Sir believing you to be familliar with the word
of God & considering you willing to instruct your inferiors uppon
spiritual subjects, & after forming such conections of your character
I take this method to ask ^you^ several questions for information &
instructions as I have no other motive in view, & should you
not consider it beneath your notice to answer my questions
by writing but give me your opinion as you have formed it
from the word of God it would be highly intresing to me
[illegible] 1[ts] is respecting the gifts that were in the ancient church the gift of
healing the sick raising the dead casting out devils &c.
2th the Sabbath & its changes.
3th & last is the subject of babtism. Firstly, while perusing
the sacred volumen of inspiration I find many wonderful works
were performed by our Saveiour and likewise by the apostles though not
by their own power but by faith in & through Jesus Christ
& if I mistake mot when Christ first sent his disciples to preach
the gospel which was to the lost sheep of the house of israel he commanded
them to heal the sick cleanse the lepers rase the dead cast out devils &c
S. Mathew. chap. X again in the last chapter of S. Mark Christ appeared to
the eleven as they sat at meat & gave them a varry forcible command
to go into all the world & preach the gospel to ev^e^ry creature he that
believeth & is baptized shall be saved & he that believeth not shall
be damned & these signs shall follow them that believe in my name
shall they cast out devils they shall speak with new tongues
they shall lay hands on the sick & they shall recover &c this apparently
was the last command given by our saveiour before he assended to
heaven. now the question that arises in my mind is when & whare
were those gifts done away as some maintain that they are. I find
no scripture satisfactory to prove that they ever were done away
theirfore I am led to believe that God is the same to day as in ancient
days & likewise should people at this day live as did the apostles & exercise
the faith that did Abraham in offering up his son Isacc that those gifts
might again be on the earth and in case of sickness we might
loock to the Lord for deliverance in prefference of trusting to an arm of
flesh. we read of a woman that was ill that had suffered many things
of many Physicians & had spent all that she had & was nothing better but
rather grew worse which was finally healed by her faith in Christ.
should light be held up to the world uppon this subject at the preasent
day undouptedly their would be as little heed given to it as the Lord
told Ezekiel their would be to his prophecy when he sent him to the house
of israel, yet I ask your opinion uppon the subject for information
(the Lord sent Ezekiel to prophecy mowithstanding they would not hear
& ought not light uppon this subject be held up even if it is not received)
