Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-04-06
THE RISE OF BABYLON."
When and How Was tho Great Apostasy
Accomplishment



the Church OF Jesus Christ Of Latter
day Saints and other religious demons
nations is this: Did universal apos-
tasy from the faith delivered to the
first Christians take place In the early
ages, or was the deviation predicted
only partlai7
Protcstants generally regard the cs-
Enlistment OF the Roman church as
the visible embodiment OF the great
apostasy 20 wildly forctold by New
Testament writer's. but they claim that
the church was preserved In some OF
the sccts which refused allegiance TO
Rome. and that by the reformation the
primitive condition Of purity was re-
stored. Roman Catholics. on the other
hand. maintain that their organization
Il. and always has been. the Church OF
Christ, and that the sixteenth century
reformation was tho great npostasy.
The Iatter-dny Saints believe tina, the
falling away was 10 universal that the
Church. considered ~ an organization.
went out Of visible existence.
This IL must be remembered. does
not mean that In their opinion all truth
and all righteousness left the earth.
and that nothing but error. sin and cor
fuptl0n remained. on the contrary. II
Il understood and willingly admitted
that there never was an age In the his
tory OF the human family. In which
some truth wnH not known, partly at
least or In which thcrc were not noble
men ana women. whose lives were req
uiatcd by the laws Of morality and who
are worthy OF Imitation In all ages.
but u Is contcndcd that the world
passed through long period In which
the church as divine organization,
with Apostles and Prophets and all
the Fifta aud gracca peculiar ~ that
Institution. including the authority TO
administer the sacred ordinances In the
name OF. Or In behalf of. the Lord
Jesus Christ. was hidden from View.
To that extent they regard the apostasy
as universal.
This View In certainly sustained by
the New Testament. Paul In his sec
oni letter to the Thcasaioninns. speak
ing OF this falling away. declares Its
srcat feature 20 he the appearance OF
one who opposoth and cxaiteth himself
above all that IL called Uod, or that IN
wofHhircd" And this power was not
70 appear outside the Church. merely
obtaining few followers. among the
Christians. but II was TO operate IN the
very Temple Of God. showing himself
that he II God" The expression TEN.
pie OF tod.' a. bishop John New
ton has shown. means In
the Apostolic writings. after the dcs.
truction Of the Temple Ia Jerusalem,
the Church. and was 10 understood by
the early Christians. Hence when II "
DECLARED that the son OF perdition" was
10 unurp the very place OF God In the
Temple" that Ia the Church. there
u no room for controversy "a 10 the
terrible extent OF the apostaHy. II IL
the very sanctuary. the chr rch itself,
not part OF II. that the Apostle says
was To- he affected thereby.
Thc Revelation OF John IN 10 be rcnd
IN connection with this remarkable
prophecy OF Paul. and others bearing
on the same subject OF course. the
Revelation N admitted by scholars TO
be obscure and dlfiicuit TO Interpret, but
there II one prophetic vision In the
Apocalypse ON which there " almost
UNIVERSAL agreement among commcntn-
tors. This relates To- the rise la the
midst Of the Church OF great apostatc
power. having these nvc character
!. Substituting falschood for the doc.
trincn OF Christianity. and SPREAD
Ing these falnehoodH throughout the
world by fraud and by force. III Thcnn.
y; 10. Tim. a. I, 2. Rev. Ia 80.
:, immortality and iicentiounnesn un-
der the cover OF hypoeritieal asccticlam.
Il Tim. 4. :. -.
j. hlaAphcmouH prctenalons uHurpa-
lion OF divine prcrogativcn. and pcruc.
cuiion OF the people OF God III TheaH.,
:; T. o, isev. H. s-li, n; 60. 49, ~.
T. Wealth. magnlficcnce and luxury,
u.ey, ~. Z. N; 7.s ii-ig).
D. Reliance upon the support OF
worldly powers. HanctioninE and uphold.
ms their tyranny. u,ov. Ia 1. .. 10. IL.
IL; J. W.
such Is the prophetic picture drawn
OF the apoHtatc church, easily rccog-
nited by the student OF history, whose
mind II open to truth. How " II pos
tible 10 doubt the universally ~ tho
hpohtaryT Does not the same prophetic
panorama represent the true Church IN
hidden. ana her divine child removed 60
the throne OF God, for period Of 1890
years. during which time not tho
Church. but IA remnant" WINS left TO
carry ON the warfare with the dragong
drew u; .. u. II, III.
The question may then be asked; II
There was q universal npostasy. when
and how did II take placer
IN we turn again TO tho pages of
Holy Writ for AN answer to this queH.
uon, we Ind that Paul, at the time he
wrote his second cpiHtle to the TheHsa-
ionlans. had already been able To dis
cover the secret workings of the evil
iniaulty docth already work" AZ that
umc, however, another power. prcsum.
ably the heather Roman government.
presented an obstacle To It's progress.
"fe know" says the Apostle. what |
withholdcth that he might be revealed |
in his time .,,... only he who now |
letieth VIII let. until he be taken out |
Of the way, And then shall that wicked |
be revealed. Ill Thcss. q G. ~.
Careful students OF the vplHtle TO the |
col0salanH have pointed out tho |
false principles In which |
the apostasy at the earliest
age Of the Church took root. One ~ |
these was Judaistic Observance ~ sab /
baths and new moons and the dlstinc- l
iion OF meats ana drinks, Tho other |
was an element Of the0Hophic Hpcculn-
tlon, or Hhndowy mysticism, dosing
itself In contemplation " the unseen
world From the language employed
by the Apostle n " clear that he In
this cpistlc combatted n philosophy In
which spiritual agencies. or intcrmedi-
ate beings, were interpoacd between
ood ana man. taking the place which
In the true Christian doctrine II main
taincd for the one Mediator Jesus
Christ
bishop LiRhtfoot has shown eonolus-
lively that these apparently contrldlc-
tory tendencies originated In a false
philosophy which regarded the Su-
prene Being M incomprehensble and
unapproachahle. How could this God.
these carly philosophers asked create
Of nothing a world In which there IL so