# The Church Of God Obscured And Rendered Almost Invisible In Some Places; And What Has Been The Cause Of It From Ancient Times.

Date not assigned · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: THE CHURCH OF GOD OBSCURED AND RENDERED ALMOST INVISIBLE IN SOME PLACES; AND WHAT HAS BEEN THE CAUSE OF IT FROM ANCIENT TIMES.



As the moon, notwithstanding her substance and
body never perish, is not always seen in her full light
by the human eye, either, because she sinks beneath
the horizon, or, being too close to the sun, is obscured
by him, or, being far from the sun, is darkened
by the shadow of the earth, which is called an
eclipse; even so it is with the substance and appearance
of the church of God on earth. The latter,
though never perishing entirely, does not always
show herself in her full form, yea, at times she seems
to have vanished altogether, yet not in all, but only
in some places, either through the slothfulness of
some people, who, from want of regard, or for some
24other reason, neglect the external, manifest commandments
of God, or on account of some misconceptions
or errors that have arisen, and whereby
sometimes many of the true believers have been perverted,
and seduced from the true worship of God;
or in consequence of persecution, violence and tyranny,
exercised against the faith and the practice of
it, on account of which the pious are compelled to
hide and, as outcasts from mankind, seclude themselves
in forests, wildernesses, and solitary places; so
that its characteristics, light and virtue could not be
seen, much less, known, by the common world.

When the Church of God of the Old Testament
was in Egypt, it could not observe its divine worship,
but had to request permission “to go three
days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to
the Lord.” Ex. 8:26,27, compared with Ex.
10:26.

During the forty years that this same people was
in the wilderness, such remarkable events happened
that all their children remained uncircumcised, not
receiving circumcision until they had become old,
and arrived in the land of Canaan, at mount Aralot.
Josh. 5:2–8.

In the time of Elijah this church was so greatly
obscured on account of persecution, that he thought
that he alone was left, though God had reserved to
himself seven thousand persons who served him,
and had not bowed their knees to Baal. 1 Kings
19:14,18; Rom. 11:3,4.

When this people had been carried away into
Babylon, the house of God, at Jerusalem, where divine
worship was wont to be made, lay waste, and
the stones of the sanctuary were scattered in all the
streets; yea, among the people in Babylon, matters
were in so bad a condition, in regard to religion and
the songs of praise with which they were wont to
worship God, that they had hung their harps on
the willows that were planted there by the rivers,
Ps. 137:1–4; for which reason they were numbered
among the dead and among those that go down to
the grave. Bar. 3:10–14.

After the Babylonian captivity, in the time of the
Maccabees, many of the church of Israel, because
of the existing danger, hid themselves in caves, in
order that they might keep the Sabbath. 2 Macc.
6:11.

All these obscurations, like sad eclipses in the divine
worship, have happened in the church of God
of the Old Testament, before the birth and advent
of Christ into this world; and much more might be
said in regard to this, if it were necessary, but we
consider it sufficient to have made simple mention
of it from time to time.

The same took place also after the advent of
Christ in the church under the gospel, which was
composed of Jews and Gentiles; she, too, could not
always raise her head with safety, but was ofttimes,
like the sun behind clouds, concealed from the common
sight of men.

Even in the time when Christ dwelt bodily among
men, and had risen from the dead, his disciples, the
chief members of his church, sat concealed, with
closed doors, for fear of the Jews. John 20:19.

After the ascension of Christ, the very numerous
church which was at Jerusalem, dispersed, on account
of persecution, through the lands of Judea
and Samaria, except the apostles; so that this distinguished
church, which, it appears, was the chief
one on the face of the earth, had to sojourn secretly
in a strange land. Acts 8:1.

Afterwards, when the emperor Domitian had banished
John, the holy apostle and evangelist, for the
Gospel’s sake, to the island of Patmos, the Holy
Ghost revealed unto him the future state of the
church of Christ, namely, that she would have to
flee into the wilderness, on account of the persecution
of Antichrist, and there be fed by God, a thousand
two hundred and threescore days, which, reckoned
according to prophetic language, means as
many years. Rev. 12:6–11.

Whether we begin to reckon these years from the
death of the apostles; or with the year 300, when
the so-called patriarchs had their origin; or with the
year 600; or a little later, when Mohammed rose in
the east among the Greeks, and the pope in the
west among the Latins, and raised no small persecution
against the defenseless and innocent little flock
of the church of Christ, so that all who did not wish
to be devoured, either in soul or in body, had to
hide themselves in deserts and wildernesses; let it
be reckoned as it may, say we, a very long period
is to be understood by it, which has extended to
this, or, about, this time.

Here the rose has blossomed very gloriously
among the thorns. Song of Sol. 2:2. Here the
dove that was in the clefts of the rock and in the
secret places of the stairs, let her sweet voice be
heard.40 Verse 14. Here the Lord said: “A garden
enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up,
a fountain sealed.” Song of Sol. 4:12. Here the
Son of God has fed, sustained and preserved his
church against the sentence of worldly and carnal-minded
men, who, because they are carnal, cannot
comprehend the things of the Spirit of God.

But, lest any should misconstrue our preceding
proposition, let it be understood, that when we
speak of the obscuration, concealment, or the becoming
invisible, of the church of God, we do not
mean the church in general, or in all places, for the
church in general has never been obscured and hidden
in all places at the same time; but we mean
thereby some parts of the church in general, namely,
some particular societies, belonging to the body of
the general church which is spread over the whole
earth.

It must be stated, also, that by the term, general
church, we do not understand all the churches which
bear the Christian name; but only those who express
the Christian name by their upright faith and
pure observance of the Christian and Evangelical
commandments.

Now the question arises, whether our church of
the present day, called the Anabaptists, has truly
descended, and derived her succession, from the
25aforementioned church of God which has existed
from the beginning, and kept the commandments of
God in purity.

But, in order to do this briefly and in the best
manner, we shall leave untouched the time and condition
of the church from Adam to Christ, as being
an undisputed point; and only examine the time
and condition of the church after the advent of
Christ; for the point of difference relates solely to
those who and which, by virtue of true succession,
have a right to the same.





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