THE PRIESTHOOD.

Liverpool, September 30, 1847.

Reverend and Dear Sir,—In close connexion with an account of the character of God, I will proceed to give you a brief and succint description of THE PRIESTHOOD. It is feared, however, that the present subject will not be more congenial to your views than the foregoing. Still it shall be treated according to the spirit of the scriptures of the Old and New Testament, which you ardently profess to believe.

You will admit that God is the righteous Ruler over all the moral and intelligent creatures of the universe. His government is both temporal and spiritual. Not even a sparrow falls to the ground without His notice. He clothes the lilies of the field; much more doth He watch over all the varied interests of intelligent beings both in heaven and upon earth.

I shall then define priesthood to be that order of authoritative intelligences by which God regulates, controls, enlightens, blesses or curses, saves or condemns all beings. To it, under God, all things are subservient in righteousness, whether in heaven, earth, or hell. God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is at the head of all genuine priesthood. But as it is His will that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father, Jesus now stands accredited as the Apostle and High Priest of our profession. Subordinate priests in the same apostolic order of the Son of God, are such as he has put in his church. These are called apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, &c.

Now, sir, by means of this order, extending from Jesus the High Priest, to the lowest grade of priesthood in conjunction with the Holy Ghost, God teaches and governs all things. Out of the line of this order, there is no power whatever that is acknowledged and approved of God. Magistrates, rulers, kings, potentates and principalities, if not legitimately ordained and clothed with the authority of this priestly order of the Son of God, are usurpers and not of God—for the scriptures declare that there is no power that is not of God. Even the angelic order is in the line of subordination to Jesus Christ, and in the same chain of priesthood with apostles and prophets upon the earth.

The priesthood exhibits a regular gradation of knowledge and authority from Jesus the great High Priest in heaven, to the lowest description of ordination in the church below. Jesus said that "all power was given him in heaven and upon earth." But how did he propose to exercise all that power which was given him both among the nations of the earth and in heaven? My answer is, that he proposed to do it through a delegation of power to the different orders of his priesthood. We are told distinctly what the priesthood consists of, which is established on the earth, viz., apostles, prophets, evangelists, &c. The heavenly order, minister to the authorities of the earthly order. The ruling object to be accomplished by the latter is, the work of the ministry, the perfecting of the Saints, the edifying of the body of Christ.

The first object of this priestly order is to teach all nations to become loyal and good citizens of the kingdom of God, observing all the commandments of God. One universal commandment of God is, for all men every where to repent and be baptized, and keep all other laws of God, as they shall be dispensed from the great High Priest through the delegated authorities. Now if all men do not obey these commands, they are liable to be dealt with as transgressors, and punished as evil doers. The command to obey is imperative upon all men. Hence whatever orders of civil government—or order of domestic compact—or order of business transaction—or order of religious worship—or rule of commercial transaction may contravene the established order of priesthood, the same must bow to the requisition of the inspired priesthood of God; and God acknowledges no other power with approbation.

Now, dear sir, it is this imperative attitude of authority and power, which the Almighty boldly claims, and fearlessly attempts to exercise, through a chosen priesthood over all mankind, Jews and Gentiles, that greatly displeases the rebellious portion of our race. They cannot bear that this "man should reign over them." False notions of independence and liberty rise against an order of delegated authorities claiming inspiration and officiality from God. The rebellious profess that they are ready to obey the Almighty God, but as for these men claiming priesthood, we will not have them, to reign over us.

The abuses practised by an apostate and uncalled priesthood for the last seventeen hundred years, has wrought an honest but wofully misguided prejudice against the true priesthood; and a large portion of mankind demand also, that God shall communicate with themselves directly, without the intervention of agencies chosen from mere men like themselves. And this captious spirit of dictation, as to the manner in which God shall teach and govern them, has been fostered in their minds by the erroneous notion that God is such a centreless, boundless spirit of ubiquity, that he can teach and govern all worlds without the aid of other agencies. We might as well suppose that he can see without eyes, or hear without ears. But God's being like man, though infinitely exalted above him, and unspeakably perfected in every faculty and power, puts to shame these dark vagaries about the inutility of delegated powers.

During the whole period of the world, God has ever and invariably attempted to teach and govern mankind by means of an established priesthood consisting of men; and this priesthood has been as invariably resisted from the days of righteous Abel till now. By this priesthood, it is the design of God to establish a Divine government upon the earth, even as it is established in the heavens. All other forms of government have proved a complete failure in every nation and period, in which the experiment has been attempted.

But the most humiliating feature in the whole history of governments is, that many have sought to ape the Divine government with an uninspired priesthood. They have thereby made every species of religious government a stink and confusion in all the earth. Their uninspired systems have been like a fair woman without discretion, or like jewels in a swine's snout. Sometimes they have united church and state, and swayed a sceptre of oppression; at other times they have been passive and non-resistant, even to the utter extinction of thousands whose defenceless blood has crimsoned the earth. But the time for experimenting upon false forms of government, civil or religious, has nearly gone by never to return, "save for a little season."

A priesthood chosen not of men, but chosen first of God, and inspired with his wisdom, truth, and power, is now called and ordained to teach all nations, and fill the earth with the knowledge of God. By means of this order, and this order alone, the kingdoms of this world, whether temporal or spiritual, pagan or christian, are all to be merged in one universal kingdom. And this will be the best and greatest kingdom ever known this side of heaven. Its constitution, laws, and method of administration will be after the model of the heavenly order. It will embrace politics, arts, war, merchandize, science, and religion—- things temporal and things spiritual. And the energy and wisdom of Omnipotence will, like the little leaven in meal, increase and magnify in the priesthood, till the whole world is brought into happy subordination to this plan of government. The nations of the earth will then become one family and brotherhood. Kings and rulers, of all grades, will then be chosen of God through the priesthood, of which priesthood rulers will be a part and portion; and without being ordained to the priesthood, no man ever can rule in this great kingdom.

Thus, dear sir, you perceive that I attach great importance to the priesthood, and consider it the grand instrumentality of revolutionizing, and saving, and governing the whole earth. But what harm in all this? Do you think there is too much power invested in this chosen order of men? Why, certainly not! They have not chosen themselves; neither have they come to office by the votes of the unthinking mass; nor by blind hereditary lineage, nor by violence and the usurper's arts. They have been chosen of God, who knew their spirits before the foundation of the world. They are a royal priesthood and holy nation, for God will have no other in his priesthood. Says Jesus to his apostles, "Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you." Whom God approves men should not refuse.

Moses was a priest and lawgiver, and had to do with the temporal and spiritual affairs of his subjects. Moses sought to unite church and state, in obedience to the command of God. Joshua was also a priest and ruler, and united both temporal and spiritual interests in his government. David was a priest and king, and likewise Solomon, his son. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were as much directed, by God, in their temporal concerns or movements as they were in their spiritual devotions. Jesus Christ came to establish a temporal kingdom fully as much as a spiritual kingdom. Both Jews and Romans suspected his designs, and charged him with the crime of treason. They said that he called himself a King. Some will say that he explicitly declared that His kingdom was not of this world. True: He did make this declaration; but what does it prove? It proves simply, that this world was not the father, author, or origin of His kingdom. His kingdom was from heaven, and He had come here for the very important purpose of establishing it on the earth. He called it kingdom of heaven, in distinction from kingdoms that were of earthly origin.

It is strange, indeed, that the sectarian clergy should borrow the idea that His kingdom was not a temporal kingdom as well as spiritual. It was the prayer of His heart, and the prayer that He taught His disciples, that God would establish His kingdom on earth, and cause His will to be done here as it is done in heaven. Consequently, he organized the kingdom here after the pattern of heaven, with all proper officers, and laws suited to every temporal and spiritual occasion, and then gave commandment that all nations should yield allegiance to the laws and authorities established, and also submit themselves to the ordinances of His Kingdom. And being in possession of living teachers, even the word of inspired men, they (all mankind, if they would obey) would be thoroughly furnished to "every good word and work." In other words, they would know how to act in every calling and sphere of business, whether temporal or spiritual.

Jesus Christ did not design that his servants should fight one another, or fight and conquer mankind into allegiance to Him. The world would act on these principles through disobedience, but his disciples would not, because they were shown a better way to universal dominion and government.

The priesthood being an office of great responsibility, is guarded rigidly against intruders. Man may lawfully desire this office, but he has no right to take it of himself, but he must first be called and appointed to it as Aaron was, by God, through a prophetic voice. Neither is man required to study, and artificially qualify himself for receiving it. God takes men as they are, and with the gift of priestly office He bestows the requisite qualifications. The ordination of heaven put upon the head of any man, however ignorant, is a voucher for requisite qualification and blessing. Every man is thereby thoroughly furnished for the discharge of all the duties of his respective calling. They are not all apostles, however, neither are all prophets or pastors. But every one has his calling of God, and in the legitimate sphere of that calling he acts as God, and in the authority of God.

Some have authority only to baptize unto repentance for remission of sins, as John the Baptist. Such can confer no more authority than they possess in themselves. Others have authority to bless, and whom they bless are blessed in very deed. They have similar authority to curse, and whom they curse are cursed in very deed. Jacob blessed his sons, and the heavens sealed and confirmed the same upon their heads. Paul cursed Elymas, the sorcerer, with blindness, and the same curse was sealed and confirmed upon him immediately. Elisha cursed Gehazi, his servant, and leprosy cleaved to him from that time. Elijah shut up the windows of heaven that it rained not for the space of three years and six months, by the same delegated power, and again they were opened at his voice. He was a man of like passions with ourselves. All men are not ordained to this power, and when they are not, they are wholly incapable of exercising it. It is office that gives recognition and legality to a deed of conveyance and ownership. It is divine appointment and official calling that gives efficacy to the priesthood. But many generations have contented themselves to preach and support preachers who have no divine appointment.

The consequence is, that men have been self-appointed to the ministry and spread dissention and confusion abroad. The knowledge of the true and living God has gradually receded from the earth, and darkness, even gross darkness, covered the people. The ordinances that impart healing virtue and the power and light of truth, have either been changed or abolished. The apostolic office has been counted as a thing out of date, and the spiritual gifts as being done away. The religious world has been too much like King Saul. After he had been forsaken of God, and the power and Spirit of his anointing given to David, this unhappy monarch resorted to every miserable device, (even to the aid of witches), in order to obtain knowledge and influence. But the curse of disobedience followed him to the day of his death.

The religious sects, in like manner, have resorted to seminaries and the polish of schools—also to the theological comments of time-honoured fathers, (who were as ignorant as themselves) ever learning, yet never coming to the knowledge of truth. Bibles have been translated again and again; learned volumes have been written in explanation, and even wars have been instigated by the supposed defenders of the faith, and the earth crimsoned by human gore. All these evils and curses have arisen from a spurious priesthood.

In view of these things, is it not time, sir, to let God resume the reins of government and once more establish a holy priesthood, which shall be after the calling of Aaron, and after the order and power of endless life. That this may be the unfeigned choice of all who seek after God, is the continued prayer of

Your old friend and servant,

ORSON SPENCER.