As we stand on the summit of
present truth and point our telescope back over the mists
and clouds that move along at our feet, and over the
twelve hundred and sixty years of utter darkness that
extend far beyond, even into the third century, we behold,
on the mountains of God's own holiness, the temple of God,
resplendent with the morning light of his own glory. With
admiration we view her; and, behold, she is "fair as
the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with
banners." She is " all fair," the city of
the great king. That golden city is the primitive church.
As set forth in the oracles of God,
her prominent attributes are the following: Divinity,
Organization, Visibility, Oneness, Unity, Catholicity,
Exclusiveness, Holiness, Unchangeableness,
Indestructibility, and Perpetuity. These we shall consider
in their order.
