Sadly, controversy and wickedness had reached heights during the reign of Constantine in the early fourth century, and the Church continued its downward spiral thereafter throughout the Middle Ages.
The Christian Reformer John Wesley, writing in the 18th century, explained:
"Soon after the pouring out of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, in the infancy of the Christian Church, there was indeed a glorius change. Great grace was upon them all, Ministers as well as people. The multitude of them that believed were of ONE heart and of ONE soul. But how short a time did this continue? How soon did the fine gold become dim! LONG BEFORE even the apostolic age had expired, St. Paul himself had grounds to COMPLAIN, that some of his fellow laborers had FORSAKEN him, 'having loved the present world.' And not long after St. John reproved divers of the angels, that is, the ministers of the Churches in Asia, because even in that early period, their 'works were not found perfect before God'.
Thus did 'the mystery of iniquity' begin to "work", in the MINISTERS as well as the PEOPLE, even BEFORE the end of the apostolic age. But how much MORE powerfully did it work, as soon as the master-bulders, the Apostles, were TAKEN out of the way! BOTH Ministers and the people were then farther and farther REMOVED from the hope of the Gospel. In so much that when St. Cyprian, about a hundred and fifty years after the death of St. John, describes the spirit and behaviour BOTH of laity and Clergy that were round about him, one would be ready to suppose he was giving us a description of the PRESENT CLERGY and LAITY of Europe. But the CORRUPTION which had been CREEPING in drop by drop, during the second and third century, in the beginning of the fourth, when Constantine called himself a Christian, POURED IN upon the Church with a FULL TIDE. And whoever reads the history of the Church, from the time of Constantine to the Reformation, will EASILY observe that all of the abominations of the heathen world...OVERFLOWED EVERY PART OF IT. And in every nation and city the CLERGY were not a WHIT more INNOCENT than the laity."
Finally, confirming fulfillment of the prophecy received by John the Revelator, Wesley Summarized:
"Such is the authentic account of 'the mystery of iniquity' working even in the apostolic churches!--an account given, not by the Jews or Heathens, but by the Apostles THEMSELVES. To this we may add the account which is given by the head and Founder of the Church; Him who is 'the faithful and true witness.' We may easily infer what was the state of the Church in general, from the state of the seven Churches in Asi. One of these indeed, the Church of Philadelphia, had 'kept His word, and denied not His name'; (Rev. 3:8) the Church of Symrna was likewise in a flourishing state: But all the rest were CORRUPTED, more or less; insomuch that many of them were not a jot better than the PRESENT race of Christians; and our Lord then threatenend, what he has long SINCE PERFORMED, to REMOVE the candlestick from them!"
As witnessed by the Apostle John, the wicked world continued, BUT God's Church was taken from the earth for a season--as it had been from time to time during patriarchal dispensations under similar conditions of apostasy. The candlestick, as attested to by John Wesley, had LONG since been removed.
And that being said, you can't take a live branch from a dead tree!
IBMAGG
[This message has been edited by ibmagg (edited 7/26/2006 8:19p).]
[This message has been edited by ibmagg (edited 7/26/2006 8:20p).]
The Christian Reformer John Wesley, writing in the 18th century, explained:
"Soon after the pouring out of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, in the infancy of the Christian Church, there was indeed a glorius change. Great grace was upon them all, Ministers as well as people. The multitude of them that believed were of ONE heart and of ONE soul. But how short a time did this continue? How soon did the fine gold become dim! LONG BEFORE even the apostolic age had expired, St. Paul himself had grounds to COMPLAIN, that some of his fellow laborers had FORSAKEN him, 'having loved the present world.' And not long after St. John reproved divers of the angels, that is, the ministers of the Churches in Asia, because even in that early period, their 'works were not found perfect before God'.
Thus did 'the mystery of iniquity' begin to "work", in the MINISTERS as well as the PEOPLE, even BEFORE the end of the apostolic age. But how much MORE powerfully did it work, as soon as the master-bulders, the Apostles, were TAKEN out of the way! BOTH Ministers and the people were then farther and farther REMOVED from the hope of the Gospel. In so much that when St. Cyprian, about a hundred and fifty years after the death of St. John, describes the spirit and behaviour BOTH of laity and Clergy that were round about him, one would be ready to suppose he was giving us a description of the PRESENT CLERGY and LAITY of Europe. But the CORRUPTION which had been CREEPING in drop by drop, during the second and third century, in the beginning of the fourth, when Constantine called himself a Christian, POURED IN upon the Church with a FULL TIDE. And whoever reads the history of the Church, from the time of Constantine to the Reformation, will EASILY observe that all of the abominations of the heathen world...OVERFLOWED EVERY PART OF IT. And in every nation and city the CLERGY were not a WHIT more INNOCENT than the laity."
Finally, confirming fulfillment of the prophecy received by John the Revelator, Wesley Summarized:
"Such is the authentic account of 'the mystery of iniquity' working even in the apostolic churches!--an account given, not by the Jews or Heathens, but by the Apostles THEMSELVES. To this we may add the account which is given by the head and Founder of the Church; Him who is 'the faithful and true witness.' We may easily infer what was the state of the Church in general, from the state of the seven Churches in Asi. One of these indeed, the Church of Philadelphia, had 'kept His word, and denied not His name'; (Rev. 3:8) the Church of Symrna was likewise in a flourishing state: But all the rest were CORRUPTED, more or less; insomuch that many of them were not a jot better than the PRESENT race of Christians; and our Lord then threatenend, what he has long SINCE PERFORMED, to REMOVE the candlestick from them!"
As witnessed by the Apostle John, the wicked world continued, BUT God's Church was taken from the earth for a season--as it had been from time to time during patriarchal dispensations under similar conditions of apostasy. The candlestick, as attested to by John Wesley, had LONG since been removed.
And that being said, you can't take a live branch from a dead tree!
IBMAGG
[This message has been edited by ibmagg (edited 7/26/2006 8:19p).]
[This message has been edited by ibmagg (edited 7/26/2006 8:20p).]