| 125 And if no others were to have these signs follow them, then no other; were to believe, and no others were to be saved: again, if the language limits these signs to the first age or ages of Christianity, then it limits salvation to the first ages of Christianity, for one is precisely as much limited as the other; and where one is in force the other is-and where one ends, the other must stop. And as well might we say preaching the gospel is no longer needed; faith is no longer needed; salvation is no longer needed; they were only given at first to establish the gospel: as to say these signs are no longer necessary, they were only given to establish the gospel. But says the astonished reader, have not these signs ceased from among men, I reply, prove that the gospel has ceased to be preached, and that men have ceased to believe and be saved, and the world without the promises of no effect.
Now having analized [analyzed] understood this commission, let us still pursue the subject, of the organization of the kingdom of God, in the days of the apostles. The Savior having given them their authority, commands them to tarry, and not undertake their mission, until they were endowed with power from on high. But why this delay? because no man was ever qualified, or ever will be, to preach that gospel, and teach all things whatsoever Jesus commanded them, without the Holy Ghost; and a very different Holy Ghost too, from the one now enjoyed by men who are not inspired: for the Holy Ghost of which Jesus spake, would guide into all truth, bring all things to remembrance, whatsoever he had said unto them, and show them things to come-not to mention that it would enable them to speak in all the languages of the earth. Now a man who preached, needs that Holy Ghost very much; first, to guide into all truth, that he may know what to teach; second, to strengthen his memory, lest he might neglect to teach some of the things which was commanded them; and third, he needs to know things to come, and that would constitute him a prophet, so that he might forewarn them of approaching danger. From this, the reader may see how careful Jesus was, that none should preach his gospel without the Holy Ghost. And he may also learn how different the Spirit of Truth is from the spirits now abroad in the earth, deceiving the world, under the name of the Holy Ghost. If the churches of the present day have the Holy Ghost, why are they so much at a loss to understand truth? why do they walk in so many hundred different ways and doctrines? And I inquire, why do they need whole libraries of sermons, tracts, divinites, debates, arguments and opinions, all written by the wisdom of men, without even professing to be inspired? Well doth the Lord complain, saying, "their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men." But to return-the apostles tarried at Jerusalem, until endowed with power and then they commenced to proclaim the gospel.
Here we have discovered several things towards a kingdom; 1st. we have found a king, crowned at the right hand of God; to whom is committed all power in heaven and in earth; 2d, we have found officers commissioned, and duly qualified to administer the laws and ordinances of that kingdom 3d. the laws by which they were to be governed, were, all things whatsoever Jesus had commanded his deciples [disciples] to teach them.
And now if we can find how men became citizens of that kingdom, I mean as to the rules of adoption, then we have found the kingdom of God in that age, and shall be very much dissatisfied with every thing in our own age, professing to be the kingdom of God, which is not according to the pattern.
It happened that there were no natural born subjects of that kingdom; for both Jew and Gentile were included in sin and unbelief; and none could be citizens without the law of adoption, and all that believed on the name of the king, had power to be adopted; but there was but one invariable rule or plan by which they were adopted; and all that undertook to claim citizenship in any other way whatever, were counted thieves and robbers, and could never obtain the seal of adoption. This rule was laid down in the Savior's
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