Show lion 1 uu iv us 1111111111 l ISle luiMirr lutsnlltnrrssha Iron n lllll f > lnn < l > uliil STKIGBI Oktibbth County Mix May u 1696 An open letter to Rev Mr hargeant and any others whom It may concerns con-cerns Dear Sir You aro scrlntorlan enough IIr reatonible I enough I and hianeltonesiyo 1 I urprxe enough lo take the scripture ion what they wy and I hope > ou ore liberal enough to accord In other what 1 you doubtless claim Ion yourself We edo answerable l to God tar them the-m In which w 0 conduct ourielvn Iee 1 In thin Ille and we should be able tonic a reason br tho hope within I us Tim bow propon to do In I as humble rneik way on lean 1 Thucteinallrutha ol God are Undine Und-ine 0111 Ills creatures U matters riot how or by whom they are Imparted Tills ton I auto you ulll admit In other words these IriitliK do not depend on tin character 01 tlioite who pretent them Hut hits not likely thalnnuor busty cociiiit Oct of men would propagate prop-agate an enact pittern ol the GIpd as taught by Ihe Savior unit practiced Iv Ills Immediate lollowrn that not one scriptural argument can be earth successfully against It U seems strange that any one can overlook ai plain declarations a < are found all along through the Nw TesUmetit that art tlartII parreli ol the Gotpel and II I any of It U binding I on us surely tliu whale ol It Is I Al to apostles I prophet etc iv the tweoiyegltlIt I > I I verse me fill clupiir I uu lint Corinthian which read thus And God luili some In the Church lust apottle secondly prophets thirdly teachers after that nuracln then gifts ot healings help KOMinimciits divert tits 1 ol tungties In the n foregoing I par ol this chapter these elements arc com lured tu rite members 1 ol u instcn body As every member ol thu Uid > liner I euary to its compUleneu alto arc thew elements which God pa td III the Church neteuary to Us I complete ness II Ito ltntton body wan lobhei i ol Its seeing healing resaurting and mlnuia leg and an torn what remain sid would be n mere wrvck and n burden on any commumt So In like manner u tun the Church is shorn 01 apottlra prophets lunacies gills ut I healing and dlterillle ol tongues only tMchcrs helps and go < rnment remain He five mom putcnt elements lieln tote w hat IIr to knott teachers helll l anti Kovernment In place AI aolwtly nothing but human wlidom I We Iwv all unit nnd I arc constantly seeIng that human wudoin It so fr til and uncertain that the wined ul I earth illB r u widtly aa the pole whan dea I log with the Church anil 1111 ordinances antllicmc the divertit ol opinion and ciMds nmuug mi n No two denomination denomina-tion alrr < mid yet all profeas to lie guided lit the t > iinelouM It Ii quite nil hY mailer for onu I talwteil iiiilivlduul to prove unollwr wrong in saute of his trnetiand situally I nosy lor the tecond lo prone the first fOUl in Home ol his Indeed u close obervcr till u that to two 10ndg lUnd of th I in it ir c n ii up thru ti 11lu I tot i lev li v iij Chicle i of the r 01 n toni cue oimd alnuty I yin i p und ol I thIlur I us said altr cs n lib npoMlcs gu out and prenel hat certain Mem should lollow the behetrr a n ronlirmaiion of Its tltitlia Hut our sectarian fend fimhng ihemnelves mltule of bent miilltMllonsgravely tell in that they core only given In that I liny and age to eMalitlih the opel 1 in lure nlnd 11 the peoplt and when that or done hey well no II longer necessary neces-sary The fallacy ol lid supposition mil be appkrent when we teller that the generations of man that succeeded Ihe apmtolir age would be just n < unbelieving un-believing and It oulil take lint ftc imch litlimuny lo cm vlncc Ihrin ol Ille tilths cl I Chrlttianlty us tahitI heIr an ctatort Ills true tIer had the iliun word but inksitlie Holy Gliov wont Liven to tulle them Into nil lrili and hI p them In Ihe unliy oh the lidlli by the satan miraculous in inlKiMilumlhey solid spill jsunder divide and nub divide m we see the world il Chrlilrn i uiii today In Ihe ubstnce of that Potent power displayed by dIm office turk of the Holy Choil mn lire Ul U grovel In I d < rkn M guided l bv human wMom alone Gixl did not have one pUn of salva Ion then and another now We ore augll that Kelt I Ihe sonic > elerday today and forever without variablene or shadow of turning and 1 man Is I the same slnlul linhehevmp creature he ever wan i Tu put Ihe matter lurevcr at rest he Apostle haul l a > pheilmu 41114 And lie I Rave some apotllea and sonic 1lhtll and some evangflhts nnd corn pastors and teacher And II we ask why thIs was done the tllih ver erasers her the perfecting ol the Mints are the balm ptrfeclf II tot then these officer are Hill necev neyi for the conk ol the ministry tare the ministry all woiklrR In tine II I i ol Iheai nfficer are slll I neceoary for Ihe edifying of the body ol Chrilt r Ill the body ol UiristlleUiurcttts iroierly edified why tills wrangling imioug ihe vniloui keen And If It be brIber asked Stow long these apuslle ircpheti etc are to continue Ihe next verse nniwtrn Till we all come lathe unity ol the faith etc I has that been accomplished If I out Ihetl I these I patent elcmcni ol strength that God placed In the Chuich are necessary there The disagreement and strife over the I d loclrlne ol 1110 lllhlc by the world of LhrlsUndam lien clone and 1s doing mote to make IcflJtls and tkentln tInt ill other cause combined No manby mman wUdom alone how cer great hit ability ever did or ever can understand hue whole duty as to the plan of tile and wlvatlon because the natural man can lot ctnccive them or they are spiritual I y discerned Itue I Holy 1 Ghost alone cm ro thIs office work Our Snvior promsed that lIelb I loly Ghost w ould guide Into all truth and show thing lo come You will Iehlrs soy that the world of ChIle loni Is In possewlon the Spirit lisa how coitus it that all differ so vvtJely i In doclilne Something li radically wrong lf lonicwhcre What Is 11 It 1 think you are dl > crect enough not to charge I these diversities ot cp nions In the oftice i work ol the Holy > plilt No a thousand olftlIII limes no The fault U I In i man lesu laid II any man will do lilt will I he laldl shall know ol the doctrine etc Do 1 you know Ihe doctrine I you propagate ru be the tnbitd and ill r God The Mclhodlitslteibyleilins Catholic and I the hundred uf other sigh would be likely to gIve about the same answer to Wee opinion ttlltcllve I an mind you I could would take to yours In all these conlliclltig theorienh would Hand aghatt with amaicmcnt and themore 10 when told 1 that all professed lo be guided by the same book The world ot Chiltlcndom lay that no conuniinlcabon rom heaven has been given I hue the last eighteen I hundred tears and gravely assert that It II nol i necessary tlut the Itible contiint all that It necessary fur nun salvation etc II I this were thin case nil would see eye to eye and 1Dk tic same thing but as this Is I not the case Ills I evidint that the written word alone Is not uftC1lIt lbs cltice work ol the Holy Clmt Is I lo guide Into Untiland making know II to the Kople I In tonic tangible I unmistakable waywlui U their I IIIf ht I whole duty Till must be done by rtvclatlonoecause it cannot be done In any other way and hence the iieccultv of prophets In the Uiurrh and i oirelul readIng of the New > Intament and especially lira cplsllo of haul will show that piojilxH were an common in Ihe Church in those days as tiny other oflicem The Savior said to the scribes and harisees 1 uion whom for their I wlckednru i I Ho had been pronouncing woe as Ihe diildrcn of Ihtm hind killed l Ihe prophtti hcrefore behold be-hold I send unto you ptophcts1 I doiC Maltlitw ivM Indeed the spirit I ol i Chtlt I is tho spirit of iirophec And the bivior calif It a man have not die spirit of Christ he Is none ot Ills Hence we find numerous instancrstl prophet In the New Testament Men n1 w II I vcr ul1 i II 1 I n n sonir in I tutu I IV f > Itt ii i prove iht lint in Ii a to no lonct1 I neexari Ih I I aw I and the pmphtH w ie unnl John nc 11is evtdimly means under the how nllnytennallolt wlieri topliei wtre I nh < ipeu > ably n xw iry lo mInt lo me c II pot I uUnen atiun atti i after that bit to nun was uscr 1 n by th COIn CO-In ol I Lhrni propniti I wee trill n < < e < iwn ee they would srI have I tern nit jcharia ans fillwl will Iiut I loly 1011 I mol ltrntIurnled ely II I 67 Ijul nropnesiKl ictrr 1 prophii 1 ell and in tact all Ito airatlleii ha1 t Ihe pint ul prophecy and often strdsed Ihat Kin Anbm won n piouhm I cc ct llol1 ii loll In the last days b itli Dell nnd omcli were to prophecy Sre Acts 21 1718 Judas and Subs nerr uopheis I Ads IJJl the Apostle I r aul olleo In Inn cplsllc > peaki rl itoiihets Ce first Ccilnlhl u 1018 Also 14 15 14 jo ji J29 the I bxive ijuoutloii are surely cuuupli to how to any meatIer of Ihe New Testa menl that rophli were common In the primitive Churrli as any other I Church offic r To f > rever sctlU the natter to nil II bo MUdents we are told ho trcttmo iy > ol Joits Is I the iplrit of rophecjr Hiv 19 10 We ak oht he I Inn tcstlnuny ol jeu All mut ad IIlIt that tie iotlo er ol Cnilitn true Chrlntlan In very ieid IDnd not merely n Church mimicr hu that testimony and If occnsion lojulre be or h can rophwy Respectfully H I Uor o < 5mlith lo lat i a 1 n vv rl I < t cau cit S tJ hRVI I i tor I f pr I sil i itoxir i i a Ian I u I I tv nil ul II I lv I rdIlJI takliiK leave ol Ihm I ib > wl ll rTL My i low for thorn ascii the rII la i vriuk ST rThlit I V r are engngeM atnnot tie rtptemd 1 In unite and whatever goh 1 hitt or may i lilt from my labors vhik presiding v r them I five the Lord the trot oil the 1 Idrr rnv nio t hearllell thanks I know Hut 1 10 l ave had choir faith and prAir and tIIy ai to i Ilaso sIll thrni Imve ripened Int > an allcctlii lint i I bime ow not only lilt throiihoiit lime itt I in eternity 1 ho 1ldonl > of tin Coiilereneei luvc locked with n In list ii pralsL roriliy In lire Idlhrll d nell ne-ll lit Sinutl n Spencer his been nppolnlnl tbtcl I Ic over flue Mcclvi and with I his know edge at r the Gospel 1 And ouprncnrv In Ibe mlulomity noik I out 5bhnfied that the Northern Mates Million wilt conlniui to prosper |