| 505 the office of an elder is next inferior to the apostleship in all spiritual affairs: for instance when the qnestion [question] of circumcizing [circumcising] the Gentiles was agitated, the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.-Acts xv. 6. After elders came priests of the lower order of priesthood, then teachers, and deacons, which are appendages to that priesthood. All these officers combined, form that spiritual house, and holy priesthood of which Peter speaks; being appendages one to the other, as members of the same body, and timbers of the same building, Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone; the great apostle and high priest, and Peter, James, and John, the main pillars. Other apostles and elders the principal timbers.-The lesser offices, studs and braces, and all combined, a royal priesthood. Be not startled, gentle reader, at the idea of these two priesthoods being blended together in the Church. The lesser priesthood always was an appendage to the greater, and I trust I have already conclusively shown that the lesser as well as the Melchizedek priesthood existed before the ceremonial law was given by Moses; but when the law was given, and the holy priesthood taken away, the lesser priesthood continued officiating under the law until Christ came and fulfilled the law; and most people believe this priesthood was done away with the law; but if it existed among the people of God before the law was given, why may it not continue after it is done away. But we have something positive to offer on this point. In Num. xxv. 13, it is called an everlasting priesthood. Also, Ex. xl, 15, God, said it "shall be an everlasting priesthood through their generations.
The law being abolished with the Jewish rites and ceremonies, the priests who rejected the Gospel, were no longer acceptable to God; but those who held the lesser priesthood in the church of Christ administered outward ordinances-the letter of the gospel, viz., baptism in water for remission of sins, and the apostleship or high priesthood, and eldership its appendage, held the right to lay on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost; and to officiate in all the lesser offices in God's house. Hence, Philip one of the seven ordained in Jerusalem to attend to the daily ministration, who probably held the lesser priesthood, went down to Samaria and preached and baptised [baptized] the people in water. Then Peter and John, went down and prayed, and laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost.
John the baptist also, who inherited the Aaronic prieshood [priesthood] from his ancestors baptized in water for the remission of sins, telling them at the same time that Jesus should batized [baptize] them with the Holy Ghost, he having the Melchizedek priesthood.-Dr. Clark, and Dr. Lightfoot, iuform [inform] us that water baptism was very common among the Jews, even as far back as the days of David, and Solomon. The manner in which men were consecrated, and the priesthood continued from one to the other, and from one generation to another was as follows: when they were found worthy, being prepared from before the foundation of the world, according to the fore-knowledge of God, and when God manifested that it was his will, they were consecrated by the imposition of hands, and ordained by the power of the Holy Ghost, who was in the one who ordained them. No man can rise up and assume the priesthood, for Paul says, Heb. v. 4. "No man taketh this honor unto himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron." For further proof of the manner of ordaining, see Acts, xiii. 2, 3. "As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas 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." See also Acts, vi. 6, and first Tim. iv. 14.-"Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophecy, by the laying on of the hands of the presbytry [presbytery].-Simple as the imposition of hands is, great things have been done by it when administered by the servants of God in faith.-The prophet Habbakkuk describing the coming of the Lord says: "His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise, he had horns coming out of his hands, and there was the hiding of his power." Often, in scripture, horns were figuratively used to represent power, as in this case, "Horns coming out of his hands, and their was the hiding of his power," which shows the power of God manifested through the imposition of hands. Jesus prasticed [practiced] the laying on of hands upon the sick, and they were healed, and he commanded his disciples to do the same; also, for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Therefore, the scriptures say,
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