Presidency And Priesthood

INTRODUCTION.

It is thought advisable that, in the publication of the second edition of " Presidency and Priesthood," an introductory clrnpter be inserted as an ait1 to the reader, in more

i;eadily determining the subject-matter in hand. It should

be borne in mind that this book is intended to instruct

rather than to nmuse, --to impart valuable information and

stimulate Biblical criticism, rather than to be idly read for

pastime and present gratification and pleasure. It is a

means to an encl, a key to the so1Yi11g of many vexed questions of theological controversies, and the understanding of

the Bible and the various religious sects and denominations

extant.

The religious world is \:resented before the reader as in a

mirror, before an open Bible, viewed in the light and

demands of the times. The investigator will become more

and more i11tcrc,;tcc1 as he peruses the volume, aEd _both the

learned aml the unlearned may read it with rdreshing interest

and profit. The first chapters are said to be least attractive

to the cr.smtl reader, or those who have not thought extensively upon the subjects discussed; yet they are necessary to

the full t11J(lerstanding of the matter prcseute(l, so the reader

may push on hopefully, with the assurance that more attractive pnges nre fast crowding upon him.

This is an age of book-making, ngitation, and thought;

and " Presidency and Priesthood" aclds one more volume to

the many, and wl10eYer carefnlly rPacls it will be amply

rewarded(l for his time and effort. The commendations, from

those competent of jrnlging, amply sm;tain tliis secomingly

flattering statement. It is intended to aid one in the examwww.LatterDayTruth.org

x INTRODUCTION.

ination of his own, as well as the faith of others, that he

may be the better prepared to giYe " an answer to every

man that asketh yon a reason of the hope that is in you,

with meekness and fear." ( 1 Peter iii. 15.) Said St. Paul,

" Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove

your own selves." ( 2 Cor. xiii. 5.)

The subjects of paramount importance discussed are, the

administrative authority in revealed religion, or the priesthoods upon which rested the systems of faith and ·worship

both under the old and new covenants, or the church

under Moses, and that under Christ. Their respective

origins and distinctive characteristics, in organization, doctrine, ·ethics, spirit, etc., are discussed :,it length; especially

is the church of Christ, as set forth in the New Testament,

with its distinctive authority, organization, and system of

worship, held out as the ideal church, and put in contrast

with all others, with a view of more easily (1etermining the

true order of worship.

The question of authority and right is of first consideration in all governments, whether religious or civil. All

institutions, of whatever name, must be clothed with an

administrative authority and constitutional right, in order to

achieve success. Upon what docs this or that organization

rest, whctlicr of church or State, are questions of the highest

importance. \Vlience the authority in the State an.1 whence

that in religion, have always been questions of great moment

and c1cep solicitude mnong men.

To illustrate, I will use our own government, as it is most

familiar. lt is fonnded upon the suffrage of the people.

Every citizen is a crowned king. \v-lmt the people elect is

binding aml cannot be changed. Their Yoice is the authority

of the government, the constitution and lnws. \Yhat they

approve is in force, and what they forbid is prohibited. By

common consent, the authority resident in the people is

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INTRODuCTlON. Xl

delegated and concentrated for practical ends in the government, which is regulated by the constitution ancl laws. Thus

·provision is made for the establishment of the government,

ils allministration and perpetuity. Ilut every citizen is not

an officer, a qualified ac1mi:iistrator of the law, whatever

other ri::)1ts anc1 priYilegcs be may enjoy Persons who

are elected or appo;ntccl to fill t:1e various stations or offices

in the government arc its 0:1ly representatives, those who

can speak in its name,- ::ud r:one others can. In point of

authority and ofrice, the ofllccr is greater than the citizen.

Hence, the President, Yice-President, jndges, secretaries,

representatives, etc., ::ire empowered to do what the mere

citizen cannot clo; nll(l, withont this authorization, the efforts

of the most gifted and r,stute of rne1\ woukl be but presumptuous nml futile. It i:: also true thnt evcrJ ambassador

to a forei{:in conrt mnst b:; c1uly authorized privates the government, before speaking in its name or transacting business

for it ; and all persons of foreign birth are nliens to the goYernment of the l~uited States. Hence, no Frenchman, Englishman, Hussian, German, Turk, Persian, or wh~ct not, can

be n citizen of the lT nit:x1 except he complies fnlly

with the hws enacted by which he may be made such, administered by an authorized agent of the goyernment, who may

speak in its name.

Further, re apply for citizenship and

comply perfectly witl1 all the forms of tL.c law, fa~ke the oath

of al1ministered lJy one of the most learned and

capable of men; and if the uuthority to act l1il1 not

rcsiLle iu scti(l h<1mlui,,trntor, tlH; "·hole transaction 1yould be

is still a Ile lws :oimply been imI t 1•rntters i,ot h(rn' honc:ot cf purpose and

inuocent of i11~1..~=-~t~u-1 he inny h~rYe been, or ho-'\Y 1nuch con=

fideuee he impo,,ed in ihe one who uclrninistcred the oath and

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Xll IXT!cODCCTION.

gave him his papers, nor how much money he paid- for the

services renderell; he has simply been imposed upon. He is

yet an alien. If he desires citizenship, he must yet go to a

competent ofiicer of the government, and be duly initiated,

or forcwer remain a foreigner. Even an ordinary instrument

of writing, such as a bonr1, deerl, mortgage, marriage certificate, etc., must be executed lJy an otllcer dnly authorized

under the laws to perform said acts, or they are of no Yalne.

They may be made out accon1ing to due forms of law, but

even then it is necessary that they bear the signature of a

properly appointed magistrate, in order that they may be

vafal.

\\That is· true in this respect of the State is true also con ..

cerning the church, except it be in regard to the source

from wh: nee the authority is derived, that of the State originating with the people and that of the church with God; so,

without didne appointment and autho1 ization, no church has

a just claim upon the conscience of the people. They must

know that Go(1 anthorized aml approves their system of worship, in order to inspire within them faith and reverence for it.

This was true under the old covenant. God descended

upon Mount Sinai in burning fire, and from out. of the thick

cloud and thunderings and lightnings, the trembling of the

earth and sound of the trumpet, the voice of the unseen

King was heanl uttering the diYine mandates. Israel stood

still. wrapped in awe and reverence. "J\Ioscs spake, and

Goel answered him by a voice." The people heard. Under

the superlative grandeur and majesty of this scene every

Israelite ·was mat1e to know that the seal of Jehovah was

upon his relig.ion, ancl that Goel was with J'\Ioses. :For the

authorization and establishment of the religious services,

the Lord said unto J\foses, ''Take thou unto thee Aaron thy

brother, arnl bis sons with him, from among the children of

Israel, that he may minbter unto me in the priest's office,

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INTHODUCTION. Xlll

even Aaron, Nadab and Abihn, Eleazer and Ithamar,

Aaron's sons." (Ex. xxviii. 1.) They were consecrated t,o an

'' everlasting priesthood throughout their generations."

EEx. x. 15.) The organization took form in the offices of

the priesthood, which was the administrative authority of the

constituted service, and "' whole tribe was set apart as ad"

ministrators. The Aaronic or Levitical priesthood was the

authority to which every officer was consecrated, and by

which lie was authorized to act in the name of Goel and the

people, withont 1vhich their acts were mere presumption, to

be met with reprimand and rejection. God was\the author

of the service, and selected men to serve, and authorizell

them to speak in his name.

A similar exhibition of infallible proofs of certainty and

divine appointment and authority obtained 'unde1 .. the new

covennnt by Christ. A new priesthood and a new order of

worsl11p required to be established by the same divine hand,

that it might haw a proper claim upon the people; for a

religion without Goel in it is no religion, naught but glittering show, to end m disappointment to its devotees. Hence

the announcement made l>y Jolrn the Baptist, ''Repent ye: for

the kingdom of heaven is at hand," challenged the consideration of the people nm1 the existing order of things in

his time among the sects, as chc1 the thunders of Sinai that

of Israel in the wilderness.

Old customs, traditions, and usages were drawing to a

close, notwithstanding they were firmly embedded in the

affections of the people. "The baptism of John, whence

was it? from heayen, or of men?" (::\Iatt. xxi. 26) was of

chief importance to the people. It was tlle question of

In this age the nnswer is easily giYen from the

New Testament, in the lang1rnge, "There was a man sent

from Goel, whose name was ,Jolin," but in its first mrnouncement that answer was not accepted by the religious leaders.

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xiv INTRODUCTION.

Under the old covenant, the Yoice of God was heard from

the burning, frowning, cloudy top of Sinai. But under the

new, with its message of peace and glad tidings to all men, it

was said to J olm in the silent shades of the wilderness tp

" go preach anc1 baptize." " And John barn record, saying, I

saw the Spirit descem1ing from heaven like a dove, and it

abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me

to baptize with water, the same said to me, Upon whom thou

shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the

same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw,

and bare record that this is the Son of God." (John i.

32-34.)

Upon the peaceful plains of Bethlehem, angels chanted the

coming of the new-born King. " I bri:!g you good tidings

of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is

born this clay in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ

the Lord." (Luke ii. 10, 11.)

In baptism, down upon the shores of the restive J orc1an, the

voice of God was heard: "This is my beloved Son." Again,

" Hear ye him." God speaking from a higher altitude than

Sinai, out of heaven itself. This King Immanuel announced,

"I come clown from heaven, not to do my own will, bnt the

will of him that sent me." (John vi. 38.) "The Father

·which sent me, he gave me a commandment, Ydmt I should say

and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting." (John xii. 49, 50.)

Thnt all the 1yorld might be placed under reasonable obligations to obey this message, by an appear to judgment,

conseience, affection, aud faith, Jesus said," lHy doctrine is

not but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he

r;h:ill know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I

speak of myself." (.folm vii. lG, 17.) Again," I will pray

the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he

mayabiclewithyou forever." (Johnxiv.16.) Thiswas to

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INTRODUCTION. XV

be the God in man, the seal of divine approval. So it is

written,'' 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." (Acts ii. 39.) "Ye may all prophesy one by

one." This cli"dne recognition was to abide with the believer

always.

This new service under the second J\Ioses took the place of

the old, bringing the people not as "unto the mount that might

be touched, and that burned with fire," but "unto :Mount

Sion, and unto the city of the liYing God, the heaYenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels."

"To the general assembly and church of the first-born,

which are written in heaven," etc. (Heb. xii. 18-23.) Jes us,

as the mediator of this new covenant, based upon better promises than the old, was made a high priest after th, order of

Melchisedek, was in his similitude. He announced, "I will

build my church." The organization took form in the offices

of the high priesthood, not in the Levitical as under Moses,

witli priests and Levites, but that of the l\'Ielchisedek: with

apostles and prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers,

etc., as the chief administrators, J esns himself being "the

apostle and high priest." He clothed his ministry with this

authority, and commanded them to speak "in the name of the

Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost"; gave them the

"keys of the kingdom," and power to bind and loose under

his seal. The complete organization ·was to be built up a

" spiritual house and an holy priesthood."

The great world stood to this new church in the light of

foreigner;; and aliens. ::\Ien were received into it by obeying its established laws of initiation, or were " translated

into the kingdom of his dear Son iJy those appoiut.ul administrators. (Col. i. 13.) So Paul wrnte, "Now we are

ambassadors for Christ." The new snbjects received were

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XVI INTHODUCTION.

zens - '' the seal of their adoption" - communion with

Goc1. So the authorized agents "·went forth and preached

eYerywhere, the Lord working ·with them, ancl confirming the

word with signs following." (l\Iark x.-i. 20.)

"\Vhen one set of offic-ers ceased, by death or otherwise,

their places were filled by others by diYine designation. So

Paul wrote, "As the Lord hath called every one, so let him

walk. And so ordain I in all the churches." (l Cor. viL

17.) " For how shall they preach, except they be sent? "

(Rom. x. 15.)

Thus the chnrch was represented by its accredited agents.

The first officers were not intended to remain always in

the clrnrch as its aclmiuistrators, no more than it was

intended that the first officers appointed in the civil government shonld remain as its perpetual servants. In either

case, a proper appointment aml commission was necessary,

in case of death or removal, in order tlet the government

might be perpetnatecl arnl the transactions be ·with authority and legal right. So \Ynshin6ton, ,J effcrson, Jackson,

and others have had their successors in the civil goYcrnment;

and it was intended that the apostles, prophets, etc., should

have theirs in the ecclesiastical government.

All foreigners were received into the church by obeying

the laws of adoption administered by its authorized agents,

who were entitled to speak and act in the name of Jesus

Christ; otherwise, their acts were assumptive i;nd invalid,

and God would not confirm the transactions by the seal of

his favor. Did anv one desire to unite with the church and J

conform to the laws of adoption, and the administrations were performed Ly one not authorized to act or

administer, the trnnsr:ction was held to be i1walid. The

party was yet an alien, and needed to go and be duly inductc(1 by a competent officer, -110 rnattl'r how learned the

man who assumed to perform the act unauthorized, nor how

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IXTRODUCTION. XVll

much he was paid for his service, -- if hB would become a

citizen and attain to the priYileges and excellences promised

by the heavenly King to citizens. Such wns the recogmzed

authority and order of the New Testament church.

It is intended, also, to show in this Yolumc that the Church

established at Jerusalem, and the system of worship then

set up, grew and flourished for a season. Thnt there was in

after years a corruption, decline, and a departure from< the

faith. That another system of worship arose, unlike it,

which assumed to take its place, called in prophecy the

"J\fon of Sin." This mtH1e possible the varions existing

sects or denominations ; all(1 their origin, distinctive characteristics, and relation to each other and the primitiye church,

are discussed at length in this book, and their respective ,

claims to authority and how they obtained it\;~t forth.

Also, the rise of the clmrch of prophecy in the restoration

of the gospel to be established in the last days previous to

the second coming of the Saviour is set forth, with a

lissertation upon the twenty-ninth chapter of Isaiah and the

revealment of the " sealed book" therein mentioned; witll

the m·ehteological and Diblical evidences regarding the earliest inhabitants of the American continent, their pm;t and

future, together with the ,Je1rn, the land of Palestine, and

the Israelitish am1 Egyptian origin of the progenitors of the

American Indians; their civilization, knowledge, and high

attainments in the arts nml sciences, religion, etc., with facsimiles of their manner of writing, and other history and

matters of interest to every investigator and searcher for

truth. TPll things as they are, is the motto of this book,

without flattery or fayor to any, whether powerful and

infl.uential, or weak and inconsiderate.

\\Te are compelled to meet things as they are, not as we

would like to haYe them ; and the counsel worthy the highest

consi(1eration is, "Prove all things; hold fast that which is

good." (Paul)

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CHAPTEH II.

THE U:'iCHA:SGE.\BILITY OF DnrY. - A:snqurrY OF nrn GosPEL. -

THE ~11'LCHISEDEC .1:so TII": AAHO'-IC 1'1rn-:s-rnomH wEim

CO:SFICl{l{ED UPO:S 'l!IE Mr '1STltY l:S Tlrn Tum OF j\j OSES.

T1rn Holy Scriptures te:•ch that God',; ways a re

"equal"; that he changes not. (Ez. xviii. 25, 28; Mal.

iii. 1).) Thi,; being true, and he hat> ordai1wd a means

of salvation, a plan, a system, anrl a power for its

adminbtrntion, at any time or plnee, then that is his

plan to-day; otherwi8e, he has clwn_7ed his onee declared plan or system. Ii it lrns been changed, where

is the law revealing the change ? \\'hat is the plan

now? Did lie introduce this last one? If lie did not,

who did'? Does tlie one extant now resemble tlrn an- ' eient one? All of thet;e are legitimate, rnggestive inquiries that naturally arise in a retleetive mind, and

they are en tit led to an nn~wer.

But 80me one will sa_y thnt "the ::VfolchiBedcc priesthood being the un•lrnrity which a<lministerl'J in spiritual

thingc;, aml which the is preached, it follows

that when it is extant among men, the go.spel abo should

be committed; and that i\Iolchisedec haying held this

would lend to the belief that the was

prnached lll his before the time of the nposties." Just so, my friend. There is nothing morn true.

"\Yhat; faith in God, in Jesus Christ and the gospel

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PltESIDENCY AXD PIUESTHOOD.

sy,;tem away back in tho,;e olden times!" Certainly,

why not? Paul says, "The gospel is the power of God

unto salrntion to every one that believeth." (Hom. i.

16.) It i,; the means of salvation. "And hath brought

life and immortality to light through the gospel." (2

Tim. i. 10.) This is the only means by which the

condition of eternal life may be obtained; no other is

known; artd since men were saved in the time of Adam,

Enoch, Noah, and Abraham, it follows that they must

have bren in possession of a knowledge of the gospel

and obeyed it.

Reader, what induced you to obey the gospel? vVas

it not becam;e you were persuaded that it was a duty,

and that you cou lcl not be saved without? If you

cannot be saved without obeying the gospel, how coul~1

Enoch, Abrnlrnm, Melchiseclec, Moses, etc.? God

js not partial nor a respecter of persons. Upon what

principle of justice and impartiality could he save the

ancients without obeying the go;.;pel, and condemn you

for not obeying it? You answer, "A man is responsible for what he knows," and assume that they did not

lrn<nv of the gospel, and therefore could not obey it;

which i;.; to E<ay that they entered heaven on the plea

of ignorance, - climbed up some other way. ,Jesus

says, "He that dim beth up some other way, the same

is a thief and a robber." Ignorance will never point

the way to heaven as a means of rescue for sinners, else

Christ would never have commanded his ministry,

"Go teaeh all nations. "He that heareth you heareth

me." (Luke x. 1 G.) "And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the

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PHESIDENCY AXD l'IUESTHOOD.

very dust from your feet for a testimony against them."

(Luke ix. 5.) The gospel i8 the road to heaven. He

that hears and obeys it has the promise of heaven; but

he that obeys it not has not the promise of a celestial

glory.

The gospel

Jesus Christ.

requires, first, a belief in God and in

Paul says:-

" To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all

things, and we in him; and one Lord .Jesus Christ, by whom

are all things, and we by him." --1 Cor. viii. 6.

Jesus said, "Ye believe in God, heiieve also in me."

(John xiv. 1.) These are the objects of faith, confidence, and wor,;hip in a gospel sense. Secondly, a

compliance with the commandments given is required.

"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them,

he it is that loveth me," said Jesus. (John xiv. 21.)

""\Yho,;oever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth

them." (Matt. vii. 24.) Yes, it i8 written," He that

believeth and is baptized shall be saved." (Mark xvi.

Hi.) Faith is a first requirement. "vVithout faith it

is impossible to please God." (Heb. xi. G.) Enoch

also, the seventh from Adam, had this testimony that

he please<l God. (Heb. xi. 5.) He must have had

faith or he could not have ]Jleased him. He also walked

with God three hundred yenn;, and was not, for God

took him (Gen. v. 22, 23, 24), gave him eternal life,

which is given through the gospel. Jt is written,

"This is life eternal, that they might know thee the

only true God, and .Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

(John xvii. 3.) Enoch repented, ceased from sin, and

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10 I'ltESIDEJ'\CY A:\D PRIESTHOOD •

. ,, walked with God." All have sinned. The preacher

said, "For there is not a just mn n npon E~a rt h, that

doeth good, alld ;,;inneth not." (Ee. vii. 20.) (See

1 ,John i. 8; 1 Kings viii. 46.)

Enoch was baptized, for ,Jesus said, "Except a man

be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into

the kingdom of God." (.John iii. 5.) Again: "He that

believeth and is lmptized :ohall he Eaved." Enoch was

taken to heaven- saved; hence be must have been

baptized.

He was also endowed with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, hence it is not unreasonable that he should have

obeyed the ordinance of the laying on of hands for the

gift of the Holy Ghost. (See Aets viii. 17; Jude.)

He believed also in the second corning of the Saviour,

the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment :

"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of

these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of

hiB saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that

.a:·e ungorlly among ihem of all their ungodly deeds which they

have ungnrtly committed, and of all their hard speeches which

ungodly sinners have spoken against him."-Jude 14, 15.

Here it is shown in consecutive order that the

ancients believed in the gospel in its fulness, as set

forth by Jesus and tho apostles, - in the doctrines of

faith, the on of hands, the

nsnrrection of the dead, and eternal judgment, in~

the commg of tho to judge the

world. (Heb. vi. 1, 2.) Noah "walked wiih God"

( vi. 9), wm; a "preacher of "

{ 2 Peter ii. 5.) Panl says the "righteousness of God"

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PHElllDENCY AND PlUESTHOOD. 11

is revealed in. the gospel. (Rom. i. 17.) Hence N onh

must have embraced and preadw<l the got-:pel sy8tem,

by whid1 he condenrned the \vorlcl before the flood,

"wherein few, that is, eight souls were 8aved by

water." ( 1 Peter iii. 20.) "By faith Xoah, ...

moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his

house ; by tbe which he . . . became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." (Heb. xi. 7.)

Further, Paul says: "The Scripture, foreseeing that

God would justify the heathen throuµ:h faith, preached

before the grn,;pel unto Abraham." (Gal. iii. 8.y The

gospel must have heen on the earth at tliat ti me, anc1

some one authorized, by the conferring of the prie::;thood, to preach it. For it is written: -

"How shall they believe in him of whom they have not

heard? and how shall they hear without a prc;1cher? and

how shall they preach, except they be sent'?"- R<Jlll. x. 14, 15.

Ahrnlrnm heard, believed, :md obeyed; and hecnrne

the "heir of the world" by the rigbtcousnetJtJ which is

by faith. (Rom. iv.; ,Jame:-; ii. 20-24.) Tlrnt "God

would ju,;;tify the heathen through faith," i:-; equal to

the saying of Peter at the household of Cornelius, "In

every nation he that fearclh him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted "Ah liim." (Acts x. 3ii.) That

none \vere to be cxclutled. Peter Imel been taught,

under the hnv, that tLo lwatlwn ha([ 110 in the

bond of ~ hut-wheu the 'vus recn1111nitted,

he was informed that it wa::; for :di nations. "fo every

nation he that fo:n·eth alJ(l worketh righteous' ess,

is accepted with him." The law was to the Jewish

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12 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

nation; the gospel to all nations, both before and after

the law. The gospel was taught to Abraham, and he,

being converted from the idolatry of his fathers, became

identified with "tho priest of the mo;;t high God" -

Melchisedec (Gen. xiv. 18; Gal. iii. 6; ,James ii. 23;

Rom. iv. 3-9) ; in other words, with the people of the

Lord. The priesthood and the gospel were extant at

the same time.

Again Paul says: -

"For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them

[the Is.raelites in the wilderness]' but the word preached did not

profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."

-Heb. iv. 2.

There was a church established in the wilderness.

Moses was in that church. "This is he, that was in the

clmrch in the wilderness with the angel which spake to

him in the mount Sina." (Acts vii. 38.) They believed in Christ. It is written, Moses esteemed "the

reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in

Egypt." (Heb. xi. 26.) The Israelites were also baptized.

"And [they] were all baptized unto JYioses in the cloud and

in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all

drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spirittrnl

Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." -1 Cor.

x. 2-4.

This accounts for the conferring of the prie,;thood in

the time of Moses. For both the Melehiscdec and

Aaronic priesthoods were conferred upon the mmistry

in the camp of Israel. It is written," Moses and Aaron

among his priests." (Ps. xcix. 6.) It is nbo written

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 13

concerning Korah, Dathan, an<l Abiram, tlrnt they were

Leviles and hn<l been selected for the service of the tabernacle and to administer to the congregntion. (X um.

xvi.; al.'lo iii. 41, and viii. 14; Deut. x. 8.)

In Num. xvi. 10 Moses is made to say: -

"And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren

the sons of Levi with thee : and seek ye the priesthood also? "

(Or, "seek ye the high priesthood also?" - Inspired Translation.)

This latter rendering is evidently the true sense. For

Korab, Dathan, and Abiram were already separated to

the service of tho tabernacle and held the le,;ser or

Aaronic priesthood, but they aspired to still higher

honors. They were jealous of the high honor conferred

upon J\Ioses, and sought to turn <Yway the congregation

from him. Said they to Moses and Aaron: -

"Ye take too much npon you, seeing all the congregation are

holy; ... wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the J,orcl?" - Kum. xvi. B.

How could Moses be esteemed as above or over them

unless he held u higher priesthood and office than they?

Moses would not 1wrmit Aaron to be included with him.

Said he, "And what is Aaron, that ye murmur against

him?" (:\um. xvi. 11.) This is equivalent to saying

that Aarnn did not hold the same priesthood that Moses

did, hut lln inferior one. He held the highest office in

the priesthood to which Korah and Dathan

however; hence they sought a piace in the "high priesthood." Moses held the higher priesthood, or that of

Melchisedec, for he was a priest and officiated at the

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14 PRESIDENCY AND PIUESTHOOD.

altar. He, moreover, consecrated Aaron to the highest

office in the Aaronic priesthood, and yet he was superior to Aaron and presided over him. This could not

have been had he held the same priesthood in kind.

Again, Moses says : -

" The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from

'me midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye

shall hearken." - Dent. xviii. 1'3.

This prophecy refers to Christ. The phrase ''like

unto me" sh01rs that they held a like priesthood, authority, and office, and were both law-givers. Jesus

was a high priest after the order of Melehisedec.

Moses to hr:ve been "like unto" him must have held

the sarne priesthood. It mm this honm· to which Korah

and Dathan aspired, - the highest authority and the

highest scat.*

Thus it hfls been shown: ( 1.) That previous to the

advent of tho Saviour, two priesthoods had been committed, viz., the Melchisedec and the Anronic: that

the gospel WtlS administered by the authority of the

Mclchisedec priesthood, and the law by that of Aaron;

that the priesthood was conferred in the days of Ach~m,

and was held by Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Moses; •

and that the Aaronie priesthood continued with the

Jews from the time of Moses until the coming of

It is claimed at least that the line was an

unbroken one.

) That when Abraham was blessed of MelchisAbraham was a prio"t and accustomed to administer at the altar. This he could not have done

acceptalily had he not held the priesthood. Melchise-

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 15

dee having held the authority to bless Ahrahnm 1ohows

him to have been the greater of the two, and proves

the existence of two cl::rnses of priests extant at that

time. Paul says, "vVithout all contradietion the less

is blessed of tlie better" (greater). (Heb. vii. 7.) In

the same chapter he affirms that the authority held by

Melch!sedec is without beginning of days or end of

life.

( 3.) Thaf God i::i unclrnngeahle and hi,.; law immutable; that he committed the;;e two prie;;thoods in

ancient times for the purpose of authorizing men to

ttdminister his government on the earth ; and it i,.; but

legitimate to conc!Ude that his law could not be leg:tlly

administered without them; and as we look to thi8

same unchangeable God, by obeJing hi,; unehangeahle

laws, to obtain life, it is plain that these priesthoods

shouhi exist among me!l in this day, that religious observance,; may be with authority nncl acceptable. As

it i::; written in the Epistle of James, cha pt er one and

seventeenth ver,;e : "Every good gift and every perfect

gift i:,; from above, and cometh down from the Father

of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow

of turning."

CHAPTER IV.

Tim CHANGE OF Tirn LEYITICAL PnrnsTHOOD l'RO~I DUTIES UNDER

THE LAW TO S•~RYICES IN" THE GOSPEL SYSTE}L - I l' IS INFERIOR TO Tirn lVIELCHISEDEC PRIESTHOOD. - THE OFFICES IX

TIIE PRIESTHOOD AHE PERPETUAL, TIIIC 0CC\IPXNTS THANS!-

TORY. -Trn;Y WERE FILLED BY DIVDIE APPOJNT}rnXT IN THI':

CirnISTL\N ])rsPEXSATION. - PHOYISION IN TIIE Pnrn-TIIOOD

l'"OR APoSTLr;s, SEYE;\ITIES, HIGH PmESTS, PROPHETS, ELnE11s,

BISHOPS, PmESTt:l, TEACHERS, AND DKWONS. - Tum NEW

TEST AMENT THlo STA::\'.DARD OR TEST BY WHICH ALL REUGIOUS DENO'.\II;\IATIONS SHOULD BE TRIED, A::\'.D Tl-!O.~E FOlJND

:KOT TO BE IX ILunimn- WITH THIS PATTEHN SHOULD BE

RE,IECTED.

THE Apostle Paul informs us that the Melchisedec

priestl10od is "unchangeable." .F'rom this it is implied

that there is ono susceptible of ch:rnge in some sense;

and as we read of hut two, this one must be the

Aaronic priesthood. The change could not consist in

a transition from one to the other; for this would indicate a change iu both. Neither would it do to say that

tho change consisted in the abrogation of one and the

creation of the other at wi!L That would simply be one

superseding the other without any necessary change,

Some have speculated that Paul meant convey

this statement that the Aaronic priesthood ceased

limitation - was abrogated - and the Melchisedec took

its place. Still others, that it was changed from

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PRESIDE.'{CY AND PRIESTHOOD. 31

duties urn1er the law to those under the gospel. But

neither of these positions is the correct one, although

it is granted that the Aaronic priesthood was trnns-

·ferre<l or changed from duties under the law to services

in the Christian church.

Paul ,was reasoning with tho8e holding Jewish ideas,

former adherents of the ,Jewish law, w lio were not WI lling to accept fully the idea that the gospel was to supplant 01· take the place of their long-cherisliccl sv:otem

of won•hip which was admini:::ternll privates the Le;Jitil'al

priesthood; hence he quoted fr,,m David to show that

another order of priests was to arise, who would hold

.a different priesthood from that held by Anron, and

from this he argues the necessity for the giving of another law. For why give another priesthood to administer the existing law, as there were priests then who

were discharging that duty? Ile say8 : --

"It is yet far more evident· for that after the similitude _of

Jl.felchisedec there ariseth another priest, who is nrntk, not after

the law of a carnal commandment, buL after the power of an

endless life." - Heb. vii. 15, 16.

It was easier for Paul to prove ihe arising of a :\felchisedec prie8t than the giving of a new ltm, an(l he

makes thi8 the lrn8is of his argument and goes on to

and logically too, the necessity for the giving of

another lrnv. Hence, with his profound reasoning, he

could force the objector to accept a he!icf in the estn hlisbment of a new law other than that given by

eitner at tbnt or some future time.

'While di is is true and the ?vie:chiseckc is shown to he

the "unchnngeable" priesthood, it i8 implied privates the

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32 PRESIDENCY A"N'D PRIESTHOOD.

statement that the Aaronic priesthood is in some sense

changeable. This change, it is easy and reasonable to

conclude, consists in its being adaptable and transferable from one service to another. Hence it was brought,

over or transferred from the peculiar service and demands under the law of Mose8, to take its phce in the

administrntion of certain ordinances and minor duties

to be observed in the system of worship and church

government established by Christ.

But as this is strongly controverted by our opponents,

for their benefit the discussion of the question i8 here

extended.

As has been proved, John the Baptist being in the

line of the Levitical priesthood, he represented in person

that authority, or the Jewi8h Levitical kingdom proper,

as the forerunner, preparint_>; the way. For by inheritance the Aaronic priesthood was invested in him of

right, as that of Melchisedec was in Christ.

A new era had dawned. A new order of things was

to be established. The old covenant was to he displaced by the new. For three years .Tohn and J esns

and the apostles were preparing the people for this

transition or uhange. The "beginning of the gospel"

sounded the alarm in the words," R<·pent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The time had come for

"blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was

against us, which was contrnry to us, and took it out

of the way, nailing it to his cross" (Col. ii. 14), and

erecting instead thereof "a spiritual house [or kingdom J, a holy iwiesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,

acceptable to God by ,Jes us Christ!'

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PP.ESIDENCY AND PRIE8THOOD. .33

The Jews were rebellious. Their ears were closed, and

they refused to hear the "voice of the good Shepherd."

"Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be

taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits

thereof." - Matt. xxi. 43.

A new nation was to he born; a new kingdom set

up. All the authority and excellences attaching to the

old Levitical "kingdom of priests" were to be trans•

ferred to the new kingdom. Divested of its power and

Jife, the nld ceased from necessity. The new had its

inception in the baptism of John. Hero is where the

Aaronic priesthood began to he changed from services

under the old covenant to the administration of services

under the new. Thf:l old was to he "al1olished." In

the new kingdom or church were blended again, as in

the times of Moses, Abrnbam, :rnd Melchiscdcc, the

l\!Ielchisedec and Aaronic priesthoods, in the persons of

.Jesus and the "Elias," or John the Baptist. A new institution, a new service, a nil a new covenant were introduced. "He taketh away the fir.st, thnt he may establish the second." (Heb. x. H.)

vYherefore it is written : -

"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those

days, saiLh the Lord; I will put my laws into their hearts, and in

their minds will I write them." - Heb. x. 16. (See J er. xxxi.

31-34.)

So Paul wrote : "For if that which is done away was

gloriou:o, much more that which remaineth is g1orio11s.

(2 Cor. iii. 11.)

Again : "Hath made us able ministers of th~ new

testame11t." (Verse 6.)

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34 PRESIDENCY AXD PRIESTHOOD.

Thi::; new coveiiant was to he as enduring as that of

day and night. "Priests" and "Levites" 'vc>re to he

the "ministers" of God under it; and "David shall

never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house

of Israel." (Jer. xxxiii. 17.)

This was predicted ns the order of thingB to obtain

under the ChriBtian sy::-:tern, "prie;;ts" and "Levite,,;"

were to form :t part of the spiritual building. Chnst,

who is both King and Priest, is heir of the world.

'While he reigns upon the throne of his father David,

his saint::; will reign as " kings and priests" with him.

(Rev. i. G) Even in the millennium ''they Flrnll he

priests of God and of Christ, arnl shall reign with him

a thousnnd years." (Hev. xx. n.)

:Further: -

''And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the

kingdom of God should come, he answered them and saitl, The

kingdom u£ Gml c• me<h not "ith observation: neither shall

they say, Lo here ! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of

Godiswithinyou"; or as it reads in the margin,'' among you.''

- Luke xvii. 20, 21.

Paul wrote: "The kingdom of God is not in word,

but in powe1·." ( 1 Cor. iv. 20.)

The gross minds of the Pharisees could not perceive

anything hut a showy political kingdom. They were

looking for one of that charncter, and of great strength

suited to their vanity.

But .Jesus di:-mlmsed their minds regarding it,

declaring·: The kingdom of God eorneth not with observation: ... behold, the kingdom of God is within

[among] you." It was to be in "power," not in a

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PRESIDE:\CY AXD PRIESTHOOD.

political sense, hut in a spiritual nnd authoritative

sense.

It had been with Israel, in 1mrt, from the ratification

of the covenant and the setting up of the Levitical service um1er JI.loses, until the" Elias," who, as an ambassador from God, clotlwd with the authority of the

Aaronic pl'iesthood, became a legal representative of

the eeele"ia,-tical power or kingdom of the ,Jews, their

order and polity, the grandest representative of that

authority of his time.

But the .Jewish priests would not receive his message;

yet the p!'iesthood or power whieh he represented

permeate(] the wholt) ord'T (,f their worship, at least at

the beginning, without which it had not been, and could

not be.

The Melchisedec priesthood was represented in the

person of Christ. Both ,Jes us and John were debtors

to the law. "One jot or one tittle shall in no wise

pass from the law till all he fulfilled." (Matt. v. 18.)

In Gocl's econollly, the J e\rs as a nation were first

favored. 1t was their right and privilege to hold on to

and possess all the nuthority and power of an inherited

priesthood, with the further privilege, as the full time

had come, of receiving the Melchisedec: priesthood,

abo, in the personage of ,fosus Christ, with all the

hlcs::;ings that it might bring to them as a people by

the sl'tti11g up of the kingdom of God. But they put

tlie chief High Pric::;t from ibern. He came unto his

own, !mt his own received him not. They said, "His

blood be on uo;, aud on our children."

,Jesus declared, becau,-e they rejected bis rnef\sage,

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36 PREt'IIDEKGY AKD PRIESTHOOD.

"Behold, your house is left unto you desolate."

(Matt. xxiii. 38.) Their cup of iniquity was full.

Jesus, with his disciples, standing in the midst of

the Jews, represented the Melchisedec and the Aaronic

priesthoods, upon one or the other of which, or hoth,

rested both the Jewi;,;h and Christian institutions, 1he

old and new covenants, now tendered solely to the

descendants of A brahnm, if they would but receive it.

But they rejected the offer and their King, and Jesus

announced, "The kingdom of God shall he taken from

you, and given to n nation bringing forth the fruits

thereof."

Paul said, "Seeing ye judge yourselves unworthy of

€ternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." The priesthood was transferred. The Jewish house went down;

and the kingdom of God was given to the Gentiles.

Israel" stumbled at that stumbling stone.''

Says Dr. Smith on this point: -

"From the iJlu,:trations adopted by St. Paul in his epistles,

we have additional li;.!ht thrown upon the condition of the

church. Thus (Rom. xi. 17) the Christian church is described

.as being a branch grafted on !he already existing olive-tree,

showing that it was no new creation, but a development of that

spirilual life which has flourished in !he patriarchal and the

Jewish church."-Bible Dictionary, Vol. I., page 454.

Belonging to these two divisions of power in the

Christian system there were the superior and inferior

grades of office, ranging all the way from those of the

highest spiritual functions to those that but "served

tables." Paul asks, "Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers?" (1 Cor. xii., 29.) Of course

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 37

not. "The twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we

should leave the word of Gud, and serve tal,les."

(Acts vi. 2.) This is to say, that while the apostles

might serve tables, it was not " reason" that they

should, when they had higher and more responsible

duties to do, which others could not do. So the

apostles said: -

" Look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of

the Holy Ghost an<l wisdom, whom we may appoint over this

business." - Acts vi. 3.

When. they were selected they were " set before the

apostles: arnl when they had prayed, they laid their

hands on them." (Verse 6.) The layrng on of hands

was to confer authority upon thes~ persons, by which

they were enabled to aet. If it, had he(:ln the Melchisedec

priesthood that was conferred, their duties would have

been very similar to that of the apostles, viz., to pre:ich

~'the word of God.'' But it wa,; .to administer a daily

routine, a temporal service, just t!mt kind of service

that was administered privates the Aaronic priesthood under

the law. For the "first covenant h:1d" ordinances,

~'a tabernacle," "wherein was the candlestick, and

the tnhle, and the shewbrend." "vVhen these things

were thus ordained, the priests went alwnys into the

fo·,,t tabemaclc, ... in which were offered both gifts

and sacrifices, . . . which stood only in meats and

drinks, and divern wat<hings, and carnal ordinances."

{Heh. ix. l, 2, 6, 9, 10.)

This service was administered by the Aaronic priesthood. It was a daily round. Thi,; authority could

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38 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

administer a similar service under the gospel plan-·

"serve tables."

The service of the "worldly sanctuary," which "was

a figure" of the true (Heb. ix. 9), was committed unto

Aaron and his sons. Between this authority and that

held by Moses there was a marked distinct10n of power

and privilege and glory, that of Moses excelling. So

we read that -

"Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses," and said, " Hath

the J,on1 indeed spoken ouly by Moses? hath he not spoken

also by us? And the J,ord heard it."--Xum. xii. 1, 2. ''And

he said, Hear nnw my words: If there be a prophet among

you, I . the Lord will make myself known unto him in a

vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant

Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. ·with him

will I speak mouth to-mouth, even apparently, and not in dark

speeches; and the similitude of the J,ord shall he behold." -

Num. xii. G, 7, 8.

After Moses had set Aaron apart to the chief seat in

"the priest's office," or Led ti cal priesthood, to administer in "the worldly sanctuary," the higher authority,

that which chiefly administers in spiritual things, by

which men are brought nigh unto, and in communion

with God, remained with .Moses.

Hence we read : -

"Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom

thou knowest 1.o I.Jc Urn elders of the people, and officers over

them; allll bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation,

that they may stand there with thee.

" Ancl I will come. clown and talk with thee there: anrl I will

take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them;

and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee.''

"Aud the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him,

and took' of the spirit that was upon him, and gave i.t unto the

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PRESIDE~CY AXD PHIESTHOOD.

seventy elders: and it came io pass, that, when the spirit rested

upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease." --Num. xi.

16, 17, 2.3.

Thus it is shown that Moses and the seventy eld1-rs

were associated to3ether in the govemment of the

church in the wilderness, in an anthority higher and

separate from that which wa,; conferred upon Aaron

and his sons. ·

Assuming, as has been proved, thnt Moses held the

Mek:hisedec priesthood nnd the "seventy elders" to

have been directly associatocl with him, co~nects the

office of elder with the ::\Ielchisedec authority. This

was the ruling authority. Tho priesthood of Aaron \laS

inferior to it in power and importance. Indeed the

lesser priesthood it \rnuld seem \YaS hut an "appendage" to the greater one. It \ms to hear a .necessary

part, ho\vover, in the estahlished services.

In view of these facts, there is nothing surprising in

the foJlowing statement of Moses regarding Aaron, on

an occasion when a test of authority was to he rnnde :

"Ancl what ic; Aaron, that ye murmur against him?"

He was of inferior rank. "\Yell might Moses also speak

of the grnat prophet of the foture : -

"The Lnrcl thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from

the midst of thee, of thy Lrethren, like unto me."

Henc(~ in the estahlishing of the "spiritual house,"

to offer up "spiritnal il:lcrifices" under the new covemrnt, by whieh men were permitted to

come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God,

the heavenly Jerusalem. ant! to an innumerable company of

angels, to the gen.era! assembly and church of the firstborn

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40 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

which are written in heaver!, and to God the Judge of all, and

to the 8pirits of just mrn made perfect, and to Jesus the medi-

.ator of Urn new covenant" (Heb. xii. 22, 23 24),

it was neces:;;ary that it be endowed with all the

auth()rity and power belonging to God's order of gov-

·ernment in former nges. So that it is written of the

Master of this house, the chief Architect of this building, "Thou nrt a priest forever after the order of Mclchisedec," holding the ''royal priesthood," like unto

Melchisedcc and Moses, by which the saints are made

., kings and priests."

The Melchisedec and Aaronic priesthoods constituted

the authority under the new covenant ns well as under

the old, in the time of Moses, and their duties are separate and distinct, each having its proper service. Hence

the apostles left the "serving of tables" and atteuded

to preaching "tbe "·ord of God." Paul says," Christ

sent me not to baptize, but to preach the go31el "

(1Cor.i.17), showing that others might and did do

that work.

That the Aaronic priesthood was confened upon the

Christian ministry, a::; well as that of the Melchisedec,

may further be shown from the distinction of authority

and office held by them, and the testimony of the

prophets and early Fathers, already cited.

Philip could preach the gospel and baptize persons,

but he could not or did not lay on hands for the obtaining of the Holy Ghost. He baptized a large number

at Samaria; but Peter and John laid hands on them

for the receiving of the Holy Ghost. (Acts viii. 14,

15, 16.) Peter, John, and Ananias could lay on hands,

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 41

but it seems Philip coul<l mt. (Acts ix. 12, 17.) Th s

indicates a distinction of authority in the church, anJ

that among the ministry. Elders could lay on han<ls

(James v. 14); hence Philip must have hel I an inferior

office to this ; and as it has been shown that the offic("

of el<ler was intimately conneeted with the Melchi,.;c'-

dec priestll')()d, or belonged to it, in the time of :Moses,

-and so far as any evidence appears, is the inferior

office in that priesthood, - it follows that Philip belonged to the Aaronic priesthoocl. The elders governed with Moses in the wilderness, so under the

gospel, Paul says to the elders at Ephesus: -

"Take ~eed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock,

over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed

the church of God." -Acts xx. 28.

They govemed and could lay on hands; Philip

could preach and baptize. Thi,; was trne of John the

Baptist. He could preach and baptize, and point to

the "Lamh of God that taketh away the sins of the

"\Vorld." But there is no instance given that he lai<l on

•hands for the reception of the Spirit. There i,,; a ,,;triking similarity hetween the administrations of Philip and

John the Baptist; sufficient, indeed, to incline one to

the belief that they held the same priesthood in kind.

In view of this distinction of office found among the

Chri,-tian ministry, there is nothing remarkable in the

statement made by St. ,Jerom0, that "\Vhat Aaron

and his sons were among the Jews, the bishop and his

presbyters were among the Christians" ; or that of

Theodoret, "That lie [Ignatius] received the gift of

the high priesthood from the hand of the great Peter."

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PRESIDENCY AND PIUESTHOOD.

Dr. Smith classes the offices of bisbop and elder

nearly together, !}S being of about equ 1! Or equivalent

.authority. And this i:0 trne of the offiee of a seventy

and elder. Ile denies, also, that hi:0hops anciently

held that presiding authority over the ministry that i~

.accorded to them in modern times. He says: -

"It is clear from what has been said, that episcopal functions, in the moclnn sense of the words, as implyiug a speciai

superintendence over the minbters of tltc church, belonge(~

only to the apostles and those whom they invested with ihei1

.authority." - Bible Dictionary, page 76.

Again:-

""Tith St. .John's (]oath, the apostolic college was extinguisher!, and 1Jie apostolic delegates or angels [presidents ot

·churches] were left lo flll their places in the government of the

church, not with the full unrcstrictecl -power of the apostles,

but with an anlhority only to be exercised in limited districts.

In lhe next century we find these officers bore the name of

bishops, while those who in the first century were called indiffor~ntly pre,-byters or bishops, lrnd now only the tiile of presbyters." - Bible Dictionurfi, page 99.

This shows, as the opinion of Dr. Smith, that in the

primitive clrnrd1 the office8 of bishop arid elder were

not for rcmo\·ed from each othci·.

Although the oflices in the priesthood of the Christian church rnay be in some rospeets im1iscrimi1rntely

presented, the order appears to have heen about as follow::1: ( . ) The ofl:iee of "the apostle nnd high priest."

( 2.) That of the twelve ( ;~.) The seventy.

Then followed that Df high priests, bishops, elders,

evangelists, pastors, teacheni, deacons, etc., in their

proper on1er. (Heb. !iii. 1 ;.Eph. iv. 11; Matt. x.;

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PRESIDENCY AND l'ltlEBTHOOD. 43

Luke x.; 1 Tim. iii. 2; Titus i. 7; Phil. i. 1; 1 Tim.

iii. 1; Acts i. 20; 1 Tun. iii. 10; 1 Cor. xii. 28, etc.,

with historical citations given.) Ncithf'l· i:0 it a proper

view to take that all the of£ce,; that were known in the

church am specifically cipoken of in the Kew Testament,

for some see.in to have been hut incidentally me':itioneJ ;

th tt is, among the les5 important ones e:,;p2cial1y.

These offices 1rnre created, set, estahlishccl by the

Almighty in the priesthood, to receive occupants for the

government arnl gu;dance of the churches. Tho several ~ ' L

occupants took the name of the office to which tlwy

wern asl'igned. The institution being of God, it devolveu upon him to appoint 1Yhorn lie woulcl to occupy

them, the same as undoe the oltl µ:overnme!1t. Xo one

ha(l the r1glit to n rrogate to him,;e If these functions

of office. Hence it is written: -

"As Goel hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath

callet1 every one, so let him walk. Aud so ordain I in all the

churches." -1 Cor. vii. 17.

" Clemens Alexandrimv; says llrnt .Toh ·1, visiting tho neighboring regions about Ephesu.s, onlainccl them Liohn;is, nn:l set

apart such men for the clergy as were signi!lell ilrn Holy

(~host." - BINGHA~r's Clffistian ..:'L. tiquit·ic.s, 'Tol. I., ['age 11.

"God hath sot some in the church, first apostle's, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers,'' etc. -1 Cor. xii. 28.

Again:-

" Take heed therefore unto yourselves, aml to all the flock,

0Yor the which ihc Holy ("ho~t hath nrncle you overseers. -

_._-\.cts xx. 28.

"No man taketh lhi~ honor unto him~elf, but he that fa

called of (;od, as was ;\nron." - Heh. v. 4.

rne Barnabas and Saul for ihe work whereunto I

have called them." - ,\cts xiii. 2.

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44 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

'Vhat a marked contrast i.s this with the proceedings

of the nominal Christian world even of to-day, where

every man sends himself, and climbs into the seat that

his fancy pictures as the most honorable and lucrative,

if happily by a little manipulation - wire-pulling - he

may receive a sufficient number of friends to give him a

majority vote for the coveted office ! Late revelation

and divine appointment therebyal'C not believed in, -are

made a rriockery of. Bnt how God can appoint and not

reveal is a question for modern churchmen to solve and

explain. Paul wrote : -

"He gave some, apostles; ancl some, prophets; and some,

evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting

of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of

the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and

of the knowledge of the Son of God." -Eph. iv. 11-13.

These officers were given to the church to administer

its laws; for its edification, upbuilding, and growth in

the Lord. Hence, Pnul wrote to Timothy: "Preach

the word; ... reproVP, rebuke, exhort with all Iongsuffering and doctrine"; to rebuke others that they

might he sound in the faith; and declared himself to be

an ambassador for Christ, a preacher to the Gentiles.

These God-sent and heavel1-inspired officers were

the constituted authorities of the church anciontly; and

if this was God't: order then, should they not he in his

church now? If not, why not? If a part were to he

taken od, what part was it, and who was to decide and

take them out?

Some one nnswers ; "The npostles, high priests, nnd

prophet-; were to be taken out." But who said so? If

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 45

no writer of the New Testament has said so much, who

wiil be so presumptuous as to speak for them?

vVe have just as good reason to say that the elders,

teachers, and deacons should be excluded from the

church. But God put them in ; and we say that none

but God can lawfully take them out, or declare them to

be no longer needed. They were placed in the church

as his constituted ministry. To say that they have

ceased is to affirm tbat God has no longer a recognized

church or ministry ; that they are not needed.

In the light of the ahove facts, can any organization,

however proud and haughty in its claims, or large its

numbers, not having these God-sent arnl heaven-inspired

officers, be the chnrch of Jesus Christ?

The offices of the priesthood can exist with or without an occupant. The removing of the officer does not

destroy the office any more than the death of the President of the L"nited States destroys the office which he

holds. vVhcn the President dies, or is removed from

office, or his term of office expires, by due process of Jnw

another may be appointed to fill the same office. , The

office remains although the President is dead, and to

have a government proper, another must take his place,

So it is in all the essential offices of the government.

This is true of the kingdom of God or church of Jesus

Christ. God designated men for the several offices of

the priesthood. They were duly authorized to occupy

them. vVhen any one of them was removed, by death

or otherwi:3e, another was appointed b succeed him in

the same office. As precedents, we refer the reader to

the instance of appointing Matthias to the "bishopric"

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46 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

or "offiee " held by Judas Iscariot. (Acts i. 16-26.)

Matthias was "numbered with the eleven apostles."

Again:-

" Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain

of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with

the sword." - Acts xii. I, 2.

Soon after Paul was called to the apostleship.

"The Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for

the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had

fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent

them away." -Acts xiii. 2, 3.

Inside of one year (others doubtless having been reremoved from office by death during the hot persecution

that continued even after the killing of James) we read

of"the a11ostles, Barnabas and Saul." (Acts xiv. 14.)

Dr. Smith says: "From this time, though not of the

1mmber of the twelve, Barnabas and Paul enjoy the

title and dignity of apostles," (Bible Diet., Vol. I.,

page 24 7.) The vnrancies were :filled as they occurred.

The conclusion of Rev. Dr. Morgan Dix upon this

i::; as follows : -

"Dr. Dix's theme was 'The Apostolical Succession,' in the

elaboration of which he claimed that the long-hoped-for reunion of the different sects of Protestantism was impossible except by a denial of doctrines hnld essential by each, and

the hope Urnt it wouk1 be brought about by the

m:cepiance of' the canons and doctrines of the Epi~copal communion. Dr. Dix took for his text Acts L 2G: 'And they gave

forth their lots; and the lot fell upon .:Ylatthrns, and he was

numbered with the eleven apostles.' He said: -

" '·when our Lord Jes us Christ gave ord<:rs to the apostles to

go forth and convert the nations, he said, '' l am with you

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 47

:alway, even unto the end of the world." It is plain that this

promise was incapable of fulfilment unless in a line of successors, with whom from that day to the last Christ should be personally present. In the sacred college there was one vacant

place; as a matter of course that place must be filled. The

call of St. M>ttthias was tharefore a critical event. It meant

the continuance of the apostolic office; it was the beginning of

an apostolic succession. It was the official interpretation of

Christ's promise, and showed the way in which it was to be

made gooa. If the apostolic office were not of divine origin,

if it were not indispensable to earrying on the work of evangelization, the gap made by the traitor Judas need not have been

stopped. If men could without commission have taken up the

work which Christ had begun, if anybody and everybody who

had a devout spirit and love of Christ could have evangelized

without asking any one's leave or waiting for formal mission,

the vacancy need not have been filled. That it was filled in

that deliberate and solemn way shows that the office of apostle

was to be a perpetual ordinance witlt the L'H d, abiding in the

,church for all days unto the end of the world.' " - New York

, Times, Feb. 25, 1889.

It i,s insisted upon, however, by the would-be wise,

that the apostles and prophets were placed in the

church to continue only for a season, and then to cease

because no longer needed. But notwithstanding this

broad assumption, there is no evidence in the Bible to

support it, and as little in ret1son and common-sense.

It is purely a fiction of tradition.

Again it is said that when the Kew Testament was

written the world had that to read, and, therefore,

there was uo more need of apostles and prophets in

the church. 'What, then, became of the offices in the

priesthood once occupied this da;;s of officers~

·vv ere they al ways to remain vacant? lf so, why did

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48 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

not Jesus or the apostles notify the church of that

fact? And what made Paul say that they were to

continue" till we all come in the unity of the faith"?

(Eph. iv. 13.) These offices were filled in order that

there might be a proper, live, active ministry to go forth

in all the world and preach the gospel, and encourage

and edify the great body of Christians. To argue thnt

because we have the Bible to read, therefore there is no

longer any need of this ancient order of things, is to

say that the Bible has superseded the apostles in office,

taken the place of the chief ministers. But does it

say anywhere in the New Testament that God set

Bibles in the cbnrch for the work of the ministry; or

that he commissioned Bibles to go or be passed to the

heathen solely in order to convert them? Does not

the Bible rather define the duties aild responsibilities

of the ministers themselves?

·with equal propriety the assumption might be made

that after the law of Moses was written the priests and

Levites could have been dispensed with as no longer

needed ; or that, when the Constitution of the United

States was written, defining the powers and duties of

the government officers, such as that of President,

Vice-President, senator, etc., the officers could have

been dispensed with as unnecessary; that there was

nothing more that they couid do ; that the Constitution

and constable were all the government the people

needed.

The Constitution, indeed, defines the powers of the

officers of the government, tho man nor of their choosing

and appointment, and the duties, privileges, and responwww.LatterDayTruth.org

PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 49

sibilities of citizens. So long as we have a government

constituted and carried on aftel' this pattern, we will

have the grand old Republic hequeathed to us by our

fathers ; hut should it he changed from its constitutional form and provisions, it would cease to be the

Republic, and be something else.

This is true of the kingdom of God, or the church

-0f Jesus Christ.

In the New Testament there is a histmy given of the

formation of the church of Christ in the times of the

apostles. It sets fohh the cla,,;s of officers belonging

thereto, and defines their duties. They were apostles,

prophets, seventies, evangelists, elders, bishops, pastors, teacher,.;, and deacons. Their respective duties

and authority are clearly set out and defined. So long

as there was an organization established according to

this pattern, the church 0f Jesus Christ was upon

earth. -When it was changed from this pattern, it

ceased to be his chmch and became something else.

To avoid imposition in finance, there is put in circulation a money test, by which the holder of money is

enabled to determine whether there is tendered to him

in exchange true or false coin. "When every mark and

figure on a coin or bill tendered in exchange harmonizes

with the detector, it is pronounced good money. But

if there is anything found on the coin or bill not to be

found in the detector, or if there is something left out

-of the coin or bill that i,,; found in the detector, it is

rejected as 8purious.

The New Testament contains the history of the formation of the primitive church; hence it is the test or

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50 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

detector privates which all church organizations, claiming to

be the true, are to be tried. Every honest seeker after

the church of God should expect to find an organization in harmony with its provisions, or he will fail to

find the church of Christ. Should he become identified

with another organization that is not according to

this pattern, h0 will suffer himself to be imposed upon

by that which is counterfeit, and, of counie, in the end

must meet with di~appointment.

Then, friend, seeker, take the New Testament in your

hand as your guide and test, by whieh to try systems,

and start out and make search throughout Christendom

and see how many churches may be found that will

answer to the pattern, as being the church of Jesus

Christ. Do not lose sight of the detector, or you will

be in danger of being imposed upon by something mnnmade and ::<purious. The counterfeiter is abroad in the

land

CHAPTER VI.

THE PRESIDENT OF nrn Cnuncu CONTINGED. - HE HAil TWO COUNSELLOHS. ~!OST LIKELY JGDE AXD SILAS, OR JUDAS. -,L\l~U;S,

THE SoN OF ZEBEDEE, PETEH, AND Jonx WEHE NOT CO:\'STITUTED A FJHST P1msIDicNCY OVER TIH; E;llTIIlE CHURCH. -

PETEH THE P1rnsIDEXT OF THE TWJCLVE I POSTLlcS. - THE CARDINAL PmNCIPLES OF nm FArrH. -THE LAWS Ol<' INITIATION

!:XTO nrn CHuncu

AccEPTING that James was made president of the

church, it would be reasonable to conclude that he was

aided by counsellors, - any '.vny, privates as many as two.

This would be the least num her that could properly eonsti tute a committee or quorum in order to obta:in a:

majority decision in the trnnsaction of business. Following in the line and order of an asnending authority,

from the body of elders to that of the seventy, and

thence to the twelve apostles, it would be natural to

conclude that a quorum of not more than three would

he appDinted to constitute n presidency. Upon questions to be considered nnd dec.ide<l this would give a

majority of one, and it would be unreasonable to conclude that there were no arduous labor to be perfcrmed

and important trnns::ictiom; to lie considered in connection with this high and re~ponsihle position that woulcl

demand aid, counsel, and decision. )for this number

we have a type or example given in the time of

as follows : ~

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68 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

"But :M:oses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and

put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur

stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on

the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down

of the sun." -..Ex. xvii. 12; xxiv. 14.

This was before Aaron was consecrated to the

"priest's offiee," or the order of things under the Levitical priesthood, over which Aaron presided, was set up.

Again, the church on earth was after the pattern of the

heavenly; three presiding on earth in the likeness of

the three presiding in heaven, - the Father, the Son,

and the Holy Ghost.

Now, that this is the order of the kingdom of God,

was well understood by the wife of Zebedee, who was

instructed personally by the Saviour in the onler of the

church. Hence her ambition led her to take her two

sons, James and .Tohn, to the Saviour, and ask of him

that they might "sit, the one on thy right hand, and

the other on the left, in thy kingdom." (Matt. xx. 21.)

Mark says, as exprcssecl by the two sons, "in thy

glory." (Mark x. 37.) Thie was to be in the future,

when the kingdom of Christ would hear rule over all

the emth, when he comes in the glory of his Father.

(Mark viii. 38; Matt. xxiv. 30; xvi. 27; Mark xii.

26.) "Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory."

(Matt. xxv.31.)

At this time, the twelve apostles had already received

the promise to "sit upon twelve thrones" when Christ

should "sit in the throne of his glory." (Matt. xix.

28; Luke xxii. 29; Rev. xx. 4.)

These two sons were included with the other ten

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 69

apostles, heirs to the Harne promise of sitting upon

thrones. But it <lid not quite satisfy the ambition of

this proud Jewess; she craved that her two sons should

sit, the one on his right hand, and the other on his left,

in his kingdom. This simply meant that she wished

them placed in the two seats of honor or power, -

those nearest his person.

Unwise as this request may have been, the Saviour

.uever informed the woman that there were no such positions to be filled in hi,.; kingdom as these two sons seem

to have aspired to; hut he rather confirmed her opinion

of the matter by saying, "To sit on my right hand,

and on my Jett, is not mine to give, but it shall be given

to them for whom 'it is p1·epared of riiy Father."

(Matt. xx. 23.)

The order of the kingdom of God, and its future

prevalence on the earth, were such common topics of

conversation and discourse in those days, and were so

well understood, that the thief on the cross was informed reg-arding it, and while expiring craved that

Christ would remember him when He should come in

His kingdom. "Lord, remember me when thou comest

into thy kingdom." (Luke xxii i. 42.) This thief was,

doubtless, a baptized dis.._;iple of Christ, but while under

temptation had sinned, and Christ here forgave him.

(1 John ii. 1.)

The angel said to Mary, "The Lord God shall give

untD him the throne of his father David." (Luke i. 32.)

As to the two persons who were associated with the

Apostle James in the presidency of the church, it should

be no surprise if their names are not mentioned in the

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70 PRESIDENCY. AND PRIESTHOOD.

history of the church ; for James, the president, even,

is lost sight of for a period of ten years, and some of

the most important things relating to him wcrn hut

incidentally mentioned, as it were, by the historian.

Indeed, we have but a scrap of the history of those

times. Persecution, war, conflict, and destruction were

the common order. Peter's name even is not mentioned

for a period of six years, - one of the first and most

popular of the apostles.

The best evidence obtainable, however, points to the

Apostle Jude as being one that was associated with the

president of the church. ( 1,) It is con~eded that he

was an apostle. (2.) It is agreed that he was the

brother of James; hence the prestige of family that

would he likely to secure respect and confidence. (3.)

The manner in which he addressed his Epistle shows

him to have been in high standing, influential, and well

known by all of the church. He had but to say that

he was the "brother of James" to indicate his standing and secure regard for his Epistle throughout the

entire church. ( 4.) His letter is addre~sed to the

church at large. This he would not have done had

he not been occupying one of the highest seats in the

church, - one near the president. It reads: "To

them that are sanctified privates God the ·Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ." Not to one church, but to

them all. Again: "vVhen I gave all diligence to write

unto you of the common salvation. . .. "l<'or there

are certain men crept in unawares." This sbow,; him

to have been a chief watclnm~n, and well informed in

church matters. · ( 5.) In the seventeenth verse he diswww.LatterDayTruth.org

PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

clnims a standing, it would seem, with the twelve

aprnstles, hence the proper place to assign him is with

his brother James in the presidency of the church.

Under the heading of the "Epistle of Jude" we have

the following : -

"The writer of the Epistle styles himself (verse one) 'Jude,,

the ... brother of Jrimes,' mid hris been usurilly identified with

the Apostle Judas Lebb20us, or Thaddeus But there are strong

reasons for rendering the words, 'Jutlas, the ... son of James';

and inasmuch as the author appears (verse seventeen) to distinguish himself from the apostles, we may agree with eminent

critics in attributing the Epistle to another author. The most

probable conclusion is that the ·author was Jude, one of the

brethren of Jesus; not the apo~tle, the son .<lf Alph::eus, but the

bishop of J eri1salem." - Pictorial Bible, published by D. Cook

& Co., Chicago, Ill., page 47.*

As to who tho other assistant or counse!Lir was, it is

yet more doubtful. It is highly probable, however,

that it was Silas; possibly '' J uda8, surnamed BarsabafO." (Acts xv. 22, 27, 32.) More than likely,

as these wern times of fierce persecution, and many

of the chief Chri~.tian workers lost their lives, these

counsellors, 01· aids, were frequently romovecl by death

and others assigned to tbeir places. None ever exerted

the influence over tlie Jew,;, as such, as did Jame,;. He

was highly esteemed by all classes by reason of his

well-known g!·eat piety. The Jews hoped, or sought,

until tho last, the day of his martynloru, to reclaim him

from the Chri8tian cause. By reason of tlie popular

regiml had for him, it appears that he was protected

in Jerusalem when the twelve apo,;tlc,o were scattered

abroad, together with many of the church.

~Appendix C. www.LatterDayTruth.org

72 PRESIDE~CY AND PRIESTHOOD.

It is believed by some that, after the crucifixion of

the Saviour, Peter, James, and John were advanced

to the presidency of the church ; that their authority

henceforth transcended that of the other apostles. But

unfortunately for this theory, there seems to be little or

nothin~ to su.pport it.

( 1.) All the facts go to show that it was James, the

"Lord's brother," and not ,James, the son of Zebedee,

that was made president of the church at Jerusalem.

(2.) There is no evidence showing that either Peter or

John ever acted in that capacity, but rather that they

continued in the very offices and authority to which

they were appointed when they were first called to the

apostleship by the Master.

It is argued, however, that the Saviour said unto

Peter: "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom

of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth

shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt

loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matt. xvi.

19), and that this was virtually his appointment to the

leadership or presidency of the church.

But there is nothing conferred in this statement that

is not essential to the carrying out of the great commission given to Peter and co-laborers, to go and

"teach all nations, baptizing them," etc. (Matt. xxviii.

19.) From the very choosing of the twelve apostles

Peter seems to have been constituted their leader.

The reason ls not assigned, but he does not appear

to have been any more so after than before the crucifixion.

Dr. Smith says of him: -

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 73

":From this time [the time of the choosin:;r of the apostles],

there can be no doubt that Peter held the first place among the

apostles, to whatever cause his precedence is to be attributed ..

He is named first in every list of the apostles; he is generally

addressed by our Lord as their representative; and on the most

solemn occasions he speaks in their name." (See John vi.

66-69; Matt. xvi. 16, 18.)

"The early chnrch regarded St. Peter generally . . . as the

representative of the apostolic body; a very distinct theory from

that which makes him their heaJ or governor in Christ's stead.

Peter held no distinct office, and certainly never claimed any

distinct powers which did not belong equally to all his fellowapostles." - Bible Dictionary, page 427.

The evidence points to Peter as the chairman or

president of the college of apostles, rather than anything else; and this it is most likely he was, both before

and after the ascension of the Saviour. There was

nothing in the "keys" of authority conferred upon him

that was not essential to the office which he held both.

before and after the crucifixion ; indeed, belongs to it.

Peter exerci:-;ed this au! hority on Pentcco:-;t, and at

the house of Corneliu,;. He received from heaven, and

unlocked to men on earth. It was essential to his ministry as a chief apostle in all the world. It belongs to

the office of an apostle, most especially to the chief of

that body or quornrn. Hnd Peter been regarded in

the light of the president of the church, the church at

Jern:-;alem would not have hronght him up so summarily

for his conduct at the house of Corneliu,.;, neither would

Paul have likely f"tmd out more of the truth of the

divine ·will than he, and so contend against him "because he was to be blamed.'' (Gal. ii. 11.) Upon

this point it is but necessary to call the attention of

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74 PHESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

those who believe as does the writer, to the authorization of the ministry in this Latter..,day Dispensation, in

order to convince them of this position; for an equal

authority- seems to have been the exact one- was

conferreLl upon Thomas B. Marsh, the pret-iident of the

twelve, as follows: -

"Verily I say unto you, my servant Thomas, thou art the

man whom I have chosen to hoid the keys of my kingdom (as

pertaining to the twelve) abroarl among all nations, that thou

maye.~t be my serrnnt to unlock the door of the kingdom in all

places," etc.

"For unto you (the twelve), arnl those (the first presidency)

who are appointed with you to be your counsellors and leaders,

is the power of this priesthood given for the last days and the

last time." - Covenants and Commandments, Section 105, paragraphs 7 and 12.

Here the p!'~sidency and twelve are associated to-

_gethel' in holding "the power of this priesthood given

foe the last time." The" keys" of the kingdom abroad

amon!! all nations were conferred upon the president of.

the twelve, and this did not interfere in the least with

the high authority, prerogatives, and" keys" conferred

upon the president of the church and associates, who

not only presicle over the whole church, but become the

leaders and counsellors of the quorum of apostles in

their specific work to all nations. The following sets

forth the high and cli,;tinguishing prerogatives, in contradistinction to all others, of the fil'st pret-iident: -

"And, again, the duty of the president of the office of the

high priesthood is to preside over the whole church, and to be

like unto Moses. Behol(l, here is wisdom: yea, to be a seer, a

Tevelator, a translator, and a prophet, having all the gifts of

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 75

God which he bestows upon the head of the church." - Covenants and Commandments, Section 64, paragraph 42.

The duties and privileges of the counsellors are very

similar to those of the president ; i. e., to aid and assist

in any matters connected with bis high office.

This, too, is in harmony with what is written in the

"Book of Covenants and Commandments,'' Section 6,

as follows : -

"I will make him [John] as a flame of fire and a mini~tering

angel; he shall minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation who dwell on the earth; and I will make thee [Peter] to

minister for him and thy brother .James; and unto you three I

will give this power and the keys of this ministry until I come."

"Unto you three I will give this power and the keys

of this ministry until I come." vYhat ministry? To

preside over the whole church? No. It was the ministry for the proclamation of the gospel to "all the

world." John's especial request was that "power over

death" should be given him, to tho e1Hl that lie might

-continue in "this ministry" and " hring ~onb unto"

Christ. His reque~t was granted, and it wns said to

him: "Thou shalt tarry until I come in my glory,

and shalt prophesy bcf"re nations, kindred,,, tongues,

and people." Imbued with a prnper love of mankind,

and a true missionary spirit, his appointment abroad to

the great world is here confirmed, not to a seat or presidency at n centre, but to all nations. (HeY. x. 11.)

Peter desired that he "might speedily c<Jme" into

Christ's kingdom. Both of their requests were granted.

,James, it appear,;, made no The ibreo Were

united in the work of the ministry, mid it ~was to them

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76 PRESIDENCY AND PHIESTHOOD.

that it was said: "Unto you three I will give this power

and the keys of this ministry until I come"; that is, to

go and teach all the nations.

"I will make thee [Peter] to minister for him [John J

and thy brother James."

There is nothing in this specific statement concerning

Peter not to be found in substance in the Gospels. As

it is wdl expressed by Dr. Smith, that, from the choosing of the apo,;tles, "Peter held the first place among

them." "He is generally addressed by our Lord as

their representative." "He speaks in their name." He

is here confirmed in his old station, not only as chief 01·

spokesman among the twelve apostles, but also of the

three. "I will make thee to minister for him [John]

and thy hrnther James." This recognized leadership

of Peter in the quorum of apostles is acknowledged both

before the crucifixion and after, - on the day of Pentecost, at the house of Cornelius, down at Samaria, at

the conference at Jerusalem, and is here coufirmed for

all time.

The sending of Peter with an especial message to

Cornelius was not because he was the president of

the church, as is virtually confessed by Pct,er himself

at the council at Jerusalem. Said he : -

");Ien and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago

Goel made choice among us, that the Geniiles by my mouth

should hear the word of the gospel and believe," - A.tts xv. 7.

This shows that the Almighty made a special "choice"

of Peter from among others to go on this mission, and

it argues nothing for the claim that he was sent bewww.LatterDayTruth.org

PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 77

cause he was the president of the church, arnl that it

was his right because of his holding the "keys" of the

highest office, or that he was the ooly one who held

"keys" and authority.

But the James spoken of and included .with Peter

and John in the above, is not .James, the Lord's brother,

who presided at ,Jerusalem, but ,Tames, the son of

Zebedee. The keys and authority for procla.iming the

gospel to the nations were conferred upon these until

Christ should come. But James, the Lord's brother,

was appointed to preside at Jerusalem. So that, in the

opening of this last dispensation, - the "dispensation

of the fulness of times," - Peter, James, and John -

the council to whom was committed the authority to

preach the gospel to all nation8 - appeared and conferred the p1fosthood, and the keys thereof, in order

properly to qualify a mini8try to declare the restored gospel, - the great latter-day message. This :was James,

the son of Zebedee, Jorm, and Peter, - Peter still continuing the chief mini8ter of the three.

This is in accord with the statement: -

"Verily I say unto you, my servant Thomas, thou art the

man whom I have chosen to hold the keys of my kingdom (as

pertaining to the twelve) abroad among all nations." - Covenants and Commandments, Section 105, paragraphs G, 7; Section

104, paragraphs 11, 12, and 42.

Again, it could scarcely be consistently held by a

people who believe that the Melchisedec priesthood is

a lineal priesthood, descending from father to son, that

on the ascen,;;ion of the Saviour into heaven the priesthood was trnnsferred from the house of Joseph to the

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78 PRESIDJ<;NCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

house of Zebedee, and that, too, when it is known that

the kindred of Jesus were in the faith and devoted to

the great cause which he established. Of right, it belonged to the house of Joseph, and James being the

eldest, after Jesus, of that family, save only fol' transgression Jehovah even could not bar him of his right,

for God cannot do unjustly.

"The order of this priesthood was confirmed to be handed

down from father to son, and rightly belongs to the literal d<escendants of the chosen seed to whom the promises were made.

This order was instituted in the days of Adam, and caine down

by lineage in the following manner: :From Adam to Seth, etc."

- Covenants ancl Comrnanclrnents, Section 104, paragraph 18;

Section 83, paragraph 2.

"The language of the New Testament writers, in relation to

the priesthood," says Dr. Smith, " ought not to be passed over.

They rocognized in Christ the first-born, the king, the anointed,

the representative of the true primeval priesthood after the

order of Melchisedec." - Bible Dictionary, page 446.

In this opinion, the lineage - right of the first-born

- is recognized, indicating that the house of Joseph was

in the true lineal line which had been "hid with Christ

in God."

This lineal right was recognized after the ascension of

the Saviour, and the chief authority remained in the

house of .Joseph, and hence ,James and associates presided over the whole church, while Peter held "the

keys" of the kingdom (as pertaining to the twelve), and

in that council or quorum, and these two

quorums jointly held the chief authority, and governed

the church ~it home and abroad.

The twelve apostles, then, were true to the comwww.LatterDayTruth.org

PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

m1ss10n given them. They went into all the world, -

Peter included. James presided at Jerusalem.

"For nothing is plainer,'' says Rev. J. vV. Harding, D. D.,

"tlrnn that St. James, the apostle (whom St. Paul calls 'our·

Lord's l.Jrother,' and reckons with Peter and John ohe of the

pillars of the church), was the sa:ne who presided among the

apostles, doubtless by virtue of his episcopal office, arnl determined the cause in the synod of Jerusalem. He was preferred

before all the rest for his near relationsliip to Christ." - Sacred

Biography an cl History, page 522.

As further evidence upon the question as to who was

constituted the president of the church at Jerusalem,

the following is submitted : -

"James, the Lorc~'s brother, was bishop of Jerusalem (compare Gal. xix. with Gal. ii. 0-1:.l), and was president of the

church in its earliest days. (Acts xii. 1:3; xv. 18.) Su eh a position required him to be a resident of Jerusalem .... He

simply styles himself in the introduction thereto [of liis Epistle]

'a servant of God an cl of the Lord Jes us Christ.' Ho who could

thus write with the certainty of being identified must have been

the most famous person of his name in the church; must have

been what St. Paul, in a passage (Gal. ii. 0) where he places

James both before Peter and John, calls him 'a pillar' of the

Christian society. Arn.l_, again, ,Jude, when commoncing his

Epistle, calls himself the brother of .James, with no other mark

of distinction. Herc, too, Urn s:tme ,James must be intencled;

and when we read Flt. Jude's Epiotle (17, 18) we find him distinguishing himself from the apostles,• and as it were disclaiming

apostolic dignity [one of the twelve]. This is as it would be

if James and Jude were both brclhrcn of the Lord, and were not

apostles: but we shoulcl certainly expect one or the other would

have left sorne indication in their letters had they been of ihe number of ihe twelYe. and most surely neither of them would have

been likely io gi.-c us reason Lo bclicye Urnl. he was not au apostle.

.. . . Once more: The brethren of the Lord are expressly imid

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80 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

(John vii. 5) not to have believed on Jesus at a period much

later in his ministry than the appointment of the twelve, while

in the mention of them in Acts i. 14, there is given first a list of

the eleven who are said to have continued in prayer with the

women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

Such a studied sernrance of the brethren of the Lord from the

number of the apostles is very significant, while the position that

they held in the list may well be due to the fact that it was

only at a late period that they had become disciples of Jesus.

The change in their opinions has been thought by many to be

sufficiently accounted for by the statement of St. Paul (l Cor ..

xv. 7), that after his resurrection Jesus 'was seen of James.'"

- Encyclopcedia Britannica, page 5G2.

Eusebius, in the second book of his "Ecclesiastical

History," page 1, writes of the course that was pursued

by the apostles after the ascension of the Saviour, as

follows: -

"First, in the place of Judas, the traitor, Matthias was

chosen by lot. ... Then were appointed, with prayer and imposition of hands, approved men unto the office of deacons.

Then James, called the brother of our Lord; ... whom the

ancients, on acc·mnt of the excellence of his virtne, surnamed

'the Just,' was the fir;;t to receive the episcopate of the church

at Jerusalem. But Clement (who was the companion of St.

Paul), in the sixth book of his' Institutions,' represents it thus:

'Peter and James and John, after the ascension of our Saviour,.

though they had been preferrecl by our Lord, did not contend

for the honor as to who should occnpy the highest seat, but

chose James the Just as bishop of Jerusalem."

The same author, in the seventh book of the s:i.me

1vork, ·writes: -

"The Lord imparted the gift of knowledge to James the Just,

to John ami Peter, after his resurrection; these delivered it to

the rest of the apostles, and they to the seventy, of whom Barnabas was one.

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 81

"'But James, the brother of the Lord, who, -as there were

many of his name, was surnamed the Just by all from the

days of our L0rd until now, received the government of the

church with the apostles." - History, by EusEmus, page 76.

"First, they slew Stephen'by stoning; next James, the brother

of .John and son of Zebedee, by beheading; and, finally, James,

who first obtained th9 episcopal seat at .Jerusalem, after the

ascension of our Saviour."-EusEmus, page 86.

"For the church at Jerusalem, it is unanimously delivered by

all ancient writers, that James, the Lord's brother, was the first

bishop thereof .. , - Br'\GIIAllI.*

"He was or<lained by the apostles immediately after our

Lord's crucifixion." -ST. JEROME.

These witnesses all unite in giving a like testimony,

showing that there was a president in .the church at

Jerusalem, who was not of the number of the twelve

apostles, and that it wns "James, the Lord's brother."

As a second step i11 the order of succession, the following occm·::i in the writing,; of Clemens, who wns one of

the most ancient of writer,; of church hi,;tory: -

"That this was designed as a peculiar honor io St. James, in

regard that he was the brother of Christ. . . . Some time

after his death, as Eusebius relates from ancient tradition, the

apostles and disciples of our Lord, as many as were yet in being,

met together with our Saviour's kinsmen (several of whom were

yet alive) to consult about choosing a successor in St. James's

room, and they unanimously agreed upon Simeon, son of Cleopas, our Saviour's cousin according to the flesh, thinking him

the most fit and worthy person." - Antiquities of Christianity,

page 58. (See also "Christian Antiquities,'' by Bingham,Vol.

page 16.)

Again: -

"There were yet living (A. D. 100) of the family of our Lord,

the grandchildren of Judas (Jude), called the brother of our

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82 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. ·

Lord according to the flesh .... They ruled the churches, both

as witnesses and rel:.j,tives of the Lord." - EusEBIUS, Ecclesiastical History, XX. 1.

These citations of history from the writings of the

early Fathers, some of whom were contemporaneous

with the apostles themselves, confirm the position taken,.

that James, "the Lord's brother,'' succeeded Jesus in

the high office of chief " apostle and high priest" in the

Melchisedec priesthood on earth, and that, too, by an

agreement had between the apostles themselves. That,

notwithstanding the contention had by the twelve previous to tho crucifixion as to who should be the greatest

when the Saviour should be taken away, James was

appointed to the office of "chief steward," and presided

over the entire church. That the apostles sustained

him in that position. They "contended not as to who

should occupy the highest seat, but chose James."

There is an office, therefore, in the order of the

church estD blished by Christ higher than those of the

twelve apostles, which they respected, and by unanimous consent appointed a most fit person to occupy

that position.

\Ve have, then, as set out in the institution of

.Moses, -

( 1.) The .Mek:h isedec and the Aaronic priesthoods,

Moses being the chief apostle and high priest and prophet

or president, supported by two aids, -Aaron and Hnr.

(2.) Twelve princes, chiefs of the tribes.

( 3.) The seventy elders.

( 4.) Aaron, officiating in "the priest's office," as

the high priest of the Levitical order.

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 63

(5.) The lesser priest,; and Levites, et9.

Under Christ, as s('t out in the New Te8tament, there

were committed the Melchisedec and the Aaronic priesthoods, with -

(1.) Jesus as "the apostle and high priest" and

prophet.

(2.) He was succeeded in office, in the church

militant, by ,James, "the Lord's brother," who was

aided by two assistants, who were, in all probability,

Jude and Silas.

(3.) The .quorum of the twelve apostles.

( 4.) The seventy elJers.

(5.) The elders.

(6.) Bi,.,;hops.

( 7.) Priests.

(8.) Teachers.

(0.) Deacons.

(10.) High priests, evangelists, and pastors, set in

their respective places, whose exact positions, in point

of ·preferment, are not definitely set forth in the Bible.

The fundamental doctrines believed in and taught by

this ,Jerusalem church were : ( 1.) Faith in God. ( 2.)

Faith in Jesus Christ. (3.) In the Holy Ghost. ( 4.}

Belief in the doctrine of repentance. · ( 5.) In baptism ..

(6.) Inthelayingonofhands. (7.) Intberesurrection of the dead; and (8.) Eternal judgment. (9.).

TheLord'ssuppcr. (10.) Thewashingoffcet. These,

together with an humble and godly including all

of the excellences set out in tbe moral code, with the

endowment of the Holy Ghost us realized and enjoyed

in the testimony of Jesus,-such as faith, wisdom,

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84 PRESIDEl\CY AND PRIESTHOOD.

knowledge, dreams, prophecies, tongues, interpretations, visions, healings, etc., - were some of the chief

or cardinal things belonging to the "house of God,"

as set up by Christ, and made the "light of the world,"

the "pillar and ground of the truth." This was the

heritage bequeathed by Christ and the apostles 11nd

saints to the world in their day, and which wns to be

perpetuated so long as a proper faith and commerniable

purity should attach to those professing a belief therein.

The laws of initiation into this church fold were beautifully set out on the day of Pentecost by the Apostle

Peter while addressing a congregation of Jews, who

became convicted of their transgressions, - "pricked in

their heart," - and cried, "Men and brethren, what

shall we do?" "Repent," said the apostle, "and be

baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ

for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift

of the H(lly Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and

to youl' children, and to :ill that are afal' off, even as

many as the Lord our God shall call." (Acts ii.

38, 39.) (See also Chap. viii. 12; xxii. 16; x. 47, 48 ~

xvi. 15; viii. 38; xix. 5, 6; Heb. vi. 2.)

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CHAPTER VII.

THE VIRGIN CHUHCH. -THE HISE AND PHEVALENCE OJ<' THE MAN

OF SIN, OR MYSTERY, BABYLON.

Tms beautiful organization of the church of Jesus

Christ is most strikingly represented in her replete,

heaven-approved, and chaste state, by John the Revelator, under the figure of a woman "clothed with the

sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a

crown of twelve stars." (Rev. xii. 1.)

The woman symbolized the church in its primitive

and pure state; the moon under her feet represented

that the lesser glory (the law) had passed away, -was

no longer in force. The church of Christ stood above

it, for the glory of the law was as the light of the moon

compared with tint of the sun in the distinction between

the law and the gospel. The perfect law of liberty

(the gospel) having been established, the law of Moses

(the "schoolmaster," the imperfect code) is shown to

be inoperative, null, and void.

Being dothed with the sun emblernize<l the glory,

power, inspiration, light, and knowledge with which

the clrnreh was endowed privates Jesus Christ, its great

Head, heing illuminated and glorified with his prer;;ence,

authority, and inspiration.

":For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness

dwell." - Col, i. 19.

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86 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

"And gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

which is his body." - Eph. i. 22, 23.

"Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular."

1 Cor. xii. 27.

To be "clothed" upon, in a gospel sense, is to be

adorned with commendable graces; so we read : -

" And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine

linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of

saints." - Hev. xix. 8.

The sun being the great centre of the solar system,

around which the planets and wol'lds revolve in their

.order and succession, and from which they receive

their light ~01d heat and life, it is a most beuutifol and

fitting representation of thnt effulgence and power with

which the church was endowed by the Sun of Righteousness, the great centre of the Christian system, and

who is its true light and life and inspiration. The

twelve stars that adorned her head represented the

twelve apostles, or apostolic seats, which were her

diadem of authority, privates which she was to be repre-

'sented to the nations of the earth, and built up a

"glorious church." They were to continne "till we all

come in the unity of the faith." (Eph. iv. 13.)

This church, as represented, was the 1uessenger of

the new covenant to procluim peace aud ghul tidings

among men, -God's constituted order and authority for

the enlightenment and salvation of tho worl<l. Thus

clothed and crowned, she was conrniis,,ioned for all

if loyal to her great Head, to extend her banner-

.the gospel of peace -- wherever the sons of men chose

to dwell. She was admonished, however, to guard

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 87'

against worldly vices and influences, and to hold .on to·

her exalted standing and beautiful grnces; otherwise

God would take away her magnificent adornings, withdraw thepower and glory of his presence, remove her

crown of auth01·ity, reject and leave her despoiled of

her enchanting heauty, to become a wanderer in exile,

and to mmgle with the follies, sins, and pleasures of the

world.

Was she constant, pure, and faithful to her appointment that all might recognize' her by her beautiful

raiment? Did she carefully guard her person against

all the encroachments of vice and immornlity, resist

the temptations of the world nnd the seductive influences and wiles of the w:icked one? No. Notwithstanding her great endowment of power, beauty, and

inspiration, she was yet a probationer. Her pathway

led along by the world's great pleasures and beside the

camp of the cruel and the wicked. She was circumvented on every hand, and subjected to all of the

embarrassments, temptations, and enticement::; cummon

to earth life. Superstition, idolatry, bigotry, intolerance, and enthroned tyrnnny conspired :.igainst her, and

proud ambition sought her overthrow. Though powerful and capable if she hut \rilled, :-he was not constant.

In an evil hour, through the infatuations and dcceivahlencss of the vYorld, she was allured from her exalted

station, and ::;inned mid fell; and God took away her

beautiful dres:-; ; tore off her crown of ; took

away the glory, power, and inspiration that made her

the light of the 1vorld and of chief worth to men ; and

she was left to wander in exile, in blindness, uncertl1inty,

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88 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

and doubt in the wilderness of sin. The "great red

dragon" cast "watel' as a flood after the woman" (the

fierce persecutions of the uncircumcised), an<l she was

driven into the wilderness. (Rev. xii. 3, 15, 16.)

"Her child was caught up unto Goel, and to his throne."

(Rev. xii. 5.) This represented the priesthood or

"kingdom of God." (Inspired translation, verse seven.)

"The kingdom of Goel is not in word, but in power."

(1 Cor. iv. 20.)

Divested of her power and rejected of Gc!d, like Saul

under sin, she courted the power, friend~hip, and inspiration of the world, and by and by she is seen transformed and exhibited in a proud, haughty, and unchaste

state upon a hydra-headed horned beast,· a,,; follows : -

"So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and

I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of

blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns And the woman

was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold

.and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand

full of abominations and filthiness of her fortiication: and upon

her forehead was a name writtm, MYSTERY, BABYLON

THE GREAT, THE MOTHEH OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS 01!' THE EARTH." -Rev. xvii. 3, 4. 5.

What an amazing contrast is this to her original

splendor, glory, and beauty! How changed in her

habilarnents ! How she is fallen ! No longer the sun

adorns her person, or a crown of stars her head; no

longer the pure and chaste virgin of primitive days, when

James, Peter, John, Paul, Matthew, and others were

honored with seats in her crown of authority ; bnt gold.

now, and pearls, and precious stones, and scarlet are

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 89·

her adornings, with a golden cup in her hand "full of her

abominations." In this awful, degenerate, polluted, and

diabolical state she sits as empress of the kings of the

earth. (Rev. xvii. 18.) •:Eyes like the eyes of a

man" were given her for her light, "and a mouth

speaking great things" as her lawgiver. (Dan. vii. 8.)

She assumed to herself the right to universal empire,.

seized the realm of state, and arrogated the proud title

of "infallibility."

Historians writing of the reign of this queen of vice

and usurpation, intolerance, and crime, present such

a fearful picture of the depravity of man that to,

read it is to be shocked, amazed, confounded at the

awful wickedness of the human heart and cruelty of

human kind. Rivers of blood flowed, the consciences

of men 'vere proscribed, their bodies torturnd and

burned under the merciless and vile rule of this

"MOTHER OF HARLOTS."

No wonder the Saviour declared, by the unerring

foresight of his inspiration, that "from the days of John

the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven f'ufiereth

violence, and the violent take it privates force'' (Matt.

xi. 12); an<l that Paul should say, "The mystery of

iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth

will let, until he he taken out of the way." (2 Thess.

ii. 7.) That the "time would come when they would

not enrturc sound doctrine; but ... turn away their

ears from the truth, and ... he turned unto fables.

(2 Tim. iv. 4.) That, after his departing, "shall grievous wolves kinter in among you, not sparing the flock."

(Act;;; xx. 29.) Again : "Let no man deceive you by

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·90 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD,

any means: for that day shall not come" [the day of

the coming of the Son of mnn J, "except there come a

falling away fast." (2 Thess. ii. 3.) (See 2 Tim.

iii.1,5.)

Mysticism, cruelty, blindness, anq spiritual darkness

continued in accumulation until the whole world 'ms

enshrouded in it. "The Christians turned lH·athen

again, aml had only a dead form left." (JOHN 'WESLEY.)

The most "abominable idolatry," depravity, and crime

ensued until the beast held undisputed sway over all

"kindreds, and tongues, and nations." (llev. xiii. 7.)

(See Dan. vi'i. 21; Isa. ii. 5, 6.)

Concerning the rise of this evil power, Paul wrote: -

"Let no man deceive you by any means [that the day of

Chris_t is at hand]: for that day shall not come, except there

come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the

son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all

that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God

sitteth in ihe temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." -

2 Thess. ii. 3, 4.

"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he

who now letteth w1ll let, until be be taken out of the way." -

2 Thess. ii. 7. (See whole chapter.)

Rev. Isaac ,J. Lansing, A. M., commenting upon the

subject-matter here quoted, in very fitting words

says:-

"I do not affirm that the sacred writer foretells the papacy

in these prophetic words; but we risk nothing in clanning thnt

the description actually ouUiues ihe pretensions and assumptions of the pope, and that Homanism allows to him nearly all,

if not all, of the presumptuous claims that are here indicated.

The lives of mcmy of the popes certainly correspond to the defi-

_nition - the man of sin - in their scandalous wickedness and

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 91

immorality. Their pride and pretensions are not unfittingly

delineated in the words, 'who opposelh and exalteth himself

above all that is called God, or that is worshipped'; since, as I

shall show, the pope opposes all other forms of religion except

the Roman Catholic, and exalts his claims, so that his declarations demand of Roman Catholics as absolute respect and obedience as though they were the very words of God. He certainly

' sitteth in the temple of God'; ancl if be does not say, 'I am

God,' be presumptuously asserts, m his claims to infallibility,

the possession of attributes belonging to God alone.'' - Romanism and the Republic, page 61.

"The mystery of iniquity" began to work in Paul's

'day to corrupt, change, alienate, and effect the overthrow and utter ruin of that beautiful order and faith

·of which he was a chief advocate.

But what say others concerning the great apostasy

that ensued after the death of the apostles?

Says the historian Marsh : -

"For a period of about six years nftor the ascellsion of Christ

the apostles continued lo preach the gospel to tho .Jews only,

wherever they could find them throughout the Roman Empire.

]3ut, in general, they rejected it, and biltorly opposed and perse-

·cuted all who pro,laimed it. The Lord, therefore, directed the

apostles to turn their attention to the Gentiles." - MARSH'S

Ecclesiastiwl History, page 152.

"Such was the moral stale and character of the primitive

churches. But they kept not their glory. Tho gold soon became dim. Somo deceiven were among them wl;o corrnpted

the mass. False teachers early introtluced errors in doetrinc.

Believers grew cold and lukcwarn1, a!Hl through the power of

rndweJling corruption and the of llw world foll into

yory reprehensible sins. A vain and deceitful came

near destroying the church at Corinth .... Among the seyen

promising and excellent churches of Asia there was scarce one

that retained, at the end of forty years, her original purity of

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92 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

doctrine or practice. And yet it was the golden age of th~

church." -Ibid., page 159.

Again: -

"The history of the church of Christ, from the close of the

first century to the commencement of the fourth, is one of continual enlargement, but of gradual and deep declension in doctrine and holy practice, and of awful suffering from the fires of

persecution. It was not, as it had been under the ancient dispensation, a distinct nation, governed by its own rule1·s and laws,

appointed by God, but it was composed of a vast multitude who

lived in all parts of the Homan Empire who had been persuaded

to renounce idolatry ancl enlist under the banner of our Lord

Jesus Christ, and who were unitecl in small .associations or

churches." - Ibid., page 169.

"Almost proportionate with the extension of Christianity

was the decrease in the church of vital pie'ty. A philosophizing

spirit among the higher, and a wild monkish superstition among

the lower orders, fast took the place, in the thinl century, of the

faith and humility of the first Christians. .Many of the clergy

became very corrupt and excessi1·ely ambitious .... Useless

rites and ceremonies continued to increase. The minds of men

were filled with the Oriental rnperslition." -Ibid., page 185.

Again: -

"The revolution under Constantine (beginning of the fourth

century) was one from which almost everything which the

Christian values might be hoped. But, alas! sud1 is the depravity of human nature, it "·as one in which almost everything

of evangelical worth was lost. Constantine brought the world

into the church, and the church was paralyzed. The number of

nominal Christians were increased a thousand-fold .... Immense

and splendid temples were erected and richly endowed, and a

great priesthood was regularly organized and liberally supporied.

The body existed, but the spirit harl fled. Constantille set up an

immense national church, but the humility, faith, and the spirituality of the age of Poly carp had passed away." - Id., page ms.

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 93

"The remainder of the fifth, and whole of the sixth century, the reader of ecclesiastical history finds but little that

engages his attention. The church, washed, sanctified, and

justified in the name of the Lord Jes us and by the Spirit of

God, is scarcely visible." -- Ibid., page 208.

" Before the close of the sixth century the world was at ease,

and superstition had made most rapid strides. The great mass

of ministers were excessively ignorant, and, led away by the

strongest fantasies, did little but delude and destroy the

people. A thousand rites were performed, each one of which

was supposed to have some wonderful power. A thousand relics

were produced, whose touch, it was said, could heal the body

and the mind. The most marvellous feats, called miracles,

were performed. The most superstitious services were rendered to departed souls. 'l'he images of saints were worshipped

under the belief that sueh worship drew down their propitiol!s

presence." - I bicl., page 213.

"The Christian clrnrch was scarcely formed when, in different places, there started up certain pretended reformers, who,

not satisfied with the simplicity of that religion which was

taught by the apostles, meditated changes of doctrine and worship, and set up a new religion drawn from their own licentious

imaginations." -MosnEIM's Church History, page 106, Chapter V.

"'l'he Christian religion was, in its first rise, corrupted in

several places by the mixture of an impious and chimerical

philosophy with its pure and sublime doctrines." - Id., page

112, Chapter V., paragraph 10.

"By the middle of the second century the . councils and

'synods' had ' changed the whole face of ihe church,' and given

it a new name." - I bid., page 145, Chapter II., paragraph 2.

Again: -

''There is no institution so pure and excellent which the corruption and folly of mankind will not, in time, alter for the

worse, and load it with additions foreign to its nature and

-Original design. Such, in a particular manner, was the fate of

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94 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

Christianity in this (the second) century; many unnecessary

rites and ceremonies were added to the Christian worship." -

Ibid., page 162.

Further, concerning the church immediately succeeding the apostles, Waddington says : -

"In the first place, it is certain that, from the moment in

which the early churches attained a definite shape and consistency, and assumed a permanent form of discipline, - as soon as

the death of the last of the apostles had deprived them of the

more immediate guidance of the Holy Spirit, and left them,

under God's especial care and providence, to the uninspired

di1•ection of mere men, - so soon had every church, respecting

which we possess any distinct information, adopted the episcopal form of government.'' - W ADDING'l'ON, Vol. II., page 20.

Mr. Jones, the learned historian, makes the followmg

statements concerning the condition of the Christian

faith in the days of Constantine : -

"Now, they began to new-model the Christian church, the

government of which was, as far as possible, arranged conformably to the government of the state. The emperor himself

assumed the title of bishop, and claimed the power of regulating

its external affairs; and he and his successors convened councils, in which they presided, and determined all matters of discipline.

" The bishops corresponded to those magistrates whose jurisdiction was confined to single eities; the metropolitans, to the

proconsuls u· presidents 'of provinces; the primates, to the

emperors, vicars, each of whom governed one of 1.he imperial

provinces. Canons and prebendaries of Catholic churches

took their rise from the socir.ties of the ecclesiastics, which

Eusebius, bishop of Verdel, mid after him Angustine, formed

in their houses, and in which these prelates were styled their

fathers and masters." - Gospel Reflector, page 10.

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 95

"The day of light - so illustrious in its beginning of [Christianity] -·became 'cloudy. The papacy arose and darkened the

heaven for a long period, obscuring the brightness of the risen

glory of the Sun of Righteousness, so that men groped in darkness. By ihe reformation of the seventeen.th century that dark

cloud was broken in fragments; and though the heavens of

gospel light are still obscured by many clouds, - the sects of

various names,-the promise is that 'at evening-time it shall

be light.' The primitive gospel, in its effulgence and power, is

yet to shine out in its original splendor to regenerate the

world." - ALEX. CAJ\IPBELL, IIistory of the Disciples, by

HAYDEN, page 36.

" li nder the present administration of the kingdom of heaven

-a great apostasy has occurred, as foretold by the apostles. As

the church, compared to a city, is called 'Mount Zion,' the apostate church is called 'Mystery, Babylon,' the anti type is to be

destroyed by a Cyrus that knows not God. She is to fall by the

sword of infidels, supported by the fierce juclgments of Goel.

The 'Holy City' is still trodden under foot, aucl the sanctuary is

filled with corruptions. It is, indeed, a den of thievl·s; but

strong is the Lord God that judges the apostate city. Till that

great and notable clay of the Lord come, we cannot from the

prophetic word anticipate a universal return to the original

gospel, nor a general restoration of all the institutions of the

kingdom of heaven in their primitive character." -ALEX.

CAMPBELL, Chi·istian System, page 178.

"The apostate church - Babylon the Great, the Moth<T of

Harlots - changed even the Bible itself and the whole entire

diction of the Chri>'tian institution, - the apostolic constitution

or covenant." -ALEX. CA::lfl'BELL.

"But, allowing a few exceptions, we are authorized to cay

lhe whole worid lieth in wickedness; yea, in the wiekcd one,

as the words properly signify. Yea, the ·whole hc<iihen world;

yes, Christians, too (so called), for where is the difference save

in a few externals? See with your eyes. Look into the large

country of Hindostan; there am Chri,tians and heathens, too.

"'Which have more justice, mercy, anll truth, the Christians or

heathens? Which are more corrupt, infernal, and devilish in

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96 PRESJDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

their temper and practices, the English or the Indians? Which

has desolated whole countries, and clogged the rivers with their

dead bodies? 0 sacred name of Christian! 0 earth, earth,

how dost thou groan under the curse of thy Christian inhabitants! "-Sermon, by JOHNWESLEY, from 2 Tim. ii., RICHARD

\VATSON'S History of Wesley, page 58.

" The gifts of the Holy Spirit were no longer to be found

in the Christian church, because the Christians had turned

heathens again, and had only a dead form left." - Sermon 94.

"How early and how powerfully did the ' mystery of iniquity'

work in the church at Corinth. Kot only schisms, heresies, animosities, fierce and bitter contentions, but actual open sins.

We meet with abundant proof that in all the churches the tares

grew up with the wheat, and that the 'mystery of iniquity' did

ever work in a thousand forms. 'When James wrote his Epistle

the tares had produced a plentiful harvest. There were envy,

strife, confusion, and every evil work. ·whoso reads with

attention will be inclined to believe that the tares had well-nigh

choked the wheat even at this early period, and that, among the

most of them, no more than the form of godliness was left." -

Sermon 96, by Jmrn \VESLEY.

"\Ve have been apt to imagine that the primitive church was

all excellence and perfection; and such, without doubt, it was

on the 'day of Pentecost'; but how soon did the fine gold become dim; how soon was the wine mixed with the water ; how

little time before ihe Christians were scarcely to be distinguished

from the heathens!

"And if so bad in the first century, we cannot suppose it tohave been any better in the second. "l~ndoubtedly it grew worse.

and worse." -Ibicl.

"A Christian nation, a Christian city (according to the ancient

pattern), was no longer to be found. Has the case altered since

the Heformation? How little are any of these reformed Christians better than the heathen! Have they more (l will not say

communion with God, although there is no Christianity without

it), but have they more justice, mercy, and truth than the inhabitants of China and Hindostan?

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 97

"I doubt whether you ever knew a Christian in your life. I

believe that you never diu, and perhaps you never will; for you

will not find them in the great and gay world, and none are

Christians but they that walk as Christ walked; though they are.

called Christians, yet they are as far from it as hell is from

heaven." - Ibic1.

"By a comparison of the present state of Christianity with

what it was once, all are brought to the conclusion that we are

yet in the apostasy, - under the reign of the man of sin; yet in

Babylon; yet in the wilderness." - BAHTON ·w. STONE.

(See Chapter XII.)

Dear reader, did you .ever pause and contemplate

upon this wiiderne8s of sin and depravity that has intervened between you and the beautiful woman "clothed

with the sun and the moon under her foet," which is the

emblem of the virgin church of Jesus Christ, and with

which you need to be identified in order to be saved?

Take the history of the church founded by Jes us and

the apostles, as described in the New Testament, on the

other side of this mystieism and darkness, and 11ote

how beautiful in organization, how attractive in power,

purity, gifts, and blessings. Her officers were apostles,

Jlrophets, seventies, high priests, elders, bishops, teachers, deacon'J, pastors, and evangelists. Her laws, faith,

i·epentance, baptisms, the laying on of hand8, the resurrection from the dead, and etc•rnal judgment, together

with a commanded godly walk of the highest type of

morality and purity. Her blessings, the gift of the

Holy Ghost, as manifested in prophecy, tongues, healings, interpretation of tollgues, discerning of spirits,

faith, knowledge, wic:dom, the administration of angels,

and communion with God. View this system of faith

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98 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

and worship, with all of its imposing and captivating

beauty of order, power, and consistency, and then take

the history of the world and open at the beginning page

on this side of the dark night of superstition and error.

and see if you can discover an institution among all of

the reformed sects of modern times that conforms perfectly to her pattern, as given in the New Testament, in

organization, doctrine, and spirit. They may all make

claim to be a continuation or renewal of the church,

symbolized by the woman of Hevelation xii.; hut claim

is one thing, and fact another. Do their organizations

harmonize with hers? Have they apostles and prophets as she had? Have they communion with heaven,

the Holy Ghost in power, in visions, dreams, tongues,

healings, and the administering of angels, as she had?

Do they even claim so much?

After examining the whole of the Roman Catholic and

even Protestant Christendom, you can hut answer in the

negative, "No, they are not in harmony with her pattern in organization and doctrine." Yet, your first duty,

in connection with all others, is to "Seek ye first the

kingdom of God," the church.

It has been mid that such an organization 1s not

needed in this ag:e ; that the people are too wise, advanced, and pious; that it was to be done away nt the

close of the ministry of the apostles, ns having answered

the end for wliich it was constituted, hence no longer

needed. But when the prnof for such a position is demanded, the answer is abou.t as follows: "There is no

such organization among the popular chmches or sects,

and if it was necessm·y there would be one ; that it is

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 99

evident that tbe ancient order of things was not to

continue, because for so long a time it has ceased to

exist.''

But notwithstanding this popular dogmatism, we are

specifically informed that apostles, prophets, teachers,

etc., were to continue "till we all come in the unity

of the faith, and of the knowledge of tbe Son of God,

unto a perfect man, unto the mca:;ure of the stature of

the folne:,,s of Christ." (Epb. iv.13.)

It i::; evident that this Scripture provides for the ex~

istence, and the nece;;;;ity for the continuation, of an

inspi1·ed ministry to a later period in the world's history

than this; for the Christians even have not come to the

"unity of the faith,"' or "knowledge of the Son of God,"

to say nothing of other worE<hippers. The world is

tossed to and fro, divided and carried about by every

religious wind that hl<rns, and stability and. certainty

are found nowhere. To-day a Methodif;t, to-morrow a

Baptist, next day an Episcopalian, Congn'gationaliRt,

Quaker, Unitarian, or some other unsatisfying faith;

and then a Spirituaiist, infidel, p:mtheist, or deist,

a science healer, etc. Thi;; is not the unity of the faith

spoken of by St. P:rnl. Coming to a unity is coming

to the onenes& of the faith. This is not the biblical

oneness.

In evidence that there was to be a cessation of apostolic anth.ority and divine inspiration, it is quoted:

"W'!wther there he shall fail ; ~whcthel'

there he tongues, they shall cease ; ··whether there be

knowledge, it shall vanish away." ( 1 Cm'. xiii. 8.)

But when shail this take place? Note, that prophecy,

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100 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOQD.

tongues, and knowledge are all to pass at the same time.

It won't do to tell people that they are not smart, and

that they know but little nowadays. That time has

not come, then, for "prophecy" and "knowledge" to

cease, taking populal' opinion as the criterion. The

key is in verse nine : " vY e know in part, and we prophesy in part." But when Christ comes we shall see "face

to face," know as we are known. Then, and not until

then, will tongues, prophecy, and knowledge in "part"

be done away, only for the want offaith, and obedience

by the people. Again : "If any man shall add unto

these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that

are written in this book." (Rev. xxii. 18.) .But it

does not s<Iy that God cannot "add " as it seemeth him

good. " Man" is forbidden to "add,'' but God has not

dosed his own mouth; for it is written that he will give

"precept upon precept; line upon line; ... here a

little, and there a little." (Is. xxviii. 10 ) It is also

written that "man shall not Ii Ye privates hread alone, but privates

every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

(Matt. iv. 4.)

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that givelh

to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; ancl it shall be yicen

him." - James i. 5.

There is no evidence in the Bible indicating that God

will not speak to men, or that is opposed to the continuation of apostles and prophets in the church. Indeed, the Bible makes it quite imperative that they

should be in, the church, as well as making promise

·that the Lord will reveal himself to those who seek him.

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 101

The sects, then, notwithstanding their great influence,

power, and popularity in the world, are not built according to the New Testament pattern, reluctant though

we are to come to this conclusion. Facts beat all else.

They have followed largely their own fancy, in church

form, construction, and doctrine, in establishing themselves. Assumed the right to organize, change, and

direct, without either the priesthood or a divine appointment, except what may appear strange and singular, interpreted as providences, for all hold that God cnnuot

reveal himself in this age. and, of course, where there is

no revelation, there can be no appointment; for, "how

shall they preach, except they he sent?" (Rom. x. 15.)

Where, then, is the Jerusalem church? She has not

been transmitted down to us through the dark night of

popish univer,.al rule, as, can he traced by either sacred ,

or profane history. She was lost to the world in the

dark day,-driven into the wilderness (Hev. xii. 14),

where she was di~robed, changed, and transformed into

the kingdom of the devil. (Rev. xvii. 3, 4, 5, 6.)

But some one exclaims: "It is true that there was a

falling away took place; a great apostasy, and a reign

of ignorance, superstition, idolatry, and intolerance

ensued from the fifth to the fifteenth century ; but when

the Reformation began, and the revival of letters

dawned, the dark curtain of the past was moved back,

and superstition, barbarism, idolatry, and witchcraft

gave way to freedom, tolerance, and the reinstating of the true religion ; so that after the beginning

of the sixteenth century, when Luther thundered against

the pope, and threw off the yoke of the old mother, a

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102 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

new light burst upon the world, and the freedom of con-

:;cience, toleration, and of speech was extended to all

Christian societies. That men no longer groaned under

a court of proscription and yoke of slavery, but all

were left free to worship according to the dictation of

conscience. That if men worship as their conscience::;

direct ( i. e., about as they please), they must be acceptable. It matters not what church men belong

to, if they are only sincere. The church cannot save

them."

vVhy did God organize his church or kingdom, and

call upon men to "seek first the kingdom of God," if it

matters not what church people unite with? Or, if

the church has nothing to do in saving them, why all

the labor of authorizing and commissioning the ancient

ministry to go into all the world and preach the kingdom of God, if, indeed, conformity to the doctrine, discipline, and government of the true church is but a

matter of conscience? The kingdom of God was taken

from the Jews and given to others because they refused

to accept the true order.

Men's consciences approve that theory of faith which

they have been schooled in as heing col'rect, whether

true or false. If they have been taught a false theory,

their consciences nevertheless bind tbern to it. To belong to the kingdom of God and obey its law,.;, is to be

saved. To go elsewhere is to l1e out of the ark of

safety, whatever may be the state of the conscience.

(See 1 Cor. i. 18 ; Acts ii. 4 7; Col. i. 13; l Thess. ii.

12; Luke xvi. lG.)

The following may be read with profit : -

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PRESIDENCY AND PRJESTHOOD. 103

" If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."

-Matt. xv. 14.

"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost." -

2 Cor. iv. 3.

''But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God

against themselves, being not baptized of him." - Luke vii. 30.

"Except a man he horn of wa1 er and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."-Jolm iii. 6.

The pernicious course persi:.;tecl in privates the blind Phnri

sees and Sadducees did not ex<:use them from not

receiving the me::;sa).!e of Jesus and ,John, because they

'\Vere following conscientiomdy in another faith, either

in part or as a ·whole. "If tbe bli1;d· kad the blind,

both shall fall into the ditch." Jesus denounced them as

enemies of the truth, encompassing sea and land to

make a proselyte; "and when he is made, ye make hjm

twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." (Matt.

xxiii. 15 ) Vengeance overtook them. So will it all

those who resist the truth upon the plea of a conscientious following in the wrong way.

Jesus said: -

" Enter ye in at 1.he strait gate : for wide is the gate, and

broad is 1.he way, 1.hat le<tdeth to destruction, and many there be

which go in thereat. Because strait is the gale, and narrow is

the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

- :Matt. vii. rn, 14.

"Strive to enter in at the strait gate : for many, I say unto

you, will seek to enter in, antl shall not be able." - Luke xiii. 24·

vV ill any presume to say tl111t those -vvho "seek to

enter in" are not conscientious? Y ct they are asked to

"strive" to enter. Thousan<ls bow daily to worship in

blind obedience to thcil' traditions and creeds, and at the

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104 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

same time close their ears and doors against the truth,

not willing to be informed, ready to scorn, misrepresent, scoff, nnd kill those who urge upon them the

necessity of seeking and finding the truth. Away with

such a conscience! Away with such a spirit! Away

with such perversity and blindness! Away with such

Christianity ! It is antichrist !

Men to worship aright must not worr,;hip according to

their own fancy as to what is right and proper, but

according to "what is written in the law. How readest thou?" (Luke x. 26.)

"The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and

in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him."- John

iv. 23.

"Thy word is truth" -John xvii. 17.

"Thy commandments are truth." -Ps. cxix. 151.

"He that is of God heareth God's words." -John viii. 47.

" In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." -- Matt. xv. 9.

"If there come any unto_ you, and bring not this doctrine,

receive him not into your house." -2John10.

"Many deceivers are entered into the world .... Whosoever

transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath

not God."-2 John 7, 9.

It is said we do not need doctrine nowadays. It

divides, etc. That one faith is as good as another,

notwithstanding it is written : -

"Though we, or an angrl from heaven, preach any other gos-

_pel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let

him be accursed." - Gal. i. 8.

"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because th~re is no light in them." -

Is. viii. 20.

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

According to these citations, and many more that

might be adduced, there is something more to be considered in a true worilhip tha,n the blind following of a

mi8informed .conscience, or catering to the whims of

blind guides and the precepts of men. Light has come

into the world. "Awake, thou that sleepest ! " "Let

every man he swift to hear." (Jas. i. HL) The effort

now being made privates the Protestant workl to unify

present exi:-;ting forms of Chnstian belief among themselve:-; and thereby present n solid front to the infidel

world, is evidence that tlny realize the futility of their

past effort at reaching the desire(l unity ..

That such unity of faith and belief is necessary is

shown from the words of the Saviour (.Tohn vii. 20,

21) :-

"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which

shall believe on me, through their word; that they all may be

one ... that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."

The skepticism of the present time is largdy the

result of the contradictions and incongruities of sectariani~nl. The doctrine of Christ is the means im;tituted by him to correct these errors and prnduce the

desired oneness. The attempt, then, to dispense with the

doctrine of Christ places them in the unenviable position

of discarding the means presented by Christ, by which

the desired unity arnong Christians may be obtained,

So Paul commanded: -

"Preach the word; ... exhort with all long-suffering and

doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure

sound c7octrine .. , - 2 Tim. iv. 2, 3.

"Take heed unlo thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue

in them: for in doing this th on shalt both save thyself, and

them that hear thee." --1 Tim. iv. 16.

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CHAPTER VIII.

THE REFORMATION. -PROTESTANT CHURCHES, NAMELY, LUTHERAN,

CALVINIST, l'HESBYTEIHAN, EPISCOPALIAN, BAPTIST. - Tu~;

LATTER'S CLAI;i,IS TO TRANS}IITTED AUTHORITY.

THE Reformation is not noted, nor its illustrious

movers celebrated and admired, for reinstating the true

religion, but the proclaiming against popish superstitions, i nclulgences, idolatry, and other doctrinal

errors. Great credit is due those who toiled in so

noble an enterprise, hut the admiration inspired by the

contemplation of an era of so great note, and the individuals who were indeed heroes in ecclesiastical warfare,

should not lead one to such an unfortunate conclusion

as to think that naught but truth received commendation and became engrafted upon the Reformation ;

hut the fact should be remembered that the errors and

superstitions of ages were retained, which in time became augmented privates the introduction of new ones, until

the Protestants became, in many respects, as superstitions, bigoted, and intolerant as the power they

warrcll against.

Science brou2ht with her a glory and renown worthy

of her, the handmaid of progress; and all nations

should unite in paying tribute to her worth, and proclaim undying fame to her heroes and martyrs. But

conceding the many and rich gifts brought by the

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 107

Reformation and science, it is in vain that we look to

either, or both combined, as having reinstated the true

church, or a system of worship in exact harmony with

that which was established by Jesus Christ and the

apostles. Such an one is not to be found either among

the Roman Catholic or Protestant sects. If such is

extant, where is it? Where did it begin? By whom

was it founded? 'Where is it now?

It was essential that .Jesus and the apostles he empowered with the :Mekhisedec priesthood, and authorized by a divine revelation, in order to set up the

kingdom of God at Jerusalem and preach the gospel to

all the world; and it has been shown that there was a

falling away, an apostasy, n transformation, yes, a

breaking of the covenant (Is. xxi v. fi), and an entire

·Overthrow of that church, and an age of darknes:- and

blindness ensued fraught with the most direful and

calamitous consequences. Superc;tition, idolatry, and

imbecility reigned, and the ,Jerusalem church was obscured or lost in the darkness. Can a less power and

authority, an inferior wisdom and direction than it took

to set up the church, reinstate it?

It took apostles and prophets, empowered with the

Melchisedec prie~thoocl and a divine revelation, to

establish the kingdom of God; then can an ambitious

monk, detracting nothing from hrn great name and

glory, ·whatever his learning and talents, or other mere

reinstate it without eitlier an npostle or

prophet, the priesthood, or a revelation from ? If

so, then Martin Luther arnl other-, without the priest~

hood or a divine appointment, did, by their own wisdom,

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108 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

all that a properly authorized ministry did anciently

with such an appointment and authorization.

But what say others upon thfa most important subject? Dr. Wm. Smith says: -

" We must not expect to see the church of holy Scripture

actually existing in its perfection on the earth. It is not to be

found thus perfect either in the collected fragments of Christendom, or, still iess, in any one of these fragments, though it

is possible that one of these fragments more than another may

approach the scriptural apostolic ideal." - Bible Dictionary,

page 163.

"Who ever read anything about the Baptist Church at Corinth, or the Methodist Church at Home, or the Presbyterian

Church at Jerusalem? These names were unknown. These

sects did not exist. They are all comparatively of modern

origin. They are in no way, shape, or manner a NECESSITY to

the CHRISTIAN religion, but a positive hinclrance to it." ~

N. RAVLIN, March, 1875, in Chicago. Report in Advent Christian Times.

"Dr. Thrall said there were many truths that can be developed

only in two generations, because one is not broacl enoiiyh. A.

Presbyterian clergyman said to him recently: 'I believe the Confession of Faith of our church, of course, but I do not believe it as

fully and as freely as I do the Bible.' That was just 1hc thing. The

different sects are looking away from their creeds or catechisms

to the absolute rnfficiency of the Bible, and are learning thrrt

chiirch government, as describecI in the Bible, cloes not e;ci,,t upon

earth." -New York Sun, Oct. 11, 1874.

"Sectarianism, which is only another name for Jieresy,

sprang out of ihe apostasy, and the parties named themselves

according to their own fancy." -.JA~!ES MATHEWS.

"Surely there is something in Christianity higher and purer

than any exhibition of it now known. The results, as !hey now

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PRESIDENCY AND PIUESTHOOD. 109

appear before our eyes, cannot be what its /1.ulhor designed

only to reach." -JA]IIES CHALLEHS, Elements of the Gospel,

page 67.

Also the following, under the head of the

" OIUGIN OF THE FIHST BAPTIST CHURCH IN A}lfERICA.

"In March, 1639, Mr. Williams became a Baptist, together

with several of his companions in exile. As none in the colony

had been baptize(!, a Mr. Holliman was selected to baptize

Mr. \Villiams, who then baptized Mr. \Yilliams and ten others."

- Struggles anrl Triumphs of Religious Libe1·ty, page 237.

"Mr. \Villiams remained pastor of the new church but a

few months. He conceived a true ministry must derive its

authority from direct apostolic succession or endowments;

that therefore, without such a commission, he had no authori'ty to assume the office of pastor, or be a teacher in the

house of God, or proclaim to the impenitent the saving mercies

of redemption .... He conceived that the church of Christ has

so fallen into apostasy as to have lost both its right form and

the due adminis1ration of the ordinances which could only be

restored by some new apostolic or specially commissioned messcuger from above .... In Mr. \Yilliams's book, 'Hireling Ministry,' we find the following: 'In the poor, small span of my

life I desired to have been a diligent and constant observer,

and have been myself many ways engaged in city, in country, in

court, in schools, in universities, in churches, in Old and New

England, and yet cannot, in holy presence of God, bring in the

results of a satisfying discovery that either the begetting ministry of the apostles or messengers to the naiions, or the feeding

or nourishing ministry of pastors and teachers, according to the

jirst institution of the Lord Jesus, is yet restored and extant.

. . . These imperfections in the church, in its revived condition,

coillcl be 1·emovecl by a new apostolic ministry alone.' He therefore was opposed to the ' office of any ministry but such as the

Lord Jesus appointed.' He conceived that the apostasy of antiehrist hath so jar corrupted all that there can be no recovery out

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110 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

of that apostasy till Christ shall send forth new apostles to plant

churches anew." - Stniggles a;;d 'Triumphs of Religious Liberty,

pages 238, 239. (See Knowles's History, page 172; Cotton's Answer, page 9.)

To reform i"s to amend. A reformaiion implies that

whatever is being reformed has, at some time, fallen

from a commendable plane of purity an<l worth, and is

now striving by correcting and changing-proceeding

from had to better - to regain its former high standing

and moral worth; or that it is emerging, for the first

time, from among the elements of discord, dissensions,

and vice by a gradual changing, correcting, and growth,

with the view of obtaining a higher and a more desirable

sphere of usefulness, perfection, and purity.

The Protestant world all pride themselves on not only

being refonnei-s but r~forrned. They concede that the

papacy held the world in ignorance and bondage for

long centurie,.;, and that with a struggle they, either

directly or indirectly, issued from her dark bosom of

chaotic night, REFOmrno. They unite in proclaiming

her vile and unclean, and brand her as" MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MoTHEH OF HAHLOTS AND Ano:vrIXATIONS OJ<' THE EARTH," yet she remains emphatically

the MOTHER, nevertheless. They, having lopped off

some of her most aggravating errol's, lay claim to havrcachcd forward to a higher ground, and attained

to something of the primitive faith, spirit, and true order

of things. Accepting all this, and the fact that bold,

thoughtful, and noble men have sacrificed and toiled to

secure this greatly to be desired condition, when viewed

especially in contrast with the dark and mi,.;ty past, yet

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. HI

which one of all these sects has reinstated the church of

Jes us Christ in its order, authority, power, inspiration,

~111d completeness? Or have they so done, all combined? Have they nearly approximated to one like ·

unto it?

In order to properly answer these interrogatives,

it is necessary to briefly examine into the origin and.

something of the faith of some of the largest and most

influential of modern churches, and compare them 1vith

the undeviating standard and test of the true church

organization.

THE LUTHERANS

The history of the Lutheran Church is intimately

connected with that of Martin Luther himself. It

originated with him. History points him out as the

most conspicuous, bold, aud capable of the Reformers.

But as a brief notice only is all that can be attempted

in the short space allotted to this and the other denominations to which reference is herein made, and as it is

intended to render the statements as authoritative as

may be, to relieve them of all buspicion or distrust as

to accuracy, or as having been written with prejudice

or bias, the language of the be:ot authorities is quoted

largely, in;,;tead of pre;,;enting the subject matter in the

language of the writer. The following is in point: -

"The birth of the Lutheran denomination may, with some

fitness, be dated from the year 1:507, in whid1 I,uther, then ~.

monk :md twenty-four years of age, first discovered a Lat.in

Bible among the rubbish of his convent library, from the perusal of which he derived his novel, and illen almost unknown,

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112 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

ogy. During ten years he continued to investigate and study

the Scriptures, at the end of which period, in 1517, he made his

first public foray into the territories of Rome by attacking the

sale of indulgences, which at that time was carried on by

Tetzel, in the vicinity of Luther's residence .... The pope

deereed that his writings should be publicly burnt. In return for

this compliment Luther collected together some of the standard

works of the Romish Church, and burnt them, together with the

condemnatory bull of the pope, in view of the inhabitants of

the city of \Yittenberg.

" The history of the Lutheran Church in Europe presents

two very marked anc1 prominent features. Her conflicts have

been divided between those which she waged with the Church of

Rome and those which were carried on within her own bosom

by the disputes and everlasting differences of her own members.

Debate and disturbances seem indeed to have been the natural

and normal state of this sect during their whole past history.

Even before the death of Lnther, the opinions of Melanehthon,

his most intimate and trusted friend, became so widely dissimilar from his own, that a coldness of feeling ensued between

them.

"In Europe the Lutheran Church is, at the present time, the

most numerous of all the Protestant sects. Every possible

shade of sentiment and belief can be found among them from

the semi-Hornish 'old Luthera,' who, like Luther, adheres to

the doctrine of consubstantiation, to the semi-infidel, who, like

Strauss, Paulus, Rhor, and other modern rationalistic theologians of Germany, deny the inspiration and miracles of the

Scriptures. In this country the same tendency to diversity of

sentiment exists amoqg the Lutherans.

"The German Reformed Church, as it exists both in Europe and in this country, is historically descended from the

Swiss churches which were established in the sixteenth century through the instrumentality of the distinguished reformer,

Ulric Zwingli. The original seat of this sect was in Switzerland .... Zvvingli was the contemporary of Luther .... He

was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest after having completed his studies at the University of Basle." - History of All

Denominations, by SCH:lfUCKER, pages 21, 22, 23, 31.

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 113

The fhst move of Luther towards a reformation was

mainly incited by the publishing of indulgences by

Tetzel, a Dominican friar, while he was engaged in

teaching' theology and philosophy at Wittenberg ..

The Reformation effected privates him mainly consisted in

opposing the supremacy of the pope, his infallibility,

the sale of indl\.lgences, mass, purgatory, celibacy, the

wor:ship of images, and auricular confession. ·

'' Lu!her,'' says Daniel Rupp, ''received ordination from the

hands of the Romish hierarchy, ... and his ordination, therefore, and that of all his Protestant successors, is as valid as that

-0f the Romish priesthood at the beginning of the sixteenth century; i. e., he was ordained by ministers properly accredited

[by the Romish Church] at the time of its performance." -

History of Reliyious Denominations in the United States.

"The Lutherans, however,'' says Dr. Buck, "of all Prot-

€Stants, are said to differ least from the Romish Church, as

they affirm that the body and blood of Christ are materially

present in the sacrament of the Lord's supper, though in an

incomprehensible manner .... Towards the c:ose of the seventeenth century, the Lutherans began to entertain a greater

liberality of sentiment than they had before adopted, though in

many places they persevered longer in severe and despotic

prmciple than other Protestant churches." - Theological Dictionary, page 246, by Rev. CHARLES Buc.K.

The Reformed Lutheran Church is the state religion

of Germany, and the king is the head of tbe church.

This is a secondary offtipring from the mother church.

THE CALVINISTS.

John Calvin, the great Geneva reformer, was contemporary ·with Luther, and \ms the founder of that

system of faith and doctrine which still bears his name.

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114 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

· "Calvin was horn at N ogen, in Picardy, rn the year

1509."

Dr. Buck says: -

"Calvinists are those who embrace the doctrine and sentiments of Calvin, the celebrated reformer of the Christian church

from Romish supers lition and doctrinal errnrs." - Theological

Dictionary, page 55.

The distinguishing differences of their faith from the

Lutherans and Arminians consists mainly in what is

"denominated the five points; these are predestination, particular redemption, total depravity, effectual calling, and certain

perseverance of the saints.

"They maintain that Goel hath chosen a certain number-of

the fallen race of Adam in Christ before the foundation of the

world, unto eternal glory, according to his immutable purpose,

and of his free grace and love, without the least foresight of

faith, good works, or any conditions performe(l by the creature;

and that the rest of mankind he was pleased to pass by, and

ordain to dishonor and wrath, for their sins, to the praise of

his vindictive justice.'' - Ibicl., page 55.

Calvin also was ordained by the Romish clergy, and

hence his authority, like Luther\;, was "as valid as that

of the Romish priesthood," and no more so.

He was the chief advocate of that strange imd unnatural belief that a part of the human race were

elected to he eternally damned, and the remainder to

be eternally saved, the conduct of either having nothing to do in fixing those conditions. He was so extreme as to teach that there are infants, even, confined

to eternal burning::;. His intolerant and vehement

spirit was such that he became an extreme persecutor,

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PRESIDEN"CY AND PRIESTHOOD. 115

and put to death those who differed frnm him in religious opmion.

As this has bee1f denied privates some of Calvin's admirers,

I will here quote the eminent writer, Philip Schaff,

D. D., LL. D., himself a Preshyterian, in attestation of

its truthfulness, as follows: -

"The 'iVestm;nster Conf;·ssion of 1647 is the clearest and

strongest statement of the Calvinistic [sometimes wrongly called

the 'Augustinian'] system of doctri.ne. It is framed from the

stand-point of Divine So1·ereignty and Justice, and on the basi.s

of a close allianee of Church and State. The assembly was

itself the creature of the Long Parliament, appointed and paid

by it, and amenable to its authority. The Confession, which

was sent to Parliament under the tille of the 'Humble Advice,'

assigns to the civil government the right and duty of calling

synods, protecting orthodoxy, and punishing heresy. It thu~

sanctions the principle of religious persecution, and the Long

Parliament acted on this principln by the expulsion of abont

two thousand clergymen from their livings for non-conformity

to Puritanism. The Church of England, after the H,estoration,

fully repaid this act of intolerance with interest by expelling

and starving tho Puritan ministers, including such men as Bax~

ter and Bunyan, for non-conformity to episcopacy. Calvin and

Beza had written special w,.rks in justification of the burmng

of Rervetus. All the leading divines of the seventeenth century, Protestant as well a~ Roman Catholic, with the except.ion

of a fow persecuted Independents, Baptists, and Quakers, regarded religious toleration as a dangerous heresy and a device

of the dedl. This view was held even by the venerable and

liberal Riclrnrcl l:Lcxler, and by the New England Puritans irr

the days of expelling Baptist,:, hanging Quakers, and burning

witche;,. The principle of , to the extent of

heretics, is inseparable from the union of Church and

which make a crime against the Church, also a crime against

the State, to be punished according to law."

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116 l'HESlDENCY AND PlUESTHOOD.

In an accompanying note Dr. Schaff says: -

"As this statement has been denied [Calvin's complicity in

and justification of the burning of Servetus] by the Mid-Continent of St. Louis, Dec. 4, 1889, page 4, I shall give the title

of Calvin's book : 'Defensio orthocloxre fidci de sacra trinitate

contra prodigiosos errores Michaelis Serveti Hispani ubi ostenditur hrereticos Jure gladii coercendos esse.' ' It appeared in

1554, a few months after Servetus's death, and is republished

in the new edition of Calvin's Opera by the Strasburg Professors, Reuss, etc., Vol. VIII., 483, 644.' The title of Beza's

tract is : ' De Hrereticis a civili magistratu cuniendis,' etc.

Geneva, 1554, second edition, 1592, French translation by Nie.

Colladon, 1560. Calvin wished the sword to be substituted for

the stake in the case of Servetus; bu.t as to the right and duty

of the death penalty for obstinate heretics he had not the

slightest misgiving, and it is only on this ground that his conduct in that tragedy can be in any way justified or at least

explained. It is well known that all the surviving Reformers,

even the gentle Melanchthon, fully approved of it." - Creec1

Revision in the Presbyterian Church, pages 7 and 8.

Calvin's authority and largely his spirit were conferred upon his immediate st:ccessors.

THE PRESBY'l'ERIANS.

John Knox, the apostle of Preshyterianism, was horn

in East Lothian, 1505, and wa:c; educated at tbe University of 8t. Andrew's. At about the age of twenty-five

he "took orders" (was ordained) in the Cntbol ic Church.

His authority, too, was "as valid as the Hornish hierarchy."

"As a man of known ability, and as a priest, he was especially obnoxious to the hierarehy. His talents pointed him out

as a fit person for the ministry, !mt he was very reluctant to devote himself to that important charge, and was only induced to

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PRESIDENCY AND PHIESTHOOD. 117

do so after a severe internal struggle, by a solemn call from the

minister and the assembled congregation.

"After the accession of (;\ueen Mary to the throne of England, at the request of his friends, Knox quitted England and

went to Geneva, and there made the acquaintance of Calvin,

whom he loved and venerated aud followed more closely than

any other of the fathers of the Heformation in his view both of

doctrine and ecclesiastical discipline." - Sacred Biography and

History, by Hev. ,J. W. HARDING, D. D., pages 563, 564, and

565.

"The Presbyterian Church in Ireland was mainly the offspring

of Presbyterian emigration from Scotland .... The Presbyterian Church in the United States derives its lineage from the

Presbyterians both of IrPland and Scotland." - History of

Religious Denominations in the Unitecl States, by DANIEL HUPP,

page 575.

The Presbyterians originally sprang up with and out

from the Calvinists.

"They.believe that the authority of their ministers to preach

the gospel, to administer the sacraments of baptism and the

Lord's supper, and feed the fiock of Christ, is derived from the

Holy Ghost by the imposition of the hnm1s of the presbytery .

• . . They affirm that there is no order in the church as established by Christ and his apostles superior to that of presbyters;

that all ministers, being ambassarlors of Christ, are equal by

their commissions." -BUCK'S Theological Dfotionary, page

364.

"The members of the Church of Scotland are strict Presbyterians; their mode of ecclesiastkal government was brought

thither from Geneva by John Knox, the famous Scotch reformer,

and who has been siyled ' the apostle of Scotland.' Their c?octJ ines are Calvinistic, as may be seen in the Confession of Faith

and the longer and shorter catechisms." -Ibicl., 366.

"The first Presbyterians in America came from England, Scotland, anrl Ireland, about the year 1700. They settled in what is

now a part of New Jersey and Dela ware. The first Presbyterian

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118 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

church formed in the United States was in Philadelphia, now

known as the' First Presbyterian Church' in that city."-Ibid.,

page 367.

The following is a part of the Presbyterian "Confession of Faith," taken from Chapters III. and VI., as

stated in "Creed H.evision," and is received, together

with all else in the creed, by member,,; of the church,

especially the clergy, "as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures " : -

"III. Ry the d~cree of God, for the manifestation of his

glory, some men and angels arc predestinated unto everlasting

life, and othersforeordainec1 to everlasting death.

"IV. These angels and men, thus predestinated and foreordai11ed, are particularly and unchangeably designed; and their

number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either iricreasecl

or diminished."

"VI. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so hath

he, by the eternal and most free purpose of his will, foreordained

all the means thereto. . .. Neither are any other relleemecl by

Christ, effectually called, justified, ancl savell, but the elect only.

" VII. The rest of mankind God icas pleased, according to

the unseai·chable counsel of his own will, whereby he extencleth or

w'ithholcleth mercy as he pleaseth,for the glory of his sovereign

power over his creatures, to pass by, ancl to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin, to the praise of his glorious

justice."

In Chapter VI. the following occurs : -

" IIL Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated and

saved by Christ through the Spirit, who workcth when, and

and how he pleaseth. So also are all other elect Iiersons

who aro incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of

the wonL

"IV. Others, not elected, although they may be called by

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 119

tions of the Spirit, yet they never truly come to Christ, and

therefore cannot be saved; much less can men, not professing·

the Christian religion, be saved in any ot11u u;uy whatsoerer, be

they never so diliye11t to frame their lives according to the light of

nature anrl the law rf that religion they llo profess; ancl to assert

and muintain tlwt they muy, is very pernfoious, and to be cletestec1." -- Pages 21 22, 23, 2-1.

Again, Dr. Schaff says: -

"According to th'e Confession, then, Christ is not the Saviour

of the worlrl of mankincl, ]Jut the s~wiour of the elect only.

This is in open contracliction to sev('ral of the clearest declarations of the Bible, such as 1 John ii.: Christ is the propitiation

for our sins, and not for oiirs only, but also for [the sins of]

the whole world," etc. -Page 20.

Again:-

" But Augustine ran his system to an intolerable extreme. It

leaves no room for freedom, except in the single case of Adam,

who by one act of disobedience involved the whole human race

in the slavery of sin. It suspends the history of the, world upon

that one act. It condemns the ,\>hole race to everlasting woe

for a single transgression committee] without our knowledge and

consent six thousand years ago. Out of this mass of corruption,

God by his sovereign pleasure elected a c01nparatiyeJy small

portion of the human family to everlasting life, and leaves the

overwhelming majority to everlasting ruin, without doing anything to save them. Calvinism intensified this system ....

The Lutheran Church accrpted the doctrine of the slavery of

the human will iu the strong'"st form, and also the unconditional

decree of election.'' - lbicl., page 41.

Dr. Schaff j,., a progressive Presbyterian. He helieveR in breaking away from the old absurdities fastened upon men in the past by the, creed, and moving

out into advanced light and a more consistent belief

He favors a revision of the creed, but will they revise

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120 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

or condemn him, and others of like faith, as heretics,

and pnt them out of the fold? Says he : -

" vVe need a theology and a confession that is more human

than Calvinism, more divine than Arminianism, and more

Christian and catholic than either." - Ibicl., page 42.

"The Presbyterian Church in the United States originated in

a union of immigrants from Ireland and England." - A Blending of Irish Presbyterianism ancl English Congregationalism.

The first presbytery founded in this country was in

Philadelphia in 1704. *

It is not difficult to trace the authority or priesthood of this denomination to its source, - Rome.

THJ;~ EPISCOPALIAN CHURCH.

The Episcopalian, or Church of England, was founded

by Henry VIII. of England, in the fore part of the

sixteenth century.

In the early part of his life he belonged to the Roman

Catholic Church, and wrote agairnit Luther in defence

of the claims of the pope, for which he. received from

his Holiness the title of the "Great Defender of the

Faith."

"While a Catholic, he persecuted unto death those

who would not subscribe to the papal faith. Growing

weary of his wife Catherine, he became infatuated with

the charms of Anne Boleyn, nnd appealed to the pope

for a divorce that he might marry her. Ont of policy,

the pope declined his request, at which Henry became

highly incensed, and, at the instigation of Bishop Cranmer, projected a scheme to place himself out of the

* Religious Denominations, by Vincent L. Miller.

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 121

pope's power, that he might give free scope to his

passions.

All Europe was involved in the dispnte caused by his

unrighteous demands, and, while the controversy raged,

he put away his w.ife, and actually marl'ied .Anne.

Enraged at the course pur::med by the pope, he seized

the ecclesiastical reins of his own kingdom, reformed

some abuses, and declared himself the supreme head of

the church on earth.

The articles of faith received were : ( 1.) That the clergy

ought to instruct the people according to the gospel. ( 2.)

That baptism is essential, and that children should be

baptized for original sin and obtaining tho Holy Ghost.

(3.) That penance is 11ecessnry to salvation, and confession to a priest where it may be had. ( 4.) In the

eucharist the very blood and flesh of Christ were received. ( 5.) That they might pray to saints for intercession. (f:i.) Holy water, holy bread, and the carrying of candles, ashes, palms, and creeping to the cross,

were rctainecl ; and mass was rnid for the souls in purgatory.*

This creed was changed from time to time, :_rnd was

finally resolved into the Thirty-nine Articles. "John

vVesley abridged and reduced these thirty-nine articles

to twenty-five," which were made the basis of the Methodist faith.

Notwithstanding Henry had thrown off the Roman

yoke, he retained her intolerant spirit of persecution,

and had Dr. Barnes and Mary Askew, John Lambert,

* Fox's Book of Martyrs, page 270.

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122 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

Thomas Garrett, Willinm Gerome, Bernard and Merton, Hobert Lestwood, Anthony Penrsons, Adnrn Damlip, Thomas Benet, ''with a great number of others, for

presuming to differ from the king on the subject of the

real body and blood of Christ, in the sacrament of the

Lord's supper,''* publicly burnt at the stake at Smithfield for heresy. During his lifetime he beheaded two

of his wives, divorced others, and, while dying, gave

rnntence to sacrifice the Duke of Norfolk.

A Catholic, writing of him, says: -

"At the time of the deatli of this merciless tyrant, which

wok place in the year 1547, when he expired in the fifty-sixth

year of his age and in the ihirty-cig:hth of his reign, the most unjust, hard-hearted, meanest, and most sanguinary tyrant that the

world had ever beheld, whether Christian or heathen." -CoBBETT'S Si.cc Letters, page 18.

Of his chief priest, aide1;, and abetter at church making (Bishop Cranmer), he says: -

"Black as many others are, they bleach the moment that Cranmer appears in his true colors. But, alas! where is the pen or

tongue to give us those colors? Of the sixty-five years that he

lived, and of the thirty-five years of his manhood, twenty-nine

years were spent in the commission of a series of acts which, for

wickedness in their nature and for mischief in their consequences, are absolutely without anything approaching to a parallel in the annals of human infamy. Being a Fellow of a college

at Cambridge, ancl having, of course, made an engagement (as

the Fellows do to this day) not to marry while he was a Fellow,

he married secretly, and still enjoyed his fellowship. -While a

married man he became a priest, and to<>k the oath of' celibuc7-1,

going to Gtirmany, he rnarriecl another wife, the daughter

-of a Protestant, so that he had now two wives at 0110 time,

*Fox's Book of Martyrs, page 279.

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PRESIDEK'CY AND PRIESTHOOD. 123

though his oath bound him to have no wife at all. Ile, as archbishop, enforced the law of celibacy, while he himself secretly

kept his German frow in the palace at Canterbury, having, as

we have se13n in paragraph 104, imported her in a ehest,'' etc. -

Ibid., page 42. *

In the time of Edward VI. the church was established by an act of Parliament. The Episcopal Church

in America was derived from the Church of England,

and received her authority and model from that church.

Thus we have the origin, source, and authority of

"the Pmtestant Cku1·ch rif En,qland as by law established,'' from which that of America was dcecended.

THE BAPTIST CHURCH.

This sect had its origin in 1536, according to the most

authentic account, and was founded by Menno Simon,

a Hornish priest of Friesland. They were first called

Mennonites. This is as far back as there is any credible authority for extending the Baptist denonrnrntion,

although the claim is made by some of them that there

has existed an uninterrupted line of Baptist churches all

the way back to the apostle:o, through whieh the priesthood has been transmitted unsullied in its authority a11d

Tight, outside of the Homan Catholic Chun:h. But this

is purely an assumption, fanciful in tlie extreme, having

no founchtion in fact.

The Bible being opposed to such a claim, let us examine some of the cvidenccc; advanced in its support Ly

those holding to that dogma : -

"Under the figure of the woman (Rev. xii.) the church existed for ages in obscurity, and an obscurity so deep as tlrnt ih

very existence was then by the great world unknown, alld is

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124 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

now with difficulty traced:" -The Rev. T. G. JONES, D. D., in

his History of the 01·igin and Continuity of the Baptist Church,

page 451.

Query : ·where was it?

Let :Mr. Jones answer, on page 46: -

" As a visible and located organization, where is the church

founded at Jerusalem? For lung ages it has ceased to exist, in

member digesta."

Query again: Where is there one like it? Not among

Catholic or Prote::Jtant denominations that can be found.

Again:-,--

"Since the kingdom of God was shut up in our bosoms, and

was made known l1y no outward ~i!.'"ll, they (the Baptists) existed by hundreds and thousands, as if not in existence."

Such is the kind of proof - dogmatical assertion -

that is resorted to in order to support the theory that

there has been a continuous line of authority extending

from the time of the apostles unto the present, outside

of the Roman Catholic Church, the line of the popes.

The Doctor confesses that they (the Baptists) - and

he allows the existence of none others -were so obscure

and in such dark recesses and out of the way places

that none knew of their existence.

He closes by assuming that somehow the "kingdom

of God was shut up" in their "bosoms,'' and that they

existed in scores and hordes, and nobody knew of them.

~Vliraculous l Where were they? If this be not a day of

revelation, how did the Doctor find out so much? Thus

the Baptists endeavor to evnde the ignominy of being

an offshoot of the Roman mother by assuming, without

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 125

proof, that a pure and regenerate line has been kept up

all the way from the apostles to the present time outside of the Catholic hierarchy, through which they succeeded to the p1·iesthood, - the keys of power and

right, - and they hrand all the other sects as unclean

and destitute of authority and right.

But the most' tangible reason or assertion rendered

by Dr. Jones to support the claim of the transmission

of authority through Baptist churches from the apostles is, that of necessity there must have been a chain

extending all the way down from the apostles from the

fact that we see it'l two ends. But where are the two

ends? or the one end?

It is true that were there a gold chain extending

into the ocean at Liverpool, England, and at New Y 01 k

another was seen of the same material· and make, abo

extending into the ocean, though the great body "f it

might be buried in the Atlantic, one might with safety

conclude that these were but the two ends of the same

chain. But if one of gold should appear in England,

and in America one should be seen made of hay and

straw; it would take one of the wildest freaks of the

imagination to conclude that the latter was the other

end of the gold chain! And, comparatively, the Baptist

Chmch of to-clay in its general contour, organization,

doctrine, authority, etc., hears about the same resemblauce to the ancient church at Jerusalem that a

of hay and straw does to one of gold.

Dr. Dix, in speaking upon the authority question

from an Episcopal:an stand-point, which is different

from the one assumed by the Baptists, says : -

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126 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

"This is the constant deliverance of our branch of the church

[Episcopalian], that from the apostles' 1ime there have been

three orders of ministers in Christ's church, -bishops, priests,

and deacons .... That the apostolic office continues in the

episcopate. . . . The phrase used to state this connection is that

well-known one, -the apostolic succession .... We have not

abandoned it. We assert it as fearless as ever, though sneering

paragraphs and unwarranted statements go the rounds of the

religious press.

"Next, let me say that the denial of the doctrine is in many

instances the result of misapprehension and misunderstanding.

That doctrine has been presented under the symbol of a long,

thin chain, stretching from St. Peter and St. Paul down to our

day. The strength of a chain is no greater than that of its

weakest link, and if one link fail, all do break, the whole chain

gives out at once. Now, there could not be a symbol less apt

than this to convey the idea of succession as a practical fact .

. . . The idea presented is not a chain, but that of a net-work

coextensive with Christian organization, a net spread over the

entire field of Christendom; meshes, not links, are here past

numbering .... It means simply this: that a true ministry has

always existed in Christ's church." -New York Times, Feb. 25,

1889.

Doctors here disagree. The Baptist chain-symbol

won't do as an illustration for an Episcopalian. There

might be a weak link discovered, or a place where there

is none. Dr. Dix undertakes to shift the difficulty in

order to stay up the Episcopalian assumption of having

received divine power privates transmission through the

"episcopate," spreading" a net-work of true ministers over the entire field of Christendom," and denying

the Baptist chain argument or assumption. Living in

the" meshes"! Nobody could find them l The Doctor

concludes it a more difficult task to test a "net-work"

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 127

-covering the world than a chain. But if there was

"a net-work" there wa" "a thin chain." But neither

can be shown. It is all assumption. ".Mystery,

Babylon" held sway over "all kindreds, and tongues,

and nations." Her authority and religion and priesthood were everywhere, - in the "meshes" and out,

as sacred and profane history attest. The ''net-work"

.symbol am! assumptirrn is naught hut a tremendous

blind. The facts of hiRtory will not support it.

Dr. Dix, an Episcopalian, claims" a net-work"; Rev .

. Jones, a Baptist, claims a chain to have extended outside of the Roman Catholic Church ; and the Roman

Cathl)lics claim that their authority descended in direct line through the Romish priesthood from Peter.

Which r

A better informed class of Baptists have arisen of late

years, however, who have the courage and integrity to re-

. nounce the abstll'd claim of transmitted authority through

a continuous line of Baptist churches, and confess to

the following.

Says Rev. Heman Lincoln, D. D., Professor of

Church History in Newton Theological Seminary: -

"In glancing over the columns of the Central Baptist, I was

attraeted by your article. (By Prof. Xorman Fox, of ~Williams

College, Jlvliswuri.) Its sober vie1vs, sterling common-sense,

and canrlid historical criticisms pleased me greatly. Your views

accord with tho8e of all 8cholars who have given the matter a

thorough I have n~vcr known but one Baptist

of large learning aucl sober jurlgmeut who held a different

opinion - the late Dr. J. Newton Brown. He believed that a succession of true Baptist churches could be traced in a direct line

~from the apostolic age to our own time. Therefore the Publicawww.LatterDayTruth.org

128 PRESIDENCY AJl\D PRIESTHOOD.

tion Society employed him to prepare such a history. Five

years or more passed, I think, before the first volume of the

work was ready for the press ; but when the manuscript was

submitted to wise judges, it failed to meet their approval, and

was never published. Your position, I think, is the only safe

one. '\V-e can attempt nothing more, with our present data,

than to prove the existence of Baptist principles from the

apostolic age to the present time. To trace a line of churches

holding these principles, unmixed with radical errors, no wise

and cautious student will undertake.

"Again, Dr. William Williams, who has so ably filled the

chair of Church History in Greenville Theological Seminary,

in a letter says: -

"'There can be no doubt in the world that in our so-called

histories of the Baptists, many sects are claimed as Baptists

which, if now reduced, would not be acknowledged as such by

any church or association, e.g., the Novatians, Donatists, and

Paulicans. ·

"'From the fifth to the sixteenth century i~clusive, there are

no churches (unless we except the churches of the Mennonite&

with some errors) that can be called Baptist churches. As

history now stands (what future researches will develop we

cannot tell) it is impossible to trace any chain of Baptist

churches from the days of the apostles till now.

" ' Those Baptists who are urging our claims on the ground

of an historical succession, are only doing harm to us with all

intelligent and well-read people. \Ve do not need such aid for

the success of our principles, however mud1 Romanists and

High Church Episcopalians may think they need it.

"'Our country has few scholars equal to Dr. R. J'. IY. Buckland, Professor of Church History in Rochester Theological

Seminary. In a private letter he says: "~Iy historical irJYcstigalions make it perfedly clear lo me that a continuous line of

Baptist churches from the time of the apostles to the Refornrntion period has never been established. Orchard's attempt to do

ft is sadly weak, and would disgrace any historical writer."

"'He quotes the Fathers as holding views which they conwww.LatterDayTruth.org

PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 129

demn, ignores many facts which would utterly dbgrace his

proposition, and shows throughout the folly of working from

secondary sources of information. The valuable collection of

Benedict is marred with the same faults and mistakes, and Mr.

Ray's "Baptist Succession " falls into like errors. I am fully

persuaded tliat, taking Baptist churches in the strictest modern

sense, Baptist succession can never be historically established.

Your position, as you state it, meets my hearty indorsement.

There were bodies which held some of our principles, but they

held them only in part. -VVe <lo reach a distinctively Baptist

church line in the Petrobrusians, in 1104, and I believe that we

may claim that our distinctive principles were perpetuated continuously from that date onward into the Reformation period,

and so to our day, although a part of the history is obscure, and

the line may be a broken one. vVhat we ought to rest upon is

the historic continuity of Baptist principles, and their immutability.

" ' Dr. George W. Northrop, president of Chicago Bapt:st

Theological Seminary, and one of our ablest professors of

Church History, says: "The idea of an unbroken succession of

regular Baptist churches, from the days of the apostles to our

day, is a sheer historical picture. My opinion is, that it is

.altogether impossible to make out an' unbroken succession' of

witnesses for the truth outside of the Roman Catholic Church.

I should prefer to attempt almost any other intellectual achievement conceivable."

" 'The Donatists are often sp:iken of as an essentially Baptist sect, hut the statement seems to me to be wide of the truth.

The Donatists had their bishops, presbyters, and deacons, nor

did they differ from the Roman Catholic Church in regard to

the proper mode and subjects of baptism. It would not

strengthen our denominational position an iota to make out an

unbroken succession of regular Baptist. churches from the

earliest times to the present. ·we depend on the "law and the

testimony," not an unbroken succession, for the evidence that

the church to which we belong is a scripturally constituted

-0ne.'

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130 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

"Rev. David SVeston, Professor of Church History in Hamilton Theological Seminary, quotes from a private letter of

Dr. Cramp, author of 'Baptist History,' as follnws: -

"'Many of our brethren indulge in the plea~ant thought

that Baptist churches may be traced all the way back to the

apostolic age. That they existed in that age I know Yery

well, but from the establishment of infant baptism to the

Reformation is a very dreary time. The chain nrny be them,

but it only appears now and then, and the connecting links are

wanting. Sume of our historians are credulous, - some are

careless.'

" Dr. Howard Osgood, Professor of Church History iu

Crozier Theological Seminary, and one of the most painstaking

investi~ators that our country has produced, says regarding

this discussion: -

" ' So far as I know, history does not tell with a clear voice

of Baptist churches from A. D. 500-1000. I do not think the

unbroken succession neeessary to establish the validity of any

Baptist church.'

" The above quotations are taken from the Christian Record

of August, 187:3, page 348, as taken by that paper from the

Bible Expuiiitor, and i'l the evidence of the historical faculty of

the six principal Jhptist Theological Seminaries of this country,

touching the subject of 'succession.'" - Found Vol. XXIV. ,.

page 18, of Saints' Herald for Jan. 15, 1Si7.

But as there are Baptists, and possibly in considerable numbers, \rho are vain enough to assert that

the Baptist Church dc-cended in direct line from the

apostles to the present time; and others, that their

principles and views" have descended; and still

that their church descended directly from ,Tohn

the Baptist, it may he important here to briefly examine these claims.

The latter claim meets with defeat at the outset, for

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PRESIDEXCY AND, PRIESTHOOD. 131

it must be obvious to rrny Bible reader that John the

Baptist founded no church, and of course none could

by succession have come down from him. John himself says:·" He that hath the bride is tho bridegroom."

(John iii. 20.) .John was the friend of the bridegroom,

and was to decrease. No church in primitive time8 was

named after him. This did not occur until modern

times ; be11ce the very name "Baptist Chmch ., shows

that church to have been of recent origin, and defeats

its claim for antiquity.

The Baptists, however, do not claim "apostolic succession"; for they say that the '' apo,;tolic office expired with John the beloved" ("Baptist Succession,"

page 15), because no longer needed. But who told

the Baptists, or any other:-:l, that the "apostolic office

expired with John the beloved"? Does the Bible say

so? Did Je,;us say that it would expire then? Did

Peter, or Paul, 01· John, or any other inspired writer

announce such a thing? · No; no such a:ffirnution is

made by any of these witnesses for the truth. The

Bapti,;ts, then, have assumed this position to start With,

which is a flat contradiction of Paul's teaching, as follows: -

"And he [Christ] gave some npostles; and some, prophets;

and some, evangelists; and sonrn pastors and teachers; for the

perfecting of the saints, for the work of' the ministry; for the

edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of

the faith, mHl of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man. unto the me<1Slffe of the stature of the fulness of

Ghrist." --Eph. iv. 11-13.

The .Bible thus continues apostles (aud of course the

apostolic office) and prophets in the church. The rea~

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132 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

son for their continuance is given in the next verse, as

follows: -

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro,

and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of

men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." - Eph. iv. 14.

"Sleight of men, and cunning craftiness," in that they

would assume that the apostolic office ceased with John

the Revelator, as no longer needed; and that their

church, consisting of only pastors and deacons, is a continuation of that same old Jerusalem church which was

established by Christ and the apostles. There are no

witnesses anywhere, in heaven or on earth, who have

given any evidence in support of this Baptist claim,

whose statements are worth relating, and the Bible

positively contradicts it.

The Baptists disclaim "popish succession," calling it

the "succession of antichrist" ; and that "all wellinformed Baptists are agreed," say::i this writer, who

appears to he one of note among them, "in the belief

that we," yes, we, "ae a people, have continued from

the times of Christ unto the prese~t. In other words,

they hold and teach the perpetuity of the church of

Christ. They believe that Baptist succession exists"

("Baptist Succession,'' page 15), and that the Baptist

Church is that church. But which Baptist Church is

the one standing in the true line of succession? This is

not agreed upon by Baptists themselves, ancl there are

many Baptist churcbeti; yet this is tlie important thing

to men interested in knowing the true way. This same

writer, who seems to he wonderfully in love with the

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PRESIDENCY AND 0

PRIESTHOOD. 133

Baptists, and down on everybody else (D. B. Ray),

admits that there are Baptists who believe in succession, bl!t "deny that the succession can he proved,"

yet he essays the task of proving it. Bold follow,

that!

Again, this writer has tho courage to state that" No

man can b~ in the church or kingdom of Jesus Christ

who is not in that kingdom which has the succession

from the apostolic age." Of course the Baptist Church,

in the mind of the writer (the one he belongs to), is

the one in the line of "succession," and all who do not

belong to it are outside of the church or kingdom, -

lost. It becomes very important, then, that we examine this claim in the light of New Testament facts.

Christ said, ''I will build my church." Here it is

announced that a church would he built. This church

or kingdom has been defined in a preceding chapter;

but for the benefit of Baptists it i,,; here noticed again

]n comwction with their claim to he a continuation of

that church. Paul, in speaking of the specific construction of the church built by Christ, says: "Now ye

me the body of Christ, and members in particular.

And God hath set some in the church, first apostles,

secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, ufter that mirucles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." ( 1 Cor. xii. 27, 28.)

Again it is written, when Christ "ascended up on

high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men,"

as follows: "Aud he gave some apostles; and some,

prophets; and some, evangelit3ts," etc. These were tC1

continue" till we all come in the unity of the faith."

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134 PRESIDENCY AND l'HrnSTHOOD.

God set these officers in· his church; and this is the·

organization or kingdom that was huilt privates Christ and

the apostles, and the only one which they did build.

Has that church descended down to us? And is the

Baptist Church that church? Don't laugh, reader, at

this Baptist presumption. You know, and they know,

and every Bible student knows, that their church is

not that ancient apostolic church; neither is it like it

either in authority, organization, or doctrine. The

Baptist Church sets itself above other modern churches

in its high claim of being a continuation of the ancient

church and kingdom of God; but it is no more like the

ancient church than are other churches. Have they

"first apostles" in their church? No; they say the

"apostolic office expired with John the beloved," notwithstanding Paul affirmed that they were to "contitme" in the church. Have the Baptists" prnphets

in their church? No; with them prophets "expired

with John" also. Then have they "miracles"? No;

it seems that miracles abo e;.:pir• d with John. Have

they "gifts of healings"? No; they, too, ceased with

J obn. Have they "di vel'sities of tongues"? Oh, no ;

according to the Baptist claim, they "expired" with

John too, ns no longer needed. From a Baptist standpoint, one would ·he inclined to think that the whole

apostolic church "expired," from a pre<fotcnnincd ne-

, just about the time that John died. But the

Baptists cnnnot prove, from nny a11thentic source, that

John died at all; neither can they proYe that

were to ceftse from being continued in the church, at

the time that they fix for the death of John. One is

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l'IU::SIDENCY AND PHIESTHOOD. 135

inclined to feel just n little sad that it was ever announced that John died at all, if inlleed all that was of

chief worth to men pertaining to the gospel ceased with

said announcement.

In the kingdom of God there were apostles, prophets, evangelists, healing,;, tongues, etc.; the Baptist

Church deny the exi,;tence of any of these officers or

gifts in their church, yet they have, some of them, the

1,re·rnmption to say, in the face of biblical protest, that

their church is the continuation of the ancient apostolic

church, >vhen their church has in it, professedly, only

pastors nml deacons as officers. The a:Ssumption is too

palpably nh:mrd for serious considnation.

Further, the officers of the apostolic church were

appointed by divine revelation, and were set apart privates

the imposition of hands privates qualified ministeni. "The

Holy Ghost said, Sepamte me Barnabas and Saul for

the work whereunto I have called them. And when

they had fasted arid prayed, and laid their hands on

them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth

by the Holy Gho:st, departed unto S(•leueia." (Acts

xiii. 2, 3, 4.)

Agnin: "But as God hath distributed to every man,

as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk.

And so onlnin I in all churches." (1 Cor. vii. 17.)

Paul ordained ministers a;; they were designated by the

Holy Ghost; this method of appointment the Baptists

repudiate, and claim that the congregation appoints and

sends the minister. Notwithstamling, the Bible says

they are "sent by the Holy Ghost." Is tho Baptist

Church, then, modelled after the ancient Jerusalem

church?

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136 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

In the church of Christ, "the manifestation of the

Spirit i:> given to every man to profit withal."

'' For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to

~mother the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another

faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healings by the

same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another

prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers

kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues." -

1 Cor. xii. 8-10.

These were the choice and special gifts that belonged

to Christ's church 01· kingdom; yet none of these are

to be found in the Baptist Church. They 1lon't helim·e

in them. With them, they all "expired with John the

beloved."

Paul says, again, "Follow after charity, and desire

spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy." "Ye

may all prophesy one privates one." ( 1 Cor. xiv. 1and31.)

Baptists have no spiritual gifts, and denounce pi ophecy,

the very things that Paul exhorted the members of the

church of Christ to "contend" for and "desire." Then,

can their church be the continuation of the ancient

church? Preposterous ! It is no more like the ancient

apostolic church than other modern evangelical churches.

Of course it cannot help being just what it is, and this

it has a right to be; but it is this haughty nnd unsupported assumption thnt dema11ds consideration of the

true inquirer. It is assumed further that Bapt1'st principles have continued down from the npostolic church;

and hence the Baptist Church has the precedence of

all others. "Bnpti::;t principles only have continued

down,'' is the sh1temcnt of one writer, and this is

believed by the larger number.

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 137

Let us examine this claim. The Baptists define the

principles upon which the Baptist Church is built, or

those which distinguish Baptists from all others, as

follows: -

"1. The Baptists, as a church or kingdom, recognize Jesus·

Christ alone as their founder and head.

" 2. The Baptists regard the Bible alone as their rule of

faith and practice.

"3. The Baptists. perpetuate the Bible order of the Commandments; they teach repentance, faith, baptism, and the

Lord's supper.

"4. Baptists immerse, or bury with Christ in baptism, only

those who profess to be dead to or freed from sin.

"5. Baptists recognize equal ri!rhts or privileges in the execution of the laws of the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

'' 6. Baptists observe the Lord's supper at his table in his

kingdom.

"7. Baptists have never persecuted others, but have themselves always been peculiarly persecuted and everywhere spoken

against." - Baptist Succession, by D. B. RAY, pages 19, 20.

Now, it is questionable if a single one of theRe principles as a whole will stand the test of investigation

according to the New Te::;tament.

1. "The Baptish;, as n church or kingdom, recognize Jesus Christ alone as their founder and head."

Jeoms Christ never built a church "alone," ns claimed

privates this Baptist expounder of the faith. Jesus declared

emphatically, "I do nothing of myself; but as my

Father hath taught me, I speak these things." (.John

viii. 28.) vYhy do Baptists "recognize Jes us Christ

alone as their founder," w·hen he says, "I do nothing

of myself"? "He that sent me is with me: the Father

hath not left me alone; for I do always those things

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138 PHESIDENCY AND PHIESTHOOD.

that please him." (Verse 29.) Again: "I have not

spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he

gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what

I should speak. And I know that his commandment is

life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even

as the Father said unto me, so I speak." (John xii.

49, 50.) These texts, with many others that might be

quoted, show that Jesus Christ did not build his church

"alone," as claimed by the Baptists, hut was aided and

directed by the Father. Agttin, the Holy Ghost was

an agent in tbe building of the apostolic church. Said

Jesus: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,

whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach

you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you " (John xiv.

26), with many other texts of similar import. The

Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost, not to mention

angels and men, aided in founding the apostolic church

at Jermmlem, and this defoats the Baptist claim that

Jesus Chrbt alone founded that church, or what is

tantumonnt to it, their church.

2. "The Baptists regard the Bible alone as their

rule of faith and practice." The Bible nowhere affirms

that it " alone " is the rule of faith and practice for

Christians. Jesus and the apostles declared no such

thing. But on the contrary, Jesus said, "Man shall not

live bread alone, but every word that

out of the mouth of God." (Matt. iv. 4.) "The Holy

Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall

teach you all things." (John xiv. 26.) "He will guide

you into all truth." (John xvi. 13.) "How shall they

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PHESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 139

preach, except they he sent?" (Rom. x. 15.) The

ministry in Christ's church were designated by the

Holy Ghost, hence it was essential that it continue in

the church. Does the Bible designate by name any

living Baptist for the ministry? If not, and it is essential for them to preach, the Bihle "alone" is not a sufficient guide. The Holy Spirit wa:; to be a guide in

the church as well as the written word. .Jes us, the

inspired head of the church, Vvh-ile ministering among

the people, recognized the written word as an essential

guide, hut not it "alone," as do the Baptists. Peter

said, " vV e have also n more sure word of prophecy ;

whereunto ye do well thnt ye take heed." ( 2 Peter i. 19.)

But be did not exhort to take it alone. Jesus said,

"Search the Scripture8," hut he nowhere says, rely on

them alone. So the ;o('cond Baptist principle is shown

to be contrary to the teaching of the Bible, hence erroneous and fabe.

3. "The Baptists perpetuate the Bible order of the

commandments; they teach repentance, faith, Laptism,

and the Lord's impper." This principle is abo at rnriance with the vvord of God. The Bihle doc;,; not teach

that "repentance" precedes faith in the on1er of Christian doctrine and experience. The announcement, of

.John the Baptist was, "Ifopcnt ye ; for the kingclom of

heaven is at hand." piatt. iii. 2.) Jesus says, "Repent ye, and believe the gospel." (:M.trk i. 15.) But

these declarations were made to the Jews, who accepted

a faith in God, the law, and the prophets, but were

sinners and trnnsgressors of the law which they themselves acknowledged; hence they were required to

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140 PRESIDENCY AND PIUESTHOOD.

''repent," cease from di~honoring the law, and make

ready, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent

and believe the gospel, which includes faith in God and

in Jesus Christ, and the acceptation of the doctrine of

repentance and baptism. The clearest and most orderly

presentation of these principles that is reconlc<l in the

Bible was made by the Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost. Paul says, "Faith cometh by hearing, and

hearing by the word of God." (Rom. x. 17.) Again,

"He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and

tbat he is a rewarder of them that diEgently seek him."

(Heb. xi. 6.) The first step toward a Christian conversion was to hear. The second wns to believe. The

third, to repent. Fourth, to receive baptism. Fifth,

the laying on of hands for the receiving of the Spirit.

This is the orde!' set out in the New Testament. Common-sense even tells a man thti.t he cannot repent until

he believes; for repentance is to cease following in a

given way, and walk in some other, believed to be more

consistent and true. The true gospel order as prnsented on the day of Pentecost is clear and explicit.

Peter stood and addressed a large gathering of Jews,

who, at the beginning of his discourse, had no faith in

Christ or his work. After heuring Peter, and seeing

the marvellous exhibition of power manifest on that

occasion, they changed their minds about Christ and his

m1ss10n. "They were pricked in their heart." Indeed,

believed just what Peter hacl declared to them, "That

God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,

both Lord and Christ." It was then that they" said unto

Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethrenr

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 141

what shall we do?" They saw the folly of their past

acts, and now have faith in Jesus Christ. "What next?

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized

every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy

Ghost." (Acts ii. 37, 38.) The receiving ofthe Holy

Ghost was doubtless to be obtained upon the condition

that they would comply \vith the requirements of the law

through which the Spirit was given. An example was

given down at Samaria, as follows: "Now when the

apostles which were at Jernsalem heard that San:mria

had received the word of God, they sent 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 Lor<l

,Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and

they received the Holy Ghost." (Acts viii. 14-17.)

This is a plain, defimte statement of a >vork performed

by two of those to whom ,Jesus said, "Teaching them

to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded

you." (Matt. xxvin. 20.)

Paul also followed the same order, us may he seen

by the following: -

"·when they hear<l this, they were baptized in the name of

the Lord .Jesus. And when Paul had lai<l his hands upon them,

the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues,

and prophesied." - Acts xix. 5, 6.

Faith in God and in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, nnd the laying on of hands, was the gospel order

dS lH't.ttitise<l by the ancient saints. The texts relied

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142 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

on privates the Baptists to prove that repentance precedes

baptism do not sustain their theory. The statements,

"Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,"

''Repent ye, and believe the gospel," were addressed to

a class of men who had transgressed Moses and the

prophets, and were under condemnation. They were

required to repent of their iniquity, with the further

demand that they accept Christ, with his doctrine of

faith, repentance, and bapti~m, as taught in the gospel. It was not in the speaker's mind, as the contexts

show, to give the order of the principles of the gospel

ns believed and practised, but to call them to repent

of their transgression of the Jewish law, and to the

acceptation of the go,,,pel plan as a whole. Other

circumstances would doubtless demand or call out

different phraseology to meet them, as in the case of

Acts iii. 19, where it is reh1ted that Peter said, m

addressing the people, "Repent, and be converted.''

Again, the Lord's supper does not follow next in

order after baptism, as claimed by Baptists, but the

laying on of hands, as ha,.; been shown. The washing

of feet even preceded the Lord's supper in the order

of time; hence the Baptists are wrong, also, in their

third principle that is assumed to have come down by

''succession."

Feet washing and the laying on of hands, with them,

it is likely, "expired with .John the beloved.''

4. "Baptists immerse, or bury with Christ in baptism, only those who profess to he dead to or freed

from sin."

Now this principle, as held privates the Baptists, is both

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 143

absurd and in conflict with the Bible. John tlH~ Baptist preached the "baptism of repentance for the remission of sins"; which is to say, that remission of sim;

was obtaiued through obedience to the message presented by John, that is, faith, repentance, and baptism.

This was doubtless the reason tlrnt John said to Jesus,

"I lrnve need to be b~iptized of thee." John could

conceive that he mig·ht have sins to remit, but he could

not conc0ive h~-w J~sus could. Peter put it, "Be baptized every one of you in the name of Jes us Christ for

the remission of sins." ( A('ts ii. 38.) Ananias said

to Saul, "Arise, and he baptized, and wash a way thy

sins." (Acts xxii. lG.) Baptists deny this order

which was established in Christ's chµrch, and baptize

those who are already "freed from sin," "for an outward sign of an inward grace," something no Bible

writer ever heard of. So this cherished fomth principle, when weighed in the balance, is foui1Cl wanting,

also in conflict with truth.

5. ''Baptists recognize equal rights or privileges in

the execution of the laws of the kingdom of J cs us

Christ." Do Baptbts mean privates this that ministers in

thcit' church all hold equal authority? If so, thi,,;, too,

is opposed to Christ's on1er. For there was a not allowed;tinction in authority held privates his mini:o:try. Tbey were

.apostles, seventies, elders, bishops, teachers, deacons,

etc., some being greater than others in point of official

standing. The Baptist claim is faulty here also. The

distinction is apparent in the New Testament.

6. "Baptists observe the Lord's supper at his table

in his kingdom,'' Which of all leading evangelical

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144 PHESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

churches is it that does not do the same? How came

this custom to be peculiarly Baptist? Do they eat

different from others; and if so, are they right?

7. "Baptists have never persecuted others, but

have themselves al ways been peculiarly persecuted and

everywhere spoken against." This, it appears, fa also

contrary to the facts as known.

Dr. Buck says the Anabaptists of Germany "depended much upon certain ideas which they entertained

concerning a perfect church establishment, pure in its

members, and free from the institutions of human

policy." Some of them thought it possible "to purify

the church"; others, not satisfied with Luther's plan

of reformation, undertook a more perfect plan, or more

properly, a visionary enterprise, to found a new

church." They made rapid progress. Some believed

in the doctrine of polygamy, visions, and revelation.

When they foiled to carry out their plam; by persuasion, "they then madly attempted to propagate their

sentiments by force of arms. Munger and his associates, in the year 1525, put themselves at the head of

a numerous army, and declared war against all laws,

governme11ts, and magistrates of every kind. (Enck,

"Ecclesiastical Dictionary," pages 15, lG.) In 1537,

Menno Simon put himself at the head of a body of Anabaptists, supposed to he "exempt from the fanatical

frenzy of their brethren at Munster (though according to

other accounts they were originally of the same stamp,

only rendered somewhat wiser by their sufferings)."

The plan of doctrine drawn up by Menno Simon was

of a much more " mild and moderate" nature than that

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOODo 145

of the "furious and fanatical Anabaptists." "Nothing

can be more ce:ttain than the fact, viz., that the first

Mennonite congregations were composed of the' different sorts of Anabaptists, - of those who had been

always inoffensive and upright, and of those who, before

their convers~on by the ministry of Menno, had been

seditious fanatics." (Ibid., pp. 26~), 270.)

Thus it is shown that Baptists have not been so pure

and holy as they would like to appear. In the minds

of most Bapti,,;ts, and especially the writer of "Baptist

Succession," all nearly of the noble men and women who

have stood independently for truth since the apostles,

were Baptists. But there is no more authority for calling them Baptists than by the name of othe1· sects.

Since the time of the apostles there have been men who

believed, doubtless, that immersion is the proper mode

of baptism, but this alone did not make them Baptists,

in the sense that BaptiBts are known as a denomination.

Again, Baptists say that they "have themselves

always been peculiarly persecuted and everywhere

spoken against." vVherever they have lived they have

been the victims of lhe malice and hate of others in

Europe and America, "everywhere spoken against."

Now who is it that is "peculiarly" persecuting the Baptists in America to-day, or speaking against them? If

this persecution consists in others not indorsing all of

the Baptist teaching and affiliating with them, is it not

equally true that they persecute others because they do

not conform to their views? In point of toleration and

liberality of sentiment the Baptists are not equal to

many other denominations. The Baptist pulpit is not

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146 PRESIDEXCY AND PHIESTHOOD.

a free one. They do not carry out, more than others,

that sentiment expressed privates the Saviour, "vYhatsoever

ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to

them." The writer by experience chanced to lrnow

something of the sweetness (?) of this exalted church.

Once, when in Hudson, vVisconsin, he desired the use

of the Baptist church in which to present the teaching

of the N cw Testament, but the Baptist minister informed him that the church was dedicated "for us, and

us alone, and we don't want others to use it." Again,

the writer was turned out of the Baptist church at

Charles· City, Iowa, after they having agreed to allow

him the use of it for five consecutive evenings; yet no

objection was offered against what he preachPd as not

being ]'\cw Testament doctrine; and he has harl many

.similar experiences >rith them since. Baptists call such

treattnent as this, when extended to themselves, persecution. vVhat i,; it, then, when they extend the same to

others? The Baptists, then, persecute others right here

in the United States, in a mild form, the only way they

dare do it, by putting them out of theie houses of worship, arnl ostracizing them and hedging up their way.

Do other,; do m<1re to them? So a way goes the seven

cherished principles adhered to by the Baptists, with the

possible exception of the sixth, aR having come down to

them by "succession" from the apostles. All of truth

expressed in them does not belong more to Baptists

than others, and in the Christi:ln churches in general.

But in thus examining the quc~stion of succession by

certain principles accepted by the Baptists, which !ire

found to be wanting when compared with those of

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PRESIDENCY AND .PRIESTHOOD. 14'/

Christ's church, the breach is not more apparent than

should we take some of the important principles that

distingui8hcd Christ's church from n ll others, and comrare them with what is actually taught and .believed by

the Baptists. If there was any one peculiarity that was

chief in distinguishing the early church from all others,

it was that of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. . vYith

the ministry ~:f John it began to be taught, "I indeed

have baptized yoll with water: hut he shall baptize

you with the Holy Ghost." (\fark i. 8.) Jesus

taught it, and commanded them not to depart from

Jerusalem until the realization of this, "which, saith

he, ye have heard of me." ( Acb i. 4.) This peculiarity of Chri8i's doctrine might well he likened unto

"new wine being put into old bottles" when he instructed the Pharisees touching his principles. Those

were to be baptized with the Holy Spirit who accepted

the doctrine taught privates John und Jesus, and n01v

others, because new vessels, and none others, could

contain it. "New wine must be put into new bottles;

and both are preserved. Ko man also having drunk

old wine straightway desireth new; for he saith, The

old i8 better." (Luke v. 38, 39.)

Peter, on the day of Pentecost, speaking of this bapti:>m and power, sa,yt", "For the promis0 is unto you,

ancl to your children, and to :di tbat are afar off, even

a,; many as the Lord onr God shall call." (Acts ii. 39.)

Pnnl, of this feature of the faith, says,

''For one Spirit are WC all baptized into one ho(1y."

(1 Cor. xii. 13.) But this chief fenture of the early

Christian faith is not believed privates the Baptists at all.

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148 PRESIDE~CY AXD PRIESTHOOD.

No one among them claims, or has ever had, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, nor do they teach the doctrine

to their adherents, as did John and Jesus. They even

go so far as to teach that "The real baptism of the

Holy Spirit always endowed the possessor with the

gift of tongues, or inspiration " ("Baptist Succession,"

by Ray, p. 12), and these spiritual gifts, they stoutly

argue, "expired with John the beloved." The Baptist

Church, then, does not believe in or teach the principles

necessary to he believed in and taught, in order to

make a legitimate succession of the early or apostolic

church.

Rev. A. D. Gillett, A. M., pastor of the Eleventh

Baptist Church of Philadelphia, in making a plea for

Baptist succession, says: -

""\Ve want it distinctly to appear that we hold the existence

of our principles and not our name. We do not say that a

separate church has been known as a Baptist Church from the

apostles, but views and prat;tices ... beld by Christians." -

History of Religious Denominations in the Unitecl States, by

D. RUPP, page 46.

Just think! here it is presumed that somebody had

<'views" and "practices" of Christian charncter; and

then it is presumed further that they were Baptist

"views" and Baptist "practices." vVith equal propriety he might have assumed that they were Methodist "views" nnd Congregationalist "practices," for

each and all of modern churches hold some Christian

views and practices, even heathens.

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 149

"Socinian.s united with the Anabaptists, and both of them

derivi11g their Origin from Luther ancl Calvin.

""\Ve have seen the iilusions of the Anabaptists, and are

sensible it was by following the prindples of Luther and the

rest of the reformers that they rejected baptism without

immersion, and infant baptism; for this reason, that they did

not find them in the 8cripture, where they were made to believe

all was contained. The Unitariaus or Socinians united with ,

them, yet not so as to keep within the limits of their maxims,

because the principles they had borrowed from the reformers

led them further. M. Jurien remarks that they came forth a

long while since the Reformation, from the midst of the Church

of Rome. 'Where is the wonder? I,uther and Calvin came

forth from her as well as they ...• It was in the bosom of

these churches, at Geneva, amongst the Swiss and the Polish

Protesiants, that the l:"nitarians sought a sanctuary. Repulsed

by some of these churches, they raised themselves a sufficient

number of disciples amongst the rest of them to make a sepa-

:rate body. This, beyond question, was their origin .... Tliis

sect (the l:"nitarians) was nothing !mt a progress of, and a

sequel from, the dogmas of Luther, of Calvin, of Zwinglius,

of Mennon, the last of whom was 011,e of the heads of the

Anabaptists. There you will find all those sects were but' the

first draught, and, as it were, the dawn of the Heforma1ion,

and that Ana baptism joined to Socianism is the mid-day.'" -

History of the Variations of the Protestant Churches, by JAMES

BENIGN' BossUET, Vol. II., pages 310, 31L

"Therefore, when 1\'funeer, with his Anabaptists, assumed

the title and fnJ1ctions of a pastor, Luther would not suffer the

question to turn on what he might call essential, or admit he

should prove his doctrine from the Scriptures, but ordered he

should be asked, Who had given him commission to teach?

Should he answer, 'God,' let him prove it.

"The Anabaptists, another shoot of the doctrine of Luther,

who were formed by pushing his maxims to their greatest

extent, mixed in the tumult of the boors, and began to turn

their sacrilegious inspirations to manifest rebellion.

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150 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

" The revolted peasants had met together to the number of

forty thousand. The Anabaptists rose in arms with unheardof fury." - Ibicl., Vol. I., pages 37, 51, 52.

" The truth is, that the Anabaptists of the Reformation were

of diversified character. Some of them, if we are to credit

the charges made against them, rested their pretensions to

superiority as Christian churches exclusively on the mode

of administering baptism. Others were called by the same

name, who insisted that there was no necessity for church

organization, and denied the doctrine of the resurrection. But

there is the clearest and most ample evidence to show that, in

contradistinction to these parties, there were sincere and exemµlary people who formed their articles of faith in the simple

words of the New Testament, and evinced the most peaceful

£pirit. Some of the Anabaptists held the theory of a comnrnnity of good." - Congregational History, pages 706, 710, by

JOHN WADDINGTON.

"The Baptists in former times frequently called themselves

Antipedobaptists (opponents of infant baptism); while by others

they were known as Anabaptists (Rebaptizers). The Baptists

have always repudiated the latter designation. They never repeat the initial Christian rite upon one who has received scriptural

baptism .... Baptists assert that their doctrines were held with

more or less fulness by various sects of so-called heretics of the

middle centuries, notably among them the Cathari, Paulinicans,

J osephites, Arnoldites, Lollarcls, Mennonites, and many others

flourishing in every quarter of the Christian world, and continuing in some instances clown to the days of the reformers.

, .. Hansard Knollys was the pastor of a church in Dover,

N. IL, which he founded in 16138. This was a Congregfttional

organization. Very soon after the formation of thi3 church he

became a Baptist, and proclaimed his sentiments to his people.

About the same time, 1639, the illnslrious Hoger ~Williams

foundcc1 ihe First Baptist Church of Providence, H. I.; this

was the first Baptist community in America, and is in existence

still .... The regular Baptists in all countries recognize hnt

two classes of officers in their churches, pastors and deacons;

the former serve only in the ministry of the word, and they

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 151

possess equal au!hority. Baptist churches are congregational

in their government; every member has a right to vote in

church meetings upon all questions, and the decision of

the majority is final. Regiilrn· Baptists are Caz1,inists. They

use the word 'particular' to express thei1· belief in a limited

atonement." - The New People's Cyclopedia of Uuiversal

Knowletlue, Vol. I., page 208.

The f~lbwing is in evidence that no transmission of

authority bas come down to the present, either ~hrough

Baptist or papist claims: -

""\Ve are not to suppose, however, that there is any uniformity among writers, or certainty as to the three or four supposed successors of St. Peter. Says Mr. Walsh, the author of a

compendious but learned hi~tory of the popes, originally pub-

.ished in German: -

" 'If we may judge of the Church of Rome by the constitution of other apostolic churches, she could have had no particular bishop before the elld of the first century. The ancient

lists,' he adds, 'are so contradictory that it would be impossible exactly to determine, either the succession of the bishops,

or their chronology. Some say that Clemens, of Rome, had

been ordaine'l by the Apostle Peter, and was his immediate successor. Others place Linus and Cletus betwixt them. A third

set name LinuR, but, inste:Jd of Cletus, name Anacletus,

Anencletus, Dacletius. Lr,stly, a fourth party states the sue·

cession thus: Peter, Linus, Cletus, Clemens, Anacletus.'" -

W ALSH's Lives of the Popes.

Dr. Comber, a very learned divine of the Church of

England, 8ays: -

"Upon the whole matter there is no certainty who was the

bishop of Rome, next to the apostles, and therefore the Homanists build upon an ill bottom when they lay so great weight

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152 PRESIDE1'\0Y AND PRIESTHOOD.

on their personal succession " - DR. Co;irnER on Roman Forgeries fa Councils, Part I., Chapter I.

"Amidst all these varying and opposing lists, this contradiction and confusion wor~e confounded, how utterly baseless

must be those pretensions, whether made by the papists of

Rome or the semi-papists of Oxford, which are founded upon

a 'upposed ascertained and unbroken descent from the apostles!

The argumeuts to sustain them are lighter than air. Hence we

are not surprisecl to hear that bright luminary of the British

establishment, Archbishop vVhately, 1leclare his solemn conviction that ' There is not a minister in all Christendom who is able

to trace up, with any ((pproach to certainty, his own spiritual

pedigree . ... That any one who sincerely believes that his

claim to the benefits of the gospel covenant depends on his

'own minister's claim to the supposed sacramental virtue of true

'Ordination, and this again on apostolical succession, must be

involved, in proportion as he reads, and inquires, and reflects,

and reasons on the subject, in the most distressing cloubt and

perplexity.',,_ vVHATELY on the Kingdom of Cnrist, Essay,

History of Roman ism, pages 48 and 49.

"The following fads are undeniable, namely, 'that the

Roman Catholic religion was the religion of all Christian, countries and governments until about the year 1.520, when Henry

~he Eighth was king of England.'" - CoBBETT's Six Letters,

page 2.

Admit, as is held by all Prntestants, that the "little

horn" of Daniel (D:m. vii. 8, 23) representti the papacy,

and the above appears quite correct. This evil power

was to make" war with the saints, and prevailed against

them." "And it was given unto him to make war with

the saints, and to overeome them : and power was given

him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." (Rev.

xiii. 7.) So there is no place for a connected line of

anything outside of the Catholic Church.

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PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD. 11)3,

The first Baptist church in America was formed by

Roger Williams, at Provideti.ce, R,, I., a dissenter from

the Church of England. He had been baptized and

ordained by ministers of that church. But "he renounced his baptism, was rehaptized by Mr. Ezekiel

Holyman, then proceeded to baptize him and ten

others, and thus formed the first Baptist church in

New Enghind." *

The authority for this establishment, if there was any

at all, was from Rome through the Church of England.

Menno Simon, the chief originator of the Bapti::;t

Church, was a Romish priest; and Roger "Williams,

the founder of the sect in America, was a_ Church of

England clergyman. Hence it is not difficult to d.;termine the authority upon which the Bapfoit Church rests

both in the Old and the New \-Vorld, its inception being

from Rome, and the offspring from Episcopal England.

All of the above-nnmed sects sprang out of the

papacy, with papal authority to establish them, if any

at all, and they ha\'e ever laid claim to a sufficiently

near contact or relationship to the old mother, a8 to

have received of her tran8mitted authority, with the

single exception, the ~aptists, and they nrnke 8uch a

pitiable showing in their attempt at maintaining their

claim, that even their own best informed men scoff and

ridicule iL

The mother - Roman Catholic - held the keys of

authority, or so claimed. Her children rebelled, took

a little of her leaven of authority, and set up for themselves. The mother would hurl bulls and anathemas -----------------·-·---·-·-·--

:IE< M arsb's Ecclesiastical History• page 380. www.LatterDayTruth.org

154 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

at her rebellious children, and they in turn would brand

her with the vilest of epithets, and continue to build

themselves up according as each leader's fancy prompted

him.

The reformers all, with one voice, deelare that the

Roman Catholic is the church symbolized by the woman

.of Rev. xvii., and named the "Mother of Harlots."

Conceding this as true, after reading the history of the

rise, progress, nnd claims of the Reformation, it is not

.c]ifficult to divine a,.; to who is meant in the text as the

daughters; sad and disconsolate as it may appear, we

cannot evade the lqgic of facts. To deny is foolish.

The mother was intolerant, superstitious, and oppressive. The daughters inherited mildly of her inclinations

:rnd instinct. Each, in turn, as she gained power and

popularity over that of others, has dogged and perse-

.cuted those not in affiliation with her. If not done

by the authority of the organization, it winked at the

actions of their communicants.

Even in the land of America, "the home of the

free," where science and religion are fostered, and toleration and the rights of men are the boast of the land,

the old persecuting spirit has had a lurking and resting

place; and men's consciences have been proscribed,

and they persecuted unto death, the strong arm of the

law but standing in the way of re-enacting, in many

instances, the old vicious and horrid cruelties of the

days of the Inquisition.

Thus, notwithstanding the great pretensions to divine

power and right laid claim to both by the Homani~ts

arnl some of the Protestants, they fail to show the

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PRESIDENCY AND PIUESTHOOD. 155

,connecting links of the chain they argue has extended

all the way down from Peter to the present time, and

through which the priesthood, with its power and gifts,

has Leen transmitted.

Although volumes have been written by the. most

learned and astute of the respective parties holding to

transmitted authority, they fail, unmistakably fail, to

show the transmission; and their learned and labored

efforts only go the more to prove the weakness of

their claims and positiveness of their assumptions.

But admitting the Roman Catholic claim for transmitted authority, the Protestant's claim remains still

':rnsupported; for. if the Romish Church he I cl the

"keys," and could confer authority, 8he could nlso

·excommunicate; and this is just what she has done

with all Protestant sects, whether receiving of her

supposed transmitted authority, or otherwise, from

Alpha to Omega, as the following shows: -

"'\Ve excommunicate and anathematize, in the name of God,

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and by the authority of the

blessed apostles, Peter nnd Paul, and by our own, all .Wichliffites,

Hussites, Lutherans, Calvinists, Huguenots, Anabaptists, and

all other heretics [and all are heretics who do not believe like

Roman Catholics] by whatsoever name they arc callecl, and of

whatsoever sect they be; and also, all schismatics, and those

who withdraw themselves, or recede obstinately from Urn obeclicnce of the Bishop of Rome; as also their adherents, receivers,

favorers, and generally, any defenders of them, together with

all who, without the authority of the apostolic see, shall knowingly read, keep, or print any of thefr books which treat on religion, or for any cause whatever, publicly or privately, on any

pretence or color, defend them." Ball of Gregory XII., 1411;

Pius V., Urbane VIII., in 1627; and Pius IX., October, 1859;

Romanism and the Republic, page 222.

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J 56 PRESIDENCY AND PRIESTHOOD.

Thus it is in vain that we look to Martin Luther,

John Calvin, Menno Simon, John Knox, or Henry the

Eighth - accepting that each and all made rapid

strides in the direction of reform and progress, did a

most commendable work - as the men who moved

back the dark curtain of Rornish usurpations, superstitions, and errors, and reinstated the primitive church of

Jesus Christ in its true order and authority, in doctrine, organization, discipline, theory, and fact.

But the history of the Reformation itself shows that

neither of the above-named sects constitutes the true

church of God. In proof of this .we have but to ~how

that it was thought needful and wise that a second step

be taRen at rqorm.