Читать книгу Letters Exhibiting the Most Prominent Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints - Spencer Orson - Страница 7

Table of Contents

IMMEDIATE REVELATION.

Liverpool, May 15, 1847.

Reverend Sir,—Agreeable to promise made in my first answer to your letter, I now resume my pen to inform you, in a series of letters, of the distinguishing tenets of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to the faith which I myself do entertain, with all sobriety and integrity of heart, before God and all good men. I had hoped, however, that more leisure would have favoured me, not only that I might more minutely and perspicuously maintain the primitive faith, but also do it in such conciseness and embellishment of diction, as both to please and enlighten.

The first subject to which I will invite your attention will be that of IMMEDIATE REVELATION. It shall be my direct aim to show in this letter, that no person ever did partake of the gospel of salvation, or ever will partake of it, without the spirit of revelation dwelling in his breast. This is the first and also the last round in the ladder that leads to the perfect knowledge of God. Without the same spirit of revelation that dwelt in the breasts of prophets, patriarchs, and apostles in ancient time, no man can begin to know God, neither can any man or set of men make any progress in the knowledge of God, when that spirit is withdrawn from him.

A word from the mouth of the Great Arbitrator of all controversy ought to suffice. HE, THE GREAT GOD AND JUDGE OF ALL, has said that "no man knoweth the Father but the Son, and no man knoweth the Son but he to whom the Son revealeth him." Words cannot bear a plainer import. If any man knows Jesus Christ, it is by revelation, and in no other way can he be known. Will you say that apostles and prophets know him in this way; while others may know him without themselves being gifted with the spirit of revelation? Absurd! Others must know him by revelation as much as apostles and prophets. If they have not the spirit of revelation, they cannot judge what is a genuine and infallible revelation when it proceeds from the pen of apostles, or even the lips of angels, or of God himself; for the things of the Spirit are correctly judged only by those who have the same spirit; hence all men must not only be born of the spirit, but likewise be baptized into one and the same spirit.

This spirit is the Spirit of God, and nothing less; and the Spirit of God is the spirit of revelation, because it is expressly declared that the spirit takes of the things of God, and shows them unto men: even the deep things of God are searched out and dispensed to men for their comfort and the illumination of their minds. Hence Jesus declared that he would send them another "comforter," even the spirit of truth; and the office of this spirit of truth was to "lead into all truth." By this means we perceive that the universal store-house of all truth is thrown open and rendered available to such as have been properly baptized into the spirit, as their occasion may demand. Even the apostles were forbid to go out and preach until they were endowed with the gift of the Holy Ghost. After they should receive this gift, it would then become their duty to impart it unto all others freely, by the imposition of hands, who should obey the gospel. Males and females were to partake of it, and see in vision things to come, and have their remembrance of things past quickened into vivid and unambiguous recollection.

It was this spirit of revelation that gave to the primitive church the power of godliness; for it was simply the Holy Spirit of God that rendered the gospel the power of God unto salvation to them that believed; for therein was the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. The gospel never took any effect upon men's hearts, unless the Spirit of God attended it. Whenever God takes away from the church the spirit of revelation, he thereby takes away the light of the church—the good spirit of the church, and the truth and integrity of the church, and the comfort of the church, and also the power of it. It becomes like the branch without sap, or the pale mortal corpse without the living spirit.

A church that is built upon the principle of revelation by the Holy Spirit can never be prevailed against while that spirit continues with it. It then becomes the power of God personified. Mere men and women—servants and handmaidens—attended by the Holy Spirit of God, know about men and things, and matters and events, even as God knows; because they have precisely the same spirit that God has. Things that never entered the heart of man to conceive, and things that the tongue could never utter, are revealed by the Spirit of God. As bodily eyes are to the corporal organization (causing all that wide difference that exists between him that sees and one that is wholly blind) so are the eyes of intelligence which the Spirit imparts to a believer, whereby he comprehends the different spirits of men from time to time, and sees events in the future as though they were actually and presently at hand. The daughters of Philip can speak prophetically, with as much unerring certainty as God himself, according to the measure of the spirit given them, because they have His Spirit, and consequently a given measure of intelligence. And the scope of this increase of intelligence is expanded or diminished as God pleases to suit the occasion.

When there is occasion to prophecy, or speak with new tongues, or interpret, or rebuke diseases and cast out evil spirits—His Spirit is given. And it could be given as well to a beast as to a man for the same purpose, and the same effect would follow. The beast of Balaam, when inspired of God, rose immediately above his legitimate sphere of action, and spoke with a man's voice, forbidding the madness of the prophet. The same spirit by which he spoke, would have enabled the dumb ass to rebuke disease, cast out devils, or speak a variety of tongues. But God might withdraw that spirit, and he would then be only a dumb ass, fit only to bear burdens, &c. Men are but little more competent to heal the sick, cast out devils, and discern spirits, or know the things of God or eternity, and make preparations for the future, than the beasts, without the Spirit of God. When God wants to punish a generation or generations, he does it effectually by withholding His Spirit. The world travels in pain, and groans in bondage, and oppression, and cruelty, and strife, and bloodshed, and in ignorance, superstition, and zeal without knowledge, when God shuts out the light of revelation. The revelations given to the primitive age, bear about the same relation of benefit to the people of this age, that the gift of food and manna, to those starving in former ages, bears towards the supply of such as are in want now. Jesus Christ winds up his sermon on the mount, by calling him a WISE man that hears and obeys the voice of revelation, and he shall never "fall." At the same time he calls him that hears and obeys not the voice of revelation a FOOL, and such a man will fall, and his fall will be great.

We cannot be in any doubt what is meant by the expression "hearing" Christ, or "these sayings of mine." Jesus says to such servants as he sends out to preach, (and none but such as are sent by revelation can preach), he that heareth YOU heareth ME. But while they cannot hear without a preacher, neither can they hear with a preacher, except the Father draw them; or, in other words, except they have the Spirit of God, which is a spirit of revelation. How could Peter know Jesus, when he heard his conversation and preaching? Jesus testifies that, by the wisdom of flesh and blood, Peter did not know him, but by the spirit of revelation from God out of heaven; and in order to end all controversy throughout all ages, he declares that not only Peter, but NO OTHER MAN, ever did or ever can know God, only as he is revealed to him from heaven; and that man is "blessed" that has the spirit of revelation to know the only true God and Jesus Christ. That man is accounted as a thief and a robber that would know God or Jesus without the spirit of revelation.

The Spirit of God was sent into the world for the express purpose of acquainting men with Jesus Christ. By this spirit it was an easy matter for men to know Jesus Christ, though he was everywhere spoken against, and the whole country teemed with lies, and the great mass of people, reputedly good as well as bad, thought that he ought to be stoned, mobbed, and crucified: still it was easy to know him by the spirit of revelation, and it was impossible to know him without that spirit. Thus, dear sir, it is easy for you, and all my former associates in the sectarian ministry, to know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the Lord, sent to prune the Lord's vineyard for the last time.

Says the scripture, "no man, speaking by the Spirit of God, can call Jesus accursed," although he "hung upon a tree." And I add, sir, with perfect assurance, that no man can call Joseph Smith "accursed," or an "impostor," while speaking by the Spirit of God; for the Spirit of God will never dictate any one to speak against the servant of God; but the spirit of the world and of Satan, will stir up men to speak against prophets and saints, and persecute and assassinate them. The scripture also says, that no man can call Jesus Lord, but by the HOLY GHOST. Thus, reverend sir, you perceive that NO MAN, in former ages or latter ages, can call Jesus Lord, but by revelation from the HOLY GHOST. It is by the person and agency of the HOLY GHOST only, that Jesus promises to be with his preachers always unto the end of the world, in order to reveal the truth unto honest hearers, and show them who are prophets and true ministers of Christ, and also what is true doctrine. The HOLY GHOST will always attend a true minister of God, and reveal to his humble honest hearers, his mission and authority beyond all reasonable doubt.

Now, sir, let me say, distinctly, that the testimony of any number of men, or of all men together, is no proof either for or against the authority, doctrine, or mission of a prophet or true minister of God. For if no one man can know a minister of God without revelation, then no large body of men can know him; and surely they cannot testify of what they do not KNOW. No matter what is said against Joseph Smith, or who, or how many, say it, or however credible the witnesses, they are not competent to testify, because they have not the gift of revelation. This position, sir, is invincible, because it is fortified by the voice of eternal truth, even the word of God, which you profess publicly to believe, and preach, and print. Flesh and blood cannot reveal spiritual things, but our Father in heaven. The things of the spirit require the same spirit to discern them. He that is spiritual can judge all things, while he that has not the spirit of revelation cannot judge any spiritual matters correctly, of any name or nature.

Now, my dear friend, I close this second epistle, praying that God will give you the spirit of understanding, which I assure you He will do, inasmuch as you are humble and contrite, and seek it with all your heart.

Your obedient servant,

ORSON SPENCER.