4. The Means of Escape from Penalties of Personal Sins.—After this full, complete and universal redemption, restoration, and salvation of the whole of Adam's race through the atonement of Jesus Christ, * * * all and every one of them will enjoy eternal life and happiness, never more to be banished from the presence of God if they themselves have committed no sin. * * * We believe that all mankind, in consequence of the fall, after they grow up from their infant state and come to the years of understanding, know good and evil and are capable of obeying or disobeying law, and that a law is given against doing evil and that the penalty affixed is a second banishment from the presence of God, both body and spirit, after they have been redeemed from the first banishment and restored into his presence. * * * We believe that all who have done evil, having a knowledge of the law, or afterwards in this life coming to the knowledge thereof, are under its penalty, which is not inflicted in this world but in the world to come. * * * "But," inquires the sinner, "is there no way of escape? Is my case hopeless?" * * * The answer is, if thou canst hide thyself from the all-searching eye of an omnipresent God, that he shall not find thee, or if thou canst prevail with him to deny justice its claim, or if thou canst clothe thyself with power, and contend with the Almighty and prevent him from executing the sentence of the law, then thou canst escape. * * * But be assured, O sinner, that thou canst not devise any way of thine own to escape, nor do anything which will atone for thy sins. Therefore thy case is hopeless, unless God hath devised some way for thy deliverance; but do not let despair seize upon thee; * * * for he who gave the law has devised a way for thy deliverance. That same Jesus, who hath atoned for the original sin (Adam's transgression), and will redeem all mankind from the penalty thereof, hath also atoned for thy sins, and offereth salvation and deliverance to thee, on certain conditions to be complied with on thy part. * * * The first condition to be complied with on the part of sinners is to believe in God, and in the sufferings and death of his son Jesus Christ * * * and in the Holy Ghost. * * * That the second condition is to repent. * * * That the third condition is to be baptized for the remission of sins. * * * And that the fourth condition is to receive the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. * * * They are then required to be humble, to be meek and lowly in heart, to watch and pray and deal justly. * * * And, in short, to continue faithful to the end in all the duties enjoined upon them by the word and Spirit of Christ.—"Remarkable Visions"—Orson Pratt.
5. Four Opinions on Church Government.—How far even wise men and Christian scholars have gone astray in relation to church government may be judged from the following opinions on the subject:
Those who imagine that Christ himself or the apostles by his direction or authority appointed a certain fixed form of church government are not agreed what that form was. The principal opinions that have been adopted upon this head may be reduced to the four following:
First, is that of the Roman Catholics maintain that Christ's intention and appointment was that his followers should be collected into one sacred empire, subject to the government of St. Peter and his successors, and divided like the kingdoms of this world into several provinces; that in consequence thereof Peter fixed the seat of ecclesiastical dominion at Rome, but afterwards to alleviate the burden of his office divided the church into three greater provinces according to the division of the world at that time, and appointed a person to preside in each who was dignified with the title of Patriarch; that the European Patriarch resided at Rome, the Asiatic at Antioch, and the African at Alexandria; that the bishops of each province among whom there were various ranks, were to reverence the authority of their respective patriarchs, and that both bishops and patriarchs were to be passively subject to the supreme dominion of the Roman Pontiff. This romantic account scarcely deserves a serious refutation.
The second opinion concerning the government of the church makes no mention of a supreme head or of patriarchs constituted by a divine authority; but it supposes that the apostles divided the Roman empire into as many ecclesiastical provinces as there were secular or civil ones; that the metropolitan bishops, that is, the prelate who resides in the capital city of each province, presides over the clergy of that province, and that the other bishops were subject to his authority. This opinion has been adopted by some of the most learned of the Romish church; and has also been favored by some of the most eminent British divines. Some Protestant writers of note have endeavored to prove that it is not supported by sufficient evidence.
The third opinion is that of those who acknowledge that when the Christians began to multiply exceedingly, metropolitans, patriarchs and archbishops were indeed created but only by human appointment and authority; though they confess at the same time that it is consonant to the orders and intentions of Christ and his apostles that there should be in every Christian church one person invested with the highest authority and clothed with certain rights and privileges above the other doctors of that assembly. This opinion has been embraced by many English divines of the first rank in the learned world; and also by many in other countries and communions.
The fourth, and last opinion is that of the Presbyterians who affirm that Christ's intention was that the Christian doctors and ministers should all enjoy the same rank and authority without any sort of pre-eminence or subordination or distinction of rights and privileges.—Mosheim, vol. 1, pages 67, 68. Note—Murdock.
"The truth of the matter is," remarks Dr. Maclaine, "that Christ by leaving this matter undetermined, has of consequence, left Christian societies a discretionary power of modeling the government of the church in such a manner as the circumstantial reasons of times, places, etc., may require; and therefore the wisest government of the church is the best and the most divine; and every Christian society has a right to make laws for itself; provided that these laws are consistent with charity and peace and with the fundamental doctrines and principles of Christianity." Of this it is only necessary to say that Christ did not leave this matter undetermined but established his church government as explained in the text of this work. The wisest form of church government is that which God gave; it is at the same time the best and not only the most divine but the only one that can lay any claim to being so; and for the church or any branch thereof to establish any other government for itself is an unjustifiable departure from the order of God.—Roberts.
6. Authority from God Needful.—We are informed in the scriptures, that the Lord wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul, whom he had called to be his servant. The sick were healed, and evil spirits were cast out of those who were possessed. "Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you, by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons, of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of the house, naked and wounded."—(Acts xix: 13-16). These men presumptuously took it upon themselves to act as those who had authority, and the result was that not even the devils would respect their administrations, much less the Lord. There is a principle of great moment associated with this incident. The question is, if these men, when acting without authority from God could not drive out an evil spirit, would their administration be of force, or have any virtue in it, had they administered in some other ordinance of the gospel, say baptism for the remission of sins, or the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost? Manifestly it would not. Hence we come to the conclusion, so well expressed in one of our articles of faith: "A man must be called of God by prophecy and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority to preach the gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof."—"The Gospel"—Roberts.