APOSTACY FROM THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH.
Liverpool, July12, 1847.
Reverend and Dear Sir,—The subject of my sixth letter is APOSTACY FROM THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH.
If modern christianity is only an enlargement of the system of early apostacy from the true Apostolic Church of Christ, it certainly deserves the most serious consideration. It shall be my direct object in this epistle to show, that modern christianity possesses such a faint resemblance to that system of faith established by Jesus Christ and his apostles, that it cannot be called a likeness, or a copy, or even an imitation.
Startle not, reverend sir, if I unhesitatingly declare that a counterfeit bill of currency, that should have no more resemblance to a true emission from the bank, than modern christianity does to the ancient religion, would never be likely to do much harm. Modern christianity is the very opposite extreme and counterpart of the ancient order of "apostles and prophets." If you will read patiently, I will show clearly the proof of my position.
In the Primitive Church, the Holy Ghost, after Jesus left the earth, came and took possession, and constituted the grand main-spring, life, light, and power of it. And the apostle Peter (of indisputable authority) declares, in the Second of Acts, that thepromised giftof the Holy Ghost SHOULD CONTINUE even to "all the Lord our God should call."
But this wonderful agent is not known in modern christianity. His powerful agency, as foretold by Joel in prophecy, in tongues and interpretation, in discerning of spirits and in healing, is not now recognised as being any part of the present christianity. That Spirit that was to make amends for the departure and absence of Jesus, by acquainting believers with all truth—past, present, and future—that they might be comforted with knowledge and light, such as could not be obtained from books, whether inspired or uninspired, was the greatsine qua nonor essential thing in ancient christianity; but in modern christianity, the fruits of such a spirit would be sneered at, even by divines! What! exclaims one, prophecy in these days! speak in tongues now! heal the sick now! have visions of future things, and even heavenly things like unto the ancients! The exclaimant stands aghast with astonishment, as a perfect stranger to the most obvious and conspicuous principles of ancient christianity.
Modern christianity professes to derive all its light, and its various clashing creeds, from the Old and New Testament. If modern christianity is, indeed, the offspring of the Bible, it is a prodigy with many hundred heads; but ancient christianity drew its light from the ROCK of immediate revelation, and previous scriptures were only confirmatory of the Spirit's testimony. Illiterate fishermen, like Peter, traditionated by a corrupt priesthood, could know next to nothing of the written manuscripts of the Bible. What he learnt was not from flesh and blood, but from the spirit of revelation; and let it be always in your mind, sir, that Christ has said, that on "THIS ROCK" ofimmediate revelation"He will build His church."
A christianity contained exclusively in a small volume like the Bible, is an insult to the capacious revelations of the Eternal Spirit of God, that even searches the deep things of God—a mere drop compared with the mighty ocean! The full biography of Jesus Christ contained in the New Testament? Nonsense! Preposterous mockery! You certainly are not ignorant of the last verse in John's gospel—"The world itself could not contain the account, if written, of the acts and doingsof Jesus Christ." But shall the knowledge of Christ be buried in oblivion because his acts and sayings cannot be written? No, by no means; God forbid! What saith the scriptures? the all-wise "Spirit shall bringall thingsto your remembrance, even the deep things of God—things that the tongue cannot utter nor the heart conceive."
Without the Holy Spirit of revelation, to take of the things of Jesus and convey them to the knowledge of men, I boldly aver that NO man can harmonize a consistent system from the Old and New Testament, or find eternal life. Every man must be born of that spirit which gives revelation and knowledge of Christ, or he can never see the kingdom of God. But a prominent feature in the creed of modern christianity is, that there is no further need of revelation, consequently the distinct office-work of the Spirit, to bring to mind unwritten acts and doctrines of Christ, and harmonize those which are written and scattered promiscuously through the Bible, is abrogated and deemed superfluous by modern christianity!
O thou benighted advocate of modern christianity, how long shall thy eye be veiled in reading the New Testament, and thine heart be too gross to perceive the beauty, and comfort, and power of that blessed Spirit that gave life and salvation to ancient christianity? Hast thou lost all admiration for the Spirit's miraculous gifts, power, and blessing? settled down under reconciliation to a load of doubts and fears, hoping that death will remove thy tormenting burden? Vain hope! No longer then do despite to that Eternal Spirit of revelation that is freely promised to all that will honestly receive it. If Gentile christians are ashamed of the Jew, because a veil was before their eyes in reading the Old Testament, has not the Jew equal cause to be ashamed of the Gentile, that has so soon turned away from the primitive path of the Spirit's gifts of visions, prophecies, healings, &c., and thereby been "cut off for not continuing in His goodness," according to the warning threat of Jehovah against Gentiles.
Where, sir, are the splendid gifts of apostles and prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, that Christ gave to men and set in his church, forever to continue in the ministry, edifying "the BODY of Christ till we all come to the unity of faith," and to such a knowledge of God, and fulness of power and wisdom as dwelt even in Jesus? They are nowhere to be found in modern christianity! Modern christianity has the effrontery and shamelessness even to say that she does not need them; consequently she says that she does not need "to come to unity of faith," and to that full and potent knowledge of God that Jesus in the flesh possessed, and had decreed that all Saints should possess and be like their "elder brother."
Not one of these great and precious gifts are retained. The bare name of evangelists and pastors is retained in modern christianity, without the shadow of the power and prophetic knowledge of the Holy Ghost, with which these officers wereobligedto be endued in the primitive church. She admits, indeed, the form of the office, "denying the power." She says, indeed, that she can come to "unity of faith," &c., without apostles, and without the help of the good old-fashioned Almighty Holy Ghost.
But how long a time does she want to run for this prize of "unity of faith, &c.?" She has been running for the stakes nearly EIGHTEEN HUNDRED YEARS, and is further from the goal than when we started. When she started, "false apostles and deceitful workers" were her champions. In order to win the prize, these shed the blood of true apostles, and the blood of saints was found in their garments. And when her followers found that she had only the form or name of apostles and prophets without the power, she said, we have no further need of apostles, they have done their work and miracles have ceased. Oh, thou blood-guilty, "lying," Gentile christianity! thy lineage takes hold of the mother of abominations, clothed in scarlet! How great will be the severity of God's judgments upon all that are accessory to modern christianity, except they repent and obey the gospel!
She has also changed the ordinances. Where is now the ordinance of anointing with oil? Where the ordinance of imposition of hands? The healing of the sick is given up to medical men, whose reliance is on anything but thepowerand established ordinance of God. Is it not written for the benefit of the sick, that they should call for theeldersof the church, whose duty it is to "anoint the sick with oil and lay on hands and theyshall recover?" Now the consequence of changing thisone ordinanceof the Bible to the medical nostrums of men, is the literal death of thousands, who change the ordinance and contribute to make this whole earth theburying groundof nations.
Sir, may I not significantly ask, will the priests of the day return unto the Lord and teach his "law and his testimony," or will they with hearts of stone see the inhabitants of the earth perish under the curse of "trusting inmedicalman and making flesh an arm?"
The prophet Isaiah says, the consequence of changing the ordinances is, to make the earth empty and desolate! But this is not the only ordinance that is changed. By laying on hands for the gift of the Holy Spirit, the authority to prophecy, speak with new tongues, and cast out devils, is conferred. Now, unless boasting christianity has secured peace and fellowship with the devil, it is of much importance to know how to cast him out. Unless they have wisdom and power, and the spirit of prophecy, to supersede the need of the Holy Spirit, it is very essential to observe the ordinances by which, alone, it is conferred.
But it is certain, that if the Holy Spirit, in all its supernatural office-work of miraculous omnipotence and wisdom, does not come and reign on the earth, then the kingdom of God will never come on the earth as it exists in heaven. But the scriptures assure us that the kingdom of God will break in pieces all other kingdoms, and be established on earth, even as it is in heaven, and the palace of God (tabernacle) be in the midst of the human family.
The Holy Ghost is the grand agent by which the different orders of priesthood, have all their authority, wisdom, and power, to teach and administer the laws and ordinances of heaven to men on earth. The "MANIFOLD WISDOM OF GOD" flows through these orders of priesthood from heaven to earth. But modern christianity has abolished these orders of priesthood, as no longer necessary; consequently, the communications from heaven to earth have been stopped for nearlyeighteen hundred years; and fromthis cause, our race has witnessed the most appalling picture of the progress of crime and wretchedness, that has ever pervaded the earth since the dawn of creation. No man has sufficient knowledge of figures to enumerate THE MILLIONS that have been slain in war, since the Gentiles were cut off for unbelief. The pestilence has never slumbered since man rejected the healing ordinance of God, for the aid of physicians that are of no value. Famine has locked hands with pestilence, causingrot, andblast, andmildewto lead many to fear that God had repented himself of the "promised seed time and harvest."
The social virtues that ought to be and ever would be, under the reign of God, like salubrious breezes of heaven, have become like the antagonistic and forked teeth of apicking cylinder, that turned ever so much, will still bepickingeither in the offensive or defensive. The number of the oppressed is becoming so fearfully great and vast, that the captors know not where to find either room or keepers for their prisoners. The yoke of intolerance must have fresh iron fastenings of unheard of tenacity and rigour. The oppressor feels the danger of an awful outbreak from desperation that can be smothered no longer. The elements of revolution and self-destruction, are sown deep in every government, and in every religious and social system that has not for its basistruth, immediately and continually revealed from heaven!
Now, all this direful state of things is because that men have "forsaken God, the fountain of living waters, and hewn them out cisterns that can hold no water." "From the crown of the head to the soles of the feet," modern christianity, whether Protestant or Catholic, "is full of wounds and bruises, and putrifying sores."
The prophets and apostles foresaw the Gentile apostacy that would spread over the earth, under the plausible name of christianity, obliterating the knowledge of God, and "denying the power of God, and changing his laws and ordinances," till "gross darkness should cover the people." They saw the "mystery of iniquity" working, and boldly foretold the "falling away"—the exaltation of the man of sin,—the removal of the priesthood and light of truth from the seven churches of Asia,—the refusal to "teach all things that Jesus commanded,"—the irresistible fact, that men would not "endure sound doctrines," but would multiply discrepant teachers to suit "itching ears,"—the introduction of "damnable heresies," and the "doctrines of devils," and the church becoming like a blood-guilty "harlot," that had exterminated the whole order of apostles, and prophets, and spiritual gifts, and even denied the need of any such order of gifts and ministry as existed in the primitive church!
The first doctrine of the devil in the garden was that it was not necessary to obey God concerning a particular tree of the garden; and the same doctrine ofdevilshas,by inches and by piece-mealremoved and broken every command of Christ, and put bishops and doctors in the seats of apostles and prophets, and the ordinance of sprinkling infants, in place of baptism; virtually saying, "that God doth know," that without the aid of apostles and the gift of the Spirit by laying on of hands, you can know truthenough; and without baptism "for remission of sins," you can be forgiven through prayer at the altar.
Permit me, sir, in the conclusion to remind you of the reproof given by an inspired wise man. "Say not thou what is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this." The true and only rational revealed cause why modern christianity is so weak, contentious, discrepant, and so unlike the majestic, almighty christianity of apostolic days, is, becauseapostate uninspired men"HAVE TRANSGRESSED the LAWS, CHANGED the ORDINANCES, and BROKEN the EVERLASTING COVENANT." Therefore,the "earth is defiled under the inhabitants thereof.""Gentile" christianity will yet be compelled to come from the "ends of the earth and say, surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit."
And God has said, sir, because "your(Gentile)fathers have forsaken him and have not kept his law," "therefore," says God, "behold, I will this once cause them to know mine hand and my might, and they shall know that my name is the Lord." The land shall be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled; for the Lord hath spoken this word, the earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore, hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate; therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left."
In view of these things, dear sir, my fervent prayer is, that you and all my brethren in the sectarian ministry will, from this day forth, stay their hand and voice from upholding modernboastingchristianity—that is a "stink" in the nose of Jehovah—that isdepopulating the earth and abrogating the laws, and ordinances of God, and sin no more, and thereby follow the humble example of
Your obedient servant,
ORSON SPENCER.
THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF AN APOSTOLIC CHURCH.
Liverpool, August28, 1847.
Reverend and Dear Sir,—The next subject in the order of my promise, contained in my first letter to you, is, THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF AN APOSTOLIC CHURCH, after the similitude and power of the primitive church. Such an occurrence as this, truly demands proof of a palpable and satisfactory order, which, by the help of God, I will proceed to give you.
The beloved apostle John, who survived many of his fellow-labourers in the gospel, and saw many damnable heresies coming into the church, and making havoc of all the faithful, and even the seven most faithful churches in all the earth probably, right under his own faithful supervision, yielding to APOSTACY, and going over to Satan. This apostle, dear sir, in his solitary grief, was shewn, by revelation from God, the RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TRUE CHURCH, with such wrath and vengeance following its wake, as should make an utter end of wickedness, give the righteous a thousand years rest, cleanse the earth by blood and burning, and bind the devil until the "little season."
Now mark, sir, the emphatic words of this apostle before he left the earth, concerning what he saw would come in the last days. Hear now with a fixed ear, and an unbiassed determined purpose to believe, and abide the declaration of your own apostle John. Now to the momentous words that cheered the few banished persecuted Saints, that survived the bloody hand of Gentile apostacy. Says he:—"I saw another angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people; saying, Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come."
There is no obscurity about this language. It is quite as intelligible and free from ambiguity as the language that predicted the marvellous manner of the coming of Christ, which, however, men would not understand, through prejudice. "Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son," &c.
Now, sir, is it at all incredible that an angel should come to men? Or is it incredible that he should come soaring, or "flyingin the midst of heaven to earth?" You certainly believe, that Jesus Christ and Elijah soared from the earth up through the air, or visible heavens. Is it not also credible, that God should employ an angel to carry a message to the nations? And as God ministered the law by angels to one man, Moses, for a whole nation, even so the angel that John saw, would minister his gospel message to someparticularman, and that man should bear it to the nations of the earth.
Now, to what man might we expect an angel would bring such a message of vast importance? A great and wise man, or obscure and ignorant, or an old or young man? If we look at the past, we shall find that John was a boisterous fellow, from the wilderness, that had no fellowship for any existing religion whatever. He struck the axe deep at the root of every religious organization, notwithstanding there were, probably, some good men in every sect, but they were in error. This man, sir, was first and chief pioneer to the Lord of life.
And who comes next to receive a message for all nations, and hold the keys of revelation for all nations? Now, reverend sir, fix the eye of your mind steadily upon him. And who is he? An honest, hardy, illiterate, bold, rough fisherman, that perhaps never saw the inside of a gentleman's drawing-room. Here, sir, is the wisdom of God and confusion for man. But to return. Who is the man, to whom the angel shall give the gospel message of all nations, in the last days, according to the vision of John, the revelator? Let God, the Holy One of all the earth, speak in this matter, and let all the ends of the earth believe HIS holy word.
The Lord God of all flesh, sir, by the mouth of his servant Zechariah, tells us precisely what kind of man this angel would speak to, and give the gospel, in the last dispensation. Speaking of the two great events (the building of Zion and Jerusalem, in the last days), Zechariah, with his ear open to the revelation of the same great event as John's was, says he heard the mandate of the Almighty to the angel, saying, "Go and speak to thatyoungman."
Here we have it, sir, in the language and testimony of God himself, by the mouths of his two servants, John, the revelator, and Zechariah. John saw, after much inquiry before God about the restoration of the gospel to the earth, in clear vision, the angel in his downward flight through the heavens to earth, and also heard him proclaim his errand, and the message of joy and wo to the nations of the last days. The other servant of God, Zechariah, like John, equally intent to know whether the true gospel ever would triumph in all the earth, and wickedness come to an end, had the happiness to see the angel, at the end of his downward flight, place his feet upon the earth, and witness the finger of God raised, and pointing the angel to ayoungman, saying, "Go speak to thatyoungman."
Now, sir, that you may be convinced beyond controversy, I will beg your attention to the marvellous coincidence between the matter of fact, as related by a guilelessyoungman, and the declaration of John and Zechariah; but first, you must readily admit, that according to the testimony of two prophets of God, an angel must come down through the midst of heaven to earth, insomeperiod of the last days, subsequent to the lifetime of John, with such a gospel as was not on the earth; and that angel must communicate his gospel message to some certainyoungman which the finger of God should point out to the angel.
Now, was the young man Josephtheman, or look we for another? His testimony concerning the angel that he saw, and the message that he received, if you will read it, coincides perfectly with what the two prophets had long since declared should take place. He was, indeed, an illiterate and obscure youth of seventeen, of humble parentage, from the mountains of Vermont; but was he any less fit to receive such a message than any other youth, because he was illiterate or poor, or obscure, or rough and vulgar? This simple country youth told a tale of what he had seen and heard, in the face of all the broad blazing science and christianity of the nineteenth century; but was he any less likely to betheyouth that the prophets saw and spoke of on that account? Was it a marvellous tale that he told? so likewise was the tale that the Virgin Mary told about heroffspring as begotten of Godthe Father. Did the message that Joseph received, lead him to disfellowship all the religious systems of the day, as incompatible with the primitive pattern? so did Jesus, with the religions of his day. But lest some lingering doubt should remain upon your mind, whether the young man Joseph was the identical youth spoken of by the prophets just named, you shall have other proofs until reason is satisfied.
The prophet Daniel being greatly beloved of God, and of great faith, saw this scene of the visitation of the angel to theyoungman, and the laying of the corner-stone of a millennial kingdom, and the time of its organization, and calculated the same, to a day, as will be developed in due time. Job wished that his words, or revelations and history, were written with a pen of iron (the engraver's tool) and laid in a rock. Now many of the prophets that lived and suffered on the American continent, and settled that continent about the time of the destruction of Jerusalem under Zedekiah, also wishedtheirwords written and laid in rock or stone. By great faith they obtained permission to have their records and prophecies laid up instone, being neatly engraved with a pen of iron, on plates of the most enduring metal. Daniel saw thisstonethat contained the records, and spoke of it. Now this stone, containing the words of these prophets of that "other fold" spoken of by Christ, had been buried about fourteen hundred years previous to its discovery, probably to a considerable depth in the earth, in what was then called the mountain of Cumorah. Daniel's language is very remarkable in regard to the manner in which thisstone, with its contents, and connexion with the angelic message, should come forth "outof the mountainwithout hands." The stone probably, in consequence of the wear of the elements upon the earth under the guidance of God, was gradually resurrected from the depths of its burial, until it was literallyoutof the mountain, and visible without the aid of hands.
Oh! how marvellous, literal, and exact the fulfilment of Daniel's prophecy! THE MOUNTAIN! THE VISIBILITY OF THE LONG BURIED STONE WITHOUT HANDS! The contents of this stone, long harped upon by commentators, joined with the whole of the angelic message foreseen by John and Zechariah, were to lay the foundation of a kingdom that should extend over the whole earth, and break in pieces all others, and never be thrown down. Daniel not only saw the stone, and mountain, andyoungman, and the whole beginning of this latter-day work, and calculated the precise year and day of the month when the kingdom (not the coming of Christ) should be set up; but he describes the small and weak governments into which the four great universal governments should be divided and subdivided. The governments that should exist on the earth when this stone should be brought to light, would be, in comparison with the four universal and potent governments of previous ages, as the numerously divided toes of a man's feet in magnitude to his body.
When Jesus Christ came to organize the kingdom, the Romish government was universal, and all the world were required to be taxed for its support; consequently Daniel did not speak ofhisorganization, which all the apostles saw and declared would be overcome. But he saw that the kingdom which Christ would never take from the earth would be set up, when the image of great kingdoms would be reduced to the simile of mere toes, or petty kingdoms, just such as exist all over the earth now—weak and small, and huddled together as thick as some of the supernumerary toes of the feet of some ancient prodigies.
The kingdoms of this world, just precisely like the religions of this world, are small, very numerous and contentious—all the present governments of the earth being based on mixed, heterogenous, and discordant principles, will readily crumble, like dry clay, before the march of truth, until the dust thereof is carried away, and these kingdoms and diversified religions are known only in the past. You, sir, know very well whether the signs of the times fully indicate the tottering state, and general disruption of all the governments of the earth. But before I close this part of my subject, I will still multiply the testimony of the prophets even further upon it.
Omitting Ezekiel, I will next introduce the testimony of Isaiah. This prophet has probably said more on the re-establishment of the church in the last days, and the surpassing glory of it than any other, and deserves rather to be read as a whole than suffer mutilation from a single extract or two. How any man can read Isaiah's testimony and not see that an extraordinary scene, just like the one I have been describing, was in full vision before him, it is difficult to explain, except their hearts are waxed gross and dull to perceive, and the veil remains untaken away in reading the Old Testament prophecies.
Instead of citing passages of scripture verbatim, I will here name topics, which Isaiah distinctly exhibited, bearing directly upon the subject at issue. First, he speaks unequivocally of an extraordinary BOOK, and says it would be a "sealedbook," that neither the learned or unlearned could read. Second, in the context, he gives a cutting rebuke, because there is no prophet or seer to read it; and administers a most withering reproof to the religious world, that draw near to Him with their lips, and honour Him with their mouths only; and for lack of the spirit ofrevelation and prophecy, resort to their own ingenuity of teaching the fear of the Lord by human precepts. Third, he says, the "vision" of all is become as a BOOK that is sealed which cannot be read. How is this, sir, that the prophecies and revelations ofallare locked up in a book, that neither learned nor unlearned can read, and the men that uttered them, prophets and seers, are covered—shut out from the knowledge of mankind?
The visions of the Old and New Testament are so plainly legible in many books, that he who runs may read. Those who had these latter visions, instead of being covered or unknown, are well known, and preached every Sabbath day. Don't shrink from this issue, sir, but meet it like one who feels his destiny to be suspended on a correct faith in revealed truth. What mysterious collection of visions, arranged into the form of a BOOK, that no uninspired man can read, IS THIS? It must be the visions ofsomeprophets and seers, that have lived and prophesied tosomepeople, that have now faded from the knowledge of men. Mankind is ignorant of them. And when the BOOK, that contains theirrecordsis found (taken out of the earth, as I shall show by Isaiah's testimony), no man can read it or is the wiser for it (unless God reveals it).
Now, sir, as you are a teacher, professing to be sent from God, I again ask, whose visions are all these, so curiously wrapped up in a BOOK, and sealed too, and kept hid from the knowledge of mankind? You will not deny that the prophet saw abook, containing important records of some certain unknown prophets and seers. But if you believe the prophet, as I know you do, and humbly acknowledge, that you cannot tell what this mysterious BOOK of RECORDS means; then, by the spirit and blessing of God, I will further endeavour to show that it is the same that the angel announced to the young man Joseph.
This mysterious BOOK of records was found in that identicalstone, spoken of by Daniel the prophet. The prophets and seers, whose records constitute that book, lived among a mighty nation on the American continent, whose history is as important as that of other continents in its place.
Another topic dwelt upon by Isaiah is, that "truth" (plainly alluding to this book of inspired records) should "speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be lowout of the dust, and thy voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar spiritout of the ground, and thy speech shall whisperout of the dust."
Is it a marvellous thing that this wonderful book of the visions of all the American seers should be so skilfully entombed instone, and then buried in the earth? Where should they have deposited it, so that it could have answered the purpose intended, so well as in the ground? How could the STONE, containing it, ever have been CUT OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN WITHOUT HANDS, if it had never been putinto the mountain? Isaiah says, the people should be besieged and broughtlow(nearly all were slain), but by the records of their seers should, after a long time, speakoutof the ground, and their records should be as the voice of a familiar spirit. Who, sir, that has read them does not clearly perceive that they speak familiarly of things past, present, and to come? So truly do these records speak of what shall transpire, after the BOOK has been shewn to them, that many have slanderously said, that it was written by an eye witness of the things spoken of. It speaks also of the ruins of cities—of antiquities since discovered on the American continent, by travellers and antiquarians, that have excited the curiosity and wonder of the world.
This Book of Mormon, is one of the most unexceptionable and God-honouring books that was ever published to the world. An uninspired man might as well attempt to originally compose the Old and New Testament, as it. Its language (the best butt of cavaliers) is said not to harmonize with the philological rules of the nineteenth century. One word in reply. Peter and John were illiterate men, who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, and their language was accredited to unlearned men by their hearers. Now, if redundant and ungrammatical language may be the medium through which the Holy Ghost communicates by men in speaking, may it not with equal propriety be employed inwriting, by a similar class of men? It is not denied, that there is something wonderful about all this matter. The prophet Isaiah considered it wonderful, when he calls it a "marvellous work: a marvellous work and a wonder." "The wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid." All the learned commentaries of divines, as this gospel advances, shall be buried in oblivion, as so much rubbish.
God declares, by the same prophet, that he has seen the wickedness of the wicked, and the oppression of the poor and upright, until he rises up to "do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act." He warns men against making a mock of this strange and marvellous work, lest their "bands be made strong," for he has "decreed a consumption upon the whole earth." This is what John also says;—"The hour of His judgment" is measurably simultaneous with the proclamation of the gospel. Habakkuk, the prophet, told men to wait for this same vision of American prophets, written on tables (tabular plates), which would be a long time before it made its appearance; but it would "surely come," because God had promised these seers that a remnant of their seed, on that continent, should be saved. No pen can describe the joy and exultation that they must have felt in obtaining such a promise, or the bliss now experienced by them in the fulfilment of it. But for the fulfilment of this promise, none of them or their righteous contemporaries would ever have been made perfect.
Oh! how great the goodness and mercy of God to every nation, without respect of persons! How great, too, the indebtedness of this generation to Almighty God for that most precious "stone" of prophetic records, that reveals at once the history of the American continent—a continent of otherwise unfathomable antiquities and wonders—a land that embowels the bones of a numerous and mighty race of people, with all their implements of husbandry and of art! Where, also, are the ruins of splendid cities, the former glory of which might surpass even gigantic London! Within that stone, too, was written with a pen of iron, as infallibly as the marks on Belshazzar's palace, the future destiny of the American people.
In conclusion, do you ask if the Apostolic Church is again re-established, where is it? I reply, it is in the mountains where the Lord's House is to be built in the last days. Driven by the cruel hand of persecution to the very place where the Lord has declared He will "hidethem till the indignation be overpast." Do you also ask what kind of organization this Church has? The answer is, the same as that of the Apostolic Church in the days of Peter, consisting of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, &c.; with the gifts of healing, tongues, interpretation, casting out devils, prophesyings, &c. Do you ask who has seen any of these miraculous fruits of this Church? I answer ahundred thousandliving witnesses are ready to testify that the "signs" which Christ said "shall follow them that believe,"do, in very deed, follow believers inthisChurch. Do you say, are they credible witnesses? They were generally accounted credible persons, until they believed and obeyed this gospel. Do their lives show that they do sincerely believe and love the apostolic gospel which they profess? Nothing as yet, has been able to separate them from it; neither home nor country, nor the inheritances of their fathers, nor penury or reproach, or evil report, or cold, or nakedness, and no certain dwelling-place for years!
I now close this simple and unembellished statement of truth, being written in a state of convalescence from severe sickness, hoping a portion of your inquiries will have been satisfactorily answered,
Your friend and servant,
ORSON SPENCER.
THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD.
Liverpool, September13, 1847.
Reverend and Dear Sir,—In this epistle I shall endeavour to set before you a description of the person, abode, and character of THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD. In so doing I trust it will not be imputed to arrogance if I borrow my apology from the language of St. Paul:—"As I passed by I beheld an altar with this inscription, 'To the Unknown God.' Whom ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you."
The people of Paul's day had for several generations been unaccustomed to receive revelations from the true God, believing, generally, that revelations from God had ceased with Malachi. They supposed that the canon of scripture was complete long before their time, and they considered that the great law-giver, Moses, had established an immutable code of laws and government, suited to the condition of people of all ages and circumstances whatever, to the end of time; and the Jews, to this very day, entertain the same opinion.
Labouring under this most blighting and soul-darkening opinion for several centuries, without the light of any new revelation, and without the aid of that immediate inspiration which attended Moses and the prophets, their foolish hearts became darkened as a necessary consequence. Inflated with pride, and a false but sincere reverence for the scriptures of a previous age, they became a conspicuous and warning example to this generation of ignorance, not only of the scriptures, which they carefully memorized, but also of all the essential attributes of the person, character, and doctrine of God.
Now, sir, during the long period of sixteen or eighteen hundred years, in which the light of immediate revelation has not shone, the religious world have fallen into similar and even far greater darkness. The true and living God is not known as I shall proceed to show.
The religious world have an abundance of zeal for God, and diligence in spreading the scriptures and their missionaries over the face of the earth; but, alas! the God they profess to worship is an unknown God, and this ignorance of God is the legitimate consequence of not having immediate revelation from him, during alongperiod of near eighteen hundred years; and unaided by the spirit of inspiration, the ancient scriptures have become a dark and obscure book—their import has been warmly debated by a thousand learned disputants, without any prospect of approximation to unity.
A very general conviction concerning the character of God now is, that He is a Being without body, or parts, or passions. A greater absurdity cannot be furnished in all the annals of heathenism. Even images of wood, and brass, and stone, are scarcely more remote from the picture of the true God, than the theory of a passionless, matterless God—an inconceivable sort of chaotic being, that is without form, or void, or dwelling place! a being whose circumference is everywhere, and his centre nowhere!
Another theory concerning God, that is entertained by Jewish Rabbies, though of an opposite character, is not much more extravagant than the common orthodox theory, viz, the Rabbies suppose that God is a Being of some "millions of miles in length."
Again, the popular notion of modern Jews, as expressed in a recent number of theJewish Chronicle, is, that the Almighty God is a Being of such infinitedimension, that He cannotcondensehimself sufficiently to speak to men, or be tangible or visible by mortals. Accordingly, when he gives revelation to men, He creates a fictitious or imaginary messenger, through whom he communicates his will, and this messenger has no real existence in the eye of God, andonlyin the momentary perception of the person addressed.—(SeeMillennial StarNo. 15, alsoJewish Chronicle.)
From the foregoing it may be seen how grossly ignorant both Jews and Christians are of the person of God, the Creator and Saviour of the world! All this, too, in an age of the world boasting of blazing light! of a millennial dawn! of the unparalleled march of improvement! but, alas! the very God and Father of us all, who ought to betrulyknown in order to be rightly worshipped, is regarded as the most insensible (a God without "passion" must be insensible), and irrational, and unattractive as to form, of all beings that can be conceived of; and the most surprising feature in all modern theology in an age of sanity is, that this notion concerning the person of God, is deducible from the scriptures of the Old and New Testament.
The New Testament tells us most unequivocally what kind of person God has, and whether he is a Being having both passion and physical form. It tells whether he can be so "condensed" as to speak to men, and be seen of them, and talk to them face to face, as a man talks to his fellow man. The New Testament declares that in Jesus Christ dwelt the "FULNESS OF THE GODHEAD, BODILY."
Now, if the Godhead dwelt in the body of Christ, then it is certain that God is not without abody. But He has a body; and what is His body like unto? The New Testament tells us what His body is like. It is so nearly and exactly like unto the body of Christ, that there is no difference. Paul says, that Christ was the "express image of his person." It is then beyond all dispute that the body and person of Jesus Christ and the Father are alike. Language cannot express the similitude of the Father and the Son in plainer or stronger terms. Then, if we can show from the New Testament what kind of body or person Jesus Christ had, we can also tell what kind of body the Father has, because they are alike. One is the express image of the other. If one has a fleshy material body, the other has the same. If one resembles in stature the seed of the woman, the other also wears the same resemblance. If one can be so "condensed" as to speak and walk, and feel and act like a man, the other can do the same. If one wearing a body of flesh and bones, in all points like unto his brethren, is capable of holding all power in heaven and earth, and also of displaying the brightness of celestial glory, the other can do the same in a similar body of flesh and bones.
Well, now, what kind of body or person had Jesus Christ, which looked so much like the Father's person? Was it an airy, invisible, evanescent, mysticalnothing, which some would denominate spirit? No, by no means; very much otherwise. Hearken now, my dear sir, and all ye readers, that have an honest desire toknowthe living and true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, in order that men might know from the person of the Son what is the personal appearance of the Father. He, "the Word, was made flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth." Jesus had a fleshly form like the seed of Abraham, and being begotten of the Father he partook of his likeness. Men beheld his glory in human form, and Paul says that his glory was the glory of the Father.
It appears from the conduct of some of his disciples, that they, like sectarian churches now, were tinctured with the idea that Christ, after his death and resurrection, was purely and exclusively aSpirit; but he tells them to handle him and see that "a Spirit has not flesh and bones as ye see me have." And he eat and drank with them as aforetime with his resurrected body, and afterwards ascended up from their midst with the same bloodless body into heaven; and in like manner will he come again.
Thus, sir, the notion of a God that is exclusivelySpiritwithout bodily form, was banished from the minds of the disciples that saw the bodily image of the Father in the person of the Son after his resurrection. From heaven he will come again in like manner, and every eye shall see him, and they that have pierced him. But the popular God of modern times, that has no body or parts, cannot be seen. But, sir, this popular God that has sprung into fashion, since the age of revelation, has no resemblance to Jesus Christ, who has both body and parts, and is the exact image of his Father. Jesus Christ declared that he could exercise all power in heaven and earth while he was in the body. His Father could do the same, because they were alike. It required no extraordinarycondensationof the infinity of Jesus in order to reveal himself to men, or in order that men should behold his glory.
But we have other proofs that the person of God the Father is like the bodily form of Christ's resurrected person. God has declared that man is in his image. Man was created in the image of God, and in the likeness of God; and the bodies of holy men are destined to be like unto Christ's own most glorious body; that is as much as to say that they are like the body of Christ in the heavenly state.
If the foregoing, and many other similar passages of scripture, do not go to show that the Supreme Being bears a personal appearance like unto the person of his Son, and consequently like unto any other resurrected body of a righteous man, then we are in a labyrinth of doubt how to interpret the most plain and unequivocal language. If the language of scripture does not bear me out in the conclusion that man is in the form of God, then there are no infallible way-marks or criteria by which I can safely interpret scriptures. And the votaries of Vishnoo have as good scriptural reason to believe in their theory of deific annihilation, as others have to believe in a God without body, or parts, or passions.
The scriptures plainly deny both theories, as they do that God is a person some millions of miles in the height of his stature. Common sense cannot grasp the idea of anybeingorthingwhatever, that is without body or parts. Even the most subtle and refined spirit conceivable, is amaterial existenceas far removed from immateriality as the east is from the west.
Now, sir, suffer me to entreat you to abandon all such crude theories concerning God, which are as baseless and unscriptural as the most extravagant vagaries of the heathen, and confine your faith to the simple obvious testimony of Jesus and the prophets. And remember that this is not a subject of little importance; for it is written, that,to know God and Jesus Christ is eternal life. No man can understand the import of eternal life, nor how it is secured to believers, that does notknow Godand Jesus Christ. In God and Christ is eternal life. This life is not barely the perpetuity of existence, for even the wicked exist for ever, but it is called in scripture the "powerof endless life." Thispowerof multiplying or creating life emanated in that Melchizedek priesthood of which Jesus is the head and High Priest. This is the gift of God to men who keep his commandments, and the greatest of all gifts. Unsearchable riches accompany this gift. When God created man, he created him in his own image (male and female), in order that he too might have the power of multiplying life after the order of Melchizedek, through obedience.
Now, sir, should it not be a matter of delight to you, that man is created in the image of God, and crowned with glory and honour through faith in Christ. Will not Peter and his fellow-desciples rejoice to recognise that same Jesus who ascended to heaven with a body like their own, and if Jesus bears the image of the Father, they will be equally familiar with the Highest. What is there, sir, that contributes more to the glory of God than hiscreative power, by which he brings myriads of living intelligences into being, through whom a chaotic universe is organized into works of beauty, taste, grandeur, and glory? All these creations are for the righteous pleasure of Him who created them.
We all are the offspring of God, and the loyal offspring of God are the greatest delight and concern of God. For them he is ever ready to make the greatest sacrifice possible. Not only is filial reverence displayed from them to Him, the fountain of life, but by them is shown forth the manifold wisdom and power of God. And when men, by humble obedience, become worthy of eternal life, the Almighty bestows upon them the like preciouscreative gift. But this gift of life is in his Son, and He never bestows it upon unworthy subjects. Thus by the law of adoption men become the sons and daughters of the Almighty, and receive the priestly "power of endless life," which is after the order of the Son of God. Hence the marvellous language of scripture, "I said ye are God's to whom the word of God came." Jesus virtually said on one occasion, "If holy men are the sons of God, and consequently heirs to His throne, privileges, and glory, then marvel not that I (Jesus) should claim to be a God or the Son of God!" For Paul says, "there be in heaven Gods many, and Lords many, yet to us there is but one God. Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge."
In conclusion, I will drop a passing remark or two concerning the abode or dwelling place of God, with a brief hint of his moral attributes. As Jesus is our light and example, we can learn of the Father's abode from his Son. The Son ascended up intoheavenand to his God and our God. The scriptures abundantly declare that a place calledheavenis the peculiar dwelling place of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, if heaven is not aliteral, bona fide place, but only an imaginary phantom, then it follows that Jesus went to no place, but continued to ascend up, till, in his glorious flight, He reached— shall I call it Nichban—an imaginary phantom—or annihilation!
Be not displeased, dear sir, I am not trifling with your religion, but am bound by truth and the love of God, to unfold its naked absurdity, in order that you, my beloved friend, and all good men may recoil from such gross Gentile vagaries, and exclaim, in the language of scripture, "Our Fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit." If you will read carefully the scripture accounts of the visions of holy men, that have been permitted to look in upon the heavenly residence of God, where Jesus and all the resurrected bodies of the righteous abide, and eat and drink, you will be constrained to acknowledge every appearance of a splendid local abode. Mansions—streets—rivers—trees—precious metals —thrones—persons—apparel—animals—ministering personages in all the courtly livery of unspeakable celestial glory! The heaven of all the holy prophets!
God's holy dwelling place, is literal, local, real, and to its occupants, it is visible and tangible. It is by no means a matterless, passionless, mystical region of extatic and endless songs from the lips of immaterial spirits, offered in praise to some Great Spirit, equally passionless and immaterially chaotic, spreading infinitely through all space without centre or circumference. If such is the God that men expect to adore in heaven, mankind would present but a faint image of him, yea, even Jesus, who partook of man's likeness, could not have been the brightness of the Father's glory, and express image of his person. He declares that He has given us an image and likeness of himself in the person of man. But who would ever recognise their Father and Jesus in the person of a boundless, centreless being, of no body or parts, infinitely expanded.
But it is sometimes urged that man only resembles God in his moral attributes. Morally, says the divine and doctor, man bears the image of God. Aye, indeed! The absurdity of such a supposition is still greater. By moral, I must then understand, that the resemblance between God and man, consists in their being of like social, civil, and religious temperament and affection. Other things being equal, a holy man as Adam originally was, would cherish the same propensities with God—have a similar sense of justice and truth according to the measure of knowledge belonging to each. But the absurdity and query are here: an immaterial, infinitely expanded God, without physical form and locality, is as unlike to man as light to darkness, or as the most diverse animals can be supposed to be, and cannot in the nature of things have those sympathies and moral sensibilities that man has. Material sensibilities must differ from those which are immaterial, as much as the elements of land and water differ.
My sheet being full, allow me to subscribe myself
Your friend and servant,
ORSON SPENCER.