Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-10-28
Pastor RusselPs Sermon

clearly Indicated declaring tnat tnere
would be false apostles, "who say that
they are apostles and are not."-Reye.
latlon II, 2.
The First Pseudo Apostles.
When we speak Of pseudo-apostles-
false apOstles-we should not be un'
derstood as charging intentional fraud.
Rather sympathetically, 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 dlgnltles
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
our wonderful day-the dawnlng Of the
New Era Of Messiah's Kingdom. Let
us remember also that at that time
books were very scarce, because very
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 Testa'
ment Scriptures. And the New Testa-
ment written in a fragmentary man.
ner, was costly Also and not brought
together as n collection for long time
after the death Of the Apostles, The
Sacred writings soon became relies,
remembrances Of the dead Apostles
and Of Jesus, wOrshlpped by all, but
not studied even by those who were
able to read. Their value for instruc-
tlon was considered at an end, because
the theory in the meantime had sprung
up that the living bishops We're the rep
resentatiyes 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.
When we reflect that very few min
listers in one city, even Of one demon.
ination, are today fully agreed as re-
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 company Of believers and hold
ing the pre-eminence Of his own Views,
few thinking to measure their presen-
tatons by those of The Twelve, Divine
ly appointed.
"ApostoIio Councils Next.
The doctina strife between the bish-
ops grew Gradually the people of
God, about A. d. 25O, 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 superlors 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 1t over Gods heritage,
Later in the Sixth century, the Bish-
op of Rome began to be considered su-
perlor to all other bishops, and finally
was declared to be the chief father, or
papa, or Pope,
About the Fourth Century creed-mak-
ing began. The Nlcene Greed, the Ath-
anasim Creed aud the Apostles Creed,
all were formulated in the Fourth Cen
tury. 1t was discovered that more than
a thousand bishops-psuedo-apostles-
were teaching very contrary doctrines
on many subjects The Emperor Con-
stantnc accepted Christianity and was
perpleXed by the variety Of teaching
lie convened the apostolic Council"
Of Nice. But although he provided eX-
pense money for all bishops attending,
only about onethlrd obeyed the com
| mand
These bishops disputed and wran.
gcd over differences for days and
weeks and months. Finally they reach.
ed a conclusion satisfactory to the em-
peror. 1t was promulgated with gov
ernmenta sanction and with the dec
larutlon that any persons or teachings
to the contrary We're TO he expelled.
Thus small minority Of men who mis-.
takenly thought themselves inspired,
under the leading Of an 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
Creed-making along these lines pro.
gressed for twelve hundred years,
while the Bible was neglected. 1t was
not even thought necessary for instruc-
tion in theological seminaries. Luther,
then a deyout Catholic, had taught and
preached for years without ever see
ing Il Bible, The explanation is that
the bishops, esteemed to be 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