THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY AND ITS DEVELOPMENT IN THE CHURCH.
By J. O. Corliss
A PRECEDING article has shown the method by which the work of God is constantly resisted by the mystery of iniquity, while feigning to be the mystery of God. The natural query next arises, Has any people ever regularly and systematically pursued a course in the name of Christ which the light of the Scriptures reveals to be the work of the mystery of iniquity, done in disguise? A glance at Rev. 17:1-6 brings to view an intolerant power under the symbol of a lewd woman seated on a scarlet-colored beast, clothed in purple and scarlet color, and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. Her imperious disposition had been so far indulged that she was actually drunken, not with wine, or strong drink, but "with the blood of the saints, and with the martyrs of Jesus." However much she may have desired to conceal her real character, it could not be done in her besotted condition. In her very face she carried her name: "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Such a character surely has no connection with the work of God, and yet it may not be thought strange if it is found that she lays claim to being in the direct favor of God. Let us briefly review: This woman is not only branded a harlot, but the mother of harlots, and of the abominations of the earth. The record says that her unsavory reputation was earned through permitting the kings of the earth to commit fornication with her. Having the kings of the earth for patrons would show that, before her descent, she had held a position of eminence. Her fall was therefore all the more desperate, which accounts for the final cruel and blood-thirsty character which she developed. The Revelator was much astonished at the woman's deeds of violence, until the angel revealed to him the mystery attached to her and to the beast which carried her. Transferring the symbol to the reality, the woman is the church. A woman is frequently used in Scriptures as a type of the church. The apostle said that he had presented the Corinthian church as "a chaste virgin to Christ." 2 Cor. 11:2. In Rom. 7:4 the church is said to be married to Christ. All through the Scriptures, in fact, this symbol is used. But only the figure of a pure woman can represent the church of Christ. Yet the Borgian character of Revelation 17 is the symbol of a church. But how sadly fallen to permit illicit intercourse from the kings of the earth! Having been married to the Lord, she cannot remain pure and receive loving advances from even kings of earth. To God alone should the church look for power and authority. To receive these from the powers of the world is to deny the ability of God to bestow them, and so commit spiritual fornication—a detestable thing in the sight of Heaven. In the case under consideration, this departure from God, while still professing fealty to him, led the church to persecute to death those who remained loyal to their spiritual vows. And why should she not act thus? She loved ease and distinction, yet greatly deplored error. The greatest error in her sight was to follow strictly the word of God, for that course only condemned her own. Some way must be devised by which to crush it out, and have conformity of action. She argued that a perfect union of sentiment was necessary in order to please God. Dissenters were agreed in this, but desired to make the Bible the rallying standard, while she appealed to her councils. Their tenets were condemned, and they were demanded to recant. The spirits of brave and conscientious men refused to yield. Nothing was left but to tolerate or destroy. Toleration was no part of their plan; conformity alone would satisfy, and this could be secured only through extermination. The sole prerogative in this direction, however, laid with the civil power, but that was easily managed. The church had already so far departed from God that it was in favor with the State. A demand was therefore made on the civil power to legislate favorably to the designs of the church. The thing was done, and the church then, through that power, undertook to crush out what it was pleased to brand as error, even though it cost the lives of those accounted heretics, and the church herself was made drunken with the blood of her helpless victims. It could not be otherwise, for such is but the legitimate result of the union of religion with the civil power. It makes no difference whether the religion is pagan or Christian; the result is always the same. The reason is obvious. While religion of itself is a power, it is totally different from civil power. and wholly a matter of the individual conscience; civil government is compulsory over everyone alike. When, therefore, the civil power invades the realm of religion to make it a part of the civil law, the enforcement of that law must be compulsion in stated forms of religion, as expressed in the law. Of course those who frame such laws, make them express their own religious sentiment, and enforce it upon others, regardless of their personal convictions. This would not seem to be so great a judicial crime in those governments where only pagan religion is known. But when those who profess to be directed by the Spirit of God, which rules for itself in every individual heart, undertake to coerce others to their religious dictations, it is not only a great crime against mankind, but a grievous sin against God as well. This is the fornication of the church, a departure from God to seek the alliance of a foreign power. When the church seeks only the Spirit and power of Christ, she is made to know the powerful mystery of his kingdom, in her efforts to change the practices of others. The moment, however, that the power of the State is sought, in any degree, to hold supposed error in check, it is a virtual denial of God's power or willingness to change the heart, and so save from sin. Thus the exchange is made. But what an exchange—the sacrifice of heavenly wisdom for earthly, the yielding of infinite power for that of puny man, the loss of the Spirit of Christ, which is one of loving tolerance, to secure the spirit of Satan, which is one of jealousy and hateful intolerance! But having said so much in this line, it is perhaps admissible from this point briefly to trace this persecuting spirit from its earliest appearance to the present time. Turning to Revelation, the twelfth chapter, this same symbol of a woman is presented. In this place, however, she is shown clothed with the sun, and crowned with a diadem of twelve stars. She is about to be delivered of a man child, who is to rule all nations with a rod of iron, while a great red dragon stands ready to devour her child as soon as it is born. But the child is rescued and caught up to God and his throne. No one can fail to see in these beautiful symbolic utterances the church in her purity, bringing forth the Lord Jesus, the murderous attempt upon his child life, and his withdrawal from earth to sit at the right hand of the throne on high. But who is the dragon that figured so conspicuously in the scene? It is well known that King Herod was jealous of the predicted power of the child Jesus, and so issued an order to slay every child under two years of age, in the region about Bethlehem, in order to compass the death of his supposed rival in power. Matt. 2:1-16. But Herod was not the principal in this wicked attempt; he was but the agent of another. Passing back to Revelation 12, the real author of this atrocious iniquity is discovered. Verses 7-9 introduce a war in heaven, in which the dragon, with his angels, contends against Michael and his angels. The dragon is cast out, and called the devil, or Satan, because he becomes the arch deceiver of the whole world. It was he who desired the destruction of the infant Saviour, and instigated the Roman ruler to fulfill his intolerant craving. Finding himself cast out of heaven, and from the society of the good, the dragon commenced a systematic persecution of the church. Verse 13. Every means was sought by which to overcome her, and so destroy the work of Him whom he had failed to conquer, but still hated. The church fled into the wilderness, where she was nourished of God, but this only increased the wrath of the dragon, which was carefully nursed, to be visited in force upon the remnant church, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. But how will he carry out his purpose?—Simply by inflaming to deeds of intolerance a majority of the professed people of God, and inspiring them to demand power from the civil authority, with which to enforce their4intolerant decrees. It was through this process alone that the death of the Son of God was made possible. The leaders of the professed church of God hated his teachings, called for his blood, and appealed to the civil power for satisfaction, which was granted. It is not possible for religious persecutions to develop in any other way. Satan, it is true, is the author of all persecution, but things have been so ordered that he has no power of himself alone to enforce it. God protects all from the direct attacks of Satan, and, therefore, whatever injury he inflicts on man must be done through the agency of man himself. But he never attempts to persecute through the agency of those who are known to be allied to him; for then his work would be readily detected and made to cease. Besides, religious persecution is never attempted except on the plea of the honor of God, and worldlings are not enough concerned about this legally to vindicate its claims. It therefore remains for Satan to engage those who affect to hate him, and love the truth, to do his bidding, by starting in to coerce others to honor God through an outward compliance with what they conceive to be his requirements. A moment's thought on this ought to convince anyone that it is entirely wrong. Had God designed to have his work carried on in this way, he would have given power to his gospel to change men against their wills. But as he has not done this, overzealous ones become incited to attempt an improvement on God's system, by calling for the power of the State to do what they feel persuaded he has neglected to do. In all this is seen the hand of the great master of evil and the mystery of iniquity. That such a policy as this would be followed by a powerful monopoly was plainly foreshadowed by the seer of Patmos. In Revelation 13 a beast is brought upon the field of vision, which was seen to come up out of the sea, that is, from among the people and nations of earth. Rev. 17:15. This is the symbol of a form of government by which blasphemy toward God and them which dwell in heaven is freely indulged in, yet it is an object of such universal worship that all the world, with but little exception, pays wondering adoration and honor to it. But such dazed veneration is not because of any gentle or loving nature possessed by this power; for its principal employment, wherever seen, is to make war against the saints of God, and thus overthrow them. Yet, notwithstanding its vicious ways, this malignant beast government was to extend its sway over "all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." Rev. 13:7. A MANIFESTATION OF SATAN.
But from whence can such a government receive an extended power? It cannot be from God; for no trace of his nature is found in such proceedings. Think of it. Here is a government with civil power which it employs to make war on the saints—a government which demands and receives worship from nearly all the world. Is not this a clear rival to the government of God? But we are not left to conjecture in the matter. The prophecy emphatically states that this beast receives its power and great authority from the dragon, that is, the devil. Verse 2. It is, moreover, identified by its ten horns, which are the same as those on the beast which supports the woman, or church, of Rev. 17:3. It is also significant that, while in Rev. 17:6 the venom against the saints is ascribed to the woman, in chapter 13:7 the bloodthirsty treatment given them is charged upon the beast itself. No better evidence is needed to show that this power is a form of government which unites in its administration the union of church and State, and that such union is but the exhibition of Satanic power. History reveals these very elements in all the governments of the Old World which have borne sway over God's people. Beginning with the Hebrews, we find them persecuted by order of the Egyptian king, who was also the head of a hierarchy of sun-worshipers. After the Israelites were carried thence to Canaan, they were made to feel the enmity of the Assyrians, who combined their sun-worshiping religion with the State power. Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Grecia, whose civil rulers were also heads of ecclesiastical establishments, each successively made religious laws for the people of God. Pagan Rome followed next with its iron rule, made burdensome by the combination of civil and religious might. All these were pagan governments—worshipers of the sun; each had the elements of power ascribed by the Revelator to the beast. But still another more terrible experience in persecution awaited the people of God, under a head which had to receive a deadly wound in order to check its appalling work. This head finds special mention in the prophecy, because it is more than a single nation fighting against the saints; it is a combination of at least ten, which have agreed to give their supreme power to the beast for a time, to do this very work. These are not pagan nations either; they are professed Christians, and are united under the lead of one who professes to have the care of all Christendom intrusted to his spiritual guidance. Being counted their sole dictator in spiritual things, he assumes guardianship of their consciences and then secures laws through the civil power for their regulation. As might be expected, with the civil power of so many nations behind him, this self-assumed spiritual head of the church would carry matters to the bitter end against all who dared to question his doctrine or authority, and the victims of his bigotry are therefore counted by the millions. But this head, which is none other than the system of Papacy, received a deadly wound at the hands of the French, in the year 1798, when the pope was made prisoner, and his civil power curtailed. No territory passed away with that act, but the form of government by which the world had been so long terrorized into abject slavery of conscience, was there simply stunned to inactivity. It was the partial dissolution of that union of the Church with the State which had allowed such full play to the work of the mystery of iniquity. The discipline of the Reformation prepared the people to dispute the right of the church to use "the civil power for the furtherance of its aims," and the result was the disenthrallment of conscience by the disenthronement of the assumed head of the church, who, it was conceived, was responsible for all the mischief of the past. But this was by no means the destruction of the beast, or that form of government which it represented. That was only disabled for the time by the deadly stroke, the wound of which was in due process to be healed by a reunion of religion with the State, as foretold in the prophecy under consideration.