-:CALIFORNIA MISSION:-
508 Fulton St. San Francisco, Calif.
.
President Wilford Woodruff,
Salt Lake City, Utah.
Dear Brother;
Here with I send you material that I have prepared for a
Tract subject to your approval. The Tracts we now have in this missn
sion are unsatisfactory, and if this meets your approval I should
like very much to have the privelege of getting it published, as I
think it will be suitable for our work in this mission.
Our Tracts obtained from Chattanooga, cost us 60 cents
per 100 ^delivered here^ and when we send them out to the Elders in small quantities
there is another 18 cents added for stamps per each 100 this brings
them rather high, whereas if we could have a good supply on hand
when an Elder goes out to his field of labor he could take with
him sufficient to last his district for some time and this would
cut off as time rolls on, quite an amount fthrat we now pay out for
stamps. I understand that the Tracts cost in Chattanooga 42 cents
per 100. We have an offer from a reliable firm to publish the Tract,
if we give an order forr 40,000 the price to be $145.50. As this w
will bring the tTracts down to a fraction over 36 cents per 100, and
by haveing a good supply on hand ^will^ enable us to send them out with
the Elders when they go to their several fields, in many cases enou-
gh to last them till they return. By this means we can furnish
twice the amount of reading matter for what our Tracts now cost us.
And thus scatter the writen word more freely. The 40,000 Tracts
will not be more than enough for six or eight months supply, at the
rate we need to use them and arfter that a better price can be obtai-
ned as the price above includes the stereotype.
Should you approve of the Tract, and of the matter of
getting them published here, please return me the coppy. If in your
judgement you think it can be improved by adding to, in any partic-
ular part, or by cutting out any thing that is objectionable, please
signify your wishes in the matter. I designed to have the articles
of faith added, and if you could send me a plate of the Temple to
place the picture of that noble edifice on the outer leaf I think i
it would lend an added interest to the Tract.
The San Francisco Call, has just published tte the out-
line of a semrmon that I delivered last night, They also mailed free
to our friends, mostly in Utah, about 120 coppies of the paper. I had
a coppy sent toeach of the Presidency, They sent their artist to
take my picture as it appears in the paper.
Ever praying for the blessing of heave to rest in rich
abundance upon you and your associates, I remain,
Very truly yours,
E. H. Nye
In the meridian of ^at the appointed^ time the Savior came and dwelt among the chil-
dren of men. Having been born in the stable, and cradled in the manger
the days and years of His childhood and youth were spent with His par-
ents in the ordinary walks and avocations of life. Though there were
some wonderful things occured in relation to His immaculate conception
and birth: Angelic choirs from the upper deep descended chanting glad
tidings of great joy, peace on earth, good will to man; Herod's cunning
plans were baffled; his boundless rage, his cruel edict, the death of
the innocents; Joseph's heavenly warning to flee to Egypt with the young
Child; his journey and return, his stay in Gallilee that the Scriptures
might be fulfilled "He shall be called a Nazerene" [Matthew 2:23] — all these dropped
out of the public mind, and as the years rolled by were forgotten and
lost except by His relatives and friends. As He sojourned among men
during the years of His youth and early manhood there was nothing in
His life to attract the attention of His fellows until He unostentatious-
ly walked down into the waters of the river Jordan and there was bap-
tized by John, and though the Holy Ghost descending from the upper deep
was seen, as Jesus walked out of the water, to rest upon Him in the form
of a dove, and a voice from heaven was heard to say "This is my beloved
Son in whom I am well pleased" yet men did not in Him recognize the Son
of God. [Matthew 3:17] Though He preached the Gospel of Repentance and Baptism for the
remission of sins, chose and ordained twelve Apostles and sent them
forth to preach, and went forth healing all manner of sickness and dire
disease Himself—causing. the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to
walk and leap for joy, teaching as no other man had taught, healing as
no other man had healed, rebuking as no other had ever dared rebuke men
for the sins they daily committed, they rejected Him and condemned Him
to a cruel death, and though He rose again (which fact was noised abroad
so that all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were cognizant of it) yet they
could not see in Him the Savior of the world.
On the great day of Pentecost when there were gathered together de-
vout men of all the surrounding nations, "suddenly there came a sound
from heaven, as of a rushing, mighty wind, and it filled all the house
where they were sitting, and there appeared unto them cloven tongues
like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them (the Apostles) and they
were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues
as the Spirit gave them utterance" and the people of the multitude were
all amazed for they hqrd heard the wonderful works of God each in his
own tongue. [Acts 2:2-4] Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and
said unto them, "Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be
this known unto you, and hearken to my words." Then, repeating the
words of the Prophet Joel, he showed to them that Christ should come,
and briefly sketching the history of His life, recounting His wonderful
works and noble deeds, showing forth the fact to the people that they
had by cruel hands put Him to death, thus crucifying the Lord of glory;
that in fulfillment of the Prophet's words, God had raised Him from the
dead; that on the third day He had been seen by the Apostles and many
others with whom He had conversed, "whereof we all are witnesses" [Acts 2:32] There-
fore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the
Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this which ye
now see and hear. Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly
that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord
and Christ". Now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts
and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles "Men and Brethren
what shall we do?" Not until this moment did they believe in Christ as
the Savior of the world. Though all His wonderful works had been per-
formed in their midst, yet not until the story of His life, His terrible
death, His glorious resurrection, and the wonderful out-pouring of the
Holy Ghost now so magnificently manifested before their eyes, did faith
spring forth in their hearts, and a desire to be partakers of the
heavenly gift caused them to plead with the Apostles, "Oh what shall we
do!" [Acts 2:14-37] This faith is the main-spring of all action, a mighty moving power.
By it Noah, Abraham and Moses performed their wonderful works; the chil-
dren of Israel passed through the Red Sea, the walls of Jerico fell, the
Harlot Rahab perished not; Gideon, Barak, David and others of the prop-
hets subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises and
stopped the mouths of lions. The Apostle Paul understood the wonderful
power of faith when he said, Heb. XI, 6th, "But without faith it is im-
possible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He
is, and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him." This
verse is self explanatory. If we did not know that God lives and will
reaward those that diligently seek Him, we would not seek Him at all.
The 3rd verse reads:"Through faith we understand that the worlds were
framed by the word of God." So then, not only could the wonderful works
before recounted be performed by the old worthies, but even worlds could
be framed when necessary through the faith that was in God who created
them. But will faith alone accomplish the salvation of the souls of
man? As opinions differ, and he who risks his soul's salvation upon the
uncertainties of men's opinions has but a vain hope of being led aright,
let the Scriptures answer the question. James 2nd ch. 14-26. This de-
claration of the great Apostle seems to set at rest for all time the
theory that faith alone is sufficient to save mankind. In closing his
speech, he very forcibly states that "As the body without the spirit is
dead, so faith without works is dead also." Shall we not say then, that
works are necessary, and if so what are those works? Again let the
Scriptures tell the tale. Math. 3, 2nd "In those days came John the
Baptist—saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand."
Jesus came preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, (Mark 1, 15th.)
"And saying, the time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand;
repent ye, and believe the Gospel." Mark 6, 12th, "And they (the Apostles)
went out, and preached that men whould repent." Jesus was evidently
determined that there should be no mistake upon this matter when He said,
(Luke 13, 3-5) "I tell you nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all like-
wise perish. Or those eighteen upon twhom the tower in Siloam fell and
slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwell at
Jerusalem? I tell you NAY; but except ye repent, ye shall all like-
wise perish." The word of the Lord to Israel in the days of Ezekiel was
equally positive. (Ezek. 18, 30th) "Therefore I will judge you, Oh House
of Israel, everyone according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent
and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not
be your ruin." [Ezekiel 18:30] Nor does it appear that conditions had at all changed
in the days of the Apostle Paul for we find him declaring in the most
emphatic terms (Acts 17, 30th) "And the times of this ignorance God
winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent." This then,
is the first grand step of preparatory work in securing salvation in
the Kingdom of God. But the question may arise, 'Wherein have I sinned?
In what have I done wrong? I have complied with all the requirements of
the decalogue, I have lived the golden rule, doing to others as I would
be done by; what have I to repent of?' Look abroad upon the face of the
earth, search i)n all the Christian world for the true Chruch of Christ
as organized and recognized by Him, and where do you find it? Like the
ship-wrecked mariner whose weary eyes scan the vast horizon with a ling-
ering hope that friendly salil will come to his relief, till his heart
grows faint and dies within him, so it is with many an honest-hearted
one, seeking the way to eternal life, anon as he listens to the various
creeds and examines the doctrines of the different sects, he discovers
discrepencies everywhere. No one has a perfect form of worship, all
have dwindled in unbelief; they have departed from the faith of the
ancients; they have turned away from the true and living God, as the
Apostle Paul said (2nd Tim. 4, 3rd) "For the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they
heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn
away their hearts from the truth, and shall be turned into favbles." Hav-
ing a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. Preaching for
doctrine the precepts of men
Churches have been erected whose cloud-piercing spires rise in
every town and city, village and hamlet over all the land, in which men
preach for hire and divine for money, thus making merchandise of the
souls of men, having, as Isaiah says "Transgressed the laws, changed
the ordinances and broken the everlasting covenant" and "it shall be as
with the people, so with the priest" [Isaiah 24:5] [Isaiah 24:2] and as Jesus said in Luke "Can the
blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?" [Luke 6:39] We
answer by saying as the Apostles of old said: "REPENT AND BE BAPTISED
AND WASH AWAY YOUR SINS." Yes, for the fruits of repentance is a broken
heart and a contrite spirit; and it is provided that such a one should
walk in the footsteps of Jesus, down into the water, and like Him, be
buried beneath the liquid wave. This was the first act that Jesus did
preparatoryto His ministerial labors, and the very last command He gave
to His Apostles prior to His ascension up into heaven, (Mat. 28, 19-20)
"Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of
the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you." And what had He just commanded
them?—-to baptise all nations—The next witness testifies a little
stronger (Mark 16, 15-16) "And He said unto them, Go ye into all the
world and preach the Gospel to every creature, He that believeth and
is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned."
Oh what an opportunity to secure eternal life, what a glorious promise,
and this too from the author of our salvation! We say that we believe
on Him, that we have faith in Him, and yet we persistently refuse to ac-
cept the conditions that He has offered for our salvation. Surely no
one will have the audacity to assert that He who gave His life and shed
His blood that we may obtain eternal life, has not the right to estab-
lish the conditions upon which we may secure the benefits of that aton-
ing blood. His promise is plain, and in language unmistakable, "He that
believes and is baptized shall be saved" and let us not forget that
the declaration is equally positive that "He that believeth not shall
be damned." [Mark 16:16] Nor is John the Beloved less im^ex^plicit in his statement of
what the Savior said to Nicodemas (John 3, 5th) "Jesus answered, verily
verily I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the spirit
he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." Here is a declaration from
the great Master Himself that ought to be sufficient answer to all who
fondly imagine that they can find some other way. Again, there are
those who believe that if they live a life of honor and integrity among
men, and serve God according to the best light they have, that they will
be entitled to an inheritance in the Kingdom of God. To all such let
the Scriptures once more declare the fact. (Acts 10, 1-6)and 48th) "There
was a man in Cesarea called Cornelius, a Centurion of the band called
the Italion Band, a devout man and one that feared God with all his
house, which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God alway. He
saw in a vision, evidently about the ninth hour of the day, an Angel of
God coming in to him and saying unto him,—Cornelius; and when he looked
on him he was afraid and said,—What is it, Lord? and He said unto him
Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God; and
now send men to Joppa and call for one Simon whose sir name is Peter.
He lodgeth with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea-side. He
shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do." Ah! Cornelius, thou God-
fearing, alms-giving, prayerful man, there is something that you have
not done! Though your faith has reached unto heaven, and your prayers
have been heard and your alms-giving considered by the Almighty, yet
there is something that you have not done of such great importance that
the windows of heaven were opened and an angel sent forth unto you as a
messenger, to notify you of the fact. What is it, Cornelius? He sent
for Peter as he was commanded, and when Peter came, saw their faith and
heard their words and they believed on the Lord Jesus, "He command-
ed them to be baptized." [Acts 10:48] This is the door into the Kingdom of God.
Now there is a great diversity of opinion among men as to the grand
object for which Baptism was institutied; some believing that it should
be performed in the presence of a great number of people as a testimony
to them that the humble penitent has put on Christ; others again, claim-
ing that it is an "outward sign of an inward grace", and still others,
that it was intended as a witness before men of a "change of heart". Not
a word can be found in the Scriptures to support any of these positions,
but on the other hand, evidence abounds in the sacred Record to prove
that the ordinance of baptism was for the purpose of "washing away" and
"for the remission of sins". Let us take the testimony of Saint Mark 1,4;
"John did pbaptize in the wilderness and preach the baptism of repentance
for the remission of sins;" of St. Luke 3, 3, "And he came into all the
country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the re-
mission of sins;" Acts 2, 38, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent and
be baptised, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the re-
mission of sins." Also Acts 22, 16, "And now why tarriest thou? Arise
and be baptized and wash away thy sins." Here the grand question arises
what does sin consist of? Is it not the violation of law or the break-
ing of a command, and is not the sin of ommission as great as the sin
of commission? Surely the commandment "Remember the Sabbath day to keep
it holy" is just as binding as the one that precedes it "Thou shalt not
take the name of the Lord they God in vain"; yet the failure to obey the
one would be the sin of ommission, while to break the other would be the
sin of commission. [Exodus 20:7-8] And are not the commandments issued by the Savior
and His Apostles as much the commands of God as those uttered forth from
the coloud-capped peak of Mount Sinai? And if so, a failure to comply
when "God commands all men everywhere to repent" as in Acts 22, 16, or
where Peter commanded them to "repent and be baptized for the remission
of sins" as in Acts 2, 38, brings us under the condemnation of a broken
law and adjudges us all as sinners before God.
Having now discovered the door of the straight and narrow way that
leads to eternal life, which is baptism, and the object of that baptism
that it is for the purpose of remitting or washing away our sins, it
now becomes particularly interesting to decide who are proper candidates
for baptism. Among the various sects and creeds of modern christendom
many believe in the practise of baptizing little children. We unhesi-
tateingly say without fear of successful contradiction, that no foundatio
or justification of such a practice can be found in the Scriptures.
It has been shown beyong question according to the Scriptures, that
baptism is for the remission of sins. Sin is the breaking of laws or
commands of God. The child, until it comes to the years of understand-
ing, is not able to comprehend law or understand the binding nature of
a command—to obey or disobey; hence it is irresponsible. For where
there is no comprehension there is no law; and where there is no law
there can be no sin; and where there is no sin, baptism is uncalled for
and out of place and is the direct violation of the commands of our Sav-
ior. For if by baptism one child who dies in its infancy may be ushered
into the arms of Jesus, and for the lack of baptism another child dying
in its infancy is forbidden His sacred presence, then are we not bereak-
ing His direct command where He said, as in St. Mark 10, 13-15 "And they
brought young children to Him that He sholuld touch them, and His discip-
les rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it He was much displeased, and
said unto them 'Suffer little children to come unto mMe and forbid them
not, for of such is the Kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, whoso-
ever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, he shall
not enter therein. And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon
them and blessed them." The testimony of St. Luke is almost identical.
It reads as follows (Luke 18, 15-17) "And they brought unto Him also,
infants that He should touch them, but when His disciples saw it they
rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto Him, and said, Suffer little
children to come unto Me, and forbid them not for of such is the King-
dom of God. Verily I say u)nto you, whosoever shall not receive the King-
dom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." Clearly
then, baptism was never intended for little children, for baptism hav-
ing been instituted for the purpose of washing away sins, sins already
committed, and the child not having committed any, the ordinance would
not apply. But what is more important than all, he that believes in
and declares it necessary for the little child to be baptized, and bap-
tizes it, is committing a most grievous sin in the sight of God. For if
it were true, as claimed by many Christians, that the little infant that
dies without baptism is shut out from the presence of God, that hell is
paved with little unbaptized children, they are erecting a barrier to
those little infants in the form of the ordinance of baptism and "for-
bidding" all such to come unto Christ, thus breaking one of His most em-
phatic commands uttered when "He was much displeased" at what they were
doing and said, "Forbid them not, but suffer them to come unto Me." [Mark 10:14] The
little child is pure and innocent because it can commit no sin till it
comes to the years of accountability. Sin then conceives in its heart,
and as it grows in years Satan tempts it and it becomes sinful and wick-
ed, and the means provided by the Almighty to cleanse it and make it
again as pure and as innocent as it was in the beginning of its mortal
career, is the sacred ordinance of baptism. And thus may the repentant
sinner become like the example that Jesus set before them as shown by
Mat. 18, 2-4; "And Jesus called a little child unto Him and set him in
the midst of them and said, Verily I say unto you, except you be con-
verted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the king-
dom of heaven. Whosoever, therefore, shall humble himself as this little
child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Thus the little
child is given to us as a pattern of purity, a sample of innocence, by
the Savior Himself; and the bare theory of baptizing such little inno-
cents to wash away their sins, becomes revolting to the human mind when
considered under the light of reason, as the practice of it is an abom-
ination in the sight of God. So little children are not elegible to
baptism. This declaration stands out in bold relief when viewed in the
light of the following passages which plainly prove that all candidates
for the kingdom of God must be capable of being taught. (Nat. 28, 19-20)
"Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to ob-
serve all things whatsoever I have commanded you." All must have suf-
ficient mental development to be capable of believing the doctrines
taught, as shown by the Savior's commandments, and Mark 16, 16, "He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not
shall be damned." "But when they believed Phillip preaching the things
concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ they were
baptized, both men and women." (Acts 8, 12) "And as they went on their
way they came unto a certain water, and the Eunuch said, See here is
water; what does hinder me to be baptized? and Phillip said, If thou
truly believest with all thine heart though mayest, and he answered and
said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (Acts 8, 36-7)
A knowledge of the divine truths of revealed religion when once
impressed upon the heart, causes faith to spring forth in the soul, and
we reflect with admiration upon the life of Him whose wondrous love was
manifested towards us when He offered His life as a sacrifice for our
sins. And by comparison we realize our own unworthiness, that our feet
have strayed from the path of right and that we are steeped in iniquity.
With this conviction comes a resolution to turn, if possible, from our
wicked ways and walk in newness of life. This brings repentance, a for-
saking of sin, a reverence for Almighty God and an earnest desire to
search after and serve Him in spirit and in truth. We resolve to tread
the path our Savior walked, down into the waters of baptism, thus follow
ing Him down through the door into the Kingdom of God, that where He is
we may be also. Sufficient mental capacity to be taught, to believe,
to repent and to voluntarily offer ones self for obedience to the suc-
ceeding principle of the Gospel are prerequisites to the ordinance of
baptism. Little children cannot do these things, consequently there is
no law of God requiring them to be baptised; and all man-made systems
to the contrary will be null and void in the day of judgment.
MODE OF BAPTISM.
As there are so ma^n^y conflicting opinions on this question; the
orthodox Christian churches having departed from the faith of the
Apostles, and built up churches to themselves for the purpose of making
merchandise of the souls of men, have instituted the practice of sprin-
kling and pouring &c. and call it baptism, to support which not one
word can be found in holy Writ. The whole sense of the ordinance of
baptism from the time that John the Baptist came preaching the baptism
of repentance for the remission of sins, on through all the writings of
the New Testament conclusively proves the fact that baptism by immers-
ion was the mode taught and practiced by Jesus and His Apostles. [Matthew 3:1-2] Jesus,
when He was baptized, "Went up straightway out of the water." [Matthew 3:16] When
Phillip baptized the Eunuch "They went down both into the water, both
Phillip and the Eunuch, and he baptized him, and when they were come up
out of the water, &c" [Acts 8:38-39] All this clearly indicates immersion, or why go
down into or come up out of the water? Paul says to the Romans 4, 4;
"Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death" 5th, "For if
we have been planted together in the likeness of His death." Certainly
there is nothing in a sprinkling or a pouring that represents either a
burial or a planting, but each of these passages point in Unmistakable
terms to a baptism by immersion. The Apostle Paul again makes this clear
in his Episitle to the Collosians 2, 12; "Buried with Him in baptism
wherein also ye are risen with Him." When John baptized in the wilder-
ness "There went out unto him all the land of Judea and they of Jeru-
salem, and were all baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing
their sins." (Mark 1, 5)
All the evidence contained in the sacred Scriptures points unmis-
takably to the fact that immersion was the only mode of baptism practic-
ed by the Apostles and early Christians. Profane history gives con-
clusive evidence of this fact. Speaking of baptism in the first cen-
tury Dr. Mosheim says "In this century baptism was administered in con-
venient places without the public assemblies, and by immersing the can-
didate wholly in water." (Mosheim's Church History (Murdock) Third
Edition, Vol. 1, p. 87) Of the second century, the same great author
says: "Twice a year, namely at Easter and Whitsuntine, baptism was
administered by the Bishop or by the presbyters acting by his command
and authority. The candidates for it were immersed wholly in water with
the invocation of the sacred Trinity, according to the Savior's precept."
Indeed, the first deviation from baptizing by immersion occurs in
a case recorded by Eusebius, as happening in the third century. He alludes
to it in these detracting terms: "He (Novatian) fell into a griev-
ous distemper, and it beigng supposed that he would die immediately he
received baptism (being sprinkled with water) on the bed where he lay,
(if that can be termed baptism) neither when he had escaped that sick-
ness, did he afterwards receive the other things which the canon of the
Church enjoined should be received." (Ecclesiastical History, (Eusebius)
p. 113) Even down to the close of the thirteenth century baptism by
immersion was the rule, and sprinkling and pouring the exception. Yet
the innovation thus made in the third century has worked its insiduous
way in the various divisions of Christianity until to-day a convert can
have any kind of baptism he may desire; thus have they departed from
the faith of the Apostles and are teaching for religion the commandments
of men, having "Transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken
the everlasting covenant," in fulfillment of the words of the Prophet
Isaiah. (Isaiah 24, 5)
GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST.
The next step in the regular order of initiation into the fold of
Christ is to secure the birth of the Spirit, or the baptism of the Holy
Ghost; this being essential to enable us to pursue an acceptable course
in the service of the Lord, that the Holy Ghost may be with us as an
abiding gift, as a light ^lamp^ to our feet and a light to our pathway through
life. The Lord in His wonderful plan for the salvation of the souls of
men has provided a way for the humble and penitent baptized believer to
secure this blessed gift. (Mark 1, 8) "I indeed have baptized you with
water, but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." (Acts 1, 5) "For
John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy
Ghost not many days hence." Behold the promise fulfilled. (Acts 2, 2-4)
"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind
and it filled all the house where they were sitting, and there appeared
unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And then^y^ were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with
other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance." But this precious
gift was not to be given until after Jesus was glorified, as shown by
the following, (John 7, 39) "—for the Holy Ghost was not yet given, be-
cause that Jesus was not yet glorified."
On that great Penticostal day the Holy Ghost was given and a glor-
ious manifestation of heavenly light appeared sitting upon each of the
Apostles who had accompanied the Savior in all His travels and had wit-
nessed His wonderful works, and by His divine favor had been made par-
takers of His holy ministry. They now received the promised blessing
in rich abundance, and a way was provided by which they might transmit
it to others who would comply with the special requirements, as shown
by the following: (Acts 8, 17) "Then laid they their hands on them and
they received the Holy Ghost." Evidently the Holy Ghost came not as the
result of the baptism nor in answer to ^the^ prayer of the Apostles, but by
the laying on of their hands. Clearly showing that this was the mode the
Lord had provided by which the Holy Ghost should be conferred upon bap-
tized believers; this again is clearly set forth in Acts 19, 5-6 "When
they heard this they were baptized in thename of the Lord Jesus. And
when Paul had laid his hands on them the Holy Ghost came on them, and
they spake with tongues and prophesied. [Acts 2]
The Blood of Christ.
We have now pointed out to the penitent believer the path that
leads to eternal life, the straight and narrow way, and carefull noted
the inscriptions along the line, down into the water through the door
into the kingdom of God. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance of
all sins, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, gift of the
Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands; this is the course marked out by
the Father to prepare His children to receive the benefits of the aton-
ing blood of Jesus Christ. Earthly things are typical of heavenly
things as set forth in the following (1 John 5, 7-8) "For there are
three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy
Ghost, and these three are one; and there are three that bear witness
in the earth, the Spirit, the water and the blood, and these three agree
in one." By the water we keep the commandment, by the spirit are we
justified and by the blood are we sanctified; and thus we become Saints.
He who has fully repented of his sins and been baptized for the remiss-
ion thereof, and received the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, may
then partake of the emblems of the Savior's flesh and blood; and in
that sacred ordinance eat and drink to His soul the benefits of that
atoning blood. And such have the promise of the Savior that they shall
never hunger or thirst. There is no other way provided on earth by
which mankind can secure the benefits of the aton)ing blood of Christ.
AUTHORITY.
Upon this question hinges the validity of all the acts of men.
Every officer of our Government must be elected or appointed according
to the mode established by the constitution of the United States, or
his official acts fall to the ground as null and void. The decisions
of the court involving the validity of titles to land or other great inter-
ests would be void if it could be shown that the judge rendering the
decision had not been elected or appointed legally. Every deed issued
by a Sheriff at a sherriff's sale of real estate would be void if it
could be shown that the sheriff was a usurper and not legally authorized
to officiate in the duties of the office. All naturalization papers
issued by a judge when it could be shown that he had never been elected
or appointed according to constitutional requirements, would by a legal
tribunal be declared worthless and the holder deprived of his citizen-
ship. In fact the question of authority to act in any of the affairs of
human life is so clearly understood by all persons of ordinary intell-
igence that time would seem to be wasted in discussing it; but not so
in questions involving the future of the human soul. In these sacred
and vastly more important matters upon which hang all our hopes of
eternal life, the average man seems willing to trust to the opinions of
a minister of some of the orthodox sects or to the wild vagaries of any
upstart who cries "Lo here is Christ," or "Lo he is there" without for
a single moment raising the question—Where is his authority to offic-
iate in the sacred ordinances of the Gospel of Christ? or to initiate
men into the kingdom of God? The average merchant in conducting his
regular business, when waited upon by one claiming to be an agent of a
manufacturer, places his order with that agent fully expecting to re-
ceive the goods. As the time rolls on the goods come according. to the
sample shown and the order given. This fact alone is proof to the mer-
chant that the agent was in touch with his principal and was a duly
authorized agent. But if the good^s^ come not, it is strogng presumptive
evidence that the agent was a fraud and was not authorized by the manu-
facturer to take orders for goods. If this test be applied to the
ministers of the various sects of the Christian world it will at once
be found that they are self-appointed agents, not in touch with the
principal whom they claim to represent, as their patrons receive not
the goods. In other words the signs and wonders promised by the Savior
are lacking and do not follow the believer, which alone is sufficient
evidence that the so-called ministers are never sent of God. Jesus said
"Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, he
that believeth and is baptized shall be saeved, but he that believeth
not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe;
in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing it
shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall re-
cover." These signs though forming one of the most prominent features
of the Gospel in the days of the Apostles are not to be found in any of
the contending sects of modern Christendom. Such as hunger and thirst
after righteousness become members of the various churches and humbly
bow at their sanctuaries, believing the doctrines there taught. Hunger-i
ly they seek food for their souls; thirstily they come, like sheep, to
the fountain, only to fingd that the storehouse is empty, the fountain
is dry. The promised blessigsngs fail, the signs do not follow, they re-
ceive not the goods. The grand secret of it all is, God has not sent
the agents through whom they seek these blessings; they hold no author-
ity to officiate in the ordinances of His house. As agents they are
not in touch with their Principal. These ministers are self-appointed
teachers of man-made systems of religion, they are teaching for doctrine
the commandments of men.
From the time the Christian Fathers fell by persecution, death or
controversy, from their original faith down to the time of the Emperior
Constantine made the catholic faith universal through the Roman pro-
vinces in the ^year^ 323 A D, the forms of the Christian religion were con-
statntly undergoing a change. At that time there were incorporated in
the Christian Church, heathen rites, which with the innovation added
down through the ages to the present time, stamps that church to-day
as one entirely separate and apart from the original apostolic Church.
Without Apostles and Prophets through whom they might obtain the word
of God, the Church has steadily drifted from its moorings unto ^onto^ the
broad sea of men's opinions till it is split and divided into hundreds
of different sects and creeds, no one of which can present an organ-
ization to-day that even resembles the form of the Church of Christ. The
most important features have been eliminated. Signs and wonders and
miraculous gifts, together with the fruits of the Spirit, set forth by
the Apostle Paul in first Cor. 12th have disappeared, and but the empty
powerless form is found to-day among the children of men. The shadow
alone remains; the substance has departed. And why? Because mankind
have departed from the faith of the ancients. The rights, powers and
privileges of the Apostolic Priesthood have long since been withdrawn
from man, and all who officiate in religious rites do so without auth-
ority from the living God.
If we examine and see how the servants of God were called to the
ministry in other ages we can discover a guide to direct us in obtain-
ing authority in this age. Moses was called from out the burning bush
by God Himself (Ex. 3) and when he was about to be succeeded by Joshua
as leader, Hhe conferred upon Joshua the holy priesthood by the laying
on of his hands. (See Deut. 34, 9) "And Joshua, the son of Nun was full
of the spirit of wisdom for Moses had laid his hands upon him." Jesus
when He entered upon His ministry, called twelve and ordained them, viz;
"And He ordained twelve that they should be with Him and that He might
send them forth to preach." (Mark 3, 14) Again He says "Ye have ^not^ chosen
Me but I have chosen you and ordained you." (John 15, 16). Jesus said
in His prayer unto His Father, "As Thou hast sent Me into the world even
so have I also sent them into the world." (John 17, 18). The Apostle
Paul evidently had this question of authority to meet, as he gave vent
to his feelings in the following forcible language, "Whereunto I am or-
dained a preacher and an Apostle (I speak the truth in Christ and lie
not), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity." (I Tim. 2, 7). It
was very gratifying no doubt to the Apostle Paul to be able to declare
with such emphasis the fact of his ordination, and no wonder when we
consider the way in which he was called. He was justly entitled to de-
clare it, as will be seen by the manner of his calling. "As they minis-
tered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said: Separate me Barnabus
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, so
they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, &c" (Acts 13, 2-4) Paul then
was evidently called by direct revelation of the Holy Ghost, and when
the hands of the Prophets were laid upon him, he was sent away, as also
was his companion Barnabus.
The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews makes a most positive de-
claration on this question. He says: "For every High Priest taken from
among men is ordained for men, in things pertaining to God that he may
offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; And no man taketh this
honor to himself, but he that is called of God as was Aaron." (Heb. 5,4)
A glance at Exodus 4, 14-16 and 27-28 will show us how Aaron was called:
"And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and Hs said, Is n
not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well, and
also behold he cometh forth to meet thee, and when he seeth thee he will
be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him and put words in
his mouth; and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will
teach you what ye shall do; and he shall be thy spokesman unto the people"
Thus Aaron was called of God; and in all ages when God has had a people
on the earth, His servants have been duly called of Him and ordained,
and the stamp of His approval has been placed on their labors in signs
and wonders and miraculous manifestations.
LACK OF AUTHORITY.
Not only are the Scriptures teeming with evidence that the servants
of God were duly authorized, call ed and ordained, to officiate in the
ordinances of His house in all ages of which the Bible gives us any ac-
count, but the fact stands out in bold relief, that in every instance
where men dared to act without authority the Lord manifested His dis-
pleasure in a just rebuke for their presumption; as in the case of
King Saul recorded in I Sam, 13, 8-13: "And he tarried seven days ac-
cording to the set time that Samuel had appointed, but Samuel came not
to Gilgal and the people were scattered from him. And Saul said, Bring
hither a burnt offering to me and peace offerings. And he offered the
burnt offering. And it came to pass that as soon as he had made an end
of offering the burnt offering, behold Samuel came; and Saul went out
to meet him. And Samuel said What hast thou done? and Saul said Be-
cause I sawst that the people were scattered from me and that thou
camest not within the days appointed, and that the Phillistines gathered
themselves together at Michmash; therefore said I: The Phillistines will
come down now upon me to Gilgal and I have not made supplication unto
the Lord; I forced myself therefore and offered a burnt offering. And
Samuel said to Saul: Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept the
commandment of the Lord thy God which He commanded thee; for now would
the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever, but now thy
kingdom shall not continue. The Lord hath sought Him a man after His
own heart and the Lord hath commanded him to be Captain over His people
because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee." And thus
he lost his kingdom and his life through daring to officiate in the
priest's office without authority. Nor did Uzziah, king of Judah re-
ceive any better recognition, for though he had gained the favor of
heaven in his earlier days through obedience to the commands of God,
yet in after years when proud and haughty and flushed with victory, he
essayed to officiate in the Priest's office, as shown in the following:
"But when he was strong his heart was lifted up to his destruction, for
he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of
the Lord to burn incense upon the alter of incense. And Azariah, the
priest went in after him and with him four score priests of the Lord that
were valiant men. And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto
him: It pertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord,
but to the priests, the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn in-
cense. Go out of the sanctuary for though hast trespassed; neither shall
it be for thine honor from the Lord God. Then Uzziah was wroth and had
a censor in his hand to burn incense. And while he was wroth with the
priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in
the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar. And Azariah the
chief priest and all the priests looked upon him, and behold he was
leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence, yea, him-
self hasted also to go out because the Lord had smitten him. And Uzziah
the King was a leper unto the day of his death." [2 Chronicles 26:16-21] Such a terrible
penalty, it would seem, should have been a warning to all succeeding
generations to refrain from interfering with sacred things without
authority. But another single instance is recorded before God gave them
up to a reprobate mind, and this was during the days of the Apostles, and
is contained in the following quotation: "Then certain of the vagabond
Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits
the name of the Lord Jesus, saying; We abjure you by Jesus whom Paul
preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew and chief of
the priests, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said; Jesus
I know and Paul I know, but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil
spirit was, leaped on them and prevailed against them, so that they fled
out of that house, naked and wounded. And this was known to all the
Jews and Greeks also, dwelling at Ephesus, andfear fell on them all,
and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified." [Acts 19:13-17]
It would seem that the Christian world have learned a lesson from
the reading of the foregoing passages, as they no longer attempt to
cast out devils or heal the sick by the laying on of hands in the name
of Jesus, knowing only too well that they have no authority to do so,
and fearing the consequences as dire to themselves, either by receiving
such punishment as was meted out to the sons of Sceva or by thus reveal-
ing the fact that they were unauthorized of God, expose themselves to
the just resentment of their deceived and misguided followers.
SALVATION FOR THE DEAD.
In this age of religious freedom when every man is at liberty to
worship how, where or what he pleases, when the Christian Church is
split and divided into innumerable sects and creedsand is still divid-
ing and subdividing; where the opinions of men, crystalized into creeds,
pass current as systems of theological truths; while spiritualism in all
its various forms is rampant upon the earth, and its younger and more
delicately molded brother, theosophy, is just bursting forth as a
wonderful revelation from the unseen world, while darkness covers the
eatrth and gross darkness the people, and the men are continually seek-
ing for that which borders upon the sensational, the word of God comes
forth proclaiming the principles of salvation for the dead as well as
for the living. That there is but one faith, one hope, one baptism, one
way to obtain eternal life, either for the living or for the dead, is
clearly shown by the Scriptures. "To the law and to the testimony; if
they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light
in them." (Isaiah 8, 20). This shall be our guide, by this divine
method we are willing that all might be judged. Opinuions of men are
not the words of God, nor is the word of God to receive a private inter-
pretation as is clearly shown by the following: "Knowing this first
that no prophecy of the Scriptures is of any private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men
of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." [2 Peter 1:20-21] Opinions of men
shall not then prevail, but we will take the word of God for our gGuide,
"And when they shall say unto you, seek unto them that have familiar
spirits and unto wizards that peep and that mutter, should not a people
seek unto their God for the living to the dead?" (Isa. 8, 19) Let us
to the Scriptures then, and seek the word of God for a knowledge of the
dead.
After Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, fulfilled His mission
among the living and was about to depart to the unseen world and per-
form his work for the salvation of the dead; while he was suffering the
pangs of death upon the cross between two malefactors, he was railed
upon by one, yet worshiped by the other, to whom He said: "To-day shalt
thou be with Me in Paradise. [Luke 23:43] This saying has created a belief in the
Christian world that the vilest sinner on his death-bed or the murderer
upon the gallows by confessing Christ at the alast moment can be saved.
But let us find out what became of the thief. Where did he go? To
heaven? Not if the Scriptures are true. On the morning of the Savior's
resurrection and Mary's visit to the sepulcher, she thought Jesus to be
the gardener. Yet when He said "Mary" she at once recognized Him and
in her joy evidently sought to embrace Him, for it is said, "Jesus saith
unto her: touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father; but go
to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your
Father and to my God and your God." (John 20, 17) If this be true, aare
we not justified in asking the question, "Lord, if thou hast not been
to they Father and God during those three days, where has though been,
and where didst thou take that thief?" Let the Scriptures answer. Men's
opinions are worthless on such vital questions. "For Christ also hath
once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us
to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit
by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison, which
sometime were disobedient when once the long suffering of Noah God
waited in the days of Noah while the ark was preparing, wherein few,
that is, eight souls were saved by water." (I Peter 3, 18-20) So then
Christ took the thief to the spirit world and there undoubtedly
preached the Gospel to him in connection with Noah's people. And why?
"For for this cause was the Gospel preached to them that are dead, that
they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according
to God in the Spirit." [1 Peter 4:6] It would seem that this can need no explanation
for by this rule all men are to be judged by the same law, whether they
hear the Gospel in life or after death. And herein is the justice of
Almighty God made manifest, for if it were not so, and if the modern
Christianity theory should prevail, viz.—that all mankind who do not
confess Christ are lost—what shall be said of four-fifths of the
people on the earth to-day, and those that have lived in like circum-
stances in the heathen world, who never heard of Christ? If, when all
mankind are brought before the judgment-seat to be judged, and the
heathen hears his sentence read by the
great Judge, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into the place prepared for
the devil and his angels, because you never confessed My name." [Matthew 25:41] Would
not that heathen be justified in saying, "Who are thou? I never heard
of Jesus Christ. When I was on the earth I worshipped Joss and served
him faithfully." To punish the heathen for not confessing Christ when
in fact he had never heard of him, is contrary to the justice of an all-
wise Creator. But God has provided a better way. All who have never
heard the Gospel in life will have an opportunity after death, as
clearly set forth in the above as in the following: "Verily, verily I
say unto you, the hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear
the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live." [John 5:25]
"But,"
says the objector, "that means all they that are dead in sin," but read
a little farther: "Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in the
which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice." (John 5, 25 and
28) Again, "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's
belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the
heart of the earth." (Mat. 12, 40). By these passages it is clearly
apparent that the Savior fore-knew His mission to the spirit world in
the heart of the earth, and that while there, all who were in their
graves would hear His voice. Not only was this understood by Jesus and
His Apostles, but long prior to the Savior's day, the Prophets foresaw
the work He would do for the dead, viz: "I the Lord have called thee
in righteousness, and will hold thine hand and will keep thee, and give
thee for a covenant toof the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open
the blind eyes, to bring out the 7 prisoners from the prison, and them
that sit in darkness out of the prison house." (Isaiah 42, 6-7). Here
the prophet foretold the labors of the Savior. During His sojourn in
the flesh, we have no account of His having brought out the prisoners
from the prison, or proclaiming liberty to the captives, or the opening
of the prison to them that are bound. Had hHe done so, the Roman Gov-
ernment would have had a case against Him, yet Pilate found no fault in
Him. Hence we must look elsewhere for the fulfillment of these pass-
ages. "And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall punish
the host of the high ones that are on high and the kings of the earth
upon the earth, and they shall be gathered together as prisoners are
gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison and after many
days shall they be visited." (Isaiah 26, 21-2). Here is the final of a
terrible picture of the earth's desolation, when it is to be empty,
turned up-side-down, broken, dissolved, removed like a cottage, and the
inhabitants thereof scattered. All are to be gathered, including the
kings and the high ones, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, shut up
in prison and after many days visited. What will be the object of this
visitation? Peter has already told it, as Christ visited the antide-
luvians, so when these have suffered the vengeance of almighty God in
the spirit ^world,^ some of His servants, ministering angels, will be sent to
visit them and preach the Gospel to them as Jesus did. "lift ^up^ your
heads, Oh ye gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors, and the
King of glory shall come in. Who is this king of glory? The Lord strong
and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle." (Psalm 24, 7-8). What was
the subject of the vision thus portrayed by the prophet and where was
it to take place? He saw the Savior making His triumpjhial entry into
the infernal regions, and with irresistable power the gates and doors
are made to fly open, and the immortal King stands in the midst of the
prisoners of the spirit world. Thus the full import of that beautiful
passage of the psalmist David would read: List up your heads, oh ye
gates of hell, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors of the prisons
of the damned, and the King of glory shall come in, to the regions of
darkness proclaiming liberty to the captives and the opening of the
prison doors to them that are bound in hell. If the antideluvians after
their long sojourn in the regions of darkness were had in remembrance
before God so that He sent His beloved Son to preach to them the Gospel
during the time His body lay in the tomb, what shall be done for those
who have died since the Savior's visit to the spirit world? As His
Apostles and all His faithful followers served Him in life, who shall
saty that after death they will not follow His example, and continue to
serve Him by going to the spirit world and there preaching to the
spirits in prison who have died without a knowledge of the Gospel? And
when these poor benighted beings after their long captivity under the
reign of Lucifer, listen to the precious truths of the Gospel of Christ
and become converted, straightway the question arises, How can I obey
the ordinances of baptism? I am in a disembodied state of existence,
yet my Savior has said: "Except ye are born of the water and of the
spirit ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." [John 3:5] Oh wonderful plan
provided by the Almighty! The living may be baptized for the dead. It
is very plain that this great principle was understood by the ancient
Saints as will be seen by the words of the Apostle Paul addressed to
the Corinthians: "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the
dead if the dead rise not at all, why are they then baptized for the
dead?" (I Cor. 15, 29)
[sideways text] E. H. Nye
MSS. [end of sideways text]
[upside-down text] Referred to the church Historian and
his aids for examination and such
ammendments or changes, or recommenda-
tions as they, in their wisdom, [may] feel
to be proper.
June 10th 1897 [end of upside-down text]