THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST.

Liverpool, June 29, 1842.

Reverend and Dear Sir,—The subject of my fifth letter is one of surpassing importance. It is, sir, the "GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST," by the laying on of hands.

The magnitude of the subject warrants me to say, in few words, what belongs to it, without those copious scripture references which you can look after at your leisure. If you will honestly listen to my description of the office-work of the Holy Ghost, you will clearly perceive, that, since the time Jesus left the earth, it is more extensive and important than even the work of the other personages of the Godhead.

The Holy Ghost performs the double office of a WITNESS on earth and a RECORDER in heaven. Being an unembodied personage, he can move among men without the danger of being mobbed and killed, as was not the case with Jesus Christ. He takes up the work of man's redemption, just where Jesus Christ left it, and has a distinct part to act until the second coming of Christ, that in due time He also may obtain glory with the Father, even as Jesus does—yea, a fulness of the Godhead by himself.

According to promise he came on the day of Pentecost, either with a retinue of sanctified spirits, or in the simple unity and grandeur of his own potent agency, and filled the house. He then disbursed among the disciples a variety of tongues—gifts for men which the Conqueror had promised. With the keys of revelation, peculiar to his office, he unlocked their understanding (with perfect impunity to himself) and bore witness that Jesus was Christ. His testimony not only confirmed the disciples, who had been previously baptized, beyond the shadow of all further doubt, but convinced some thousands of the sin of unbelief.

He immediately informed Peter, to whom Christ had promised to send the keys of the presidency over the church by the Holy Ghost (for he could do nothing till the Holy Ghost should bring them), that He, the Holy Ghost, would ever be an attendant upon penitent believers that should be "baptized for remission of sins," whenever his minister should lay on hands. He authorized him to make a solemn standing PROMISE to this effect, viz.: that the Holy Ghost's presence as a WITNESS to truth, should invariably follow the imposition of hands. But he also gave him to understand, that none should lay on hands or preach but such as should be called by revelation, even as was Aaron. He assured him that he would henceforth abide with the church, and enable obedient believers to work certain miraculous signs, such as healing the sick, casting out devils, nullifying the properties of poison wickedly administered, and speaking with new tongues—and these and other confirmations of the truth should invariably attend the true church to the end of the world, or as long as true believers continued on the earth; and if these miraculous signs did not follow believers, they might know that they were rejected of God, as reprobate silver is rejected of men.

The Holy Ghost further informed him, that He was the LIVING WITNESS on earth, in connexion with the WATER and the BLOOD, and sealed up the testimony of all the witnesses concerning all believers on earth, and then took them to heaven and recorded them in the BOOKS, by the mutual agreement of the Father and the Son, against a time of awards and punishments. He also informed him that he always obtained a perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ's mind touching all church transactions on earth, and faithfully communicated the same to chosen men and believers, according to their capacity to receive and use such knowledge; and should continue to act in this Office of enlightening and comforting the church, "until they all come to the unity of the faith and the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ," which he possessed before he left the earth. And he would also communicate Christ's mind concerning the destinies of nations, and the judgments, famines, and pestilences, &c., with which Jesus Christ would visit the earth.

The Holy Ghost would also reveal the deep purposes of God, not only concerning the future glory of the Church, but also concerning individuals that lived before the foundations of the world, and what would be their state in worlds that are future. And even all things that Jesus Christ knew concerning the interest, salvation, and endless felicity and glory of the church—and the misery and final undoing of such as obey not God, the Holy Ghost would communicate in visions, dreams, and revelations. Thus the earth would be filled with knowledge, and Christ would again return here with all the departed saints, and literally bring down a celestial city of splendid mansions—even the New Jerusalem—and God would once more dwell with men in peace.

Let it be understood, that not only apostles, but all obedient believers in the primitive age had the gift of the Holy Ghost, and, consequently, the "spirit of prophecy." "He that hath the testimony of Jesus hath the spirit of prophecy." How do men have the testimony of Jesus? I answer, through the agency of the Holy Ghost. Let it be understood, and marked with INDELIBLE EMPHASIS, that the HOLY SPIRIT is the GREAT WITNESS on earth—that He, the spirit of truth, has transmitted the mind of Jesus to believers in visions, dreams, prophecyings, &c. For this purpose Jesus sent the SPIRIT into the world, that he might reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.

The Spirit, though unimbodied, now acts in all the authority, influence, and power that Jesus himself would do if He were on the earth in very person. But He acts upon and through the body of Christ, which is the church; through the Spirit's possession of the church, it displays the "MANIFOLD WISDOM OF GOD." Whatever varied and abundant wisdom Jesus himself possessed, the true Church ever has in a measure, and is destined to have, even to perfect fulness—"the fulness of his stature."

But how is the true Church to show forth all the omniscience and potency of Jesus? I answer, sir, by the Spirit of God that is in the Church, by "the laying on of hands." By this spirit it is signified to Paul what shall befall him at Jerusalem; and also that the true Church shall cease from off the earth, with all its miraculous gifts and blessings, before the second coming of Christ. By the same spirit, John saw that an angel would again come in the midst of heaven to restore the original primitive gospel to the earth. By the same spirit Zachariah heard and saw the angel that should bring it, speak to a "young man." Isaiah saw the young man take a "sealed book from the earth," that should be a "marvellous work and wonder," confounding the "wisdom of the wise." By this spirit the camp of Israel saw and heard seventy elders prophecy the very hour and moment that hands were laid upon them. Paul saw and heard more than twelve disciples speak "with tongues and prophecy," as soon as the "Holy Ghost" was conferred by "laying on of hands."

No sooner had Annanias laid his hands on Saul, than the Holy Ghost, ever faithful to his "promise," filled the person of Saul, and opened his eyes. The same spirit signified to Philip a mission to Gaza, and after he had baptized the Ethiopian, caught him away with power. By it also, Sampson stretched forth an arm of omnipotence and slew a thousand men; and at another time overthrew a large and capacious building, being filled with people, besides containing three thousand men and women upon the roof. And by the same spirit, in this day, the blind have been made to see, the lame to walk, and the deaf to hear, and hundreds of persecuted famishing Saints, on the banks of the Mississippi, have been miraculously fed by quails, as ancient Israel were fed in the wilderness.

Now, sir, can you tell me why sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit constituted a more heinous and unpardonable offence than sin against the "Son of Man?" Surely there is an importance attached to the office-work of this DIVINE AND MARVELLOUS WITNESS on the earth that deserves attention. If there is no forgiveness of such an offence, it becomes all men, not only to hear before they judge, but also to judge "righteous judgment." Jesus Christ has told us that He placed in His Church apostles and prophets, with gifts of miracles, tongues, &c. These gifts were the gifts of the spirit; and you will not deny that the Spirit of God, so far as the New Testament speaks of Him, was a spirit of almighty power, as displayed in numerous gifts and ways.

Now, sir, what has become of this miraculous and almighty spirit? Has he ceased wholly from the earth? If so, then the WATER and the BLOOD are the only witnesses now left on the earth. But perhaps you will say that the same spirit still remains, without exercising his miraculous gifts and powers, (seeing they are not now necessary.) Shall we then understand that this Almighty Spirit is still on the earth, and in the diversified and conflicting churches, and comparatively silent and inefficient, withholding from these churches (which are by supposition the BODY of Christ), his majestic displays of supernatural power in prophecies, healings, tongues; causing the dumb ass to speak with man's voice, causing powerful armies to flee before the pursuit of one man; and yet the world is perishing for lack of knowledge, and christianity losing ground every day? Might we not as soon think the spirit has grown old to dotage, or lost his first love, or been beguiled into other pursuits of less importance? Surely He never wrought so lazily, or in such imbecility and indifference in any other age, when true believers or prophets were on the earth? Strange, indeed, sir, that he should drop off so suddenly his royal robes of prophetic, miraculous grandeur and power, to become the silent and inefficient inmate of more than six hundred clashing, contentious churches, that are yearly subdividing into minute fragments, to the confusion of all common sense throughout boasting christendom! What a falling off of the spirit's power, and of the spirit's light and unity! Will the Holy and Eternal Spirit of God endorse such a powerless distracted state of things, as being in any way connected with His presence on the earth, or in any way the result of His doings? No, sir, by no means. For the honour of this illustrious personage, let us never ascribe to HIM such a powerless distracted organization of heterogenous ignorance and imbecility, as modern christianity presents in contrast with ancient christianity. The heavens may well blush with shame at this modern picture, purporting to be the kingdom of God on the earth. If it is the kingdom of God, how shorn of its miraculous strength! How are the prophets and seers covered!! How dim that fine gold that once shown resplendent with the celestial lustre of prophetic visions!!! Then men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, and the sick were healed, and he that lied to them was paralyzed in instantaneous death, at times.

Orators "boast," as it is written of them in these "perilous times," of the spread of christianity. Christianity spreading! Where is the evidence of its increase of power or knowledge? Where the least signs of approximation to "unity of faith," and the "full stature measure of Christ" in "manifold wisdom and power?" Where the ornamental beauty and symmetry of the Bride that is preparing for the marriage feast of the Lamb? How many ten thousand years must elapse before it can be said of christianity, "the Bride hath made herself ready!" "clear as the sun, fair as the moon, and terrible as an army with banners." Surely, since her prophets have lost their power "to quench the violence of fire, and subdue kingdoms, and stop the mouths of lions," and her servants and handmaids to see visions, &c., the beauty of the Bride has failed—her breasts have diminished—her face is wrinkled—her eyes are dim and cannot see afar off; she is no longer a chaste virgin espoused to one husband—but she has as many husbands as sects, and yet none of those with whom she is now living can be called her husband.

Now, sir, will the Spirit join with such a Bride, and say to Jesus the Great Bridegroom, "come!" the Bride hath made herself ready! No, sir, the Spirit of God will say, I never knew you; depart from me, you pusillanimous, benighted, powerless, contentious christianity. "Thou Aholibah and Aholibamah, thy lewdness is in all high places;" "thou hast played the harlot with many lovers—yea, thou hast even hired lovers" (with human inventions), instead of commanding admiration by the grace of thy "seers," and the "visions of thy handmaids," and the "healing power of thine elders." Thou shalt be burned with fire.

In humble assurance of your willingness to see the unsheathed glittering sword of truth, I have the pleasure to subscribe myself.

Your humble servant,

For Christ's sake,

ORSON SPENCER.