not appointed by Christ, as the means of communicating the certain and specific knowledge of his law to all nations, this method was not adopted by the Apostles or their successors, in converting nations to the faith of Christ. In fact, there is no instance of any nation being brought to the unity of Christian faith, by the circulation or reading of the Scriptures ; nor have we any ground for believing, that any nation will ever be converted to Christianity by such means.

POSE.

CHAPTER IV.

THE ONLY MEANS, BY WHICH IT CAN BE ASCERTAINED, WITH ABSOLUTE CERTITUDE, WHAT ARE THE DOCTRINES OF FAITH, THE MORAL PRECEPTS, AND THE RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES, WHICH WERE DELIVERED BY CHRIST, IN THE Revelation, AND INSTITUTION OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, IS THE PROMULGATION OF HIS LAW, MADE BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE MINISTRY, WHICH CHRIst instituted FOR THAT PUR-That, which Christ commanded to be believed and to be observed, constitutes his law—a law is made known by authoritative promulgation.—The old law was promulgated by Moses, and the ministry of the Priesthood.-Christ revealed his new law to Peter, and his other Apostles-He ordained that the knowledge of what he had taught and commanded, should be communicated to all nations, by the authoritative promulgation of his law, made by his Apostles, and their successors, in the ministry of the Christian priesthood.

THE questions "What doctrines did Christ teach ?" "What precepts did he deliver ?" "What sacred rites did he institute?" "What conditions of salvation did he prescribe?" are questions of FACT. The true and certain knowledge of FACTS is to be derived from the extrinsic evidence of testimony.

The doctrines, which Christ commanded all to believe; the supernatural moral precepts, which Christ commanded all to observe; the sacred rites, which Christ commanded to be performed; the dispositions and conditions, which Christ commanded for the remission of sin, and for eternal salvation, constitute the law of Christ.

How is the true and certain knowledge of any law (or of that which is specifically commanded, or forbidden, by the legislator), to be acquired? Is it not by the act of promulgation, authorized by the legislator? It is thus, that the

practical knowledge of every human law is communicated to the subjects whom it concerns.

Laws are, moreover, perpetually promulgated by the public acts of the magistrates, who enforce the observance of them. If there be any doubt concerning the practical meaning of the law, the question is referred to the decision of the legislature, or of the judges, and is determined by legislative, or judicial authority. Every such public decision is a promulgation of the law, and is the natural means, by which subjects are to acquire a true and certain knowledge of what is commanded, or forbidden, by the legislator.

The Almighty himself dictated the precepts of the old law to Moses. He instituted sacrifices and sacraments. He regulated the whole order of the ancient form of religion, which was preparatory to the establishment of a more excellent and more perfect order of things, in the religion of Christ. How was the true and certain knowledge of the precepts and institutions of the old law to be communicated to the people of Israel? Was it not by the authoritative promulgation of the whole law by the ministry, which the divine legislator established for that purpose?

In fact, the Almighty instituted, under the Mosaic dispensation, an order of priests and ministers, whom he commissioned to teach his doctrines and precepts to the people, to offer the sacrifices, and to administer the sacraments of the law. The lips of the priest shall preserve knowledge, and they shall seek the law from his mouth. Malachi, ii. 7. The ministerial acts of the Levitical priesthood, were so many acts of the authoritative promulgation of the law. By this sacred ministry, the people were instructed in the law; were governed in all things relating to religion; and were formed into a sacred society, held together by the same faith, and same form of worship.

In order to preserve unity in religion, and in the spiritual government of the faithful, the Almighty appointed a high priest, who had supreme jurisdiction over all. Cases of doubt, relating to the law, were referred to the judgment of the high priest. His judgment was definitive, and was an authoritative promulgation of the sense of the law. So it was ordained in Deuteronomy xvii. If thou perceive, that there be among you a hard and doubtful matter in judgment, between

blood and blood, cause and cause, leprosy and leprosy and thou see that the words of the judges within thy gates do vary: arise and go up to the place, which the Lord thy God shall choose. And thou shalt come to the priests of the Levitical race, and to the judge that shall be at that time: and thou shalt ask of them, and they shall shew thee the truth of the judgment. And thou shalt do, whatsoever they shall say, that preside in the place, which the Lord shall choose, and what they shall teach thee, according to his law; and thou shalt follow their sentence: neither shalt thou decline, to the right hand, nor to the left hand. But he that will be proud, and refuse to obey the commandment of the priest, who ministereth at that time to the Lord thy God, and the decree of the judge; that man shall die, and thou shalt take away the evil from Israel. (Verses 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.)

It is a fact, that Christ, during his mortal life, and after his resurrection from the dead, did by oral revelation communicate to his Apostles the knowledge of his doctrines, precepts and mysteries, and of many things relating to the work of the ministry, and to the government of his church. He spoke obscurely in parables to the multitudes; but he spoke clearly to his Apostles, and explained to them the meaning of his parables. Because to you (as he said, speaking to his Apostles, Mat. xiii. 11,) to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. (See verses 16, 17.)

Christ declared, that the doctrines and mysteries which, as man, he delivered in the course of his sacred ministry on earth, were all of divine origin. My doctrine, he said, is not mine; but his that sent me. John vii. 16. He attested that he had communicated the whole body of these divine doctrines and mysteries to his Apostles. Speaking to them, John, xv. 15, he said, all things, whatsoever I have heard of the Father, I have made known to you. In his prayer to his Father, John xvii., Christ thus expresses himself concerning the revelation he had made to his Apostles; he speaks to his Father: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. I have manifested thy name to the men whom thou hast given me out of the world. Now they have known, that all things, which thou hast given me, are from thee: because the words (the doctrines and ordinances) which thou gavest me, 1 have given to them: and they have received them. Verses 4, 6,7,8. See the whole chapter.

After his resurrection, Christ coutinued to confirm his Apostles in the knowledge of his revealed mysteries, relating to his church, for forty days appearing to them, and speaking of the kingdom of God. Acts i. 3.

It is therefore a fact, that as the Almighty delivered the doctrines, precepts, and ordinances of the old law to Moses, by the mouth of an Angel; so he delivered the doctrines, precepts, and ordinances of the new law to St. Peter and the other Apostles, by the mouth of his Son. Heb. i.

Did the legislator of the new law institute any means, by which the true and certain knowledge of the doctrines, precepts, and conditions of salvation, which he delivered to Peter and his other Apostles, might be communicated to all nations? Yes. And the means that he instituted for that effect, was the establishment of a ministry, which he empowered and commissioned to promulgate his law, to teach his doctrines, to enforce the observance of his precepts, to propose his conditions of salvation, and to administer his graces, to those who should embrace his law, in a spirit of faith and obedience. He established this ministry in the form of a spiritual government, to be exercised at the beginning by his Apostles, to whom he gave all power and authority necessary for the performance of the duties of their charge; and to be continued, by the lawful successors of his Apostles to the end of time.

In framing the constitution of this spiritual government, Christ provided for the preservation of unity, by appointing one Supreme Teacher and Ruler, whose authority should extend over the whole. Though all nations were to be taught and to be governed by the authority of the Apostles and their successors, yet all were to be held together in the bands of unity, principally by the authority of Peter and his successors, through all ages. Peter was made the Rock, on which he would build his Church. Mat. xvi. 18. To Peter he gave the charge of feeding his whole flock. John xxi. 16.

That Christ chose at first twelve ministers, whom he called Apostles, of whom Peter was made the chief; that he commissioned them to preach his doctrines, and to announce to men the tidings and conditions of salvation; that he empowered them to administer the sacraments he had instituted, and gave them authority to promulgate and enforce