BANCROFT LIBRARY -O- THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA A SERIES OF PAMPHLETS- ON THE DOCTRINES OFTHE GOSPEL * BY THE LATE ELDER ORSON PRATT. One ot t&e Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da Saints. GEORGE Q. CANNON & SONS COMPANY, PUBLISHERS, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH : 1891. -?35" 52 '1 PREFACE. / T > HE labors of the late respected and beloved Orson Pratt, some of whose writings we herewith present to the public, are too well known to require any extended comments from us. His voice has been heard in various parts of the earth bearing a faithful testimony to the truth of the gospel, and in many places where he never was seen, his precious writings have been perused with pleasure and profit by the honest in heart. Thus has his name become familiar and honored among the people of God. The first edition of his " Works," published in England, have, of late years, been very scarce, and this is one reason why we have been led to republish them. We trust that this book will find a place in every home and be studied by both old and young, so that all may see the, beauty of the truths therein explained. That the Spirit of God may enlighten the minds of those into whose hands this work may come so that they may com- prehend and heed its teachings, and that Brother Pratt, though dead, may yet live in the hearts of the people, are the sincere desires of THE PUBLISHERS. H ;) 14 A M ! ! I DIVINE AUTHORITY. OR THE QUESTION, WAS JOSEPH. SMITH SENT OF GOD? BY ORSON PRATT, ONE OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS. A FEW days since, Mrs. Pratt and myself, together with some others, were kindly invited to take tea with a very respectable gentleman of this town -(Liverpool), who, though not connected with our Church, yet was, with his family sincerely enquiring after the truth. They seemed to be fully convinced in relation to the most important features of our doctrine, and were desirous of extending their investigations still further. We hope that their researches may happily result in a full conviction of the truth, and that they may obtain that certainty, so much to be desired, as to the i/ir/'/tf '.. ority cf the great, and important meswurc now r<-\ from heaven a message which mu-t assurJly prove a suvor of 8 DIVINE AUTHORITY", OR, life or death to the generations now living. This message is beginning to awake the attention of the honest, virtuous and upright among all classes of society. They seem to be aroused from the slumber of ages. A message of simple truth, when sent from Godwhen published by divine authority, through divinely inspired men, penetrates the mind like a sharp two-edged sword, and cuts asunder the deeply-rooted prejudices, the iron-bound sinews of ancient error and tradition, made sacred by age and rendered popular by human wisdom. It severs with undeviating exact- ness between truth and falsehood between the doctrine of Christ arid the doctrines of men ; it levels with the most per- fect ease every argument that human learning may array against it. Opinions, creeds invented by uninspired men, and doctrines originated in schools of divinity, all vanish like the morning dew all sink into insignificance when compared with a message direct from heaven. Such a message shines upon the understanding like the splendors of the noon-day sun; it whispers in the ears of mortals, saying, u Thisis the way, walk ye in it." Certainty and assurance are its constant companions; it is entirely unlike all plans or systems ever invented by human authority, it has no alliance, connection or fellowship with any of them ; it speaks with divine authority, and all nations, without' an exception, are required to obey. He that receives the message and endures to the end will be saved; he that rejects it will be damned. It matters not what his former righteousness may have been none can be excused. As a specimen of the anxious inquiry which now pervades the minds of many in relation to this Church, we publish the following extract from a letter, which was kindly read to us during our afore-mentioned visit, by the gentleman who received it from his friend in London. We were struck with the apparent candor, the sound judgment, and the correct con- clusions of the author of the letter, and earnestly solicited the* privilege of publishing it. Permission was granted on condi- tion that we would withhold names. We here present it to our readers, and shall endeaVor, in the same spirit of candor, to answer the all-important inquiries contained in it. WAS JnSKl'H SMITH >: 9 .//// i:./// l 1 ^ 31 v DEAR SIR: I ha\e been expert m.ir. time after time, to bo able to return ywi the "Letters" you so kindly left with me. As I informed you in my last. 1 cursorily read \\\v> the letters, and then handed the book to Mr. . With him jt is at the present time. The impiv^ion made thereby on his mind is very remarkable, and lie requests mo to inform you. that if you will allow him, he means to keep the book, if you will please to let him know the price thereof. He and 1 concur in our views of "Mormonism at present. ho you inquire what those views are? t will then proceed to state them. \Ve consider that the proofs which "Monnonism" gives of tin- apostasy are. without question, clear and demonstrative; we entirely concur also in the personal appearance and reign n\ our Lord; we are persuaded that all the preachers and teacher^ of the day are without fiHthorihf that their teachings and interpretations are uncertain as to the truth that the transla- tions of the scripture, being done without Inspiration, are also uncertain. All is uncertain ! melancholy thought. adeplura- ble picture but a true one! the different teachers doing tin- best the} 7 can! all .jarring all contending! The result- division, multiplied division! And they have a right, if the\ think proper to divide from an authority merely humun. But th< ir multiplied division is a multiplied proof that they are wron^ -- that they are without that SPIRIT who guides into truth, and truth is ONE. My. dear sir, the Saints have made out a strong and irrefragable case to show that 'authority to teach" is nowhere, if not with them ; but the proposition that t/iry linn: author- ity to tc.nd\, inftrprcf, etc.. is one that at present does not create a conviction in Mr. or my mind. We admit that it is very reasonable to suppose that, under such circumstan God would raise up and send one I//.JYX//V/ u-it], (nitlioritt/. Whether Joseph Smith was such a one is the all-important question. I also admit, that so far as i ain acquainted with his history, there is something very remarkable about him : perhaps I should be fully convinced if I were more fully read in writings relating to him. I wish I lived near to you. and then I would read more fully on the subject; I confess my mind is much concerned to arrive at a clear conclusion upon the point. Mr. wishes you, if you will be so good, to select a few books that you think clearly prove the divine mission of Joseph Smith, and send them in a parcel *to him with the prices, lie will feel much obliged, and will send you a post-office order for the amount; he believes your selection will be a judicious one. I have heard Mr. Banks twice since I saw you, and other 10 DIVINE AUTHORITY, OR, individual teachers also. There is much in their public services I approve. I am struck with the simplicity of their celebra- tion of the ordinances. * * -One result of my conversation with you and Banks, and perusing the letters, is, that 1 can be no lonsrer connected with any sect. So far as I see,-I can with- out difficulty confound in argument plain scriptural argument any into whose company I am at any time thrown. The Methodist system I am convinced is the worst, because its pre- tensions are highest. I statid, therefore, fully alone. I declare I should -be glad to" be convinced that "Mormonisrn' 1 is what it professes to be ; 1 would join it to-day if my mind could be convinced that its Elders had- authority to baptize me for the remission of sins, and lay hands on me for the gift uf tJie Holy Ghost. These sacred ordinances I would obey gladly, if I knew men having authority to administer them. To have these ordinances administered without divine authority is mere child's play. Thus you see my position. A Methodist leader, an old friend, said to me the other day, "Are you connected with the church of Christ now? I hoar you are not with us now." 1 answered, Where is the church of Christ?" He replied it is found among the different sects. 1 then inquired, "Are you in the church of Christ? for if you are, you must be a member of all the sects. " This rather puzzled him. I then asked him "Show me the sect that resembles the church at the beginning ; does any one of them, or do they all put together resemble the church at the beginning?" He said certainly not. I enquired why not. He was shrewd enough to be silent and to see that his own mouth must condemn his sect and all the sects. Observe, in the absence of the spirit, men must do as well as they can. This 1 am trying to do, only \ confess that I am poor, and blind, and naked, bereft of the glory of the certainty of the authority and truth of ike church of Christ. The sects, however, are satisfied, though "poor, blind, and naked," to boast of increase of goods, chapels, rich friends, preachers, etc., etc. So much for my present views and standing. I suppose by this time ^ou have acted on your convictions, an,d are joined to the Saints ; in all honesty you ought, I confess. The moment the conviction that divine authority and certainty of teaching is with them, that moment will I join them. * Farewell. My respectfol regards 'to Mrs. , and ever believe me } zny dear shy yours very truly, FIRST. The author of the above 'letter has carefully examined the present state of the world, and declares himself fully convinced of the awful apostasy which now so universally prevails. He unhesitatingly admits that all authority to teach to administer ordinances to imild up the church of Christ, SMITH SMNT <>K (',"}>' 11 has entirely cea>ed from the earth that "all is uncertain." He al-o admits that ' - it is very reasonable to supple that under such circumstances. /. Whether Joseph Smith was such a one is the all-important question." Yes,, indeed, it is rn important question, and one that involves the fate of the present ;jeneration. If Joseph Smith was not sent of (Jud. this Church cannot be the Church of (lod, and the lens of thousands who have been baptized into this Church are yet in their sins, and no better off than the millions that have- ,<:one before them. The form, without the power and authority, is no better than the hundreds of human forms that have no resemblance to the ancient pattern ; indeed, it is more danger- ous, because better calculated to deceive. Other churches do not profess to have inspired apostles, prophets, prophetesses, evangelists, etc. , hence we know, if the New Testament be true, that they cannot be the church of God. But the Latter- day Saints profess to have all these officers and gifts among them, and profess to have authority to administer in every form, ordinance and blessing of the ancient church ; hence we know, that so far as the officers, doctrines, ordinances, and cere- monies are evidence, this Church can exhibit a perfect pattern. In these things, then, both ancient and modern Saints are exactly alike. By the New Testament then we cannot be con- demned. If the Latter-day Saints are not what they profess to be, one thing is certain, that no one ever will be able to confute their doctrine by the scriptures; however, imperfect the people may be, their doctrjne is infallible. Can this be said of any other people who have existed on the eastern hemisphere during the last 1700 years? No. Their doctrines have been a heterogenous mixture of truth and error, that would not stand the test one moment when measured by a pattern of inspiration ; some disparity could be seen and pointed out- some deviation either in the organization or in the ordinances of the gospel could be. shown to exist. And now after so many centuries have elapsed, and when human wisdom has been exerted to its utmost strength, and the most exalted and ini/an tie talents displayed to lay a stable foundation whereon to DIVINE AUTHORITY, OR, build, we awake and behold all an empty bubble a vain show a phantom of man's creation, with scarcely a vestige of the ancient ybrra, to say nothing of the power. In the midst of all this thick darkness, a young, illiterate, obscure and inexperi- enced man announces a message from heaven, before which darkness flees away ; human dogmas are overturned ; the tradi- tions of ages are uprooted , all forms of church government tremble like an aspen leaf at its approach, and the mighty fabric of popular sectarianism is convulsed and shaken to its very foundation. How happens all this? If Joseph Smith were an impostor, whence his superior wisdom? What power inspired his mind in laying the foundation of a church accord- ing to the ancient order? How could an impostor so far sur- pass the combined wisdom of seventeen centuries as to origin- ate a system diverse from every other system under heaven, and yet harmonize with the system of Jesus and His apostles in every particular? What! an impostor discover the gross darkness of ages, and publish a doctrine perfect in every respect, against which not one scriptural argument can be adduced! The idea is perposteroua' The purity and in fal- libility of the doctrine of this great modern prophet is a pre- sumptive evidence of no small moment in favor of bis divine mission. We do not pretend that a perfect doctrine is an infallible evidence in favor of the divine authority of the one who teaches it. We can conceive it possible, though not probable, for a man to teach a doctrine unmixed with error, and yet be without authority to administer its ordinances. Swedenborg, Irving and many others, taught, doctrines in some respects true, in other respects false: hence their authority should be rejected, even though they should perform miracles. We have no examples on the records of history, of a doctrine perfect in every respect, being taught by any person or persons, unless they were, inspired with divine authority. If Joseph Smith taught a doctrine in any respect false, he should be rejected as an impostor, though he should, like the magicians of Egypt, turn rivers of water into blood, or create frogs in abundance, or 2ven raise the dead like the witch of Endor. On the other hand, if he taught a true and perfect doctrine, he might be \v.\S JOSKI'II SMITH SENT OP GOD? ] ,'J sent of God, though he himself should perform no miracle, like John the Baptist, or the Prophet Noah, or many. other prophets of the Old Tegument. In ancient times, many irreat prophets were sent of God, and we have no record of their doini; miracles, yet their respective messages were of infinite importance, and could not be rejected without condemnation. Where is there a man, no matter how i his attainments, that can show Mr. Smith's doctrine'to alse? Did the ancient saints teach baptism to the penitent believer for the remission of sins? So did Mr. Smith. Did they teach the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Spirit? So did Mr. Smith. Did the former-day saints teach that apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, deacons, bishops, elders, etc. , all inspired of God, were necessary in the church? So did Mr. Smith. Did the ancient saints teach that dreams, visions, new revelations, ministering of angels, healings, tongues, interpretations, and all other spiritual gifts were necessary in the church? So did this modern prophet. Where, then, is the discrepancy between the ancient and modern teachings? Nowhere. The teaching of the one is as perfect as the other; and we again assert that this perfect coincidence in teaching, in every point, is a strong presumptive evidence that Mr. Smith was sent of God. SECOND In what manner does Joseph Smith declare that a dispensation of the gospel was committed unto him? He testifies that an angel of God, whose name "was Moroni, appeared unto him ; that this angel was formerly an ancient prophet among a remnant of the tribe of Joseph on the con- tinent of America. He testifies that Moroni revealed unto him where he deposited the sacred records of his nation some four- teen hundred years ago; that these records contained the ' 'everlasting gospel' ' as it was anciently taught and recorded by this branch of Israel. He gave Mr. Smith power to reveal the contents of those records to the nations of the earth. Now how does this testimony of Joseph Smith agree with the book of John's prophecy given on the Isle of Patiiios? John testi- fies that when the dispensation of the gospel is again committed to the nations,- it shall be through the medium of an angd from heaven. Joseph Smith testifies that a dispensation of the 14 DJVINE AUTHORITY, OR, gospel for all nations has been committed to him by an angel* The one uttered the prediction; the other , testifies its fulfill- ment. Though Mr. Smith had taught a perfect doctrine, yet if he had testified that his doctine was not restored by an angel, all would at once have known him jto be an impostor. How came Mr. Smith, if an impostor, to not only discover a perfect doctrine, liut also to discover the precise medium through which that doctrine should be restored to the earth? .Did Swedenborg, Irving, Wesley, or any other person, not only teach a pure system, but at the same time did they declare that it was committed to them by an angel from heaven ? If not, however pure and holy their teaching, they were not divinely authorized to administer in ordinances. If Mr. Smith had profe.ssed to have accidentally discovered those records, and that he was inspired to reveal their contents through the Urim and Thurnmim ; or if he had professed to have received a message of the gospel through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, or the Urim and Thummim, or in any other way but that of the ministering of an angel, we should, without further inquiry, have known him to be without authority. , How came Mr. Smith, if a deceiver, to think of all this? ])id Martin, Luther, Wesley, Whitfield, Swedenborg, or Irving think of this? Whence his superior intellect his depth of under^ standing his extensive foresight that- he should so far sur- pass all former impostors for 1700 years? John testifies that when the everlasting gospel is restored to the earth it shall be by an angel. Mr, Smith testifies that it 'was restored by an angel)-, and in no other way. This is another presmptwe evidence that he was sent of God. THIRD. A revelation and restoration to the earth of the everlasting gospel through the angel Moroni would be of no benefit to the nations, unless some one should be ordained with authoriry to preach it and administer its ordinances. Moroni might reveal a book containing a beautiful and glorious system of salvation, but no one could obey even its first principles without a legally authorized administrator, ordained to preach, baptize, lay on hands for the. gift of the Hoty Ghost, etc. Did Moroni ordain Mr. Smith to the apostleship, and command him to administer ordinances? No, he did not. But why not \\.VS .loH.ril SMITH SKNT <>F <:ul>? cuiiliT authority by ordination, as well as reveal the 6^ el? Invause in all probability ho had not the ridit so to do. All angels have not the Same authority they do not all hold the same keys. Moroni was a prophet, but we have no aivount of his holding the office of an apostle; and if not, ho had no right to ordain Mr. Smith to. an office which he himself never possessed. He no doubt went as far as he was author- i.-od, and that was to reveal the * 'stick of Ephraim" the record of his fathers containing the "everlasting gospel." How then did Mr. Smith obtain the office of an apostle, if Moroni had no authority to ordain him to such office? Mr. Smith testifies that Peter, James and John came to him in the capa- city of ministering angels, and by the laying on of hands ordained him an apostle, and commanded him to preach, bap- tize, lay on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and admin- ister all other ordinances of the gospel as they themselves did in ancient days. Did Swedenborg did Irving's apostles or did any other impostors during the long age of darkness pro- fess that the apostleship was conferred upon them by those who held it last by any angel who held the office himself? No: and therefore they are not apostles, but deceivers. Jf Mr. Smith had pretended that he received the apostleship by the revelation of the Holy Ghost, without an ordination under the hands of an apostle, we should at once know that his pre- tensions were vain, and that he was a deceiver. If an impostor, how came Mr. Smith to discover this? Why did he not, like the Irvingites, assume the apostleship without aft apostle to ordain him? How came he to possess so much more wisdom than Irving, as to discover that he could not be an apostle without bei'ig ordained under the hands of an apostle? If Mr. Smith be a false apostle, it must be confessed that he has exhibited far more judgment than all the false apostles who have preceded him, learned and talented as they were. Is not this another presumptive evidence of Joseph Smith's divine mission? Such a correctness upon matters of so great a moment, and upon subjects on which millions- have heretofore erred, indicates something more than Jiumtui it indicates inspiration of the Almighty. The purity of Mr. Smith's doc- rine the perfect coincidence of his testimony with that of 16 DIVINE AUTHORITY, OR, John's, in relation to the manner of the restoration of the everlasting Gospel to the earth, and the consistency of his testirnopy in relation to the^manncr of the restoration of the apostleship, are strong presumptive evidences that beautifully harmonize with and strengthen each other; the evidence is therefore accumulative, and increases with every additional condition or circumstance in a multiplied ratio, and seems almost, irresistibly to force conviction upon the mind. FOURTH. Joseph Smith not only professes, through the medium of angels, to have received a dispensation of the gos- pel, and the power and authority of the apostleship, but he also professes to have received through, revelation and com- m^ndmc/it from God, a dispensation for the gathering of the Saints from all nations. Now the doctrine of the gathering of the Saints in the last days must either be false or true; if false, then Joseph Smith must be an impostor. It matters not how cor- rect he may have been in all other points of his system, v if this, one point- the doctrine of the gathering be false, he must be a deceiver. Why? Because he professes to have received .this doctrine by direct revelation and commandment. .On the other hand, if the doctrine of the gathering of the Saints be a true doctrine and scriptural, this will be another presumptive evi- dence that Mr. Smith was sent of God. Now a doctrine may be true and not be scriptural; as for example, Newton's doctrine or law of universal gravitation is a .true doctrine, but not a scriptural one ; that is, it can neither be proved nor disproved by the scriptures. So, Noah's doc- trine of gathering into an ark Lot's doctrine of fleeing out of Sodom Christ's doctrine to depart out of Jerusalem and flee to the mountains to escape destruction, were all true; but neither of. them could be proved or disproved by any scripture given to any of the former prophets. So likewise Mr. Smith's doctrine of the gathering of the Saints in the last days might be true, even though there should be no former scripture that predicted such an event; but in this case such a doctrine. would be no evidence that Mr. Smith, who advocated it, was sent of God; but if such a doctrine can be proved to be a scriptural doctrine, that is> if the gathering of the Saints was predicted in ancient scriptures as an eyent to take place in a certain age, WAS JOSEPH SMITH SKNT OF Q0DT IV in a certain way, anl through certain moans, and Mr. Smith comes in thm< out offier^ mi/ 1>>{>!< . that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her pJagnes. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God 18 DIVINE AUTHORITY, OR, hath remebered her iniquities/' Remember, that this voice, commanding the people to come out of Babylon, was to be a "voice from heaven." It was not to be cunningly devised plan of uninspired man, brought about by human ingenuity, but it was to be a voice from heaven a message sent from God a new revelation, commanding the Saints to come out of Babylon previous to its downfall. How came Mr. Smith, if an impostor, to get, not only all the other particulars which tve have mentioned, perfectly exact, but also to discover that there must be a gathering of the Saints out of Babylon, and that that work must immediately follow the introduction of the gospel by an angel? Why did .he not say, my doctrine is true, and if you will embrace it you can be saved, and still remain where you are? It:matters not how correct this doctrine might have been in all other points, if he had told his disciples to remain among the corrupt nations, and not gather together this alone would have exposed the cloven foot, and proved him to be a deceiver. Swedenborg, Wesley,- Irving and a numerous host of others, during the last seventeen hundred years, have entirely neglegted the gathering, which proves that they were without authority that a dispensation of the gospel was never committed to them that the voice from heaven to come out of Babylon had never saluted their ears. Previous to the restoration of the gospel by an angel, God had no people in Babylon, and therefore he could not call them out. An unauthorized uninspired priesthood, preaching a perverted gospel, never could raise up a people of God in Babylon ; for t hey themselves are Babylon, and all their converts or children are begotten after their own likeness with Babylonish inscrip- tions upon their foreheads. It is only when the gospel, apostle- ship, and power are again restored in the way and manner pre- dicted, that a people of God can be raised up among the nations. It is then, and not till then, that the voice is heard from heaven, calling that people out from among the nations. Mr. Smith did not forget this. It is marvellously strange, indeed, that he should be an impostor, and yet embrace in his system every particular that was to characterize the great dis- pensation of the latter times. It matters not how diverse the points of his doctrine were to the popular current among the WAS .roSKIMI SMITH SIM OF QOD? P.) .( modern systems of relii-ion. He SIM-MI-; to h;i\e intro duced his S) r 8tem Without paying tin 1 least iv-ard as to what Would be popular or unpopular -as to whether it would suit the leanuMl or the unlearned- -as to whether it would .suit the temporal circumstances of man or not. He did not stop to make the inquiry whether the iratheriuL'- of the Saints would he eonuenial to the feelings of those who oempied splendid mansions, upon line farms, surrounded with every luxury of life. He did not stop to consider any of those thin.irs, hut spoke as one having authority; saying, "thus saith the Lord," upon every point of doctrine which he promulgated. Now, for a young man, inexperienced and illiterate, to profess to L'ive the word of the Lord upon subjects of so great a moment to reveal doctrines which were directly opposed, not only to his own traditions, but to the teachings and doctrines of the most, popular, numerous, and powerful sects of the day, and at the same time have those doctrines exactly accord, not only with the ancient gospel, but with every minute prediction relative to the dispensation of the last days, is an evidence that carries TRUTH upon the face of it, and leaves a deep and lasting impression upon every reflecting mind, and we can hardly refrain from nting in our hearts, that surely lie must have been sent of Go7i. It contains numerous and pointed predictions, show- ing expressly that the age in which their records should, by the power of God, be revealed to the nations, should also be the day in which Israel should be gathered; and that their records in conjunction with the records of the Jews, should be the power- ful instruments in the hands of the servants of God in "brinir- ing about that great work. Now, how docs this accord with the word of the Lord to Kzekicl upon the same subject? K?ekiel was commanded to write upon two sticks, one for 20 DIVINE AUTHORITY, OR, Judah arid the ot'her for* Joseph; after which he was com- manded to join them together into one. And when. the children of Israel should make inquiry what these two united writings of Judah and Joseph- meant, he was to say unto them, that the Lord God would join the writings of Joseph with those of Judah; immediately after which He would take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they were gone, and would- gather them on eyery side, and bring them into their own land : and that He would make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel ; and that one king should be king to them all; and that they should no more be ftwo nations or kingdoms, Ezekiel testifies that the writings of 'Joseph should be joined with the writings of Judah. Mr. Smith presents this generation .with a book, consisting of several hundred pages, professing to be the sacred writings of the inspired prophets of the tribe of Joseph, who anciently inhabited the great western hemisphere. Ezekiel testifies that Israel should be gathered, never again to be scattered, imme- : diately after the union of these two records. The professed record of Joseph, brought to light by Mr. Smith, .testifies in the most positive language, that this is the age in which Israel shall be gathered through the instrumentality of the word and power of God, contained in the two records. Kzekiel uttered the prediction. Mr. Smith presents a professed fulfillment. This is another presumptive evidence in favor of the divine authority of his mission; for if the gathering of Israel had not been included in the mission of Mr* Smith, as an important; part ef the great work of the last dispensation, all 'would have had good reason for rejecting him without further inquiry. The ministering of an angel the restoration of the gospel the conferring of the apostelship the setting up of the kingdom of God the gathering of the Saints the revela- tion of the record of Joseph,, and its ft union with the Jewish record and the restoration of all the house of Israel _ to their own lands, are^the wonderful events to be fulfilled in the great "dispensation of the fullness of times." Whatever person, or persons arc. divinely commissioned to usher in that dispensation-, must have tThe keys of authority to perform every Work per- taining thereunto. If Joseph Smith had included all these WAS JOSKPH SMITH SENT OF GOD? 21 remarkable events in his mission, r..rrr]>tfn!>'.' fics that (he plates from which that, book was translated P taken out "/ f/n' (/rnuiH?, from where they were originally deposited by the prophet Moroni; that the ho\- c..mainiiiL' them was composed of stone, so constructed :i> t () exclude, in a great decree, tlie moisture of the soil; that with the pla he discovered a TJrirn and Thummim, tlTrou.Lrh the aid ot which lie afterward- was enabled to translate the book into the Kn.irlish lanuuaire. Soon alter obtaining the plates, a number of the characters Were correctly transcribed, and sent to some of the most learned individuals in the I. nitcd States, to sec if they could translate them. Among the rest, they were pre- sented to Professor Anthon, of New York city. But no man was found able to read them by his own learning or wisdom. Mr. Smith, though an unlearned man, testifies that he was commanded to translate them, through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, by the aid of the Urim and Thuramim, and that the Book of Mormon is that translation. Now, Isaiah says to Israel, "Thou shaltbe brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust." Who cannot perceive the perfect harmony between Isaiah's prediction and Mr. Smith's testimony? Isaiah, as if to impress It upon the minds of those who should live in future generations, gives no less then four repetitions of the same prediction in the same passage, informing us, in the most definite language, that after Israel should be brought down, they should speak in a very familiar manner "out of the ground," and "whisper low out of the dust." Mr. Smith has been an instrument in the hands of God of fulfilling this pre- diction to the very letter. He has taken "out of the ground" the ancient history of one half of our globe the sacred records of a great nation of Israel the writings of a remnant of the tribe of Joseph, who once flourished as a great and powerful nation on the western hemisphere. The mouldering ruins of their ancient forts, and towers, and cities, proclaim their former greatness, in mournful contrast with their present sad condition. They have been brought down like all the rest of Israel ; but the words of their ancient prophets "speak out 24 DIVINE AUTHORITY, OR, of the ground, and "whisper out of the dust" to the ears of the present generation, revealing in a very "familiar" manner the history of ancient America, which before was entirely unknown to the nations. Isaiah says, that Israel should "speak out of the ground." Mr. Smith says that he obtained the writings of Joseph from "out of the ground." Now, if Mr. Smith had professed that he had got his book as Swedenborg obtained his, or as the Shakers obtained theirs ; that is, if he had professed to have obtained this book to usher in this last dispensation in any other way but "out of the ground," we should have had reasen to suppose him a deceiver, like Swedenborg and thousands of others. Again, Isaiah says that "the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed : And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee : and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men : Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder : for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the under- standing of their prudent men shall be hid." All this was fulfilled before Mr. Smith was aware that it had been eo clearly predicted by Isaiah. He sent the "WORDS of a book" which he found, as before stated, to Professor Anthon. But it was a sealed writing to the learned professor the aboriginal language of ancient America could not be deciphered by him. He was as much puzzled as the wise men of Babylon were to interpret the unknown writing upon the wall. Human wisdom and learning, in this case, were altogether insufficient. It required another Daniel, who was found in the person of Mr. Smith. What a marvellous work ! What a wonder ! How the wisdom of the wise and learned was made to perish by the gift of interpretation given to the unlearned ! If the Book of Mor- mon is what it professes to be a sacred record then it must be the very book mentioned in Isaiah's prediction; for the WAS JOSEPH SMITH SENT OP UODY I 1 .*) Prophet Nephi, one of the writers of the Book of Mormon, who lived upwards of 2,400 years ago, informs us that their writings should be brought to light in the last days, in fulfill- ment of Isaiah's prediction ; he also delivers a prophecy in relation to the same book, and predicts many events in oon- nenction therewith, which are not mentioned by Isaiah. We here give an extract from his prediction, as also his quotations from Isaiah : "Behold, in the last days, or in the days of the Gentiles; yea, behold all the nations of the Gentiles, and also the Jews, both those who shall come upon this land, and those who shall be upon other lands ; yea, even upon all the lands of the earth ; behold, they will be drunken with iniquity, and all man- ner of abominations ; and when that day shall come, they shall be visited of the Lord of Hosts, with thunder, and with earthquake, and with a great noise, and with storm, and with tempest, and with the flame of devouring fire ; and all the nations that fight against ^Zion, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision; yea, it shall be unto them, even as unto a hungry man which dreameth, and behold he eateth, but he awaketn and his soul is empty; or like unto a thirsty man which dreameth, and behold hedrinketh, but he awaketh, and behold he is faint, and his soul hath appetite : vea, even so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against mount Zion: for behold, all ye that do iniquity, stay your- selves and wonder, for ye shall cry out, and cry; yea, ye shall be drunken, but not with wine; ye shall stagger, but not with strong drink: for behold, the Lord hath poured out upon you, the spirit of deep sleep. For behold, ye have closed your eyes, and ye have rejected the prophets; and your rulers, and the seers hath He covered because of your iniquity. "And it shall come to pass, that the Lord God shall bring forth unto you the words of a book, and they shall be the words of them which have slumbered And behold the book shall be sealed : and in the book shall be a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof. Wherefore, because of the things which are sealed up, the things which are sealed shall not be delivered in the day of the wickedness and abomination of the people. Wherefore the book shall be kept from them. But the book shall be delivered unto a man, and he shall deliver the words of the book, which are the words of those who have slum- bered in the dust; and he shall deliver these words uutu another; but the words which are sealed he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver the book. For the book shall 1 by the power of God, and the revelation which was sealed 20 DIVINE AUTHORITY, OR, shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth; for, behold, they 'reveal, all thiugs from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof. And the day cometh that the words of the book which werc-sealcd* shall be read upon the house- tops; and. they shall be read by the power of Christ: and all things shall be revealed unto the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be, even unto the end of the earth. Wherefore at that day when the book shall be delivered unto the man of whom I have spoken, the book shall be hid from- the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it save it be that three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered ; and they shall testify to the truth' of the book, and the. things therein. And there is none other which shall view it, save it be a few, according to the will of God, to bear testimony of his word unto the children of men ; for the Lord God hath said, that the words, of the faithful should speak as if it were from the dead. Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth the words of the book ; and in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth him good, will he establish his word ; and wo be unto him that rejecteth the word of God "But behold, it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall say unto him to whom He shall deliver the book, take these words which are not Sealed and deliver them to another, that he may show them unto the learned, saying, read this, I pray thee. And the learned shall say, bring hither the book, and 1 will read them : and now, because of the glor} T of the world, and to get gain will they say this, and not for the glory of God. And the man shall say, I cannot bring the book, for it is sealed. Then shall the learned say, I cannot read it. Wherefore it shall come to pass, that the Lord God will deliver again the book and the words thereof to him that is not learned ; and the man that is not learned shall say, I am not learned. Then shall the Lord God say unto him, the learned shall not read them, for they have rejected them, and I am able to do mine own work; wherefore, thou shalt read the words which I shall give unto thee. Touch not the things which are sealed, for I will bring them forth in rny own due time ; for I will show unto the children of men that I am able to do mine own work. Wherefore, when thou hast read the words which I have commanded thee, and obtained the wit- nesses which I have promised unto thee, then shalt thou seal up the book again, and hide it up unto me, that 1 may pre- serve the words which thou hast not read, until I shall see fit in mine own wisdom, to reveal all things unto the children of men. -For behold, I am God ; and I am a God of miracles : and I will show unto the jyorld that I am the same yesterday, WAS JOSEPFT SMITH SENT OF OOD? 27 to-day, and for ever ; and 1 work not amou^ the niildren of men, save it be according to their faith. "Ana again it shall oome to pass, that the Lord shall say unto him that shall read the words that shall be delivered him, forasmuch as this people draw near unto me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men, therefore, I will proceed to do a mar- vellous work among this people, yea, a marvellous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of the wise and learned shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid. * * And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall be set out of obscurity and out of darkness ; and the meek also shall increase, and their joy shall be in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. For assur- edly as the Lord liveth they shall see that the terrible one is brought to nought, and the seorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off; and they that make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought. There- fore thus saith the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale. But when he seeth his children, the work of my hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel. They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine." Here it will at once be perceived that the Book of Mormon is actually the book predicted by Isaiah, or else it must be an impos- ture. The book mentioned by Isaiah was to have every charac- teristic which seems to accompany the Book of Mormon. Did Isaiah predict that the "deaf should hear the words of the book, i and the eyes of the blind see out of obscurity, and out of dark- ness?" It has been fulfilled by the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Did Isaiah say that in the day his predicted book should speak out of the ground, then those who "erred in spirit should come to understanding, and they that mur- mured should learn doctrine?'' It has been fulfilled to the very letter through the instrumentality of the Book of Mor- mon. Tens of thousands of honest men, who erred in spirit because of the doctrines and precepts of men, have come to understanding. Many points of doctrine which had been in 28 DIVINE AUTHORITY, OR, controversy for ages are made perfectly plain In the Book of Mormon; hence those who have murmured because of the darkness and obscurity thrown over the scriptures by huma~n wis'dom and learning, have "learned doctrine. " DIB Isaiah prophesy that when the predicted book should make its appearance, that then "the house of Jacob should no longer be made ashamed, neither should the face of Jacob any more wax pale?" The Book of Mormon has come, declaring that the time is at hand for the gathering of the house of Jacob, no more to be scattered. Did Isaiah perdict that in the day of the revelation of a certain book, "the terrible one should be brought to nought, the scorner be consumed, and all that watch for iniquity be cut off;" and finally, that "all the nations who should fight against Mount Zion, should pass away as the dream of a ngiht vision, and be destroyed by earthquake and the flame of devouring fire?" The Book of Mormon comes testifying that the hour of these judgments is at hand. And finally, there is. no circumstance mentioned by Isaiah, con- nected with the revelation and translation of the book he men- tions, but what is connected with the Book of Mormon. If Joseph Smith was an impostor, and wished to palm himself off upon the world as the great prophet who was to usher in the preparatory dispensation for the coming of the Lord, how came he to discover all these minute particulars contained in Isaiah's prophecy, so as to so exactly and perfectly incorporate in his great scheme of imposture each and every one of them? If this illiterate youth was a deceiver, he has far outstretched all the learned divines or impostors of the last eighteen hundred years he has made his great and extended scheme to harmonize in every particular, not only with the ancient gospel but with the ancient prophecies, and this, too, so per- fectly, that no one can detect the delusion. Reader, does not such a scheme savor very strongly of the truth? Does it not require a greater effort of mind to disbelieve such a scheme than it does to believe it? If such a scheme cannot be credited, where is there a scheme or system in the whole world that can be credited? Can you find a scheme more perfect than the one introduced by Mr. Smith ? Can you find one equal to it in perfection? Can you find one that contains one- WAS .JOSEPH SMITH SENT OF GOD? 2'J twentieth part of the truth whic'.i his system contains? If, thi'ii, you doubt the authority of Mr. Smith, how much more ought you to doubt the authority of every other man now on UK- earth'.' If Mr. Smith's perfect scKerne should be rejected, surely all other schemes or doctrines which can be shown to be ten times more imperfect, should also be rejected. If any are to be received, surely that one should be received which seems to contain all the elements of a true doctrine, and in which there cannot be detected the least evidence of imposture. To invent a scheme apparently every way suited to the last dispen- sation or preparatory work for the second advent of our Lord to have that scheme agree in every minute particular with the endless circumstances and numberless events predicted by the ancient prophets, bespeaks a wisdom far superior to that of man : it bespeaks the wisdom of God. This endless train of circumstances all harmonizing all combining all con- centrating as it were into 'one focus carries wkh it such irre- sistible evidence of truth that it is almost impossible for the careful investigator to reject the divinity of Joseph Smith's mission. Like investigating the wor-.s of nature, the more he examines the more he perceives the wisdom of the Deity e stamped upon every sentence. SEVENTH. According to the Book of Mormon, all of the great western continent, with all the valleys, hills and moun- tains, riches and resources pertaining thereunto, was given to the remnant of Joseph, as their ''land of promise/' The Almighty sealed this covenant and promise by an oath, sayin^, that the land should be given unto them for ever. The west- ern world, including both North and South America, is the u land 'of promise," to the remnant of Joseph, in the same sense that the land of Palestine is a promised land unto the twelve tribes of Israel. Now this testimony of the Book of Mormon agrees most perfectly with the prophetic blessing placed upon the head of Joseph by the patriarch Jacob ; who, just previous to his death, called together his sons and pre- dicted upon each what should befall them or their tribes ''in the last days." The blessing upon the tribe of Joseph is as follows: (Gen. xltx chap.) k 'Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a weR. whose branches run over the 30 DIVINE AUTHORITY, OR, wall : the archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him : but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone oi Israel :) even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee ; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under* blessings of the breast and of the womb: the blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors, unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be oji the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren." In the preceeding chapter, when blessing the two sons of Joseph, he says, "let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." And again, "his seed shall become a multitude of nations." From this pre- dictions it will be perceived that Jacob prevailed with God, and obtained a greater blessing in behalf of the tribe -of Joseph than what Abraham and Isaac, his progenitors, had obtained. While the blessing of Jacob's progenitors was limited to the land of Palestine, Joseph had confirmed upon him a blessing, or country, above, or far greater than Palestine a country at a distance, represented by "the utmost bounds, of* the everlasting hills Some of the "branches" of the "fruitful bough" of Joseph were to spread far abroad from the parent tree they were to "run over the wall" of the mighty ocean they were to "become a multitude of nations in the. midst of the earth." There, among the "everlasting hills," they were to be "made strong by of the hands of the mighty God of Jacob." It was to be there among the "multitude of nations" of the posterity of Joseph, that the "Shepherd the stone of Israel" was to establish a kingdom, which should break in pieces all other kingdoms, and "fill the whole earth." In America there is "a multitude of nations," called by us "Indians." Th,e,se Indians evidently sprang from the same source as is indicated by their color, features, customs, dialects, traditions, etc. ; that they are of Israelitish origin is also evident from their religious ceremonies, thtir language, their traditions, and the discovery of Hebrew inscriptions, etc. If America is not the land given to a branch of Joseph, where. WAS JOSEPH SMITH SENT OP GOD? 31 or in what part of the jrlohe shall that tril the fulfill- ment of Jacob's prediction? where, if not in America, h land been peopled by a multitude of the nations of Joseph? Can a multitude of the nations of Joseph be found in Europe, Asia, or Africa, or in any of the adjoining islands? If not, then America seems to be the only place where that great pre- diction could receive its accomplishment. The Book of Mor- mon testifies that America is "the land of Joseph," given to them by promise. Is not this an additional evidence that Mr. Smith iod ^ *'nt of God? If Mr. Smith was an impostor, how came he to discover that the tribe of Joseph was to be favored so much above all the other tribes of Israel? Perhaps it may be replied, that it was easy to discover that from the scriptures; but, we ask, why did not Swedenborg, Wesley, Irving, or some of the other impostors of former times, make this scriptural discovery, and incorporate it in their pretended dispensations? It would be, at first, thought far more natural to suppose the American Indians to be the ten lost tribes of Israel; indeed, this is the opinion of many of the learned at the present day. Why did not this modern prophet, if .a deceiver, form his deceptive scheme more in accordance with the opinions of the learned? or why should he choose a remnant of the tribe ot Joseph to people ancient America? Out of the twelve tribes of Israel, why did he select only a branch of one tribe to people this vast continent? .All can now perceive why the Book of Mormon should profess to be the history of a rem- nant of one tribe, instead of being the history of the ten tribes. .All can see, why America should be represented as a promised land to Joseph, instead of being given to Reuben, Simeon, or any of the other tribes. All can now see, though it was not seen at first, that if the Book of Mormon was differ- ent from what it now is; that is, if it professed to contain a history of the ten lost tribes; or if it had given the greatwestern continent to any other people, or to any other tribe than that of Joseph, that it would have proved itself false it would not have been' the book or record which the prophets predicted should come forth to usher in the great work of the last days. An impostor would be obliged to 'take into consideration all these minute circumstances, many of which are in direct DIVINE AUTHORITY, OR, opposition to the established traditions of the day , yet none of them could be neglected without proving fatal to his scheme. But Mr. Smith with all the accuracy of a profound mathema- tician, has combined all the minute elements of both doctrine and prophecy in his grand and wonderful scheme nothing is wanting. Whatever department of his system is examined it will be found invulnerable. .What an invaluable amount of evidence to establish the di'-iiu -..mission of the .Prophet Joseph Smith! , EIGHTH. In the Book of Mormon are given the names and locations of numerous cities of great magnitude, which once flourished among the ancient nations of America. The north- ern portions of South America, and also Central America, were the most densely populated. Splendid edifices, palaces, towers, forts and cities, were reared in all directions. A care- ful reader of that interesting book, can trace the relative bear ings, and distances of many of these cities from each other , and if acquainted with the present geographical features of the country, he can, by the discriptions given in that book, deter- mine, very nearly, the precise spot of ground they once occupied. Now since that invaluable book made its appear- ance in print, it is a remarkable fact, that the mouldering ruins of many splendid edifices and towers, and magnificent cities of great extent, have been discovered by Catherwood and Stephens in the interior wilds of Central America, in the very region where the ancient cities described in the Book of Mormon were said to exist. Here, then, is a certain and indisputable evidence that this illiterate youth the translator of the Book of Mormon, was inspired of God. Mr. Smith's translation describes the region of country where great and populous cities anciently existed, together- with their relative bearings and approximate distances from each other. Years after,. Messrs. Catherwood and Stephens discovered the ruins of forty four of these very cities and in the very place described. What, but the power of God, could have revealed beforehand this unknown fact, demonstrated years after by actual dis- covery ? NINTH. The fulfillment of a vast number of prophecies delivered by Mr. Smith is another infallible evidence of his \V,V I'll SENT <>K (30D. divine mission. Out cf the many hundreds of ful- filled predictions uttered by him, we select the following as examples: 1. Soon after Mr. Sm" Saints." And again, in August, 1831, the word of the Lord came to Mr. Smith, saying that "the Saints should be scourged from city to city, and from synagogue to synagogue," and that but FEW of those then in the Church should "stand to receive an inheritance^' (See Book of .Doctrine and Cove- 34 DIVINE AUTHORITY, OR, riauts, page 235.) The blood of many hundreds of Saints who have been slain and martyred in this Church, is an incon- trovertible evidence of the truth of the prediction. Surely Mr. Smith must have been a prophet of God to have foreseen not only jbhe rise of the Church of the Saints, bat that their blood should cry aloud from the ground for vengeance upon the nation who should perpetrate these bloody deeds. No human foresight could have seen the bloody sceneries that were to take place after the rise of the Church. All natural . appearances in the United States were against the fulfillment of this dreadful prediction. Every religious society through- out the whole country was strongly guarded against persecu- tion and religious intolerance by the strong arm of the civi] law. The glorious constitution of this great and free people proclaimed religious freedom to every son and daughter of Columbia's soil: yet, in the midst of this boasted land of freedom and religious rights, where universal peace seemed to have selected her quiet d welling- place, the voice of the great prophet is heard predicting the rise of the Latter-day Church, and the bloody persecutions that should follow her "from city to city, and from synagogue to synagogue." Never were there any prophecies more literally and palpably fulfilled since the creation of the earth. If the foretelling of future events that could not possibly have been foreseen by human wisdom events, too, that to all outward appearances were very unlkely to come to pass : if the predicting of such events and their subsequent fulfillment constitutes a true prophet, then Joseph Smith must have been a true prophet, and, if a true prophet, he must have been sent of God. TENTH. There are many thousands of living witnesses who testify that God has repealed unto them the truth of the Book of Mormon, by dreams, by visions, by the revelations of the Holy Ghost, by the ministering of angels, and by His own voice. Now, if Mr. Smith is an impostor, all these witnesses must be impostors also. Perhaps it may be said, that these witnesses are not impostors, but are deceived themselves. But, we ask. can any man testify that he KNOWS a false doctrine to be true, and still not be an impostor ? Men frequently are deceived tfhen they testify their opinions but never deceived when they WAS JOSEPH SMITH SENT OF C!OI>/ 35 v they have nknoirlnlfc. Such must cither be impostors, or else their doctrine must be true. Now, would it not be mar- velously strange indeed, if even three or four men, who wnv entirely disconnected, being strangers to each other, should all undertake to deceive mankind by testifying that an angoi of God had descended before them, or that a heavenly vision had been shown to them, or that God had in some other marvellous way manifested to them the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon? If the testimony of three or four impostors would appear marvelous, how infinately more marvelous would appear the testimony of tens of thousands of impostors indifferent countries, widely separated from each other, and who never saw each others faces, and yet all endeavoring to palm upon the world the same great imposition ! If many thousands of witnesses do testify boldly* with words of soberness, that God has revealed to them that this is His church or kingdom that was to be set up in the last days, then we have an overwhelm- ing flood of collateral evidences to establish the divine- mission of Joseph Smith. ELEVENTH. The miracles wrought by Joseph Smith nre evidences of no small moment to establish his divine author- ity. In the name of the Lord he cast out devils, healed the sick, spoke with new tongues, Interpreted ancient languages^ and predicted future events. Many of these miracles were wrought before numerous multitudes of both believers and unbelievers, and upon persons not connected with our Church. And again, the numerous miracles wrought through the instru- mentality of thousands of the officers. and members of this Church, are additional evidences that the man who was instru- mental in founding the Church must JIQUC been sent of God. The thousands of sick that have been miraculously healed in all parts of the world where this gospel is preached, give forth a strong and almost irresisitble testimony that Mr. Smith's authority is u from heaven." Although the great majority of mankind consider miracles to be an infallible evidence in favor of the divine authority of the one who performs them, yot wo do most distinctly dissent from this idea. If miracles be admit- ted as an infallible evidence, then all that have ever wrought miracles must have been sent of God. The magicians of E/rvot 36 DIVINE AUTHORITY, OR. wrought some splendid miracles before that nation; they created serpents and frogs, and turned rivers of water into- blood. If miraculous evidence is infallible, the Egyptians were bound to receive the contradictory messages of both Moses and the magicians as of divine authority. According to this idea, the witch of Endor must have established her divine mission beyond all controversy by calling forth a dead man from the grave in the presence of Saul, king of Israel. A certain wicked power described by John (Rev. xiii. chap.) was to do ''great wonders" and "miracles," and cause "fire tp come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men." If miracles were infallible evidences, surely no one should reject the divine authority of John's beast. A^ain in (Rev. xvi. chap.) "Jjhn saw three unclean spirits like frogs," which he expressly says, are the SPIRITS OF DEVILS WORKING MIRA- CLES, which go fortk unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the. 1 tattle of that great day of God Almighty.'" The learned divines and clergy of the nine- teenth century boldly declare that % "miracles are an INFALLI- BLE evidence of the divine mission of the one who performs them." If so, who can blame "the kings of the earth," and these learned divines, and all their followers for embracing the message of these divinely inspired devils? For, according to their arguments, they should in no wise reject them, for they prove their mission by evidences which they say are infallible. We shall expect in a few years, to see an innumerable host of sectarian ministers as well as kings, taking up their line of march for the great valley of "Armageddon," near Jerusalem, and thus prove by their works that they do really believe in the infallibility of miraculous evidence. Devils can work miracles as well as God, and as they have already persuaded the religious world that miracles are infallible evidences of divine authority, they will not have much difficulty among the followers of modern Christianity in establishing the divinity oi their mission. But the Latter-day Saints do not believe in the infallibility of miraculous evidence. We believe the miraculous gifts are absolutely necessary in the church of Christ, without which it cannot exist on the earth, Miracles, when taken in connection with a pure, holy, and perfect doc- WAS JOSEPH SMITH SENT OP GOD? 37 trine, reasonable and scriptural, is a very strong collateral evidence in favor of that doctrine, and of the divine authority of those who preach it. But abstract miracles alone, uncon- <1 with other evidences, instead of being infallible proofs are no proofs at all: they are as likely to be false as true. So baptism "for the remission of sins" is essential in the church of Christ, and when taken in connection with all other points of doctrine embraced in the gospel, is a presumptive evidence lor the divine authority of the person who preaches it. But baptism "for the remission of shis," unconnected with other parts of the doctrine of Christ, would be no evidence either for or against the divine authority of any man. The many thousands of miracles wrought in this Church, being connected as they are with an infallible doctrine, and with a vast number of other proofs, have carried an almost irresistible con- viction to the minds of vast multitudes, who have, in conse- quence, yielded obedience to the message, and become in their turn the happy recipients of the same power of God, by which they themselves can also heal the sick and work by faith in the name of the Lord ; thus demonstrating to themselves the truth of the Savior's promise, viz: that certain miraculous "signs shall follow them that believe." (See Mark, chapter xw.) There is one thing connected with Joseph Smith's message which will at once prove him to be an impostor or else a true prophet. It is a certain promise contained in a revelation which was given through him to the apostles of this Church in the year 1832. It reads as follows "Go ye into all the world, and whatsoever place ye cannot go into ye shall send, that the testimony may go from you into all the world unto every creature. "And as I said unto raine apostles, even so I say unto you, for you are mine apostles, even God's High Priests ; ye are they whom my Father hath given me ye are my friends ; "Therefore, as I said unto mine apostles I say unto you again, that every soul who believeth on your words, and is baptized by water for the remission of sins, shall receive the Holy Ghost ; "And these signs shall follow them that believe. 38 DIVINE AUTHORITY, OR. Tn my name they shall do many wonderful works; 'In my name they shall cast out devils; 'In my name they shall heal the sick ; 'In my name they shall open the eyes of the blind, and "unstop the ears of the deaf, ''And the tongue of the dumb shall speak , *'And if any man shall administer poison unto them it shall not hurt them . "And the poison of a serpent shall not have power 'to harm them. Verily, verily, I say unto you they who believe not on your words, and are not baptized in water, in my name, for the remission of their sins, that they may receive the Holy Ghost, shall be damned, and shall not joome into my Father's kingdom, where my Father and I am l 'And this revelation unto you, and commandment, is in force from this very hour upon all the world " (Doctrine and Cov- enants, page 294 f 295. ) Here, then, this great modern prophet has presented himsdf before the whole world with a bold unequivocal promise to every soul who would believe on his message a promise, too, that no impostor would dare to make with the most distant hope of success. An impostor might indeed make such a promise to his followers, but they never would realize a fulfill- ment of it. If these miraculous signs have not followed according to the above promise, then the tens of thousands who have complied with the conditions would know Joseph Smith to be an impostor, and with one accord would turn away, and that would be the end of the imposition. But the very fact that vast multitudes are annually being added to the Church, and continue therein year after year, is a demostrative evidence that the promise is fulfilled that the Holy Ghost is given, and the miraculous signs also. Dare any other societies in all the world make such a promise unto the believers in their respective systems? No, they dare not; they know full well that it would be the speedy downfall and utter overthrow of their vain, unauthorized, and powerless religions. 0, what a wide and marked difference between the religion of Joseph Smith and that of Protestant and Catholic religion between WAS JOSEPH SMITH SENT OF GOD? :i'i his authority and that of sivt'arJan divines! The one pron: all the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost, to his followers, the other is as powerless as the dry stubble prepared for the burn- ing. While the followers of this great prophet cast oiit devils, speak with new tongues, heal the sick, open the eyes of tlio blind, cause the lame to walk, obtain heavenly visions, an subordinate officers. Third. The nature and character of the laws of adoption, or the invariable rule by which aliens ure admitted into the kingdom as citizens. Fourth. The natnre and character of the laws given for the government of all adopted citizens. Fifth. TVie character, disposition, and qualifications neces- sary for every citizen to possess. Sixth. The rights, privileges, and blessings enjoyed by the subjects in, this life. Seventh. The rights, privileges, and blessings promised to thefdithf)d r obedient subjects in a future life. Dear reader, your future well-being in all time to come depends upon your rightly understanding these seven subjects. Read, therefore, with serious attention, and your mind shall be opened to see things that you never saw before ; things too .of infinite importance, without which you can in no wise be saved. Let us begin by examining First. The nature and character of the King. God is the King. In Him exists all legal authority. He alone has the right of originating a system of government on the earth. He claims this right by virtue of His having made man and the earth he inhabits.. Man, therefore, is indebted to God for his own formation and for the formation of the planet on which he dwells. He also claims the right of establishing His govern- ment among men, by virtue of His superior wisdom and power. If God had sufficient wisdom and power to construct such a beautiful world as this, with all the infinite varieties of vegeta- bles, and animals appended to it ; if He could form such an intricate and complicated piece of machinery as the human 44 THE KINGDOM OF OOD. tabernacle as a dwelling-place for the human spirit, then we must admit that His wisdom and power are immeasurably greater than that of man, and hence He is qualified to reign as king. An order of government, established by such an all- wise, powerful being, must be good and perfect,, and must be cal- culated to promote the permanent peace, happiness, and well- being of all His subjects. The groat JKinir is a very amiable being, full of benevolence and uoudm*;>, and never turns any person away empty, that com e* re| uesthig a favor which He sees would be for his benefit, The King occasionally visited HU subjects in ancient times, and onc6 tarried with them for several years but He received such cruel abuse from many of the people that He left tlu-nu and went to some other part of His dominions Where the King is gone the people cannot tell. They have not heard one word from Him for upwards of seventeen hundred years. Hfc has been absent so long, that some of the people have doubted even His existence. I They have argued that if He did exist % that some one would very likely ha\e heard something from him in the course of so- many centuries. Many millions how- ever have some idea that He exists, and are constantly sending all kinds of petitions to Him ; but for some reason He sends no word back. No messengers are dispatched to the petitioners , to give them any counsel upon any subject. It has become a very popular thing to send daily petitions to the King, and to appropriate one day out of seven for the especial purpose of sending^in their petitions. The same petitions are frequently sent a great number of times. It is very unpopular however for any one to expect the King to make any reply to any petitions sent in. Any one pretending to have received a reply would be counted a base impostor for, say they, the} King has spoken to no one for the last seventeen hundred years ; no one has heard from Him since He conversed with His servant John on the isle of Patmos. The Kiug 'conversed very freely with His subjects in the early and middle ages; and some think it very strange that He has been silent so lonir. They have expended millions in building many costly and magnificent ch'nrches in Honor of His name, but yet He has not deigned u> grace one of them -with & visit* neither has He condescended THK KIN(}I>OM OF ' 45 to send any tidings to them l>y a UK^SCHLHT or otherwise. He has not informed them whether He was pleased or displeased with their splendid edifices. His profound silence for so many centuries has caused many to think, that lie was, for some reason, very angry with the people ; yet they cuiild not see why He should be angry when the people were doing so much honor to Him when they were expending millions to hire learned int-T) lo preaeh and write in such an eloquent manner about Him. Reader, can you tell why the King should be so distant? Why He holds no communication with any of the people? Why He has not^ent one sentence of consolation or counsel to them? Why He has suffered some fifteen thousand millions of the human race to fall into their graves, in the latter ages without condescending to speak one word to any of them? There must be some cause for all this. There must be some- thing wrong. The King never formerly served His people in this manner; and when He went away, He left word that if any of His people lacked wisdom or knowledge on any subject, they should send in their petition to Him, and He would liber- ally se'nd them the requisite information. I will now tell you the reason why the King has kept silence so long. It is because He has had no subjects to converse with ; all have turned away from Him and advocated other governments as being the rightful and legal authority. They killed off, and utterly destroyed, every true subject of His kingdom, and left not a vestige of it upon the earth; and, to add to their guilt and wickedness, they have introduced idolatry in its worst forms, and utterly turned away from the true and living God. They have introduced a God without BODY, PARTS or PASSIONS. They have had the audacity to call this newly-invented god by the same name as the God of the ancient saints, although there is not the least resemblance between them. Indeed there could be no resemblance between them ; for a bodiless god, without parts or passions, could resemble nothing in heaven, on earth, or in hell. This imagi- nary modern god has become exceedingly popular. It is to him that a- vast number of churches have, been erected. It is not to the true and living God that they send forth petitions, but it is to this imaginary being. No wonder that they have 48 THE KINGDOM O GOD, The Godhead consists of the Father, the Son* and the Holy Spirit. The P'ather is a material being. The substance ol whieh He is composed is wholly material It is a substance widely different, in some respects, from the various substances with which we are more,, immediately acquainted. In other respects it is precisely like all other materials. The substance of His person occupies space, the same as other matter. It has solidity, length, breadth, and thickness, like all other matter. The elementary materials of His body are not susceptible ol occupying, at the same time, the same identical space with other matter. The substance of His person, like other matter, can- not be in two places at the same instant, It also requires time for Him to transport Himself from place to place. It matters not h6w great the velocity of His movements, time is an essen- tial ingredient to all motion, whether rapid or slow. It differs from other matter in the superiority of i*s_ powers, being intel- ligent, all wise, and possessing the power 'of self-motion to a far greater extent than the coarser materials of nature. u God is a spirit." But that does not make Him an immaterial being a being that has no properties in common with matter. The expression an immaterial being, is a contradiction in terms. Immateriality is only another name for nothing. It is the negative of all existence. A spirit is as much matter as oxygen or hydrogen. It has many properties in common with all other matter. Chemists have discovered between fifty and sixty kinds of matter, and each kind has some properties in com- mon with all other matter, and some properties peculiar to itself which the others do not inherit. Now, no chemist, in classifying his substances, would presume to say This sub- stance is material, but that one is immaterial, because it 'differs in some respects from the first. He would call them ^11 mate- rial, though they in some respect differed widely. So the sub- stance called spirit is material, though it differs in a remark- able degree from other substances. It is only the addition of another element of a more powerful nature than any yet dis- covered. He is noU being ''without parts," as modern idol-' ators teach , lor every whole is made up of parfs. The whole person of the Father consists of innumerable parts; and each part is so situated as to bear certain relations of distance to THK KINGDOM (>F . 4fl every other part. Thriv must also l.c to :\ ocrtOlt !;_ reo, n freedom i)l' motion anion^ thrse purls, which is an essential condition to the movement of His limbs, without which He could only move as. a whole. All the foregoing statements in relation to the person of the Father, are equally applicable to the person of the Son. Tho Holy- Spirit being one part of the Godhead, is also a material substance, of the same nature and properties in many respects, as the spirits of the Father and Son. It exists in vast immeasurable quantities in connection with all material worlds. This is called God in the scriptures, as well as the Father and Son. God the Father and God the Son cannot be everywhere present; indeed they cannot be even in two places at the same instant; but God the Holy Spirit is omnipresent it extends through all space, intermingling with all other matter, yet no one atom of the Holy Spirit can be in two places at the same instant, which in all cases is an absolute impossiblity. It must exist in inexhaustible quantities, which is the only possible way for any substance to be omnipresent. All the innumerable phenomena of universal nature are produced in their origin by the actual presence of this intelligent, all-wise, and all- powerful material substance called the Holy Spirit. It is the most active matter in the universe^ producing all its operations according to fixed definite laws enacted by itself, in conjunction with the Father and Son. What are called the laws of nature are nothing more 'or less than the fixed method by which this spiritual matter operates. Each atom of the Holy Spirit is intelligent, and, like all other matter, has solidity, form, and size, and occupies space. Two atoms of this Spirit cannot occupy the same space at the same time, neither can one atom , as before stated^ occupy two separate spaces, at the same time. In all these respects it does not differ in the least from all other matter. Its distinguishing characteristics from other matter are its almighty powers and infinite wisdom, and many other glorious attributes which other materials do not possess. If several of the atoms of this Spirit should unite themselves together into the form ot a person, then this person of the Holy Spirit would be subject to the same necessity as the two other persons of the Godhead, 48 THE KINGDOM ()$ GOD, The Godhead consists of the Father, the Son* and the Holy Spirit. The Father is a material being. The substance ol which He is composed is wholly material It is a substance widely different, in some respects, from the various substances with which we are moro. immediately acquainted. In other respects it is precisely like all other materials. The substance of His person occupies space. the same as other matter. It has solidity, length, breadth, and thickness, like all other matter. The elementary materials of His body are not susceptible of occupying, at the same time, the same id en deal space with other matter. The substance of His person, like other matter^ can- not be in two places at the same instant. It also requires time for Him to transport Himself from place to place. It matters not h6w great the velocity of His movements, time is an essen- tial ingredient to all motion, whether rapid or slow. It differs from other matter in the superiority of i<&- powers, being intel- ligent, all wise, and possessing the power 'of self-motion to a far greater extent than the coarser materials of nature. u God is a spirit." But that does not make Him an immaterial being a being that has no properties in common with matter. The expression an immaterial being, is a contradiction in terms. Immateriality is only another name for nothing. It is the negative of all existence. A spirit is as much matter as oxygen or hydrogen. It has many properties in common with all other matter. Chemists have discovered between fifty and sixty kinds of matter, and each kind has some properties in com- mon with all other matter, and some properties peculiar to itself which the others do not inherit. Now, no chemist, in classifying his substances, would presume to say This sub- stance is material, but that one is immaterial, because it differs in some respects from the first. He would call them all mate- rial, though they in some respect differed widely. So the sub- stance called spirit is material, though it differs in a remark- able degree from other substances. It is only the addition of another element of a more powerful nature than any yet dis- covered. He is noia being "without parts" as modern idol-" ators teach , for every whole is made up of parts. The whole person of the Father consists of innumerable parts; and each part, is so situated as to bear certain relations of distance to Tin; KINGDOM OK GOD 4(1 every other part. There must also )>e In a eeitain de-reo, .1 freedom of motion annng these parts, which is :iu essential condition to the movement of His limbs, without which He could only move as a whole. All the foregoing statements in relation to the person of the Father, arc equally applicable to the person of the Son. Thu Holy- Spirit being one part of the Godhead, is also a material substance, of the same nature and properties in many re-pects, as the spirits of the Father and Son. It exists in vast immeasurable quantities in connection with all material worlds. This is called God in the scriptures, as well as the Father and Son. God the Father and God the Son cannot be everywhere present; indeed they cannot be even in two places at the same instant; but God the Holy Spirit is omnipresent it extends through all space, intermingling with all other matter, yet no one atom, of the Holy Spirit can be in two places at the same instant, which in all cases is an absolute impossiblity. It must exist in inexhaustible quantities, which is the only possible way for any substance to be omnipresent. All the innumerable phenomena of universal nature are produced in their origin by the actual presence of this intelligent, all-wise, and all- powerful material substance called the Holy Spirit. It is the most active matter in the universe, producing all its operations according to fixed definite laws enacted by itself, in conjunction with the Father and Son. What are called the laws of nature are nothing more 'or less than the fixed method by which this spiritual matter operates. Each atom of the Holy Spirit is intelligent, and, like all other matter, has solidity, form, and size, and occupies space. Two atoms of this Spirit cannot occupy the same space at the same time, neither can one atom , as before stated, occupy two separate spaces, at the same time. In all these respects it does not differ in the least from all other matter. Its distinguishing characteristics from other matter are its almighty powers and infinite wisdom, and many other glorious attributes which other materials do not possess. If several of the atoms of this Spirit should unite themselves together into the form ot a person, then this person of the Holy Spirit would be subject to the same necessity as the two other persons of the Godhead, 50 THE .KINGDOM OF GOD. that is, it could not be everywhere present. No finite number of atoms can be omnipresent; an infinite number of atoms is requisite to be everywhere in infinite space. Two persons receiv- ing the gift of the Holy Spirit, do not each receive at the same time the same identical particles, though they each receive a substance exactly similar in kind. It would be as impossible for each to receive the same identical atoms at the same instant, as it would be for two men at the same time to drink the same identical pint of water. It is these three all-powerful substances that stand at the head of all legal gov- ernment. All governments, not established by these three, will be ere long overthrown. They hold the supreme authority and power in heaven, and in the heaven of heavens, and throughout the wide expanse of universal nature. All principa- lities, powers, and kingdoms, whether in heaven or on earth, must yield to be instructed and controlled by the supreme power, or they cannot stand. SECOND. The character and requisite qualifications of the sufjordimite officers in the kingdom of God are now to be con- sidered. As the persons of the Father and Son cannot be everywhere present, it is therefore impossible for them to attend in person to all the multiplied affairs of government among intelligent beings; therefore, God, in establishing a govern- ment among such beings, has always called persons of their own number to officiate in His name. The character of these persons, previously to their calling and appointment, has generally been that of honesty and sincerity ; otherwise they have not differed materially from other men. The various officers, called of God to administer the affairs of His government, are apostles, prophets, bishops, evangelists, elders, pastors, teachers, and deacons. God has only one way of calling these different officers, and that is by new revelation. No person was ever authorized to act in the name of the Lord, unless called by new rerchtion. Paul says (IL'h. v. 4), "No man taketh this honor unto him- self, but he that is called of God as was Aaron." Among the vast number of national governments now upon the earth, where is there one that even professes to be the kingdom of God, or that its officers were called of Ged as was Aaron ? THE KINGDOM OF GOD. >1 Human authority and human calling are the only powers which any nation professes to have. But there are certain petty gov- ernments, called churches, organized within these national : ornuients, which claim divine authority, and consider their offi- cers authorized to act in the name of the Lord. But the great question is, have any of them been called as Aaron "was ? By nnii revelation Aaron was called. By new revelaticiti the duties f his calling were made known. Have any of the lloman Catholic or Protestant officers been called by new revelation? Has God said one word to any of them ? Bo they not, with very few exceptions, declare that "There is no later revelation than the New Testament? " If the revelations contained in the New Testament are the last ones given, then the persons to whom they were given, were the last ones called of God. \VJhen new revelation ceases to be given, officers cease to be called of God. When the calling of officers cease, the king- dom of God ceases to be perpetuated upon the earth. Nothing is more certain than that the church of God ceased to exist on the earth when new revelation ceased to be given. All the modern Christian churches, who deny new revelation, have no more authority to preach, baptize, or administer any other ordinance of the gospel than the idolatrous Hindoos have; indeed all their administrations are worse than in vain they arc a solemn mockery in the sight of God. It is a grievous sin in the sight of God for any man to presume to baptize, unless God has authorized him by new revelation to baptize in His name. Saul, the king of Israel, lost his kingdom because he assumed the authority that diu not belong to him (7. Sam. xiii. 8-15). Another king of Israel was smote with leprosy until the day of his death, because he attempted to administer an ordinance without being called and authorized (II. C/TO/I. xxvi. 16-22). So all the baptisms and sacraments administered by modern Christian churches who have done away with new revelation, are an'abomi nation in the sight of God. All per- sons who shall suffer themselves to be baptized, or partake of these ordinances through the administration of these illegal unauthorized persons, after having been -duly -warned of the evil thereof, will bring themselves under great condemnation before God, and unless they repent of that sin they can in nowise be 52 THE KINGDOM OF GOD. saved. The twelve apostles were called by new revelation, but that did not authorize Paul, Barnabas, Timothy, or any other person. Each one had to receive a separate call by new reve- lation for himself. No one could lawfully act under a commis- sion given to some other person. All the commissions recorded in the New Testament were given to individuals then living, and not to any individuals .who should live in some future age. If any persons would have authority, let them obtain a new commission from God, as His servants always did in ancient times, and if they officiate without such new commission, then know assuredly that they are impostors. The subordinate officers in the kingdom of God must not only be called of God, but qualified to act in their respective offices. The first qualification absolutely necessary for every officer in the kingdom is, the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is the most important qualfiication of all others. No man, with- out this qualification, can attain to an office in the kingdom, of God; it matters not how great his other attainments are; though he has studied the scriptures from a child, and committed them all to memory though he has carefully learned the origi- nal languages in which they were written though he has made himself master of all sciences grasped with a comprehensive mind all the arguments set forth in theological works, yet none of these attainments will qualify him for even the least office in the kingdom of God. The unlearned youth, who had not the knowledge of the English alphabet, if he were called of God, and qualified by the gift of the Holy Spirit, would have more power and authority, and could do more towards saving men, than all the theologians and doctors of divinity that the world .affords, unless they also were called of God, and endowed with the gift of the Holy Ghost. No other qualification whatsoever can be substituted in the stead of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the great distinguishing characteristic between the officers of the kingdom of God and impostors. Every officer sent of God has a qualification that no impostor ever had or ever can have. The first officers placed id the kingdom of God are apostles. Let us inquire how in ancient times this office was conferred on man. Jesus said to His ancient apostles (John \ xv, 1G)> THE KINGDOM OK <10D. . r M "Ye have not chosen Me, but 1 have chosen you, and ordained you, that yc should go and bring forth fruit." Paul informs us (Heb. Hi 1) that Jesus Himself was an apostle. Holding the office Himself, He had the most perfect right to. confer the same calling upon others ; hence He first chose them, and then ordained them; after this He sent them forth to preach (Matthew x.), "and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samar- itans, enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils : freely ye have received, freely give. ' ' Although these apostles were chosen, ordained, and sent forth on a particular mission to the cities of Israel, with power to work mighty miracles, yet there was an essential qualification which they had not yet received. They had received power sufficient to qualify them to preach that the. l 'kingdom of heaven" was at hand. But they had not yet received power sufficient to fully organize and build up that kingdom on the earth. They lacked one very important qualification, without which they could never establish the kingdom which they had already predicted "was at hand." What was this further qualification which these apostles had not yet received? It was the gift of the Holy Ghost, or the other Comforter which Jesus promised them. It is very remarkable that these apostles should have such great power, and yet not have the Holy Ghost. But hear what the scripture saith (John viL 37, 38, 39), "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth Off Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given ; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" Mark the expres- sion, the Holy Ghost was not yet given. This agrees with another saying of Jesus to His apostles (John'xvi. 7). * 'Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you ; but if I depart I will send Him unto you." 54 THE KINGDOM OF GOD, Jesus calls this Comforter the Holy Ghost (John xw. 26). After the resurrection of Jesus, and as He was about to be taken up into heaven, He said to His apostles (Luke xxiu. 49), "Behold I send the promise of my Father upon you, 71 (alluding to the Comforter or the Holy Ghost, which He pro- mised several days before should be sent unto them from the Father after His glorification); "but," said He, "tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." Thus you see, dear reader, that these apostles had power to "heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out devils," although the Holy Ghost was not yet given to them. A certain power was yet lacking. Jesus had commanded them, saying, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." But He would not suffer them to commence this mission until the promise of the Father the Holy Ghost was given to them. They already had power to work mighty miracles, but had not the power to build up the kingdom of God. This power they were to tarry for in Jerusalem, and when they should receive it, they were then to commence the duties of their mission, first, in the city .of Jerusalem, and afterwards extend their labors to all nations. The power to work miracles is entirely a different thing from the power to build up the kingdom of God: the latter power, however, always includes the former, but the former power does not always include the latter. We now ask, Where is there a man among all the churches of modern, times, who has been, called to the office of an apostle by new revelation? Where is there a man among all the millions of modern Christians who has been ordained to the office of an apostle, under the hands of an apostle, as the twelve were anciently? Where is there a man to be found among all the Catholics or Protestants who has been endowed with even the power of working miracles, to say nothing of the still greater power communicated in the gift of the Holy Ghost? If the apostles in ancient days could not -build up the king- dom of God, without being endowed with these two degrees of powej, surely no one since their day could be author- ized to build the church of God with any less qualifica- tion. THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 55 One of the important duties required of an apostle is to ADMINISTER THE SPIRIT. In II. Cor, iii C, we read that both Paul and Timothy were made able ministers of the Spirit The ordinance through which the Spirit is ministered is THE LAYING ON OF HANDS. (Acts viii. and xix. Hcb. vi ) To the apostles were entrusted three very important ministrations for the salvation of man: First. The ministration of the word Second. The ministration of the baptism of water And Third. The ministration of the baptism of tht Spirit. While Jesus was with His apostles in person, they had power to minister the word and water, but not the Spirit, foi they themselves had not yet been baptized with the Spirit and they could not administer that which they were not io possession of. It was necessary that they should first receive the gift themselves, before they could confer it upon others. Hence we can perceive the propriety of Jesus commanding them to wait at Jerusalem until they should be "endued with power from on high ;" for without this additional power they could neither save themselves nor others. Many persons have flattered themselves that they can be saved without the assist- ance of a minister sent of God. But this is a vain, delusive hope, for Jesus hath expressly said, "Except a man be born af water and of the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of Grod." Now as no man can be saved out of the kingdom, it is necessary that he should be "born" into the kingdom , and this would be impossible without an administrator sent of Grod , for the birth or baptism of water, and the birth or baptism of the Spirit,-requir-e some one legally authorized to Dfficiate in behalf of the candidate, Reader, have you ever received the Holy Ghost through the laying on of the hands of one sent of God ? If not, you are not yet born of the Spirit. You are not yet a child of the king- dom. Know assuredly, that unless you find some man who has been sent by the command of God as was Aaron, and get him to remit your sins through your faith repentance and baptism, and have him to minister to you the Holy Ghost, ad did the ancient apostles you need not flatter yourself that 56 TBE KINGDOM OF GOD. you can besayed. Do not deceive yourself upon this all-\m port- ant subject. Do not suffer any man to baptize or minister unto you, unless God has spoken unto him by the voice of His servants, and authorized him to minister in His name. Do you inquire how you are to know an authorized man of God from one who has no authority? I will tell you how to discern the difference. A true servant of God will never teach a false doctrine. He will never- deny new revelation. He never will tell you that the canon of -scripture is .full, or that the New Testament is the last revelation ever intended to be given to man. He never will tell you that miraculous gifts are no longer necessary in the Church of God. He never will tell you that inspired apostles, prophets and other officers are not requisite in the Church now. He never will tell you that the ministration of the spirit, by "the laying on of hands," is done away by God's appointment. But he will tell you that if you will receive his message, and be baptized by one having authority, that your sins shall be remitted, and that you shall be filled with the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands ; and that you shall know, by the teachings thereof, that his doctrine is true and of God. In this respect he will differ from all impostors; for an impostor never had power to minister the spirit. An impostor dare not promise you that you shall be filled with the Holy Ghost by the laying on of his hands, for lie knows that such a promise would not be fulfilled he knows that you would detect him to be a false teacher by complying with his conditions, and failing to receive his promise. An impostor, knowing that he has no power to give the Holy Ghost as the ancient apostles had, will endeavor to persuade you that such power is not necessary now. He knows very well, that if he cannot get the people to believe that such power is not necessary in these days, that his own unauthor- ized pretensions will be at once detected. An impostor, like Simon Magus, may deceive ignorant people by witchcraft and sorcery, but he can never deceive them by pretending to give the Holy Ghost through prayer and laying on of hands. This is a power that none but a true minister of God possesses; it cannot be counterfeited by the devil The devil can counterfeit the miracles of THE KINGDOM OP OOD. 57 Christ, but he cannot counterfeit the gift of the Holy Ghost. None but the lawful ministers of Christ can minister the spirit. This, then, is an infallible sign by which to distinguish true apostles from false ones. But does this infallible sign exist either among the Papists or Protestants? Can any of their ministers give the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands? If not, they are not the church of God, and their ministers are unauthorized all their ministrations are illegal and an abomination in the sight of God salvation is not among them. Not one person among all these societies has been legally baptized. Reader, are you a member of any of these societies? if so, haste to withdraw 3'ourself from them, that you partake not of their plagues, for the hour of their judgment is come. If you would be saved, seek after the apostles and prophets of the kingdom of God, and receive their ministrations, and you shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, and obtain eternal life. CHAPTER II. THE NATURE AND CHARACTER OF THE LAWS OF ADOPTION, OR THE INVARIABLE RULE BY WHICH ALIENS AKE ADMITTED INTO THE KINGDOM AS CITIZENS. T N our examinations of the Kingdom of God, in Chapter I , we gave the nature and character of the King; and also tlte qualifications of the subordinate officers. We shall now pro- ceed to examine, Third. The nature and character of th$ laws of adoption, or the invariable rule by which aliens arc admitted info tlw kingdom as citizens. 'Whenever the kingdom of. God exists on the earth, all man- kind are required, first, to become legal citizens thereof ; and afterwards, to obey strictly all its laws unto the end of their days. To become a legal citizen in the kingdom is .of infinite importance ; for .salvation is only to be obtained in the king- 58 THE KINGDOM OP GOU. dom of God. All other kingdoms or governments will be broken to pieces and destroyed, while the kingdom of God will endure for ever. Daring the first century of the Christian era, the servants of God preached and administered the law of adoption both to Jew and Gentile in all the world. But the nations soon made war upon them, and overcame and killed them, and destroyed the kingdom from the earth ; since which time the law of adoption has not been administered until of late. The nations, remaining so long without the kingdom among them, became quite ignorant of its laws and characteristics, hence a vast number of opinions arose* and thick darkness overwhelmed all people. The unchangeable law of adoption, however, is very clearly revealed in the New Testament, and may be easily understood and obeyed, when there are officers sent of God to administer it This law was preached in great plainness to a very numer- ous multitude on the day of Pentecost It was preached, too, by men who were filled with the Holy Ghost, and who had been commanded to commence their first proclamation ID Jerusalem. The multitude to whom it was preached consisted of Jews who had come from all the surrounding nations to keep the great feast of Pentecost. They were not in the king- dom of God; but were all sinners in an unconverted state They believed in the existence of God, and looked for a Messiah to come, but as for this Jesus of Nazareth, whom their nation had just crucified, they had no faith in Him, but con- sidered Him as one of the greatest of impostors. Peter> with the rest of the disciples, commenced teaching them, proving from the scriptures of the Old Testament that Jesus was both Lord and Christ. So great were the evidences, and so power- fully did they affect the minds of that multitude, that the> were pricked in their hearts, that is, they believed that Jesus was the Christ, and that their nation was under great condem- nation for crucifying Him, and they knew not what the conse- quences would be ; they were filled with alarm, and enquired of the apostles ID the anguish of their souls, saying, "Meo and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 59 Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." (Acts ., 37-39 -41.) -Here, reader, you will see the law of adoption as it was preached by the apostles at the commencement of their great mission to all nations. Here you have the example of three thousand sinners all complying with the law and becoming citizens in the kingdom of God in one day. When they came together in the morning they were all unconverted sinners, but before the day had passed, they were converted and made Saints. In the morning they were subjects of the kingdom of dark- ness, but in the evening they were citizens of the kingdom of God. Whatever the law was that wrought so great a change upon them in so short a time, the same law when administered by like authority, will produce like effects in all future ages. It will be perceived that the great congregation of sinners to whom the apostles addressed themselves, were required- First To believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God ; Secondly To repent of their sins, And, thirdly To be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. And they were promised that, after attending to these three things, they should receive, first, A REMISSION OF THEIR SINS, and, secondly, THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST. But are these all the rules necessary to be complied with in order i to become legal heirs of the kingdom? No; there is one - more condition which the sacred historian has neglected to men- tion in his history of the conversion of these three thousand; but as he has mentioned it in other parts of his history, in con- nection with the conversion of others, we are not left io ignorance of it. It is THE LAYING ON OF HANDS of the ministers of Christ for the gift of the Holy Ghosu Faith, repentance, baptism and the laying on of hands, are the four rules of adoption. Remission of sios, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, are the two blessings of adoption which 60 THE KINGDOM OP GOD. are inseparably connected with obedience to the rules. Both the rules and the blessings of adoption are the same in all ages and dispensations of the gospel. No man or vvoujan ever entered into the Church or kingdom of God" on this earth, and became a legal citizen thereof, without complying strictly with these rules. Indeed, it is the only door or entrance into the kingdom. Any persons attempting to get into the kingdom in any other way are called "thieves and robbers," and will be punished as such. Let the reader not be startled when I tell him that something like fifteen thou- sand millions of the human race have gone down to their graves without complying with these rules. Do not be angry nor prejudiced when I candidly inform you that no man nor woman on the great eastern hemisphere, during the long period of more than seventeen hundred years, has been legally adopted into the kingdom of 'God. No person among them, from the second to the ninteenth century of the Christian era has obeyed the gospel, or has been born into the kingdom. All have been aliens and strangers, and such a thing as the kingdom of God has not been known among them, Before we close our investigations relative to the kingdom of God, we shall demonstrate by the, most incon- trovertible evidence what we have now asserted. FAITE being the first rule of adoption, we shall now pro- ceed to show what faith is, and how it is obtained. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews says (Heb. xi.< 1) ** Faith is the substance (assurance) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith, in a more extended sense, is the assurance of the mind in relation to what has been, what is or what will be. This faith or assurance of the mind is obtained only through evidence. It is not a knowl- edge of things, but the belief $t things of which the mind has no certain knowledge. All belief is founded on evidence. A true taith is founded on true evidence ; a false faith on false evidence. And in no case can a man have faith, either true or false, unless it is the result of true or false evidence. The greater the evidence, the greater will be the faith resulting from that evidence. Hence there are various degrees of faith both true and faJse; as for instance, when Europeans first THK KINGDOM OP GOI>. f>| discovered America, and came back and reported the same to the nations of the old world, they had a certain degree of faith in their testimony. When the discovery was confirmed by the additional testimony of numerous other witnesses, the faith of the nations was greatly increased: as evidence's multiplied, faith was made perfect; so that in process of time, millions who never saw America, believed there was such a place, without the least shadow of a doubt. Those who visited America obtained a perfect knowledge of its existence through the evidence of their senses. We will now relate an example of false faith: When the American Indians first saw the powerful effects of gunpowder, they were anxious to procure large quantities of it. They were told by Europeans, that if gunpowder were sown in the earth, it would sprout up and grow, and yield an abundant harvest. The ignorant natives believing this false evidence, purchased, at hjgh prices, large quantities of the supposed seed, and carefully sowed the same ; but the result, like the result of all other false faiths, was disappointment. A person ignorant of geometrical reasoning may still have faith in many geometrical propositions ; he believes the propositions on the testimony of geometricians, who declare that they have demonstrated to their own minds the truth of them ; every additional geometrician who testifies to their truth increases his faith, yet he cannot know them to be true until he has put them to the test of geometrical reasoning for himself. If a native of New Zealand were told by some person that light travels with a velocity of 192,000 miles every second, he would consider the statement incredible, if not impossible. If several respectable witnesses should tell him that it had been demonstrated, it might, perhaps, beget a very small degree of faith in his mind; if, still further, some of the steps of the demonstration were opened to his mind, and some of the phenomena resulting from the velocity of light were made known, his faith would become stronger; and' pursuing the investigation of the evidences, he would, at length, demonstrate the fact to his own mind, and his faith would be swallowed up in knowledge. 62 THE KINGDOM OF GOD. When Copernicus asserted that the earth revolved in an orbit around the 8un with a velocity of ninteen miles every second, his statements were considered visionary ; but other evidences of a satisfactory nature being adduced, mankind began to exercise faith in the Copernican theory* As the evidences increased, their faith increased ; and when the evidences became demonstrative, faith became knowl- edge. On the morning of the day of Pentecost, the large multi- tude of the Jews who were assembled, considered Jesus an impostor, but after hearing the evidence of the Old Testa- ment prophets, combined with the evidence of the apostles who stood as living witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus, three thousand of them believed that He was the Son of God ; the faith of these three thousand was founded wholly upon the evidences then set before them. The faith they had in this fact, was not different from faith in any other fact. The faith that Jesus is the Son of God, is the same as the faith that Solomon is the son of David ; faith in both of these facts comes by evidence, and in no other way. Devils, as well as man, believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Devils* faith is the result of evidence the same as men's; in this respect, the faith of devils and human beings is alike. But abstract faith alone can benefit no being. Devils believe that Christ is the Son of God, and tremble. Sinners may believe the same, and yet be damned. Saints may have the same faith, and yet, Judas like, become the sons of perdition ; the angels of heaven may have strong faith, and yet be thrust down to hell : so that faith alone will save neither devils, angels, nor men. Faith is essential to salvation ; without faith no one can be saved ; no one can even repent without first having faith. If a man does not believe in the existence of God, he will not believe in His revealed laws , neither will he believe that it is sinful to disregard those lawsi he will not believe himself to be a sinner, neither will he believe that he will be punished in a future state for transgressing laws which he does not believe emanated from God, Faith must, therefore, precede repentance. Before mankind can properly repent, there are several things necessary to be believed, they TRE KINGDOM OF OOD 63 must believe not only in the existence of God, but in the revealed laws of God; that is, in the laws He has given .against doing evil. If they believe in those laws, and compare their own conduct wath them, they will perceive that in many instances they have transgressed them, and are, therefore, under the penalty of the same. They must believe that God would be just in executing the penalty of His own law, and that the law could not be sustained, or made honorable, unless justice should be satisfied. What effect, for instance, would the laws of England have, if the penalties were never to be inflicted? Stealing, robbing, murdering and the most savage acts of wickedness, would sweep through the land, depopulat- ing whole cities and towns ; that fair island would soon be transformed into one wide scene of desolation and ruin. So if the penalties affixed to the law of God should not be executed, order, peace and happiness, would vanish from all worlds, and naught but the most fearful anarchy, and the most divefui confusion, would devastate the widely extended universe, Before sinners can repent acceptably before God, they must also believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has voluntarily suffered the penalty of the law of His Father in behalf of man. If there had been no innocent being to suffer in the stead of man, then man, having once broken the law, must himself have suffered its penalty, or else God would have ceased to be a God of justice. Man, having once become guilty, could not atone for his own sins, and escape the punish- ment of the law, though he should ever afterwards strictly keep the law ; for "By the works of the law," or, by obedience to the law, NO FLESH CAN BE JUSTIFIED. If a sinner, after having once transgressed the law, could purchase forgiveness by ever afterwards keeping the law, then there would have been no need of the atonement made by Christ. If the demands of justice could have been satisfied, and pardon granted, through repentance and good works, then the sufferings and death of Christ would have been entirely unnecessary. But if Christ had not suffered in our behalf, our faith, repentance, baptisms, and every other work, would have been utterly use- less and in vain. Works, independently of Christ, would not atone even for the least sin. 64 THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Every man must perceive that before sinners can repent, they must believe, first, in the existence of God; secondly in His revealed law ; and thirdly, in the sufferings of the Son of God, as the only possible way by which justice could be satis- fied and mercy be granted to sinful man. Faith, as before stated, in any or either of these things, comes only through evidence. The three thousand sinners on the day of Pente- cost never would have enquired so earnestly of the apostles to know what they should do, if they had not believed these three things. After the apostles had, through evidence, established faith in the hearts of the sinners, they next taught them repentance^ which we shall now proceed to explain. True and genuine repentance is, to cease to do evil and learn to do well, confess- ing past sins, with a fixed determination to sin no more. It would be of no use for a. sinner to confess his sins to God, unless he were determined to forsake them ; it would be of no benefit to him to feel sorry that he had done wrong, unless he intended to do wrong no more ; it would be folly for him to confess before v God that he had injured his fellow-man, unless he were determined to do all in his power .to make restitu- tion. Repentance, then, is not only a confession of sins, with a sorrowful, contrite heart, but a fixed, settled purpose to refrain from every evil way. The next step to be taken by the believing, penitent sinner js to be baptized or immersed in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS,, by a man authorized of God to administer the ordinance. There are three very important items in con- nection with baptism which all persons should well understand before they suffer themselves to receive the ordinance. First, they should be well assured that the administrator has authority from God to baptize them. Second, they should satisfy themselves as to the correct mode of baptism. Third, they should understand the object for which baptism is admin- istered. It isevident that no one has a right to administer baptism unless he has been called of God, and authorized by NEW REVELA- TION to administer that ordinance, as we have very plainly shown THE KINGDOM OF (JOU. 65 in Chapter I., of this treatise. If the believing penitent sinner were to receive baptism at the hands of one who was Dot called and authorized, it would be a curse to him instead of a blessing it would be a solemn mockery in the sight of God, bringing condemnation and darkness upon the mind. Second : fmnursion is the only mode of baptism sauet toned by the Lord. John, the forerunner of Christ* hupti/ed numerous multitudes "in the river of Jordan" (Mtu-k i 0). After Jesus was baptized, "he went up straightway out of the water" (Matt/tew iii. 16).. John also bapti/.cd il in /Enon, near to Salim, because there was MUCH WATER there" (John in. 23). When Philip baptized the eunuch, "they went, down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch . and he bap- tized him. And when they were come up out of the wat^\ the Spirit of the Lord caught away 'Philip" (Acts ciii. 38, 30) If sprinkling and pouring were baptism, John must have been very foolish to have sought out places were there was "much water," and then put himself and the candidate to so much inconvenience by going down into the water, and getting their garments disagreeably wet* If a few drops, or a gill of water, sprinkled or poured upon them were sufficient, why did they go where there was much water? Why render their wearing apparel uncomfortable by going into the water? Why did the jailor and his household put themselves to the trouble of going out of their house in the darkness of night to be bap- tized? (Actsxvi). The jailor, about inidnight, brought Paul and Silas out of the jail into his house, where they preached the word of the Lord to him, "and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he, and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house* he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." Here it will be perceived, that they went out of the house in the middle of the night to attend to bap- tism. If sprinkling or pouring were baptism, how much more convenient it would have been to have had it attended to in the house where he had a good light just previously procured, instead of going out at that late unsea- sonable hour. The Roman and (Jolossian Saints were BURIED 60 THE KINGDOM OF GOD. with Christ in baptism (Rom. vi. 4 Col. ii. 12). Sprinkling or pouring is not burial, but immersion is. Jesus said to Nicodemus (John ui. 5) "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Sprinkling does not represent a birth> but immersion does. Coming out of the element of water into a new element is a fair representation of a birth. As in the natural birth, the tabernacle of the infant is filled, quickened, and animated by human spirit, so in the spiritual birth, the spirits of men are filled, quickened and animated by the lioly Spirit. As the blood of the infant, derived from the mother, is the medium of the natural life, or the means by which the union of the body and spirit is perpetuated, so the blood of Christ which was shed for us, is the medium of the spiritual life, or the means by which our union with the Holy Spirit is maintained. As the embryo is immersed in the fluid element in the womb, and by this means derives from its mother the blood so essen- tial to the natural life, so a man must be immersed in the fluid element of water, jn order to derive the benefit of Christ's blood so essential to spiritual life. As the embryo must first be immersed in water before it can receive the quick- ening of the human spirit, so a man must first be immersed in water before he has the promise of the quickening or life- giving power of the Holy Spirit. As the infant is born, or comes forth from the waiery element into a new kingdom or world of existence, so a man in baptism comes forth from the liquid element of water into the kingdom of God's dear Son, which is a new state of existence. Jesus, in the above text, sets forth the birth of the water first, and afterwards the birth of the Spirit. It is very evident from the whole tenor of scripture, that immersion is the only method of baptism. Several historians inform us, that the early Christians '' 'immersed the whole body in water," and that sprinkling was not introduced into the church util the third or fourth century. Every believing" penitent sinner should make himself well acquainted with the (tljwt of baptism. This ordinance was instituted "for the remission of sins." John went "into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repent- THE KINGDOM OP OOD. G7 ance/or the remission of sins' (Lidce Hi. 3). After the ascen- sion o % f Christ into heaven, the apostles commenced their Kreat mission to all nations, by preaching to several thousand Jews, on the day of Pentecost, baptism 'Tor the remission of ,^i (Acts ii. 38). Ananias said to Paul, of Tarsus, "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts xxii. 16). Baptism is not, as many false teachers now affirm, "an outward sign of an inward grace," iat it is an ordinance whereby a believing, penitent sinner obtains a for- giveness for all past sins. By being buried in the watery grave, the old man, as Paul says, is put off. with all of his deeds; by rising from the liquid element, we put on the new man, become new creatures, and should henceforth walk in newness of life. Again, Paul says, "He that is dead is freed from sin." If sinners would be freed from sin, let them be "baptized into His (Christ's) death: " and thus, being dead with Him, they become free from Bin, that is, all their former sins are remitted (See Rom. vi). The great majority of religious people in modern times, consider baptism as non-essential to salvation. But we ask, is it essential that the repenting sinner should be forgiven? If so, then it is just in the same degree essential that he should be baptized, for that is the condition of forgiveness ; hence baptism is essential to salvation, as much so as faith or repent- ance. He that neglects baptism, neglects one of the condi- tions of salvation. "He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved. He .that believeth trot (and consequently is not baptized), shall be damned." Jesus never incorporated any- thing that was non-essential into the plan of salvation. But men should live by every word which proceedeth from His mouth. "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth ii not in him" (/. John ii. 4). Again, Jesus says, "If a man love Me, he will keep My words. He that loveth Me not, keepeth not My sayings." The commandments, words, and sayings of Jesus, must be kept&s well as believed, in order to obtain salvation. Unless baptism were essential to salvation, Jesus never would have commanded His apostles to "Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 6& THE KINGDOM OF GOD. and of the Holy Ghost." A man may be a very good man, in many respects, yet if he rejects baptism, he rejects his "salva- tion. As for instance, Cornelius was u a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house ; he gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always." An angel came in to him, and said, "Cornelius, thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved" (Acts x. and xi). When Peter had come, while he was speaking the word of the Lord to this man, and to his household, the Holy Ghost fell upon them, and they spake with tongues, and mag- nified God. And Peter "commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord." What would have been the result if they had refused to obey this commandment, and had counted baptism non-essen- tial, like many modern churches do ? It is evident that not one of them could have been saved. Why ? Because the angel said that Peter should "tell them words whereby they should be saved." If they had rejected baptism, they would have rejected the "words" of Peter, which the angel said should save them. No one can be saved who rejects baptism. It matters not how righteous he may have been ; though he, like Cornelius, may have given "much alms," and prayed much, and feared God and worked righteousness for years ; yea more, though he may have attained to greater blessings than the present sectarian churches now even believe, to say nothing of the enjoyment; though he may have seen a vision of angels, and spoken with tongues by the power of the Holy Ghost; yet, with all this righteousness and great power, he can in nowise be saved if he reject baptism. Hence, /a/V/t, repentance^ and laptism are three essential conditions preceding remission of sins. Each is equally important. These are three of the rules of 'adoption by which strangers and aliens may become legal citizens in the- church and kingdom of God. Since the fourth century of the Christian era, infant sprinkling has been practised by a numerous multitude of falsa teachers. By age and long standing this great perversion of the apostolic doctrine has become exceedingly popular, until THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 69 many millions at the present day are carried away with the wicked delusion. The apostles were commanded to teauh first, and then baptize ; but infants are incapable of being taught and therefore are not Subjects of baptism. Jesus commanded the apostles to preach the gospel in, all the world, and said, u He that belie veth smd is baptized shall be saved.' 1 Infants cannot believe the preaching -of the apostles, therefore they should not be baptized. Peter commanded the thousands on the day of Pentecost to repent first, and then be baptized "for the remission of sins.*'- But infants are incapable of repent- ance, and therefore it-is a sin in the sight of God to baptize them. u Sin is the transgression of a law." Infants have transgressed no law, and therefore they are without sin. Bap- tism is FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS, but infants have no sins to be remitted, therefore they need no baptism. But even if infants had sins (as some false teachers assert J, they could not be remitted by baptism alone. Faith and repentance would be equally as necessary for the infant as baptism. Either of these three conditions alone, or any two of them, would not bring remission: all must be voluntarily attended to by the candidate. But the infant cannot voluntarily 'attend to either, therefore the sprinkling or immersion of infants does not bring the blessings promised to the penitent believer, but it brings a curse both upon the parents and the administrator. It is a sin of which millions must repent if they ever enter into the kingdom of God. Infant baptism is nowhere alluded to in the scriptures: some have supposed because whole households were baptized, that possibly there might have been some infants among them; but how many thousands of households there are that have no infants. The author of this treatiss has himself baptized many whole households, but among them there were no infants, nor any persons incapable of believing and repent- ing. The scriptures inform us that the jailor and his house- hold, and Cornelius and his household, believed and rejoiced in the Lord before they were baptized ; hence therfr were no infants among them. Some again have supposed that the baptism of infants comes in lieu of circumcision ; but this is only a wild, vague conjecture of impostors to deceive the. 70 THE KINGDOM OF GOD, ignorant ; for there is not the least allusion to any such thing in the scriptures. Baptism has no more connection with cir- cumcision than it has with the blowing of rams' horns for the demolishing of the walls of Jericho. There is no similarity between the two. Circumcision is a ceremony performed only on male infants at eight days old, whereas baptism is a burial in water of both male and female adults, who are capable of first believing and then repenting. After the sinner has complied with the rules of adoption, so that all his former transgressions are forgiven, he should next seek after the gift of the Holy Ghost. God has ordained a certain ordinance through which he bestows this- gift. He has authorised his servants to administer the Holy Spirit by the laying on of their hands in His name. For example: 'Thilip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed to those things which Philip spake. When they believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women. Now when the apostles, which were at Jerusa- lem, heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they oent unto them Peter and John : who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (for as yet he was fallen upon none of them : only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them; and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon (the sorcerer) saw that through laying on of the apostles hands the Holy Ghost was cjim\i v he offered them 11:10116)% saying, Give uie also, this power, that on whom- soever 1 lay hands, he may Deceive the Holy Ghost" (Arts r//Y). Here we have the most positive evidence to establish the divine authority of this ordinance. That frn/*Xy which ho he went (jn