Grapes From Thorns

and Figs from Thistles.

"Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt A tree is known by its fruit."-[Jesus Christ.

This rule has often been applied to the moral conduct of individual professors, but we now propose to apply it to religious systems, and churches; for if a tree is known by its fruit, churches and systems may also be known by their fruits.

On all sides we turn our eyes we behold the Christian world divided into sects and parties-all differing from each other and all professing to be the church of Christ. Hence the inquiring mind often meets with extreme difficulty in endeavoring to ascertain the right, from the wrong. All the Protestant world agree that the Roman Catholic, or mother church, is so corrupt, and so far apostatised [apostatized] from the truth, that a reformation was not only needed but absolutely necessary. Many of them even go so far as to say, that she is the "mother of harlots"-the woman upon the "scarlet colored beast"-"anti-Christ"-"the man of sin," &c. Indeed, her principles are so abominably wicked, and so manifestly corrupt, that the thinking mind is almost forced to the above conclusions.

But still the Roman Catholic religion was the national religion of England for many hundred years. She built the ancient chapels where the Protestants now worship. Under her authority the country was divided into parishes,. bishopricks [bishoprics] , &c. All the offices and ordinances were administered by her. She ordained the bishops and clergy, and she christened the entire population, from generation to generation. At length, in the reign of Henry the VIII, the authorities of England and most of her population became Protestants, they were excommunicated from the communion of the mother church, and withdrew from her fellowship.

At length, after many bloody struggles the Church of England was established in her present from. But still she professed to retain the priesthood and ordinances which she had received from the Catholic or mother church-that is, her bishops and clergy claimed no new commission from Heaven, and her members were not christened anew.

Now comes the application of our text. If the mother church was a good tree, why should Protestant England leave her communion? If, on the other hand, she was a bad tree, how could her priesthood and ordinances be good?

Question. From whence did the Protestant church derive her authority as to offices, ordinances, and christenings?

Answer. From the Catholics.

Quest. Was the Catholic church a good tree or a bad one?

Ans. She was a BAD one-so says protestantism.

Quest. "Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles"-can a bad tree produce a good stock or branch?

Ans. "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt; a tree is known by its fruits."

Now according to the plainest rules of logic, if the Catholic church was Anti-Christian, then her christening, or baptism, and her priesthood, was not of heaven but of men. God neither recognized the Catholic church as his church-her ministers as his ministers, or her ordinances as his ordinances. Then as a matter of course, the Protestants were without a Christian ministry, and without a Christian baptism, when they first dissented from the Catholics. Therefore their only alternative would have been to have received a new commission by revelation from Heaven; and, consequently, a new baptism. That is, all the Protestant people, both clergy and laymen, should have been considered as unbaptized, until they were administered to by Protestants, who had been commissioned by new revelation.

The fact of her having retained her baptism and her priesthood, which she received. while Catholic, establishes the point beyond controversy, that she is a stock or branch of the old tree. And by so doing she virtually acknowledges the tree from which she grew to be a good tree, or herself a bad one.

If then, the Catholic church is considered

a "thorn" or "thistle," the Protestant church cannot be considered a fig or grape.

The same remarks will, in all their force apply to Methodism in all its branches and to all other systems which have derived their priesthood and ordinances from the mother church. If the Catholics are false, then Protestantism has no foundation. Luther derived his authority from the Catholics. Wesley derived his authority and baptism from the established church, and so did his followers.

We might trace this matter from one branch of reformers or dissenters to another, in all their various sects, from the early dawn of the pretended reformation down to the smallest sprig or branch, of which the great tree of corrupt Christianity, or anti-christianity, is composed; but we forbear. Suffice it to say, that the same rule will apply to all, except such as can absolutely claim authority be revelation from God.

But churchmen, Methodist, and Protestants in general, deny in the plainest terms, the possibility of any revelation later than the Bible.

Hence if you enquire [inquire] of them what they have against the principles of the Latter Day Saints, the answer is, "They are deluded because they admit of new revelation."

Now the very moment they (the Protestants) take this stand, they deprive themselves of every claim to authority from God, in ministering holy things, unless it is derived from the mother of abominations.

No man taketh this ministry upon himself (says Paul) but him who is called of God, as was Aaron." It is plain that Aaron was called by revelation. One of the prophets in reproving the corruptions of the priesthood, says as follows: "The priests' lips should keep knowledge and receive the LAW at his (God's) MOUTH." Revelation is inseparably connected with the priesthood, as an unchanging principle from all eternity to all eternity. Where there is no gift of revelation there can be no priesthood, and where there is no priesthood there can be no ordinances of God, and where there are no ordinances of God there can be no church of God.-All doctrine, ordinances, gifts, and blessings pertaining to the church of God, spring from an inspired priesthood as directly as a stream flows from a fountain, or as fruit is produced from a tree. As well might man attempt to produce apples or figs independent of a tree, as to expect a church of Christ to be in existence without apostles, prophets, &c., to administer the ordinances and blessings thereof.

Since the great apostacy [apostasy] from primitive Christianity, all the reformers of which we have any knowledge have fallen into this one inconsistency, viz: of patching new cloth on to old garments; and thus the rent has been made worse. For instance, the Protestants have sought a reformation in doctrine without a recommission and a new administration of ordinances. The Wesleyans sought a reformation in practice, without a reformation of doctrine. The Irvingites sought to graft the gifts of the spirit on to a corrupt church, without a change of ordinances or priesthood. The Rev. Alexander Campbell has attempted to restore the ordinances without the priesthood, or gifts of the spirit. The friends or Quakers have considered both priesthood and ordinances of no use, and that the spirit itself is sufficient, &c., &c. Thus all the attempts at reformation have failed to produce the desired effect; ages have rolled away, and the rent is still made worse, or the new wine has burst the old bottles; and thus bottles and wine have been lost or destroyed.

At length the full time had arrived for the great restoration of all things to commence, for the great and last dispensation to be ushered into the world. The Lord uttered his voice from the heavens, an holy angel came forth and restored the priesthood and apostleship, and hence has arisen the church of the saints;* new in priesthood, new in ordinances, new in spirit gifts, ands blessings. It claims no affinity with the "mother of harlots or any of her daughters." It denies the ordinances and priesthood which have grown out of her roots. In short it is a NEW TREE-NEW FRUIT-NEW WINE AND NEW* BOTTLES, NEW CLOTH and NEW GARMENTS-NEW LEVEN [leaven] and NEW LUMP-a new covenant and spirit; and may it roll on till we have a new heaven and a new earth, that we may dwell forever in the new Jerusalem, while old things pass away, and all things are made new, even so, Amen.

• New to this generation.

Train up a child in the was [ways] he should go, a [and] when he is old he will not depart from it.