Not really wanting to get into an argument on the Lord’s Day, but I have always found it a curious idea that Jesus came into the world and did His work and that lasted until the apostles died, and then it all went to hell in a handbasket until someone centures later —Mohammed, some Protestants, the Mormons, various sects and cults — discovered and restored the true teachings of Jesus and reversed all the errors of the church. One time years ago I had a Hare Khrishna tell me he had the true teachings of Jesus. Everyone gets it but the church.
CHRISTOS ANESTI!
Matthew 24:
1And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
No, it did not all go to hell in a handbasket, but Catholic distinctives are not what is manifest in the only wholly inspired record of what the NT church believed (including how they understood the gospels).
The faith once delivered to Israel by the instrumentality of Moses frequently had to be restored, because it is human nature to corrupt divine revelation. So there should be nothing surprising about restoration movements. It is the whole pattern of divine revelation. The faithful dwindle till almost extinct, till pnly an obscure remnant remains, then God sends a restoration. And yes, of course the enemy tries to plant false restorations. Thats why in the past, restoration has always come back to the original revelation, digging the old scrolls out of the closet in the temple and reading the words God inspired until it broke hearts and brought sinners to repentance snd renewal. Its how God does this, and always has.