"You are stating the case properly, but what did he tell them?" queried the interested man of law.
"His answer is found in the second chapter of Acts, beginning with the 38th verse. You will observe that as soon as he discovered that they had faith, he immediately taught them repentance, then baptism for the remission of sins, and followed these doctrines with a promise of the gift of the Holy Ghost.
"Yes, commencing at the verse mentioned it says: 'Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.'"
"But how were they to receive the Holy Ghost?"
"By the laying on of hands. When Peter went down into Samaria for the purpose of bestowing this gift on those whom Philip had baptized, he did it by the laying on of hands. (Acts viii: 17.) Ananias conferred it upon Paul in the same manner (Acts ix: 17), and Paul did the same in the case of those who were baptized at Ephesus (Acts xix: 2-6); and when people received this birth of the Spirit (John iii: 5), they also received the promised blessings; they were entitled to the signs which He promised would follow; for said He, 'These signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.' (Mark xvi: 17, 18.) We have now discovered the conditions: faith, repentance, baptism for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost, with the promise of Christ that the signs will follow. Can you tell me now, which of all these different denominations has the gospel of Jesus Christ? Or as Wesley has questioned in one of his hymns which we may with profit quote in full: 'Show me where true Christians live.'"
"Happy the souls that first believ'd,
To Jesus and each other cleav'd,
Joined by the unction from above,
In mystic fellowship of love."Meek, simple foll'wers of the Lamb,
They liv'd, and spake, and thought the same;
They joyfully conspir'd to raise
Their ceaseless sacrifice of praise."With grace abundantly endued,
A pure believing multitude;
They all were of one heart and soul,
And only love inspir'd the whole."Oh, what an age of golden days!
Oh, what a choice, peculiar race!
Wash'd in the Lamb's all-cleansing blood,
Anointed kings and priests to God."Where shall I wander now to find
Successors they have left behind?
The faithful, whom I seek in vain,
Are 'minish'd from the sons of men."Ye diff'rent sects, who all declare,
'Lo, here is Christ,' or 'Christ is there!'
Your stronger proofs divinely give,
And show me where true Christians live."
"You must remember, my friend, that the signs were only given in order to establish the church in the day of the apostles, but now they are abrogated and are no longer needed."
"'To the law and to the testimony,'" replied Durant "and give me chapter and verse to substantiate the assertion you have just made."
"If you will read the 13th chapter of the 1st Corinthians, you will learn that 'whether there be prophecies they shall fail, and whether there be tongues they shall cease.'"
"If you will take pains to read the two verses following, you will see that 'we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.' My friend, instead of this quotation proving that these things are done away, it establishes the assertion that they shall remain until perfection shall come. Surely no sane man will say that we have come to perfection."