--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Maeser, Reinhard collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 26 number: 2 published: 1922-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Reinhard Maeser, "By Whose Authority?", *Improvement Era* 26, no. 2 (December 1922): 144–148.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2602unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera2602unse start_page: 144 end_page: 148 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1922-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2602unse publication_year: 1922 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1922, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # By Whose Authority? By Whose Authority? By Reinhard Maeser, of the Brighatni Young University The contention still persists that there is and always has been with man an unbroken line of authority to administer in spiritual blessings since the days that Christ conferred this power upon Peter; but this seeins to be untenable in the light of history. To present some of the evidences pointing to a complete departure from the primitive Church, is the purpose of this paper, and it is hoped that the presentation shall not be trite, not a mere retelling of the evidences commonly used to show that there has been as complete falling away from the apostolic Church as the Scriptures predicted there should be. In this presentation I have drawn from the following works : Kurtz, Lehrbueh der Kirchengeschichte ; Piper, Zuegen der Wahrheit; Lecky, History of European Morals; Gibbon's, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire; Rishell, History of Christianity and others. The diversified and authentic sources from which gleanings have been made, should lend considerable security to the truthfulness as well as the varied conceptions and practices of its ordinances and interpretations of its principles. A necessity for entering upon any explanation of the organi- zation and doings of the Church in the days of Christ's personal ministry is not apparent for the purposes of this exposition. I am accepting the accounts of these things as they are made known to us in the New Testament. For the sake, however, of contrast, comparison, or adjustment, or to correct forms or sayings, references may from time to time be made to those primal days of Christianity. Augustus Ceasar was the first Emperor of Rome, and it was during this reign that Christ organized his Church and chose and commissioned some to carry on the work after his earthly mission should be completed. It does not appear presumptive for me to say that Jesus or- ganized his Church, placed therein such principles and ordi- nances of salvation, and such officers and. authority properly to function in all these things. That Christ knew the require- ments for eternal life; that he knew the necessary laws to be obeyed for one to become a citizen in his father's kingdom: that he knew the ordinances to be observed for one to gain ^salvation and exaltation, cannot be gainsaid. These laws, prin- . BY WHOSE AUTHORITY 145 ciples, ordinances, he made known to the people, and before his final leaving, he particularly commissioned twelve of his faithful disciples to carry on the work after his departure. No one claiming Christian standing is going to deny Jesus Christ the right of authority to establish his Church upon these principles and ordinances which he knew, from their eternal and saving character, were and are the only ones containing the possibility of salvation and exaltation in the kingdom of God. "He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him," Heb. 5:9. These principles and ordinances were not given by the Lord just for the day or the time, but they are fundamental, eternal, ne^er changing. (Gal. 1:8; Eph. 4; Ps. 145:13.) If now we can accept the thought that Jesus Christ did promulgate the essential and life-enduring principles of the gospel; that he did organize his Church and set therein "some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, teach- ers, and gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of ton- gues, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the min- istry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Cor. 12:18; Eph. 4:11, 12 J then, may we ask, whose business is it, or whose right, in any wise, or in the least particular, to modify, change, or entirely eliminate any of these principles, ordinances, or of- fices? (Gal. 1:8-12 ) Many scriptures might be referred to, establishing the never-ending and enduring nature of the gos- pel as Jesus gave it and taught it to his disciples. Among these attention is called to Rom. 1:16-17; Rev. 14:6; Ps. 9:12; 145:13. After Jesus had sent the other Comforter, of whom he spoke to his apostles, and they were fully empowered and au- thorized to go on with the work he had left for them to do, (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-20) he nowhere commissioned them to make any changes. (Gal. 1=8.) "But, though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Soon after the death of the Savior, the Church was once m»re set in order, the quorum of apostles was filled up, mis- sionaries were sent forth, the apostles themselves acting in this capacity. Then came the warning cry to the Church that "many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many," and "griev- ous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock." In the course of time the twelve all died, and they had left none to fill the vacancies thus caused. Here and there for pos- sibly a hundred years or so. some t estige of authority remained, but all idea of organizing the adherents into one great Church, as in the days of Christ, was no longer considered. Contentions arose early respecting some of the doctrines, and as the branches 146 IMPROVEMENT ERA were scattered pretty much their own interpretations were made and accepted. Thus there came early to be diversities of opin- ion and practices. (I Cor. 1:12,) From heathenism, too, came many mysteries, and prominent among those entering wedges was Gnosticism. This sought the mystery that hid itself in Christianity; for back of the truth, it was supposed, lay the facts with which the common faith contented itself; and the Gnostic, through his philosophy, believed it to be his business to discover this to mankind. This came in contact with the church as early as the days of the apostles, and more noticeable in the second century. It set in place of Christianity a philo- sophical religion presumed to be clearer to the understanding. By this schism the living God of the Christian was to be changed unto the unknown god of the philosophers and of the mysteries. "From the middle of the second century forward, a constant secular- ization of the church was in progress. Christianity partook of the spirit of the world. As early as the middle of this century one saw in spirit the picture of a church full of wrinkles, blemishes, and weaknesses. When the Roman state, of the times of Decius and Diocletian, proposed to wage a war of extinction against Christianity, it found itself opposed by a church from which the spirit of the first witnesses had departed — a church which had become worldly, and which had fallen from its ideal. Hence, the many apostasies, hence the fearful desolation, which especially in the last great persecutions, broke up the church." — Taken from Christianity and its In- stitutions. What else could be expected when the attack was from within and from without? Gnosticism gnawed at the vitals — was an inward attack; the persecutions of the several Roman rulers — a destructive force, came from without. The inner disruption was by far the more fatal, it took away everything and gave nothing in return. The god of the Gnostic was the "abyss" the "silence," the "non-existent," the "incomprehen- sible;" and here the Church found its most bitter enemy; an enemy inimical to her welfare. The whole of the second, and part of the third, centuries were taken up in this struggle against the insidious inroads of Gnosticism, in whose philosophy the Church was brought face to face with the mightiest power of the time. If we take into account that Gnosticism satisfied the masses with its mvstic customs and ceremonies, the whole heath- en world with the charm of its ancient mysteries, its promise to satisfy both mind and heart, and its harmony with tradi- tionary views, its promise to satisfy the better disposed by a severe morality, firmly held by most of its systems— we can prob- ably understand the real danger which threatened the Church from this source. No physical persecution could accomplish such tremendous and speedy results as could the appeal to the spiritual of this so cleverly and deftly contrived philosophy BY WHOSE AUTHORITY 147 with such generous, yet mysterious ceremonies and customs. Why, it was the very treaty of peace offered by the contending factions. After this struggle between the Church and Gnosti- cism the Church fixed certain principles, certain doctrines, which were considered to be orthodox. There was finally es- tablished a canon of the New Testament scripture, i. e., the books which came "to be recognized as authoritative witnesses of Christian truth in contra-distinction to Gnostic error." Through this conflict also was formed the future government of the church, in which "she (the church) did not come forth as the same institution which entered the struggle." It was now maintain ad that where two or three were met to- gether "there was the church." It was the church which was gathered and which acted in every assembly of believers; no human priesthood was needed. In each assembly of believers existed the right of baptism and administration of the Lord's Supper; a formal organization of the church binding upon all Christians, was unknown. Gradually the original, genuine apostolic conception of the Church passed away, and the Catholic conception now appeared, and the foundation of the Roman Catholic church was laid. Insidiously the state intruded itself more and more upon the church until it came soon to be looked upon as an ally, claiming certain rights and privileges among which we find the Emperor assuming it as his right to fill personally the highest church office in case of vacancy. The friendship of the state became far more dangsrous than its enmity. From century to century changes were made. Some being terribly fatal to the spiritual life of the church, drning it farther and farther from any semblance of its original form. Of the third century, it is said, "All the monuments of ihis century which have come down to us show that there was a great increase of ceremonies." During the fourth century rites and ceremonies were taken from the old Greek and Roman forms of reverence toward their imaginary deities, and were made a part of the Christian ritual. And so progress was rapidly being made toward a condition wherein no semblance of the Re- deemer's established Church could be found. Evident it is that the Christianity of today is at best nothing more ;han life- less bones as compared with the once vigorous, heaven-inspired primitive Church. Alexander Campbell puts it thus, "Till that great and notable day of the Lord come, we cannot from the prophetic word, anticipate a universal return to the original gospel, or a general restoration of the kingdom of God in its primitive form." As we have passed along in this general survey of the gradual 148 IMPROVEMENT ERA departure (from the Christ-established gospel, we have hot found anywhere a single isntance where such change, innova- tion, elimination, or modification, was justified by a revelation of which the Lord, through Amos, emphasizes the necessity, (Amos 3:7) when he says, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." History has told the story. Indelibly stamped upon its pages are found the evidences of the departure from the prin- ciples, ordinances, and practices of the primal Church. Isaiah speaks with much power, and confirms the contention that the laws have been transgressed, the ordinances have been changed, and the everlasting covenant has been broken. (Is. 24:5.) If these facts show that there has been a breaking away from the primitive Church, and that the history fails to state by whose authority these innovations were made, and it is further shown with some clearness that among the numerous so-called Christian churches of today, not one of them, nor all of them in combination, as Smith's Bible Dictionary, p. 163, says, contain the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the purpose of this presentation will have been accomplished. Provo, Utah. That Lad When I come home all tired out, No pep left in my knees, And throw myself upon the couch, That lad begins to tease. He takes my pencil from my coat, My watch fob from my vest: He smears my order book with jam And climbs upon my chest. He wants to ride a bucking horse So grabs my new silk tie; And when I see those eyes of his — I simply have to try. We tumble o'er the couch and floor And make an awful noise — Then mother says, with pleasing eyes: "I'm glad we're not all boys." I've seen rich men with childless wives Grow surly, old and gray — Ah, I am glad I have a lad Who coaxes me to play. Blackjoot, Idaho George E. Gibby