ORSON SPENCER.
LETTER VII.
THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF AN APOSTOLIC CHURCH.
Liverpool, August 28, 1847.
Reverend and Dear Sir,—The next subject in the order of my promise, contained in my first letter to you, is, THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF AN APOSTOLIC CHURCH, after the similitude and power of the primitive church. Such an occurrence as this, truly demands proof of a palpable and satisfactory order, which, by the help of God, I will proceed to give you.
The beloved apostle John, who survived many of his fellow-labourers in the gospel, and saw many damnable heresies coming into the church, and making havoc of all the faithful, and even the seven most faithful churches in all the earth probably, right under his own faithful supervision, yielding to APOSTACY, and going over to Satan. This apostle, dear sir, in his solitary grief, was shewn, by revelation from God, the RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TRUE CHURCH, with such wrath and vengeance following its wake, as should make an utter end of wickedness, give the righteous a thousand years rest, cleanse the earth by blood and burning, and bind the devil until the "little season."
Now mark, sir, the emphatic words of this apostle before he left the earth, concerning what he saw would come in the last days. Hear now with a fixed ear, and an unbiassed determined purpose to believe, and abide the declaration of your own apostle John. Now to the momentous words that cheered the few banished persecuted Saints, that survived the bloody hand of Gentile apostacy. Says he:—"I saw another angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people; saying, Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come."
There is no obscurity about this language. It is quite as intelligible and free from ambiguity as the language that predicted the marvellous manner of the coming of Christ, which, however, men would not understand, through prejudice. "Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son," &c.
Now, sir, is it at all incredible that an angel should come to men? Or is it incredible that he should come soaring, or "flying in the midst of heaven to earth?" You certainly believe, that Jesus Christ and Elijah soared from the earth up through the air, or visible heavens. Is it not also credible, that God should employ an angel to carry a message to the nations? And as God ministered the law by angels to one man, Moses, for a whole nation, even so the angel that John saw, would minister his gospel message to some particular man, and that man should bear it to the nations of the earth.