| OCR Text |
Show -THE UTAH EVANGELIST. - <br><br> The Holy Spirit being one part of the Godhead, is also a material substance of the same matter and properties in many respects as the Spirit of the Father and the Son. <br> It exists in vast immeasurable quantities in connection with all material worlds. <br> This is called God in the Scripture, as well as the Father and Son. God the Father and God the Son cannot be everywhere present; indeed, they cannot be even in two places the same instant, but God the Spirit is omnipresent. It extends through all space, intermingling with all other matter, yet no one atom of the Holy Spirit can be in two places at the same instant, which in all cases is an absolute impossibility. It must exist in inexhaustible quantities, which is the only possible way for any substance to be omnipresent. <br> All the innumerable phenomena of universal mature are produced in their origin by the actual presence of this intelligent, all-wise and all-powerful material substance called the Holy Spirit. <br> It is the most active matter in the universe, producing all its operations according to fixed and definite laws enacted by itself in conjunction with the Father and the Son. What are called the laws of nations are nothing more nor less than the fixed method by which this spiritual matter operates. Each atom of the Holy Spirit is intelligent, and like all other matter has solidity, form and size, and occupies space. <br> Two atoms of this Spirit cannot occupy the same space at the same time, neither can one atom, as before stated, occupy two separate spaces at the same time. In all these respects it does not differ in the least from all other matter. Its distinguishing characteristics from other matters are its almighty powers and infinite wisdom and many other glorious attributes which other materials do not possess. If several of the atoms of this spirit should unite themselves into the form of a person, then this person of the Holy Spirit would be subject to the same necessity as the other two persons of the God-head, that it could not be everywhere present. <br> No finite number of atoms can be omnipresent. An infinite number of atoms is requisite to be everywhere* in infinite space. Two persons receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit do not each receive at the same time the same identical particles, though they each receive a substance exactly similar in kind. <br> It would be impossible for each to receive identical atoms at the same instant, as it would be for two men at the same time to drink the same identical pint of water. It is these three all-powerful substances that stand at the head of all legal governments. All governments not established by these will ere long be overthrown. They hold the supreme authority and power in heaven and in the heaven of heavens, and throughout the wide expanse of universal nations. <br> All principalities, powers and kingdoms, whether in heaven or on earth, must yield to be instructed and controlled by the Supreme power, or they cannot stand. <br><br> THE MORMON PRIESTHOOD. <br> (From a sermon of R. C. McNiece, D. D., preached in the Presbyterian Church, Salt Lake City, March 28th, 1880.) <br> Now, what are the grounds of our Christian opposition to the Mormon Priesthood? I shall name five: <br> I. It is an usurping* Priesthood. What is an usurper? Simply one who, through force or fraud, assumes to himself position or power to which he has neither legal nor moral right. Now, when these men assume to themselves the Melchizedek and Aaronic priesthood, the one having special reference to spiritual, the other to temporal affairs, they are the worst kind of usurpers, and for three reasons: (1) They put themselves in direct opposition to the explicit teachings of the bible, the only book which gives us any knowledge of this priesthood. In the Epistle to the Hebrews we are told expressly that the Melchizedec [sic] priesthood has no snccession [sic], for Melchizedec [sic] "abideth a priest continually," (Heb.. 7:3) and hence there is no chance for succession. And it is simply because Melchizedec had neither predecessor nor successor, that Christ is called "a priest forever after the order of Meichizedec." <br> (2) The Aaronic priesthood descended only from father to son, and this in a marvelous way for forty-five generations. Hence, any man, not a direct descendant of Aaron, who calls himself an Aaronic priest, is simply a traveling fraud. <br> (3) One of the main objects of the epistle to the Hebrews, is to show that the Aarornic priesthood was a prophetic type of Christ. Hence, this priesthood came to an end when Christ died. ‘‘But this man (Christ) because he continueth, ever hath an unchangeable priesthood. (Heb. 7:24) The 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th chapters of Hebrews are occupied in proving that Christ fulfilled all that was typified by the Aaronic priesthood, in becoming our Divine high priest, and, by his voluntary death, making a complete sacrifice for the sins of all who are willing to avail themselves of his sacrificial work. What do any of us need of a priest since the death of Christ for us? He is all the priest we want-being Divine. And any man who undertakes now to stand between us and God, as a priest, has no better ground than human presumption. Every man, therefore, at this day, who claims to be an Aaronic priest, puts dishonor upon the Divine Redeemer by insinuating that Christ only half finished his sacrificial work, and that it is necessary for some human priest to come forward and complete that work. Away with such blasphemous presumption! The Mormon priesthood, then, are a usurping priesthood. They have no more right to the Melchizedec [sic] and Aaronic priesthood than I have, and I have none at all. The blasphemous mummeries of Joseph Smith had no more power to constitute any man a priest, than the towering conceit and sham pretensions of Brigham Young had to make him a true prophet. <br> 2. We are opposed to the Mormon priesthood, because it is a deceiving* priesthood. It deceives the people socially*, by telling them that it is their duty to defend and embrace the degrading and immoral system of polygamy, because it was given to them by the Lord. Whereas, every intelligent, Bible-reading man knows that it came from Joseph Smith and the devil, and was brought forward by Smith as a cunning trick by which to cloak over his own immoral life. The idea that women can secure salvation and exaltation only through the instrumentality of men, is both absurd and blasphemous. There is only one way by which anybody can be saved, and that is through the blood of Christ. And women are far more capable of securing the salvation of men, than men are of securing the salvation of women, for women, the world over, are purer and better than men, as a class. <br> This priesthood deceives the people financially*. The amount of money paid to the priesthood by the hard working [sic] people, during the past twenty years, through the Tithing fund, the Temple fund, the Perpetual Emigration fund, the Relief fund, and other funds, which only a man possessed of inspired arithmetic could enumerate, cannot be estimated at less than ten* million* dollars*. The priesthood tell the people that this "goes to the Lord." But they are very careful never to give any itemized account of these funds, and if the people so far forget the proprieties as to ask what is done with the money, they are piously informed by the priesthod [sic] that it is none* of* their* business*. <br> And what have the people to show for these ten millions of their hard earnings? A few temples and tithing houses, which are a curse the people, because they serve only to perpetuate priestly tyranny, and a great many fine residences for the fat bishops. But there is only one decent public school building in the whole Territory. And what is the "Order of Enoch" but a pious* phrase* for a pious* fraud*. <br> Out of the scores of ship loads of Mormon immigrants, arriving in New York, how many are not swindled in some way by some member of this priesthood? Within the last ten days, I was told of a poor English lady who had been enticed from her comfortable English home by false representations, and who brought with her about $500 in English money. When she arrived in New York, the priest in charge took it to get it changed into American money, but gave none of it back to her, and when she asked for it, he declared she did not give it to him! <br> This priesthood deceives the people politically*, by telling them that the United States Government is trying to rob them of their religious belief. Whereas, all the Government asks of them is that they shall obey the laws of the land just the same as all other denominations, and then believe what they please. <br> (CONTINUED NEXT MONTH.) <br><br><br> * words are italicized <br><br> |
