| 297 Baptists that they must be of that order.-We might trace out an honorable association of this kind that have ever existed in different ages, but from what we have already noticed, we think that we shall be necessitated to notice what our friends the Baptist says, after quoting one more testimony, that of Lucifer, the son of the morning, to Eve; and he "said" unto the woman 'ye shall not surely die.'
It would seem from the statement of our Baptist friend, that the Mormons are guilty of quoting the 16th chapter of Matthew, 17th and 18th verses. They seem to resemble some of the ancient heretics, who dispite [despite] of all the Freewill Baptists could do, would continue to 'reason out of the Scriptures.' 'Preach the word,' &c. But the difficulty rests not here alone, for the Mormons are not only guilty of reading this, but of believing it also; a crime that cannot be laid to the charge of the Freewill Baptists, for they never would condemn others of what they were guilty of themselves. It seems that there was always difficulties of this kind with the Mormons; for no sooner did the ancient Baptists cease to whip Peter and John for teaching the word of God, than they were immediately found in the temple teaching the same things; and although the Rev. McCoy, one of the modern Baptist was as the head of a mob, driving the deluded Mormons in Missouri, [it would seem from the whole tenor of the Morning Star,] that the Mormons are in that neighborhood, and that the modern Baptists are just as much troubled with the Mormons, as the ancient Baptists were with same class of people in their day.
Our friend tells us that the 'the Mormons often quote this passage, to prove that the power of working miracles was to be perpetuated in the church.' If he had read the two preceding verses, he must have been convinced that any believer in the Bible must come to that conclusion; and his not believing the Bible does not invalidate the testimony of the Bible, as part and parcel of the Mormon creed. The Mormons believe the Bible, and that statement says, 'go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; and he that believeth not shall be damned' &c. We here ask, where was the gospel to be preached? The answer is to all the world. We ask again, where were these signs to follow? The answer is, where the gospel is preached and believed in, all the world. Consequently, in all the world wherever the gospel is preached and believed in, these sings must follow, and if these signs do not follow in the world, the gospel is not preached and believed in, in all the world, Therefore, however orthodox it is to believe the Bible, and howsoever contrary to the faith of the Baptist order, the Mormons are consistent inasmuch as they professed to believe the Bible, to live up to their profession, and the Bible does positively state that the power of working miracles should be continued in all the world where the gospel was preached and believed in.
Our friend goes on to state 'that they have not the power promised to them that believe, is evident from the following facts.' Just above he tells us that the Mormons often quote this passage to prove that the power of working miracles was to be perpetuated, and calls it a Mormon perversion. He next goes on to say that they have not the power promised; hence he believes that there was power promised.-Just before that, it was Mormon perversion to believe in that promise; hence, although the Mormons believe the Bible, it is a perversion for them to say they do, or teach it; but according to our friend's reasoning, it is perfectly right and logical for the Baptists to say they believe the Bible, and then to call it a perversion to teach it.
But we are told by our friend that the Mormons possess not the power to work miracles, as is evident from the following facts:
"1. They cannot cast out devils."
How are we to know that this is a fact?-Facts seem to be curious things in this gentleman's hands; a mere say-so from who, or by whom he knows not, is sufficient for him, but not for us. The Mormons believe that it is the privilege of the Church of Christ to cast out devils-not, however, of themselves-but in the name, and by the power of Jesus. They do not profess greater power than our Savior, who said, "of myself I can do nothing; the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." Another fact is,
"2. They cannot speak with new tongues. Their pretensions to this gift will avail nothing till they give the world as good evidence that they possess it, as the apostles gave on the day of Pentecost."
We say here as said our Savior, "I bear not witness of myself," but we merely state, if these things exist not in the Mormon church, it is not the church of Christ. Did it ever occur to our friend that the Baptists are not believers in, or of, the church of Christ, because they have not these things?
"3. They cannot take up serpents. Call upon a Mormon teacher to prove his claims to miraculous power by taking up a copperhead or rattlesnake, and I pledge myself that he will not dare to attempt the deadly task. This fact alone effectually fastens the charge of imposition
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