Apostasy
There has been apostasy in one form or another since the beginning of recorded time. Were not the actions of Eve and her compliant husband a form of apostasy? This was at the very beginning of our race. It continues its relentless crawl down through the centuries even up until our present day where the fruits of this godless, world-embracing process can be seen in the divisions and oppositions among all those who were the followers of Jesus. He prayed for the unity of his followers in the 17th chapter of John. The call for unity and correct doctrine are in many places, such as in 1 Corinthians 1:10.
The New Testament pattern was, and is, very clear for those of us who strive to follow Him in the manner that He proscribed throughout the New Covenant. In that pattern, each congregation was a separate entity, answerable only to the plurality of elders, and ultimately to the Great Shepherd. The reason for this is very simple, and in the ultimate wisdom of God, provides for the greatest resistance against the scourge of apostasy, which stalked all the followers of Christ. This would come through the three enemies of God’s people: 1) The world 2) The Flesh, and 3) The Devil. If a congregation were to be overcome by false doctrine and to fall into apostasy, only that congregation would be affected and not the brotherhood in entirety.
Each congregation’s Overseers, known also as Bishops, Pastors, Presbyters, Elders or Shepherds, were equal in rank, and had no preeminent individuals.
The first step in falling away from Christ’s blood bought institution was the change in God’s ORGANIZATION by having ONE MAN RULE of a congregation, rather than the plurality of ELDERS over each AUTONOMOUS congregation. The following is a relatively short list of such departures.
AD 100…Clement of Rome distinguished between Clergy (Elders/Deacons) and Laity (Members).
AD 110…Ignatius-First to place Clergy between God and the Laity. (1 Timothy 2:5- “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
AD 115…Elevation of one Elder to preside over the other elders of the same congregation. He took the title of BISHOP with the others becoming “The Presbytry.”
AD 120…The first use of “Holy Water.”
AD 150…BISHOPS form BOARD with several congregations all subject to them.
AD 160…Tertullian-First to expressly assert the “priestly” office.
AD 190…First trace of SYNODS (Greek) and COUNCILS (Latin) which became Legislative Bodies. The Bishops of different Provinces began to meet together and they elected a Bishop to preside who was called a Metropolitan. This Metropolitan was generally the Bishop of the capital city of the Province. They claimed power given by Christ to dictate authoritative laws, rules and manners, etc. They were independent of each other until 300 AD.
AD 200 .. Belief that the Lord’s Supper was clothed with a “mystical power” began.
AD 251 .. First record of Sprinkling for baptism is that of Novation (considered inferior). Prayers for the dead began to be offered (Seed of doctrine of Purgatory), Conflict between Bishops & Presbytery. Bishops triumph, crush Presbytery. Application of the term PRIESTS directly and exclusively to Ministers and especially to Bishops. Marrying of priests optional at this time.
AD 258 .. Cyprian applied all the privileges, duties and responsibilities of the Aaronic Priesthood for preachers.
AD 300 .. Introduction of Infant Baptism.
Patriarchs came into power by being declared ecclesiastical heads of large Division of the Roman Empire. Provinces in the divisions and their Metropolitans became subject to them.
AD 315 .. SYNODS began to meet at set times and became permanent institutions.
AD 325 .. NICENE COUNCIL (Nicene Creed).
(First General or Ecumenical (World Wide) Council, called by EMPEROR CONSTANTINE – 300 Clergymen took part. Christianity made National religion, thus combination of church and state. People were paid to be baptized. Nicene Creed drawn up.)
AD 385 .. Priests forbidden to be married by Bishop Siricius.
AD 390 .. SIRICIUS first to use term “Pope” as title.
Special place for confession of sins built in Rome.
AD 397 .. AMBROSE, Bishop of Milan, did not recognize jurisdiction of Rome over all the churches.
AD 400 .. BISHOP AUGUSTINE developed such doctrines as predestination, fore-ordination, election, preeminent grace, hereditary depravity and purgatory with distinction between mortal and venial sins.
AD 431 .. COUNCIL AT EPHESUS – Many irregularities, excommunicated each other. Appeals to EMPEROR AUGUSTINE denied that church was built upon Peter. JEROME contested for EQUAL rights for all Bishops.
AD 451 .. COUNCIL AT CHALCEDON – Resolves that the Bishop of Constantinople was to be given Equal honor and rights as the Bishop of Rome. LEO THE GREAT, Bishop of Rome, vehemently opposed this decision. He is considered by some Historians as the first Pope in the present tense of the word.
AD 476 .. FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
AD 500 .. First appearance of distinction between priestly and secular dress.
AD 553 .. COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE – Only Eastern Bishops attended at first. VIGILUS, Bishop of Rome, refused to attend because the West did not have fair representation, according to him.
AD 588 .. JOHN THE FASTER, Bishop of Constantinople, assumes title of “Universal Bishop.” GREGORY THE GREAT, Bishop of Rome, opposing this, wrote to John the Faster, reprimanding him in that he had no right to assume such title.
AD 590-593 .. GREGORY THE.GREAT administered the Lord’s Supper with pompous ceremonies and formulated the doctrine of Purgatory in express terms.
AD 601 .. PHOCAS, a Centurion, murdered MAURICE, Emperor of Rome, and then usurps his throne making himself Emperor.
AD 606 .. BONIFACE III prevailed upon PHOCAS to crown him the POPE (in the genuine term) making him the “Universal Bishop” in wresting this title from the Bishop of Constantinople, John the Faster.
This is the actual beginning of the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
Structure; POPE (HEAD) Cardinals/Archbishops/Bishops/Priests(CLERGY) Members(LAITY)
AD 666 .. Introduction of Instrumental Music into worship by POPE VALITIAN.
AD 680 .. COUNCIL AT CONSTANTINOPLE – Condemned Monothelite doctrine and defined the “orthodox” doctrine. The Emperor presided; it held 18 sessions. (AD 680-81)
AD 700 .. Masses for the Dead began to be offered.
AD 787 .. THE SEVENTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL was held at NICE. An image was brought before the council and adored by the council. All who opposed the adoration (worship) were condemned as heretics, that is, excommunicated.
AD 800 .. CHARLEMAGNE crowned Emperor by Pope Leo III. Another union between church and state.
AD 831 .. RADBERTUS, a French Abbott, contended that the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper became the real (literal) body and blood of Christ. From the beginning of this doctrine came the seed which grew toward transubstantiation.
AD 839 .. CLAUDIUS OF TURIN denounced image worship, prayers for the dead,
worship of saints, worship of Mary, crucifixes and mediation of priests.
AD 869 .. EIGHTH COUNCIL – Declared image worship with same honor as “Holy Gospels.’
AD 1053 . GREEK ORTHODOX breaks away from ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
AD 1073 . POPE GREGORY VII demands absolute obedience of the CHURCH & EMPEROR in spiritual and secular realms. (Modern Popes also want this)
AD 1100 . TRANSUBSTANTIATION believed, but not as canon law.
(Peter of Bruys contended that New Testament should be highest authority. He denied infant baptism, transubstantiation, the Mass and prayers for the dead.)
AD 1122 . FIRST LATERAN COUNCIL.
AD 1139 . 10TH COUNCIL – SECOND LATERAN COUNCIL – Preservation of temporal ties by clergymen.
AD 1179 . THIRD LATERAN COUNCIL – Held to condemn Schismatics.
AD 1215 . TRANSUBSTANTIATION made a doctrine by POPE INNOCENT III. The Papacy , reached its acme of power under this Pope.- It- maintained this power thru BONIFACE VIII (1294-1303).
AD 1245 . FIRST COUNCIL OF LYONS – Subjects discussed: Greek Schism – Invasion of Europe Heresies – Conditions of the Holy Land and the Enmity of England.
AD 1274 . FOURTEENTH GENERAL COUNCIL – Discussed recovery of the Holy Land, reconciliation of the Greeks and moral reform.
AD 1311 . COUNCIL OF VIENNA – Instituted a crusade and measure of reform and that sprinkling and pouring could be substituted for baptism:,.
AD 1200-1500
THE INQUISITION:
A judicial or official inquiry before a jury and its findings. Also, the systematic pursuit of heresy and the punishment of heretics. In most cases, a Bishop or the Pope was judge. At first they were against capital punishment, but by 1200, the Popes condemned men to death and condoned all the other atrocities. No witnesses were allowed for the accused. Life, property, and money was taken from any who opposed Catholicism and the Hierarchy. In 1210 massacres of Jews. During 1391 whole towns were destroyed by fire and sword. 1449, 1462, 1470 and 1473, marked the greatest bloodshed1 “Heretics” could not hold public office. The unfortunate victims had to pay twice -— to the Pope and the Inquisition. There were at least 11,000 forced baptisms in 1210, burnings at the stake, and countless other horrors forced during these periods of Roman Catholic power through the Pope and the Hierarchy.
AD 1320
THE BEGINNING OF THE REFORMATION:
JOHN WYCLIFF (1324-1384)
Called the “morning star of the Reformation.” He made the first translation of the entire Bible into English. 45 years after his death, Catholic authorities burned his books, had his body exhumed, burned and the ashes thrown in the river Swift.
JOHN HUSS (1367-1415)
Contended that CHRIST WAS THE SOLE HEAD OF THE CHURCH, denied the authority of the Pope and crusaded against the moral corruption of the Catholic Church. He was imprisoned in 1414 for heresy and burned at the stake 1415.
MARTIN LUTHER (1483-1546)
A Catholic priest and a diligent student of the Scriptures, being sickened by the sale of Indulgences and other Catholic errors, was driven to nail his famous 95 THESIS on the Church door at Wittenberg. He denied the Papacy, was declared a heretic. He had translated the Bible into German in 1518. He married a former nun in 1525. The Lutheran Church is a result of him, although he did not found any church. He merely wanted to reform the Catholic Church. He pled with his followers to call themselves CHRISTIANS, not Lutherans!
ULRICH ZWINGLI (1484-1531)
The great leader of the Reformation in Switzerland. He was a Catholic priest and was outspoken against the Papacy and other Catholic errors. He discarded instrumental music, images, monasteries and transubstantiation.
ERASMUS (1465-1536)
One of the most profound scholars of all times, he was in great demand as a speaker and his writings helped pave the way for the Reform.
MELLANCHTHON (1497-1560)
A beloved friend of Luther, he drafted the AUGSBURG CONFESSION OF FAITH, the first and most famous of Protestant Creeds.
KING HENRY VIII
Founded the CHURCH OF ENGLAND in 1535.
JOHN CALVIN (1509-1564)
Wrote famous INSTITUTES, which was an orderly arrangement of doctrines of the Reformation. He gave special emphasis to the doctrines of election, predestination and hereditary depravity. He was the founder of PRESBYTERIANISM.
JOHN KNOX (1505-1572)
Reformer of Scotland. Founder Presbyterian Church in Scotland by having Parliament make it a National Religion.
EVENTS BETWEEN 1409 and 1563: Apostasy Continues during Reformation Period)
AD 1409 .. COUNCIL AT PISA. Deposed Pope Gregory XII and Pope Boniface XIII. Measures to reform in the Head and Members of the Catholic Church were discussed.
AD 1414 .. 17TH GENERAL COUNCIL. It was a religious congress and gigantic
fair combined. This council condemned JOHN HUSS and JEROME OF
PRAGUE.
AD 1431 .. COUNCIL AT BASEL. Attempt made to reunite Greek and Roman Church. Pope Eugenius did not attend, but called a “counter” council at Ferrara and excommunicated the Clergy who were conducting the Council at Basel.
AD 1470 .. JEROME SAVONAROLA denied Papal infallibility. He was sentenced to death by Pope Alexander VI, burned and his ashes thrown in the Arno River.
AD 1512 .. FIFTH LATERAN COUNCIL.
AD 1545 .. COUNCIL OF TRENT (18 Sessions) (1545-1563)
Pope Paul IV restored the INQUISITION. Indisputable authority of Pope was used. Questions replaced by DOGMA and traditions by DOCTRINES.
RESTORATION MOVEMENT
The leaders of the RESTORATION placed their own efforts to RESTORE New Testament Christianity by a return to the New Testament pattern for organization, worship, identity, name and practice. This they did!
The Haldanes, James O’Kelley, Elias Smith. Make early efforts to return to the simplicity of New Testament worship.
Christian Association of Washington (1809)
Barton Stone; Walter Scott; Alexander Campbell.
Contributors to the Restoration:
- K. Pendleton, Ben Franklin, Jacob Creath Sr. & Jr., “Raccoon” John Smith, John T. Johnson, Wm. Hayden, T. S. Burnett, Tolbert Fanning, Dr. T. W. Brents, J. A. Harding, J. W. McGarvey, E. G. Sewell, David Lipscomb and many others.
EVENTS BETWEEN 1859 and 1894: Apostasy continues during the Restoration Movement
AD 1859 .. Defeat of Catholic Army by GUISEPPI GARIBALDI, Italian Patriot, under KING VICTORIO EMANUEL. … Thus end of Catholic physical and temporal dominion.
AD 1870 .. VATICAN COUNCIL. Infallibility of Pope (excathedra) made law by POPE PIUS IX.
AD 1878 .. Pope Leo XIII declared Catholics owe COMPLETE SUBMISSION and OBEDIENCE of will to the Church and the Roman Pontiff.
AD 1894 .. Pope Leo XIII claimed that Popes hold on this earth the place of God Almighty.
Sources: Philip Schaff- History of the Christian Church, I.S.B.E., Gibbon- Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, West-Search for the Ancient Order
ADAD 350 .. Creed of ATHANAISUS formulated; it. is still used today by the Church of England.AD 381 .. COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE – Additions to the Nicene Creed. Apollinaris condemned as a heretic. Dead Saints began to be worshiped.