282 DESCRIPTION OF THE TWO. The two strangers, though united in their sympathy, and their aim, and their work, seemed very dissimilar in their cast of character. The one that had done mainly all the talking, quite the Mercury of the mission, was rather tall, of a plain and open countenance, apparently sincere, very loquacious, religiously confident, and rather fraternally sociable, and forward, and exacting, as well as seemingly assured and remarkably affectionate toward his "Brother Cox." The other, rather below medium size, of dark complexion and cunning eye, seemed watching his opportunity with greater sagacity and prudence of reserve, as the consular pundit of the enterprise, and as ready to bring relief and succor to rear or flank in the engagement. He had said little, and that only in the way of confirmation or acquiescence, as he followed the lead of his obtrusive and venturous colleague. They were, personally, as strange to me as their manner was singular and their business a mystery. I had previously no knowledge of them whatever, and no clue at all beyond the present scene to guide me in it, not knowing even their names; and having no friend or witness, except the omniscient ONE, to correspond with me, I felt in a strange predicament; tried, but not daunted in the least; perplexed, but not in despair; determined to keep my propriety, and stand by the principles of everlasting truth and rectitude. It was plain that their object and their views were odd and queer, but I had no suspicion or imagination of their sect, their principles, or their specific design. As to the way in which all such pretensions should be met, and they are always occurring, as they have occurred continually, though in ever-varying forms, in every age, before the witch of Endor, or Balaam the son of Beor, or the antediluvian impostors of Cain's progeny were born, I mean, that they are all Satanic, and so of very respectable antiquity; and as to the way of meeting them and treating them, it is probable that a calm rigidity, which shows them all due polite NOT PROFOUNDLY LEARNED. 283 ness, yet stands ever on-THE RIGHT AND THE CLAIM OF EVIDENCE, demanding full proof of their assumptions, accrediting nothing without it, demanding it at the outset, and before any action or negotiation is begun, and remembering, and causing them not to forget, however convenient and desired, that the burden of proof, the onus probandi, of the matter is, by their own act, resting wholly on themselves, as THEIR OWN, AND THEIRS ONLY. They make the category, which they ought immediately to prove. They voluntarily take the position which they are required, in all reason and righteousness, to demonstrate and establish. And if they dare to insult their fellow-creatures so impudently and so wantonly, to say nothing of their enormous impiety and sacrilege against God, what is the proverbial shrewdness and common sense of Americans worth, if they can not resist their claims, when they have not, and can not have, proved them? We only add, let all Americans who love their country, and who detest imposture, thinking there is quite enough of it in Europe, and that we want something better in the United States, in Church and in State, in politics and in religion; let all Americans agree, to frown with indignation on all claims that can not be proved, that are plainly imposture and falsehood, believing here THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH-and the truth itself, only as proved by rational evidence to be divine, and so worthy of all human confidence. They appeared in respectable attire, as common citizens of the middle class of society. Their manners were rather respectful and correct, but not polished; and their use of rough phrases, and occasionally of bad grammar, graduated them to their place on an intellectual scale: Ut ad primum in artibus gradum, scilicet, Baccalaureatus, non adhuc admissi. Still, their manner indicated negotiation, and seemed to preominate some earnest and well considered result. Hence I said, 284 LATTER-DAY SAINTS, SELF-STYLED. 1. Well, gentlemen, before we begin our religious conversation, let us settle some requisite preliminaries. I should like to know who you are. 2. Never mind that now. We know you, and you will know us as we proceed, and we hope rejoice in the end. 1. That, gentlemen, will not suit me. Let all things be done decently and in order. You are utter strangers. You have no introduction. We are not on a par, as you know me so well, and I know you not at all. I must insist on the first thing in the first place. If you are religious, are you Christians? or what? 2. Yes, sir, Christians-that we are. 1. Well, to what denomination do you appertain? 2. Why, sir-no matter. We are Christians; but if you wish to know, we are Latter-day Saints. 1. Indeed! And what means that designation? The Pope, by the word saint, means one thing; the Bible, quite another; and infidels use it only in scorn. I am not aware that in the latter day the saints are to be normally different from what they were before the flood. A sincere Christian, a sound believer, a lover of Christ, his own genuine disciple, a true worshiper in any age, is a saint in the language and style of the Holy Ghost; and the alternative is, to be his enemy, a reprobate, an heir of perdition. 2. You must have heard of the Latter-day Saints, sir? 1. Possibly; but I have no recollection that is definite respecting them. I hear occasionally of many strange things. I forgot, or had never learned, that this is the favorite cant of the MORMONS. Those squalid heretics call themselves "the saints of the latter day." It never occurred to me till after the interview, however; and for the moment I let it pass at that. 2. Yes, that is what we are, and all the world will be soon. THEIR MISSION FROM WHOM ? 285 1. But who sent you, gentlemen, to me? and what, precisely, is the nature of your errand? 2. We come in the spirit and the power of the apostles of Christ. 1. Stay let me understand you exactly. Do you mean that you come endowed and accredited from God in the same way, degree, and manner as the apostles of Christ? Is this your position and your designation, gentlemen? 2. Certainly, sir; that is the way we come from God to you. He sent us, and we bring you glad tidings of great joy. You, Brother Cox, are to be blessed to know these things; and if you are only faithful, you will become great and honorable in the kingdom of the saints. 3. Yes, doctor. you to-day. That is why we come from God to see 1. Not too fast, gentlemen. Your proposals are sufficiently flattering, I own; but in such a serious matter I must both see and feel my way. Festina lente; that is, make haste slowly, see and feel your way. We must have rational evidence, and walk by it. 3. Yes, that is right. Take time, and you will see it all, after a while. We must wait patiently on the Lord. Here they held some communings with each other, sometimes intelligible, sometimes ambiguous; from which I gathered that, by revelation, such as it was, they had ascertained with religious, that is, fanatical infallibility, that I was to become a Mormon, and even to figure in the promotions and the honors of their official eminences; that all this was fully predestinated by somebody, and clearly announced to them from some source; and that my effectual calling was to be superinduced through their own ministry, and exactly on the present occasion. In the mean time, I considered them as men lunatic or drunk, and so to be wakefully regarded as so deluded and so venturous; with questions of curious concern 286 APOSTLES TWELVE ONLY. occurring in my thoughts; though less determined to say any thing conclusive, or definite, or manifestive before the time. I wished to see them enjoy the dilemma they had made for themselves, and work the problem they had undertaken to some regular result; trustful that God would keep me from their influence and their design. Their faith was probably tried in the interview, as I must have seemed rather an untoward subject from the first. They seemed to try in different ways to engage my feelings and depose my judgment, that, so liquefied, I might flow with them. But in some way, I early saw through them. These successors of the apostles, without all proof of their commission or their mission, stood, in my estimation, self-condemned and self-refuted, with some others of another species, but the same genus precisely, in their solemn averment or assumption of a thing absurd and impossible. The apostles, as such, had no successors-could have none. The pretension is sorcery and abomination, though here less guilty, in these base-born and low-bred ignoramuses, than in some other and better educated usurpers of the monstrous title. They, indeed, successors of the apostles of God, who, as twelve, are to occupy twelve thrones in the celestial kingdom, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, and not each pseudo, with one for himself, making an aggregate of myriads; they, their successors, who possess no one quality that distinguished or constituted an apostle of Christ in the apostolic age; they, to have their assumptions accredited by us as additional apostles, supernumerary moderns, adscititious and spurious, such as Apostle Hildebrand, Apostle Bonner, Apostle Talleyrand, Apostle Hughes in New York, and Apostle Doane in Burlington! I wonder that such revolting impudence can win the confidence, in this country, of one American that repudiates the more respectable whim and usurpation of the divine right of kings! But to our story. 1. Your quality and claims, gentlemen, as you must be |