{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_46244/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_46244","id":"gutenberg_46244","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/46244","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Religion/Spirituality","Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Doctrines","Latter Day Saints","Priesthood -- Mormon Church"],"text":"The Kingdom of God\n\nPart 1.\n\n* * * *\n\nBY ORSON PRATT\n\nONE OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS\nCHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS\n\n* * * *\n\nThe kingdom of God is an order of government established by divine\nauthority. It is the only legal government that can exist in any part\nof the universe. All other governments are illegal and unauthorized.\nGod, having made all beings and worlds, has the supreme right to govern\nthem by his own laws, and by officers of his own appointment. Any\npeople attempting to govern themselves by laws of their own making, and\nby officers of their own appointment, are in direct rebellion against\nthe kingdom of God. The antediluvians were overthrown by a flood,\nbecause they rejected the government of the Almighty, and instituted\ntheir own governments in its stead. Noah and his family were the only\nloyal and obedient subjects to the legal power: they alone were saved.\nThe universal desolation and utter abolishment of all the unauthorized\nman-made governments of the old world, should have been an everlasting\nwarning to all future generations to avoid the same rebellion, and to\nestablish no governments on the earth of human origin. But, alas! the\nposterity of Noah soon revolted from the only legal, rightful power,\nand set up for themselves forms of governments of their own inventions.\nThe rebellion soon became so general, that all the inhabitants of the\nearth, except Melchizedek, Abraham, Lot, and a very few others, engaged\nthemselves in it, supporting and upholding kings and other officers in\ntheir usurped authority, and suffering themselves to be governed by\nhuman laws, instead of revealed laws from God. From that time until the\npresent, empires, kingdoms, principalities, republics, and numerous\nother corrupt, illegal, unauthorized powers, have multiplied themselves\nin the four quarters of the globe. At various times, during the last\nfour thousand years, God has asserted his rights, and endeavoured to\nestablish his own authority, his own laws, and his own government among\nthe children of men. But so great was the opposition manifested by\nthose illegal, rebellious powers, that his government while on earth\nwas exceedingly limited in numbers. The vast majority of mankind made\nwar against it--overcame, killed, and destroyed its officers and loyal\nsubjects, until not a vestige of it was left remaining on the earth.\nFor seventeen hundred years the nations upon the eastern hemisphere\nhave been entirely destitute of the \"_kingdom of God_\"--entirely\ndestitute of a true and legal government--entirely destitute of\nofficers legally authorized to rule and govern. All the emperors,\nkings, princes, presidents, lords, nobles, and rulers, during that long\nnight of darkness, have acted without authority. Not one of them was\ncalled or anointed a king or a prince by the God of heaven--not one of\nthem received his office or appointment by him--not one of them has\nreceived revelations or laws from him--not one of them has received any\ncommunication whatsoever from the rightful sovereign, the Great King.\nTheir authority is all assumed--it originated in man. Their laws are\nnot from the Great Lawgiver, but the productions of their own false\ngovernments. Their very foundations were laid in rebellion, and the\nwhole superstructure, from first to last, is a heterogeneous mass of\ndiscordant elements, in direct opposition to the kingdom of God, which\nis the only true government which should be recognized on earth or in\nheaven.\n\nThe kingdom of God is a theocracy. And as it is the only form of\ngovernment which will redeem and save mankind, it is necessary that\nevery soul should be rightly and thoroughly instructed in regard to its\nnature and general characteristics. The beauty, glory, power, wisdom,\nand order of the kingdom of God may be more fully understood by a\ncareful examination of the following subjects.\n\nFirst.--_The nature and character of the King_.\n\nSecond.--_The character and requisite qualifications of the subordinate\nofficers_.\n\nThird.--_The nature and character of the laws of adoption, or the\ninvariable rule by which aliens are admitted into the kingdom as\ncitizens_.\n\nFourth.--_The nature and character of the laws given for the government\nof all adopted citizens_.\n\nFifth.--_The character, disposition, and qualifications necessary for\nevery citizen to possess_.\n\nSixth.--_The rights, privileges, and blessings enjoyed by the subjects\nin this life_.\n\nSeventh.--_The rights, privileges, and blessings promised to the\nfaithful, obedient subjects in a future life_.\n\nDear reader, your future well-being in all time to come, depends upon\nyour rightly understanding these seven subjects. Read, therefore, with\nserious attention, and your mind shall be opened to see things that you\nnever saw before; things too of infinite importance, without which you\ncan in no wise be saved. Let us begin by examining--\n\nFirst.--_The nature and character of the King_. God is the King. In\nhim exists all legal authority. He alone has the right of originating\na system of government on the earth. He claims this right by virtue\nof his having made man and the earth he inhabits. Man, therefore, is\nindebted to God for his own formation and for the formation of the\nplanet on which he dwells. He also claims the right of establishing his\ngovernment among men, by virtue of his superior wisdom and power. If\nGod had sufficient wisdom and power to construct such a beautiful world\nas this, with all the infinite varieties of vegetables and animals\nappended to it; if he could form such an intricate and complicated\npiece of machinery as the human tabernacle as a dwelling-place for\nthe human spirit, then we must admit that his wisdom and power are\nimmeasurably greater than that of man, and hence he is qualified to\nreign as king. An order of government, established by such an all-wise,\npowerful being, must be good and perfect, and must be calculated to\npromote the permanent peace, happiness, and well-being of all his\nsubjects. The Great King is a very amiable being, full of benevolence\nand goodness, and never turns any person away empty, that comes\nrequesting a favor which he sees would be for his benefit.\n\nThe King occasionally visited his subjects in ancient times, and once\ntarried with them for several years; but he received such cruel abuse\nfrom many of the people that he left them, and went to some other part\nof his dominions. Where the King is gone the people cannot tell. They\nhave not heard one word from him for upwards of seventeen hundred\nyears. He has been absent so long, that some of the people have doubted\neven his existence. They have argued that if he did exist, that some\none would very likely have heard something from him in the course\nof so many centuries. Many millions however have some idea that he\nexists, and are constantly sending all kinds of petitions to him; but\nfor some reason he sends no word back. No messengers are dispatched\nto the petitioners to give them any counsel upon any subject. It has\nbecome a very popular thing to send daily petitions to the King, and to\nappropriate one day out of seven for the especial purpose of sending in\ntheir petitions. The same petitions are frequently sent a great number\nof times. It is very unpopular however for any one to expect the King\nto make any reply to any petitions sent in. Any one pretending to have\nreceived a reply would be counted a base impostor; for, say they, the\nKing has spoken to no one for the last seventeen hundred years; no one\nhas heard from him since he conversed with his servant John on the Isle\nof Patmos. The King conversed very freely with his subjects in the\nearly and middle ages; and some think it very strange that he has been\nsilent so long. They have expended millions in building many costly and\nmagnificent churches in honor of his name; but yet he has not deigned\nto grace one of them with a visit, neither has he condescended to send\nany tidings to them by a messenger or otherwise. He has not informed\nthem whether he was pleased or displeased with their splendid edifices.\nHis profound silence for so many centuries has caused many to think\nthat he was, for some reason, very angry with the people; yet they\ncould not see why he should be angry when the people were doing so much\nto honor him--when they were expending millions to hire learned men to\npreach and write in such an eloquent manner about him.\n\nReader, can you tell why the King should be so distant? Why he holds no\ncommunication with any of the people? Why he has not sent one sentence\nof consolation or counsel to them? Why he has suffered some fifteen\nthousand millions of the human race to fall into their graves, in the\nlatter ages, without condescending to speak one word to any of them?\nThere must be some cause for all this. There must be something wrong.\nThe King never formerly served his people in this manner; and when he\nwent away, he left word that if any of his people lacked wisdom or\nknowledge on any subject, they should send in their petition to him,\nand he would liberally send them the requisite information.\n\nI will now tell you the reason why the King has kept silence so long.\nIt is because he has had no subjects to converse with; all have turned\naway from him and advocated other governments as being the rightful\nand legal authority. They killed off and utterly destroyed every\ntrue subject of his kingdom, and left not a vestige of it upon the\nearth; and, to add to their guilt and wickedness, they have introduced\nidolatry in its worst forms, and utterly turned away from the true and\nliving God. They have introduced a \"_God without_ BODY, PARTS _or_\nPASSIONS.\" They have had the audacity to call this newly-invented god\nby the same name as the God of the ancient Saints, although there\nis not the least resemblance between them. Indeed there could be no\nresemblance between them; for a bodiless god, without \"_parts or\npassions_,\" could resemble nothing in heaven, on earth, or in hell.\nThis imaginary modern god has become exceedingly popular. It is to him\nthat a vast number of churches have been erected. It is not to the\ntrue and living God that they send forth petitions, but it is to this\nimaginary being. No wonder that they have received no communication\nfrom him! no wonder he has not honored them with a visit. As he has no\n\"PARTS,\" he could neither be felt nor seen if he should visit them.\nSuch a being could not speak, for he has no \"parts\" to speak with.\n\nThere have been various species of idolatry in different ages of the\nworld. The sun, moon, stars, beasts, crocodiles, frightful serpents,\nimages of wood, of stone, and of brass, have been erected into gods,\nand worshipped by innumerable multitudes. But the system of idolatry,\ninvented by modern christianity, far surpasses in absurdity anything\nthat we have ever heard of. One of the celebrated worshippers of\nthis newly-discovered god, in his \"Physical Theory of Another Life,\"\nsays, \"A disembodied spirit, or, we should rather say, an unembodied\nspirit, or sheer mind, is NO WHERE. Place is a relation belonging to\nextension; and extension is a property of matter: but that which is\nwholly abstracted from matter, and in speaking of which we deny that it\nhas any property in common therewith, can in itself be subject to none\nof its conditions; and we might as well say of a pure spirit that it\nis hard, heavy, or red, or that it is a cubic foot in dimensions, as\nsay that it is _here_ or _there_. It is only in a popular and improper\nsense that any such affirmation is made concerning the Infinite Spirit,\nor that we speak of God as _every where_ present. God is in every place\nin a sense, altogether incomprehensible by finite minds, inasmuch\nas his relation to space and extension is peculiar to infinitude.\nUsing the terms as we use them of ourselves, God is not _here_ or\n_there_, any more than he exists _now_ and _then_.\" This species of\nidolatry, according to the foregoing quotations, approaches so near\nto Atheism, that no one can tell the difference. Reader, can you see\nthe difference? A god \"_without a body!_\" A god \"_without parts!_\" A\ngod that cannot be \"_here_ or _there!_\" A god that is \"NO WHERE!\" A\ngod that cannot exist \"NOW and THEN!\" A god that exists in NO TIME! A\ngod that has no _extension_--no \"_parts_\"--no conceivable relation to\n_time_ or _space!_ O, blush for modern christianity!--a pious name for\nAtheism! Some perhaps may think that I have not sufficient charity.\nBut why should I have charity for a god that has no \"_parts_\"--no\nrelation to space? Let him first have charity for himself. But this\nwould be impossible; for he is a god \"_without passions_.\" He can have\nno charity nor love for himself nor any one else. There is no danger\nof offending him; for a passionless god is not capable of anger. One\nof the persons of this imaginary god is said to have been crucified.\nBut this must be a sad mistake; for it would be impossible to crucify a\nportion of something that had no \"_parts_.\" The reason, then, why the\npeople have not received any word from the Great King, is because they\nhave petitioned the wrong god. Would you expect her majesty, the queen\nof England, to answer your petition if it were directed to some African\nprince? Would you expect the God of heaven to answer a petition that\nwas addressed to a Hindoo god? If, then, your petitions are addressed\nto the bodiless, passionless god of modern christianity, you must not\nbe surprised if the true God does not pay any attention to it. You need\nnot expect that the true God will make any reply to petitions offered\nto any other being.\n\nThe true God exists both in time and in space, and has as much relation\nto them as man or any other being. He has extension, and form, and\ndimensions, as well as man. He occupies space; has a body, parts, and\npassions; can go from place to place--can eat, drink, and talk, as\nwell as man. Man resembles him in the features and form of his body,\nand he does not differ materially in size. When he has been seen among\nmen, he has been pronounced, even by the wicked, as one of their own\nspecies. So much did he look like man, that some supposed him to be the\ncarpenter's son. Like man, He had a Father; and he was \"_the express\nimage of the person of the Father_.\" The two persons were as much alike\nin form, in size, and in every other respect as fathers and sons are\nof the human race; indeed, the human race are \"_his offspring_,\" made\nin his likeness and image, not after his moral image, but after the\nimage of his person. There is no such thing as moral image. Such an\nimage cannot exist. Morality is a property of some being or substance.\nA property without a substance or being to which it appertains is\ninconceivable. A property can never have figure, shape, or image of any\nkind. Hence, a moral image never had an existence except in the brains\nof modern idolators.\n\nThe Godhead consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The\nFather is a material being. The substance of which he is composed is\nwholly material. It is a substance widely different in some respects\nfrom the various substances with which we are more immediately\nacquainted. In other respects it is precisely like all other materials.\nThe substance of his person occupies space the same as other matter.\nIt has solidity, length, breadth, and thickness, like all other\nmatter. The elementary materials of his body are not susceptible of\noccupying, at the same time, the same identical space with other\nmatter. The substance of his person, like other matter, cannot be in\ntwo places at the same instant. It also requires _time_ for him to\ntransport himself from place to place. It matters not how great the\nvelocity of his movements, _time_ is an essential ingredient to all\nmotion, whether rapid or slow. It differs from other matter in the\nsuperiority of its powers, being intelligent, all-wise, and possessing\nthe power of self-motion to a far greater extent than the coarser\nmaterials of nature. \"God is a _spirit_.\" But that does not make him\nan immaterial being--a being that has no properties in common with\nmatter. The expression \"_an immaterial being_,\" is a contradiction\nin terms. Immateriality is only another name for nothing. It is the\nnegative of all existence. A \"_spirit_\" is as much _matter_ as oxygen\nor hydrogen. It has many properties in common with all other matter.\nChemists have discovered between fifty and sixty kinds of matter; and\neach kind has some properties in common with all other matter, and some\nproperties peculiar to itself which the others do not inherit. Now,\nno chemist, in classifying his substances, would presume to say, This\nsubstance is material, but that one is immaterial, because it differs\nin some respects from the first. He would call them all material,\nthough they in some respect differed widely. So the substance called\nspirit is material, though it differs in a remarkable degree from\nother substances. It is only the addition of another element of a more\npowerful nature than any yet discovered. He is not a being \"without\n_parts_,\" as modern idolators teach; for every whole is made up of\nparts. The whole person of the Father consists of innumerable parts;\nand each part is so situated as to bear certain relations of distance\nto every other part. There must also be, to a certain degree, a freedom\nof motion among these parts, which is an essential condition of the\nmovement of his limbs, without which he could only move as a whole.\n\nAll the foregoing statements in relation to the person of the Father,\nare equally applicable to the person of the Son.\n\nThe Holy Spirit being one part of the Godhead, is also a material\nsubstance, of the same nature and properties in many respects, as\nthe spirits of the Father and Son. It exists in vast immeasurable\nquantities in connexion with all material worlds. This is called God\nin the scriptures, as well as the Father and Son. God the Father\nand God the Son cannot be everywhere present; indeed they cannot be\neven in two places at the same instant; but God the Holy Spirit is\nomnipresent--it extends through all space, intermingling with all other\nmatter, yet no one atom of the Holy Spirit can be in two places at\nthe same instant, which in all cases is an absolute impossibility. It\nmust exist in inexhaustible quantities, which is the only possible way\nfor any substance to be omnipresent. All the innumerable phenomena of\nuniversal nature are produced in their origin by the actual presence\nof this intelligent, all-wise, and all-powerful material substance\ncalled the Holy Spirit. It is the most active matter in the universe,\nproducing all its operations according to fixed definite laws enacted\nby itself, in conjunction with the Father and Son. What are called\nthe laws of nature are nothing more nor less than the fixed method by\nwhich this spiritual matter operates. Each atom of the Holy Spirit is\nintelligent, and like all other matter has solidity, form, and size,\nand occupies space. Two atoms of this Spirit cannot occupy the same\nspace at the same time, neither can one atom, as before stated, occupy\ntwo separate spaces, at the same time. In all these respects it does\nnot differ in the least from all other matter. Its distinguishing\ncharacteristics from other matter are its almighty powers and infinite\nwisdom, and many other glorious attributes which other materials do not\npossess. If several of the atoms of this Spirit should unite themselves\ntogether into the form of a person, then this person of the Holy Spirit\nwould be subject to the same necessity as the two other persons of\nthe Godhead, that is, it could not be everywhere present. No finite\nnumber of atoms can be omnipresent; an infinite number of atoms is\nrequisite to be _everywhere_ in infinite space. Two persons receiving\nthe gift of the Holy Spirit, do not each receive at the same time the\nsame identical particles, though they each receive a substance exactly\nsimilar in kind. It would be as impossible for each to receive the same\nidentical atoms at the same instant, as it would be for two men at the\nsame time to drink the same identical pint of water. It is these three\nall-powerful substances that stand at the head of all legal government.\nAll governments not established by these three will be ere long\noverthrown. They hold the supreme authority and power in heaven, and\nin the heaven of heavens, and throughout the wide expanse of universal\nnature. All principalities, powers, and kingdoms, whether in heaven or\non earth, must yield to be instructed and controlled by the supreme\npower, or they cannot stand.\n\nSecond.--_The character and requisite qualifications of the subordinate\nofficers in the kingdom of God_ are now to be considered. As the\npersons of the Father and Son cannot be every where present, it\nis therefore impossible for them to attend in _person_ to all the\nmultiplied affairs of government among intelligent beings; therefore,\nGod, in establishing a government among such beings, has always called\npersons of their own number to officiate in his name. The character\nof these persons, previously to their calling and appointment, has\ngenerally been that of honesty and sincerity; otherwise they have not\ndiffered materially from other men.\n\nThe various officers, called of God to administer the affairs of his\ngovernment, are apostles, prophets, bishops, evangelists, elders,\npastors, teachers, and deacons. God has only one way of calling these\ndifferent officers, and that is by _new revelation_. No person was\never authorized to act in the name of the Lord, unless called by _new\nrevelation_. Paul says (Heb. v. 4 [ch. 5]), \"_No man taketh this\nhonour unto himself, but he that is called of God as was Aaron_.\"\nAmong the vast number of national governments now upon the earth,\nwhere is there one that even professes to be the kingdom of God, or\nthat its officers were called of God as was Aaron? Human authority and\nhuman calling are the only powers which any nation professes to have.\nBut there are certain petty governments, called churches, organized\nwithin these national governments, which claim divine authority, and\nconsider their officers authorized to act in the name of the Lord.\nBut the great question is, Have any of them been called as Aaron was?\nBy _new revelation_ Aaron was called. By _new revelation_ the duties\nof his calling were made known. Have any of the Roman Catholic or\nProtestant officers been called by _new revelation_? Has God said one\nword to any of them? Do they not, with very few exceptions, declare\nthat \"There is no later revelation than the _New Testament_?\" If the\nrevelations contained in the New Testament are the last ones given,\nthen the persons to whom they were given, were the last ones called\nof God. When _new revelation_ ceases to be given, officers cease to\nbe called of God. When the calling of officers cease, the kingdom of\nGod ceases to be perpetuated upon the earth. Nothing is more certain\nthan that the church of God ceased to exist on the earth when new\nrevelation ceased to be given. All the modern christian churches,\nwho deny new revelation, have no more authority to preach, baptize,\nor administer any other ordinance of the gospel than the idolatrous\nHindoos have; indeed all their administrations are worse than in\nvain--they are a solemn mockery in the sight of God. It is a grievous\nsin in the sight of God for any man to presume to baptize, unless God\nhas authorized him by new revelation to baptize in his name. Saul, the\nking of Israel, lost his kingdom because he assumed the authority that\ndid not belong to him (I Sam. xiii. 8-15.) Another king of Israel was\nsmote with leprosy until the day of his death, because he attempted\nto administer an ordinance without being called and authorized (2\nChron. xxvi. 16-22.) So all the baptisms and sacraments administered\nby modern christian churches who have done away new revelation, are\nan abomination in the sight of God. All persons who shall suffer\nthemselves to be baptized, or partake of these ordinances through the\nadministration of these illegal unauthorized persons, after having been\nduly warned of the evil thereof, will bring themselves under great\ncondemnation before God, and unless they repent of that sin they can in\nno wise be saved. The twelve apostles were called by new revelation,\nbut that did not authorize Paul, Barnabas, Timothy, or any other\nperson. Each one had to receive a separate call by new revelation for\nhimself. No one could lawfully act under a commission given to some\nother person. All the commissions recorded in the New Testament were\ngiven to individuals then living, and not to any individuals who should\nlive in some future age. If any person would have authority, let them\nobtain a new commission from God, as his servants always did in ancient\ntimes, and if they officiate without such new commission, then know\nassuredly that they are impostors.\n\nThe subordinate officers in the kingdom of God must not only be\ncalled of God, but qualified to act in their respective offices. The\nfirst qualification absolutely necessary for every officer in the\nkingdom is, _the gift of the Holy Spirit_. This is the most important\nqualification of all others. No man, without this qualification, can\nattain to an office in the kingdom of God; it matters not how great\nhis other attainments are; though he has studied the scriptures from\na child, and committed them all to memory--though he has carefully\nlearned the original languages in which they were written--though he\nhas made himself master of all sciences--grasped with a comprehensive\nmind all the arguments set forth in theological works, yet none of\nthese attainments will qualify him for even the least office in the\nkingdom of God. The unlearned youth, who had not the knowledge of the\nEnglish alphabet, if he were called of God, and qualified by the gift\nof the Holy Spirit, would have more power and authority, and could\ndo more towards saving men, than all the theologians and doctors of\ndivinity that the world affords, unless they also were called of God,\nand endowed with the gift of the Holy Ghost. No other qualifications\nwhatsoever can be substituted in the stead of the Holy Spirit. The Holy\nSpirit is the great distinguishing characteristic between the officers\nof the kingdom of God and impostors. Every officer sent of God has a\nqualification that no impostor ever had or ever can have.\n\nThe first officers placed in the kingdom of God are apostles. Let us\nenquire how in ancient times this office was conferred on man. Jesus\nsaid to his ancient apostles (John xv. 16) \"Ye have not chosen me,\nbut I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring\nforth fruit.\" Paul informs us (Heb. iii. 1) that Jesus himself was an\napostle. Holding the office himself, he had the most perfect right\nto confer the same calling upon others; hence he first _chose_ them,\nand then \"_ordained_\" them; after this he sent them forth to preach\n(Matthew x.) \"and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the\nGentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans, enter ye not: but go\nrather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach,\nsaying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the\nlepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received,\nfreely give.\" Although these apostles were chosen, ordained, and sent\nforth on a particular mission to the cities of Israel, with power to\nwork mighty miracles, yet there was an essential qualification which\nthey had not yet received. They had received power sufficient to\nqualify them to preach that the \"_kingdom of heaven was at hand_.\"\nBut they had not yet received power sufficient to fully organize and\nbuild up that kingdom on the earth. They lacked one very important\nqualification, without which they could never establish the kingdom\nwhich they had already predicted \"_was at hand_.\" What was this further\nqualification which these apostles had not yet received? It was the\ngift of the Holy Ghost, or the other Comforter which Jesus promised\nthem. It is very remarkable that these apostles should have such great\npower, and yet not have the Holy Ghost. But hear what the scripture\nsaith (John vii. 37, 38, 39) \"In the last day, that great day of the\nfeast, Jesus stood, and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him\ncome unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture\nhath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But\nthis spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should\nreceive: _for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was\nnot yet glorified_.)\" Mark the expression, \"_the Holy Ghost was not\nyet given_.\" This agrees with another saying of Jesus to his apostles\n(John xvi. 7), \"Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is expedient\nfor you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not\ncome unto you; but if I depart I will send him unto you.\" Jesus calls\nthis Comforter the Holy Ghost (John xiv. 26). After the resurrection of\nJesus, and as he was about to be taken up into heaven, he said to his\napostles (Luke xxiv. 49), \"Behold I send the promise of my Father upon\nyou\" (alluding to the Comforter or the Holy Ghost, which he promised\nseveral days before should be sent unto them from the Father after his\nglorification); \"but,\" said he, \"tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem,\nuntil ye be endued with power from on high.\" Thus you see, dear reader,\nthat these apostles had power to \"heal the sick, cleanse the lepers,\nraise the dead, and cast out devils,\" although the Holy Ghost was not\nyet given to them. A certain power was yet lacking. Jesus had commanded\nthem saying, \"Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every\ncreature.\" But he would not suffer them to commence this mission until\nthe promise of the Father--the Holy Ghost--was given them. They already\nhad power to work mighty miracles, but had not the power to build up\nthe kingdom of God. This power they were to tarry for in Jerusalem, and\nwhen they should receive it, they were then to commence the duties of\ntheir mission, first, in the city of Jerusalem, and afterwards extend\ntheir labours to all nations. The power to work miracles is entirely\na different thing from the power to build up the kingdom of God; the\nlatter power, however, always includes the former, but the former power\ndoes not always include the latter.\n\nWe now ask, Where is there a man among all the churches of modern\ntimes, who has been called to the office of an apostle by _new\nrevelation?_ Where is there a man among all the millions of modern\nchristians who has been ordained to the office of an apostle, under\nthe hands of an apostle, as the Twelve were anciently? Where is there\na man to be found among all the Catholics or Protestants who has been\nendowed with even the power of working miracles, to say nothing of the\nstill greater power communicated in the gift of the Holy Ghost? If the\napostles in ancient days could not build up the kingdom of God, without\nbeing endowed with these two degrees of power, surely no one since\ntheir day could be authorized to build the church of God with any less\nqualification.\n\nOne of the important duties required of an apostle is to ADMINISTER\nTHE SPIRIT. In 2 Cor. iii 6, we read that both Paul and Timothy were\nmade \"_able ministers_\" \"_of the Spirit_.\" The ordinance through which\nthe Spirit is ministered is THE LAYING ON OF HANDS. (Acts viii. and\nxix. Heb. vi.) To the apostles were entrusted three very important\nadministrations for the salvation of man:--\n\nFirst.--_The ministration of the word_.\n\nSecond.--_The ministration of the baptism of water_.\n\nAnd Third.--_The ministration of the baptism of the Spirit_.\n\nWhile Jesus was with his apostles in person, they had power to minister\nthe _word_ and _water,_ but not the _Spirit_, for they themselves had\nnot yet been baptized with the Spirit; and they could not administer\nthat which they were not in possession of. It was necessary that they\nshould first receive the gift themselves, before they could confer it\nupon others. Hence we can perceive the propriety of Jesus commanding\nthem to wait \"at Jerusalem until they should be endued with power from\non high;\" for without this additional power they could neither save\nthemselves nor others. Many persons have flattered themselves, that\nthey can be saved without the assistance of a minister sent of God. But\nthis is a vain delusive hope; for Jesus hath expressly said, \"Except a\nman be born of water and of the Spirit he _cannot_ enter the kingdom of\nGod.\" Now as no man can be saved out of the kingdom, it is necessary\nthat he should be \"born\" into the kingdom; and this would be impossible\nwithout an administrator sent of God; for the birth or baptism of\nwater, and the birth or baptism of the Spirit, require some one legally\nauthorized to officiate in behalf of the candidate.\n\nReader, have you ever received the Holy Ghost through the laying on\nof the hands of one sent of God? If not, you are not yet born of the\nspirit. You are not yet a child of the kingdom. Know assuredly, that\nunless you find some man who has been sent by the command of God as was\nAaron, and get him to remit your sins through your faith, repentance,\nand baptism, and have him to minister to you the Holy Ghost, as did\nthe ancient apostles--you need not flatter yourself that you can be\nsaved. Do not deceive yourself upon this all-important subject. Do not\nsuffer any man to baptize or administer unto you unless God has spoken\nunto him by the voice of his servants, and authorized him to minister\nin his name. Do you enquire how you are to know an authorized man of\nGod from one who has no authority? I will tell you how to discern the\ndifference. A true servant of God will never teach a false doctrine.\nHe will never deny new revelation. He never will tell you that the\ncanon of scripture is full, or that the New Testament is the last\nrevelation ever intended to be given to man. He never will tell you,\nthat miraculous gifts are no longer necessary in the church of God.\nHe never will tell you, that inspired apostles, prophets, and other\nofficers are not requisite in the church now. He never will tell you\nthat the \"_ministration of the spirit_\" by \"the laying on of hands,\"\nis done away by God's appointment. But he will tell you, that if you\nwill receive his message, and be baptized by one having authority, that\nyour \"_sins shall be remitted_,\" and that you shall be filled with\nthe Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands; and that you shall know, by\nthe teachings thereof, that his doctrine is true and of God. In this\nrespect he will differ from all impostors; for an impostor never had\npower to \"_minister this spirit_.\" An imposter dare not promise you\nthat you shall be filled with the Holy Ghost by the laying on of his\nhands; for he knows that such a promise would not be fulfilled--he\nknows that you would detect him to be a false teacher by complying\nwith his conditions, and failing to receive his promise. An impostor,\nknowing that he has no power to give the Holy Ghost as the ancient\napostles had, will endeavour to persuade you that such power is not\nnecessary now. He knows very well, that if he cannot get the people to\nbelieve that such power is not necessary in these days, that his own\nunauthorized pretensions will be at once detected.\n\nAn impostor, like Simon Magus, may deceive ignorant people by\nwitchcraft and sorcery, but he can never deceive them by pretending\nto give the Holy Ghost through prayer and laying on of hands. This is\na power that none but a true minister of God possesses; it cannot be\ncounterfeited by the devil. The devil can counterfeit the miracles of\nChrist, but he cannot counterfeit the gift of the Holy Ghost. None but\nthe lawful ministers of Christ can minister the spirit. This then is\nan infallible sign by which to distinguish true apostles from false\nones. But does this infallible sign exist either among the Papists or\nProtestants? Can any of their ministers give the Holy Ghost by the\nlaying on of hands? If not, they are not the church of God, and their\nministers are unauthorized--all their administrations are illegal\nand an abomination in the sight of God--salvation is not among them.\nNot one person among all their societies has been legally baptized.\nReader, are you a member of any of these societies? if so, haste to\nwithdraw yourself from them, that you partake not of their plagues,\n_for the hour of their judgment is come_. If you would be saved, seek\nafter the apostles and prophets of the kingdom of God, and receive\ntheir administrations, and you shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, and\nobtain eternal life.\n\n15, _Wilton Street_, _October_ 31, 1848\n\n* * * *\n\nR. JAMES, PRINTER, 39 B, SOUTH CASTLE STREET, LIVERPOOL.","title":"The Kingdom of God, Part 1","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":6442}