and to teach men how to live in it. John 10:10. At his second advent he expects to find his followers living in that same pure, simple gospel which we have found was comprehended in obedience to God's commandments and faith in Jesus. Heb. 9:28; Rev. 14:12, 14. But he well knew what efforts Satan and wicked men would make to overthrow the gospel and hide its light. He therefore foretold in his word, for the benefit of those living at the time of his second coming who desire to return to the pure gospel, of the false prophets (teachers) who should arise. Matt. 24:11, 24. Paul told about a "falling away" (2 Thess. 2:3, 7) and showed how it would come,—by "grievous wolves" entering the church,—and enemies within are the worst of all enemies (Acts 20:28-30). Then Peter describes more minutely the wicked work of these "false teachers." Study 2 Peter 2:1-3, 10-22. The "falling away" had already begun to show itself when Paul wrote these words, in the workings of paganism, which were beginning to pollute the pure gospel of Christ among his followers. Paul's words in Acts 20:29, 30, spoken to the elders of Ephesus, were most remarkably fulfilled by the corruptions which came into the church of Ephesus. Rev. 2:2, 6 mentions some of these evils, and history tells the rest of the story of corruption. Thus, indeed, in the strong words of Peter, "damnable heresies" were brought in. Not only were they brought in by this church, and into this church, but they were brought into all the professed churches and confirmed by the decisions of various councils held to settle the disputes over these heresies. Read, especially, the history of the two councils of Ephesus, in "Two Republics," pp. 418-446. A large part of the evil work of these false teachers is manifested in causing the way of truth to be evil spoken of, forsaking the right way and in turning from the holy commandment. 2 Peter 2:2, 15, 21. All this has been actually done in the Roman Catholic Church by the bishops (teachers) of that church in adding tradition to God's law, and in changing that law (Dan. 7:25) and adding commandments of men to the commandments of God. I have before me four Catholic catechisms, published by authority of that church and recognized as standard works, showing that this is so. I also have one Protestant (?) catechism, showing that Protestants have accepted many of these traditions and commandments of men as their faith and practice. Many say the same to-day. I give a very few of the most common doctrines of the Catholic Church, which are based only upon tradition "of the elders" (fathers, Mark 7:3, 7) and commandments of men,—infant baptism, celibacy of clergy (1 Tim. 4:3), doctrine of purgatory, observance of Sunday and holy days, institution of festivals and fasts, and assumption of civil authority. Here, then, are the facts: In the "falling away" the purity of the gospel of Christ has been corrupted. Many have "departed from the faith," until the gospel's glorious light almost ceased to shine, and all the world today knows a long, dismal, stormy night of woe and blood called the Dark Ages. Thank God, those days were shortened. Matt. 24:21, 22. Noble men arose, who gave their lives to bring back the simplicity of the gospel as it is in Jesus. Tyndale, Luther, Zwingle, Knox, and others witnessed to the gospel and sometimes sealed their testimony for the truth with their blood. Wesley and others have followed them in the good begun work. We of this generation are in the days of the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21. Jesus must find his people living in the purity of his everlasting gospel when he comes. The work of the noble reformers is not complete till we leave every tradition and commandment of men. We Protestants are obeying many of the false doctrines of those "false teachers," some of which doctrines were mentioned above. These are in direct opposition to God's commandments. Ex. 20:3-17; 2 Thess. 2:4. Jesus said to those who did thus at his first advent: "Ye reject the commandment of God," "making the word of God of none effect." "This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. . . . In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Mark 7:9, 13, 6, 7. He says the same to those who do the same things to-day. Many Protestants, so called, are going back to Rome, to her doctrines and practices. "Rome never changes." God says, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins." Rev. 17:3-5; 18:2, 4. Men and brethren, what shall we do?—Forsake Romanism, protest against it, keep every commandment of God; then it shall be said of us, "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus;" and, "Blessed are they that do his commandments." And this is the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved in his own word, where every hungering soul may find it, and nowhere else in its purity.