The Perpetuity of the Church
ARTICLE II The Church of God is His Church. He bought it with His blood (Acts xx. 28). He set up His Church at the proper place and time. It was not set up before He said it was, neither was it set up since He said it was. The Church He set up has been in the world ever since He set it up. This being true, there has never been any reason why something else should be started called the Church of God or of Christ. The holy scriptures are the inspired words of God and the only perfect history the children of God have of the Church of God. What the Bible says about who set up the Church, and where and when, is absolutely authentic. It would be extremely ridiculous and absurd to say that God inspired some prophet or New Testament writer to tell us when and where it was set up, and then some uninspired writer claim that the scriptures teach that it was set up at some other place and time. Again, if God inspired men to tell us that the Church lie set up would stand forever, and, for this reason, should never be destroyed, we must believe what the inspired and holy men of God said, or believe that the inspired men of God lied about it. "Let God be true, but every man a liar."--Rom, iii. 4. The work of God is perfect. "He is the Rock, His work is perfect."--Deut, xxxii. 4. The wise man said, "I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it that men should fear before him."--Eccl, iii. 14. I will now proceed to prove by the Bible that God set up the Church, and that He did it that men should fear before Him; and also that the Church God set up has existed from the day He set it up until the present time, and that when Jesus comes to this earth again lie will find a people of the same faith they were when Jesus ascended to His Father. I will quote Dan. ii. 44: "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." If there was not another text in all the Bible that said one thing about the setting up of the Church, this one proves, first, that God set it up; second, that it was set up in the days of these kings; third, that it should never be destroyed; fourth, that it should not be left to other people; fifth, that it should stand for ever. In order to prove that the Church or kingdom that the God of heaven set up is nor here now, you will be compelled to prove that the kingdom that God said shall not be destroyed has been destroyed, and that the kingdom He said shall stand for ever has not stood for ever. I shall prove that the kingdom or Church that God set up is an everlasting kingdom. "His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation."—Dan. Iv. 3. I shall prove that the kingdom God set up is from generation to generation. "His kingdom is from generation to generation."--Dan, iv. 34. If it can be proven that there has not been a succession of generations or families, then it can be proven that there has not been a succession of the kingdom or Church. Daniel did not say one thing about a certain thing: one time and then say a different thing about the same thing at some other time. Read what he said in Dan. vii. 14: "And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, and all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed?" The kingdoms, empires and governments of men have come and gone, but the kingdom of God--the government of God--was set up upon an immovable foundation, and it has not and cannot be moved off of its foundation. In speaking of this kingdom Daniel said, "But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever."--Dan, vii. 18. Paul said, "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."---Heb, xii. 28. Daniel said the saints shall take the kingdom of God. Paul said the saints received it. It is theirs by gift. They should appreciate it and lovingly abide in it. "Fear not, little flock: for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."--Luke xii. 32. The Church God set up, and then gave to His people, was to be possessed by them forever. It is theirs to this day, and will be theirs as long as time lasts. Like Solomon's temple, it is all glorious within. Her clothing, her origin, her doctrine and practice is unlike all the so-called churches of this world. "The King's daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee."--Psalms xlv. 13, 14. The Church of God has clothing, or garments, that are unlike the clothing of the daughters of men. "All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad."--Psalms xlv. 8. Her food, her drink, is unlike the food and drink of the institutions of men; one is heavenly and spiritual, the other is natural and earthy. The doctrine and practice of the Church is different from the doctrine and practice of the institutions of men.
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