Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-02-03


lnings' As early A a. the writing Of
'he a Apocalypse the condition Of The
NsiAsic churches was such that
'ne Lord threatened 10 remove
Tue "candlesiicss," unless speedy
'epenianoe followed. The letter 10 this
Colos'ians SHOVE the nature of the
heresy At work among the early con-
ver1s' The inspired writer evidently
c0moan In their inclpiency the pinci.
piles which later developed into various
sy''ems OF Gnos,lolsn, from the inGu-
once OF which even some Of the early
church fathers suffered. The false
principle laid down that evil was Ia
hefent In matter and that sinful pro-
pensitius consequently should DO
l1ught In tbs bJdy seems TO have led
some TO asceticlsm a1d others 10
licontiousness, two practices equally
wrong. hut gradually the main body
u the church fell intj one or another
Of these two extremes Merle d'Au-
bigne truly observes that Ia the met
iimu OF the Gospel we mud the Church
Oiled with Spirit aud life, but gradual
y the Spirit vanished, the life died sud
only tbs form femtinei. When the
spirit has departed only dead body 10
Left or when tho liio.giving water
has eysporalej, only Ru empty vessel
remains. Ssme,hlHg oi this nature
took place In tho Church. Bus the
vessel dil not loss It, contents all At
once, but gradually. In the dras ccn-
fury the Invisible pfcsence Of The
Savior was the strength OF the Church,
In the third ce.tufy this power was
Htill felt aud also In tho fourth al
though then diminishing.
Historians describe tho condition Of
tbs churth at the time Of Cypfan In
anything but culogisto terms. AZ
that time, church members intermtr-
fiel with geniilei frequently. Tncy
were seen at the thoators and gi,iia.
totisl exposition, where they wefc
dciis hted with the brutal spectacle OF
human beings carving each other. The
ministers lovoi tho world more than
God, aud the bishops devoted them.
selves TO their own pleasures and to
making money. Tho result Of oil
this was seen when tho persecution by
the Emperor Dcoian took place. The
Christians were panic.itrieken. Som,
lied; Others FASTENED TO the author
lilies AMI rcn9uncci their faith.
While In this condition the
church gradually lost the true
doctrines as preached by Chdst.
The ordinances were changed. Pfiesill
authority superseded that OF Christ
What had once been the Church wa
made political machine. The Church
itself was brought into "tho wilder
ness" for a period Of ga thousand tive
hundred and thrcesc9rs days," whil'
the great "dTagcn" II soio1 the earth
with errors Of doctrine aud practice
70 claim that the apostasy was no
universal IL 10 deny tho facts OF history
u. well as the prophetic word.
tits necessary to remember how
ever, that although the true Church.
"a an organization, was removed Rn,
the authority OF tho Priesthood wal
"ciught up unto God" yet the eomlnG
Of Chris, Ia the meridian Of time aud
the preaching VI His Gospel was neces'
-ary Tor the accomplishment OF COD.
plaus aud purposes. Without tn
VI sale diaponsalion, the preaching o
,he Gospel would have been IL
vain. People would not have beet
able to comprehend It. Noiwithiland
Ing all the follies and sins and errors 0
ancient Israel, the truths royoale,
through Moses served 70 prepare the
world ior Christ. In the same way
the Gospel preached by Christ ha
gradually prepared the world for th'
reception of Him In His second ad
vent, which has been announced a
near by Joseph the Prophet. An,
this was one 81 tho great objects OF tn,
Gospel. The Church NJ au organlza
ton was removed, but the Truth enun
cia,od could not DO stamped out. Mucl
Of II has shone In tho dark all tn
time. Men have been Inspired there
by to noble acts and thoughts ana feel
ings; their attention has been dl
reottd towards a coming colder
age, when Christ shall rule III
world. Aud In this meanlim
tho work behind the veil has been 20
Ing on. This is founded on the atone
! meut. Viewed In this light II Ia clea
that the iltst coming OF the Lord wa
, Necessary asA preparation Of tho worl
Tor tho reception Of the Gospel as r'
, vsaled In this age The position Of tn
ssihs viii be- found TO be In full hal
mony with the general pan Of Ia
work VI salvation.
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