eption of
the original apostles, who were specially commissioned to reveal the
doctrine and message of the gospel and to establish the Christian
faith, the difference existing between elders in the primitive
church was not a difference in kind, but in degree only, varying in
accordance with their ability to put forth some portion of that moral
and spiritual power by which alone Christ governs his church.

PART II

The Church in History

CHAPTER V

CORRUPTION OF EVANGELICAL FAITH

It is not my purpose to write an ecclesiastical history, but in order
to make clear the work of final reformation, it will be necessary to
present at least a brief sketch of historic Christianity, outlining
particularly those leading features which show a radical departure
from the true church as originally constituted by our Lord and his
apostles.

[Sidenote: "The faith"]

In the days of primitive Christianity there was something called "the
gospel," "the truth," "the form of sound words," "_the faith."_ To
understand its fundamental nature is not difficult, for it has been
preserved and handed down to us in the writings of the New Testament.
According to this record, the gospel message, or "the faith," centered
in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, who died and rose again that
he might be a "Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel,
and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:31). "And that repentance and
remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations,
beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47). Around this central fact of
salvation from sin through faith in Christ clustered those other
truths and facts which either necessarily resulted from the new
relationship of redeemed humanity with God or were essential to its
visible manifestation and propagation. Prominent among these features
were the entire sanctification of believers, holy life and conduct,
the baptism, gifts, and leadership of the Holy Spirit, and the visible
unity and relationship of believers in one body, the church.

[Sidenote: An apostasy foretold]

I need not take time or space to describe the wonderful successes of
Christianity as long as the primitive purity and power of the
gospel message was sustained and its results realized in a living,
Spirit-filled church. But facts compel me to record a change from that
happy condition. This transition was foreseen by those who "spake as
they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Paul declared: "