The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-10-25

clearly tndlcateO. declaring tndC theTe
would be false apostles. who say that
4 they are apostles and are not."-Reve-
latlon Ii. 2.
The First Pseudo Apostles.
| When we speak Of pseudo-apostles-
| false apostles-we should not be nn-
| ierstoOd as charging intentional fraud.
Rather. alphabetically. let us sup.
pose that the early bishops. in accept
ing the title of apostles and In claim
ing for themselves succession to the
Apostolic Office, were honestly deluded.
as much as were the people who thus
| acknowledged them. Let us remem-
Der. further. that the matter grew
gradually. just as titles and dignities
grow at this day.
Let us remember that the early
Christians were not generally educat-
ed-that remarkably few people in old,
en- times were able to read. Indeed
general ability to read belongs only to
| our generation. to those living in this
1 our wonderful day-the dawning Of the
New Era of Messiah's Kingdom. Let
rs remember also that at that time
books were very scarce. because very
j expensive The Jews did. indeed, en-.
deavor to have copy Of the Holy
Scriptures in each synagogue. there to
be read once week. in portions. from
large and costly scrolls.
Christians. expelled from the syna'
gogue. had no longer the opportunity
Of the Jews for studying the Old Tesla.
ment Scriptures. And the New Tesla
| ment. written in fragmentary man
| ner, was costly also. and not brought
together as collection for long time
| after the death Of the Apostles. The
Sacred writings soon became relics,
membranes Of the dead Apostles
| and Of Jesus. wOrshipl,ed by all. but
| not studied. even by those who were
able to read. Their value for instruc.
| ton was considered at an end. because
the theory in the meantime had sprung
up that the living bishops were the rep.
resentatives Of the Apostolic Office and
| inspirations. The people. therefore.
unable to read. asked not. What say
! the Apostles? but received their the
illogical instructions from the bishops,
whom they believed to be the living
Apostles. II.
When we reflect that very few min.
i listers in one city, even of one demon
nation. are today fully agreed as re.
I spects Divine Truth. we must not be
surprised that during the two centuries
following the death of the Apostles.
these supposed successors" got into
. all kinds Of false doctrine each lead
ing a company Of believers and hold.
ing the pre-eminence Of his own views,
few thinking to measure their presen'
tations by those of The Twelve. Divine.
~ appointed.
= Apostolic Councils Next.
The doctrinal strife between the bish
ops grew. Gradually the people OF
God about A. D. $50. began to be
separated into two classes-the clergy
and the laity. The bishops. instead
Of being chosen by the vote Of the
people. publicly claimed the Divine
right. as the superiors in the Church.
to ordain for them their clerical teach
ers The clergy. under the lead of the
bishops as supposed successors to the
Apostles. lorded it over Gods heritage.
Later. in the Sixth century. the Bish-
op of Rome began to be considered SUI
perior to all other bishops, and finally
was declared to be the chief father. or
papa. or Pope.
<hr nf,pr d. a r
ing began. The Nicene Greed. the Ath-
anasian Greed and the Apostles Greed.
all were formulated in the Fourth Gen.
fury. 1t was discovered that more than
q thousand bishops-psuedo-apo
were teaching very contrary doctrines
on many subjects. The Emperor Con
stantine accepted Christianity and was
perplexed by the variety of teaching.
He convened the Apostolic Council
Of Nice But although he provided ex-
pense money for all bishops attending.
only about one-third obeyed the COM
mand.
These bishops disputed and wran.
gled over differences for days and
weeks and months. Finally they reach.
ed a conclusion satisfactory to the en-
peror 1t was promulgated with gov
ernmental sanction and with the dec
laration that any persons or teachings
to the contrary were to be expelled.
Thus small minority of men who mis-.
takenly thought themselves inspired.
under the leading of All Emperor who
had not even been baptized. set up a
theological standard which since has
served well to fetter religious thought
In many. and to make others believe
that there is nothing in religion but
superstition.
| Greed. making along these lines pro.
crossed for twelve hundred years.
while the Bible was neglected. 1t was
| not even thought necessary for instruc-
tion in theological seminaries. Luther.
then devout Catholic. had taught and
preached for years without ever see
the bishops. esteemed to he living apos-
ties in full authority. were thought to
have more up-to-date knowledge than
| the original Twelve. and in Apostolic
Councils had formulated creeds which
they declared were alone necessary to
be believed. Can we wonder that In
all those fifteen centuries the real mug.
gets Of Truth which had been deliv'
cred by Jesus and the Apostles. and the
Prophets became sadly incrusted with