THE
DIVINITY OF THE CHURCH
She is of divine origin. Her
inception is coeval in the mind of God with that of the
plan of salvation. Her origin, being the immediate result
of redemption, was inseparable from it. Since, therefore,
in tire counsel and good purpose of Cod, Christ was a
"Lamb slain from the foundation of the world"
(Rev. 13:8), the church redeemed through his blood also
stood before the divine mind parallel with the gift of his
Son. Of that holy institution, he cast a beautiful shadow
upon the earth, in the form of the temple and all its
contents. And after "Moses verily was faithful in all
his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things
which were to be spoken after," in due time
"Christ, as a son over his own house," appeared
and built this beautiful church of the living God. He
adorned her foundations and walls with the pure gold of
his heavenly love, and set them with the precious stones
of his graces and gifts; he adorned her pillars with the
robes of his righteousness; and he shed in her the light
of his own glory. She is from heaven. Along with Christ
her builder, she is the gift of infinite love. She is
"God's building," chosen of him for his own
dwelling place; and here he spreads a continual feast of
love for all his heaven born children. As the "true
tabernacle" of present divine testimony, the Lord
pitched her and notman (Heb. 8: 2). As the house of God,
he that builded all things in her is God (Heb. 3:4). As
the beloved city, she "hath foundations, whose
builder and maker is God" (Heb. 11: 10). Her
foundation is Jesus Christ the divine Savior. "For
other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which
is Jesus Christ." her life and light is the
"eternal Spirit."
Her creed is the pure Word of God.
Thus spake God by the mouth of his servant Moses: "I
will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren,
like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he
shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it
shall come to pass, that whosoever will not harken unto my
words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it
of him." Deut. 18: 18,19. This is fulfilled in his
Son, as the apostle testifies (Acts 3: 22, 23). God here
announced that he would put his words in the mouth of this
prophet; and when he came, he testified, saying, "The
words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the
Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." John
14: 10. Therefore "God, who at sundry times and in
divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the
prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his
Son. " Heb. 1: 1, 2. This adorable (Christ came into
the world and delivered the perfect laws of his kingdom,
and when about to finish his mission on earth he said,
"I have given unto them the words which thou gayest
me; and they have received them. " John 17: 8. And
when he sent forth his ministers to preach his gospel to
every creature, he commissioned them to make disciples in
all nations, " baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you" (Matt. 28:19, 20). Thus we see that Christ Jesus
spoke all the words that the Father "put into his
mouth," and all that he had commanded him to speak;
and the Son likewise commissioned his apostles to publish
all that, and only that, which he gave them. Therefore,
"All Scripture divinely inspired, is indeed
profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction,
for that discipline which is in righteousness; so that the
man of God may be complete, thoroughly fitted for every
good work." 2 Tim. 3: 16, 17, Emphatic Diaglott.
God the Father, then, is the source
of this new covenant, and Jesus Christ the mediator. Its
objects are the "conviction" of men in sin, and
the teaching and discipline in righteousness of all the
saints of God. The result is that God's people are
perfect. As divinely inspired discipline, it corrects
every error and teaches every obligation of righteousness
in all our relations to God and to man.
By means of this perfect law the
man of God —every man of God—may be perfect,
thoroughly furnished in all that pertains to a life of
righteousness, and fully instructed in every good work. So
if the Scriptures of divine truth are unsuited or
insufficient as a discipline for any people, it would
indeed appear that such are not men of God. The creeds
that men have multiplied in the earth testify against
themselves and in favor of this divine Book of discipline.
They very generally admit that the Word of God is the only
inspired and infallible rule of faith and practice, "
so that whatever can rot be read therein nor proved
thereby, it is not necessary to receive or believe."
So they say, and yet they impose upon their unwary joiners
heaps of forms, traditions, and rules having no place in
the inspired discipline of the divine church. God's church
is a "spiritual house," and to her was given a
spiritual law; but earthborn associations, even though
called churches, are earthly in their tendency, and
therefore they can not be governed by a spiritual law. For
this reason they make their own laws, and amend them
according to their own option. But the divine and heavenly
law of the Lord, perfect in all its doctrines and
ordinances, is well suited to be the discipline of his
holy church.
Her government is divine, not only
in the legislative department, as we have just seen, but
likewise in its judicial and executive departments. "
The government shall be upon his shoulder." Isa. 9:6.
"And thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of
the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the
first dominion." Micah 4:8. "He is the head of
the body, the church, . . . that in all things he might
have the preeminence." Col. 1:18. A divine government
in the highest sense: a theocracy not only appointed by
but administered of God. Even "one God and Father of
all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
" Eph. 4: 6. "It is the same God which worketh
all in all." 1 Cor. 12: 6. He chooses men for elders
and deacons, as "governments" and
"helps" but these, as well as all the members of
the body, have no right or power to act, except as
"it is God that worketh in them." If, therefore,
they teach or exhort, it is by his Spirit dwelling in
them; if through them judgment is dealt out, it is not
"man's judgment," but his that dwelleth in them.
So her government is indeed all divine; yea, it is a
government of God, working all things in all the members.
Her walls are salvation (Isa. 26:
1; 60: 18). "Behold, God is my salvation. " Isa.
12: 2. Therefore her walls are also divine. She has a
divine door, even Jesus Christ himself (John 10: 7, 9).
Having been purchased, founded, and
built by God, he claims in her the exclusive right of
proprietorship. She is not "our church," but
"Cod's building," divinely owned, and his glory
he will not give to another.
Her members are all the sons of Cod
and bear his holy image.
She is even divinely named.
"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and
earth is named." Eph. 3: 14, 15. And let not men or
devils presume to characterize her by blasphemous names
which they invent. Behold, she is all divine.
