| 27 if the scripture is any testimony of what should be given to men; we can adduce it. Jeremiah in speaking concerning the last days says, "I will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth." Isaiah says upon the same subject "I will restore their judges as at the first; and their counsellors [counselors] as at the beginning," and if this is ever done there will unquestionably be some, special revelations from God; for if any one like Moses or Aaron comes they will have special revelations; but it will be woe to the people that have them or believe in them; if they belong to the First Regular Baptist Church, for they would immediately bring them before their tribunal, and excommunicate them for heresy.
Heresy 3rd. Believing "that godly men are now endowed with the gift of prophecy."
Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Habbakkuk, Malachi; and a host of others, in the Old Testament, prophesied and foretold future events; and Jesus, Peter, Paul, John, James, Jude, Phillip's daughters, and almost whole churches in the New Testament, prophesied and foretold future events; and they all must certainly have been charged with the crime of heresy, if God has not changed; according to the opinions of the Baptist Church, which we are told is truly orthodox. And Joel in speaking concerning our days, says, "it shall cone to pass in the last days, saith God, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; your old men shall dream dreams; your young men shall see visions; and upon my servants, and handmaids, I will pour out of my spirit, and they shall prophesy."-Now unless it can be made to appear that we have taken a tremendous leap from the last days, to the first days, we shall have men like Joseph, dreaming dreams; men like Isaiah, and Daniel seeing visions; men like Jeremiah, Hosea, Peter, Paul, John and James; foretelling future events: in fact the spirit of the Lord will rest upon his servants, and handmaids, and they will prophesy: and there will be such a turning over among the regular Baptists as was never heard of before.
It must have been the case, that the antedeluvians [antediluvians] belonged to the First Regular Baptist Church; for they were unbelievers in prophecy, and in foretelling future events; the inhabitants of Sodom, and Gomorrah, must have belonged to the same order; for they did not believe in these things; the Pharisees also, for they cast out Jesus for being a prophet; and when he was blindfolded, smote him, and tauntingly said, "prophesy who smote thee:" in fact the Regular Baptist Church is spoke of by Paul; he says that "the time will come when men will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts they will heap unto themselves teachers, who will turn away their ears from the truth, and they will be turned into fables,"-that they "will have a form of godliness but deny the power;" and our Savior says, that "they will cast you out of their synagogues; and the time will come, when he that killeth you will think he doeth God service." The first regular Baptist Church have fulfilled the first part of this; and some of the orthodox in Missouri, the second; so that Br. Wm. Seichrist need not be disappointed. The thing is spoken of by the prophets; and Deacon Beck, and Deacon Benson; and the board at which we was tried, have acted in the spirit of their calling-having excommunicated him for heresies that were considered dangerous, in every age, by the same church; that the church have acted upon true orthodox principles: and that he has been dealt with as Peter, John, and Paul, and as all other heretics have been dealt with, by the First Regular Baptist Church in all ages.
From the Baltimore Clipper.
MORMONS, OR LATTER DAY SAINTS
"This sect has excited considerable attention through the Union, in consequence of various publications by Bennett and others who had belonged to the society, in which the members were charged with blasphemy, immorality and other offences [offenses]. It is not to be wondered at that opinions, formed upon such representations, should have been entirely adverse to the Mormons, We acknowledge that we looked upon them as a mixture of interested and heartless knaves and deluded enthusiasts. The perusal of the Mormon paper lately published in this city confirmed us in this opinion; but on Tuesday evening last we attended the Lecture or Sermon delivered by Mr. Winchester, a professor and preacher of the Mormon faith. He opened the services with a prayer, unexceptionable in language and spirit, and such as might well have been delivered from any pulpit in the city. He then commenced his discourse, in which he took occasion to give a brief outline of the Mormon faith. He said that they had been charged with substituting the Book of Mormon for the bible: this was not so; it was considered only as an historical account of a people, communicated, (we think we understood him to say) supernaturally-it neither added to nor subtracted from the Bible, which the Mormons fully recognized and believed in. He said that he had nothing to disguise as to his religious principles, but on the contrary desired
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