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be born separate and distinct from the rest; therefore CHAP. it is not by uniting members that are separately born, at sundry times, that the human body is formed. Nor is the Church formed of such as are born again in this manner. But as the whole body is brought forth at one birth, and in order, with all its corresponding parts, perfect after its kind; so also is the birth of the Church. And this is effected in and by the joint power and influence of the two first-born, which is the word of their testimony.

29. By this the Church is jointly and invisibly begotten and conceived, and visibly brought forth, one body, perfect in its order, and in all its corresponding parts, as the offspring of God, coming forth from the invisible order of heaven-rooted, settled, and grounded in the divine nature-sound and unshaken in her faith-pure and examplary in her morals-unpolluted and unstained by the flesh-and separated and unspotted from the world and from all sin. And in the same minner must every individual be born again, who is ever born in and by the Church as the Mother.

30. Hence the work of regeneration and salvation, respects souls in a united capacity; for no individual can be regenerated nor saved in any other capacity than in a Church-relation, any more than a hand or foot can be born separate or distinct from the human body, and united to some other body after it is separately born.

31. If we walk in the light, as God is in the light, 1 Johni. we have fellowship one with another, and the blood or 5,7. life of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. And without this light and fellowship there can be no salvation. Therefore, the first work of the Spirit of preparation, in this day of Christ's second appearing, was to convince those who committed sin, that they were not born of God: for whosoever is born 1 John v. of God sinneth not.

32. And as many as were thus convinced, and were willing and desirous to confess and forsake their sins, and to find salvation from them, came into the testimony, confessed their sins, and set out to travel in the work of regeneration and redemption.

38.

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CHAP. So that all who were faithful, gradually, and progressively, travelled out of an evil nature, by mortification and the cross of Christ; and became separate from the world, and in their spiritual relation, as much out of sight, as the seed of a plant under ground, or the infant in the womb.

Gal v. 22, 23.

33. And after having gained a sufficient degree of deliverance from the nature of lust, covetousness, selfishness, and the various branches of an evil nature; and having that growth and maturity in the principles and fruits of the Spirit, which are love, peace, meekness, gentleness, long-suffering, faithfulness, goodness, temperance, benevolence and such like; they were then enabled, practically, to come forth in outward visible order, proceeding from the order of that which is invisible.

34. Accordingly, about the ninth month, September, in the year 1787, the Believers began to gather together with one consent; first at New-Lebanon, and shortly after in other places, for the purpose of supporting one joint union and interest in all things, spiritual and temporal, for the mutual benefit and comfort of each other, and for other pious and charitable uses, according to the light of God they had received, and their understanding of a Church in the true order of the gospel.

35. And it was revealed, and manifested to the Believers at large, that first, JOSEPH MEACHAM, and afterwards LUCY WRIGHT, were raised up, prepared and appointed, by the gift and power of God, each in their own order, to take the first lead and spiritual concern in the order and government of the Church; and they were mutually acknowledged by all, as our beloved parents, standing in the visible order, and relation, of the first Father and Mother of our redemption, who are the invisible first pillars upon which the spiritual house of God is built.

36. These were first pillars in the spiritual building and visible order of the Church; Father and Mother, in spiritual relation, and first in relation to all others. And by these, with others as helps in the ministry, the Church was established, and set in that order and correspondent relation, under which

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every member, both male and female, as brethren CHAP and sisters of one family, and members of one joint body, enjoyed their free and equal rights and privileges, pertaining to the spiritual travel, increase and up-building of the whole.

37. Ministers were like wise raised up and appointed by the gift of God, and sent forth from the Church, by the ministry, to labour among distant believers, in word and doctrine, to purge out iniquity, to reprove the disobedient, to strengthen and encourage the weak, and confirm the faithful.

38. Deacons and Deaconesses also came forth in their proper gift, order and office, in the temporal affairs of the Church; and each, according to their gift and talents for usefulness, were felt and mutually acknowledged by all, according to the order and gift of God by which they were appointed.

39. Therefore, as each member of the body is dependent on another, and as the light of the body is the eye; so the whole body, that came forth into visible church-order, were subject to the visible head, the joint parentage, who stood in Christ the invisible head, as the medium through which the whole visible body is full of light.

40. And as both the eyes in one head, centre in one, and see every thing alike, and as the true watchers, when the Lord should bring again Zion, were to see eye to eye; so, according to that one Isa. lii. 8. light which flows from Christ the head, through both the man and woman, all things were disposed, regulated, and set in order, in a perfect law of righteousness, justice and truth.

41. As the work of redemption is a great work, even from its beginning until its final accomplishment; so all iniquity was not purged away at once, nor was the complete order of the Church obtained in an instant.

42. In the preparatory work and building of the Church, the Believers passed through many scenes of mortification, trial, tribulation, and temptation, in which all the faithful were united from the eldest to the youngest, as the heart of one man. Sharp reproofs against the flesh, and all sin, and every band

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CHAP. and tie of a carnal nature, were continually rolling like peals of thunder: and the word and testimony of eternal life, like perpetual flames of fire, sat upon each of them, until a complete victory, over the nature and practice of evil, was mutually obtained.

2, 4.

43. And as sin and confusion was removed, and every thing contrary and offensive to the pure nature of the gospel was purged out; so purity, order, and righteousness were established. Every thing that could be shaken, was shaken; and that which could neither be shaken nor moved, still remained, rooted and grounded in the foundation of eternal truth.

44. In all this work was the promise of God fulI. iv. filled, relating to the work of Christ in the latter day-" And it shall come to pass, that whosoever is left in Zion, and remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called Holy, every one written among the living in Jerusalem when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgment; and by the spirit of burning."

Mal. ii.

23.

45. "But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

46. Such in reality, was the nature, and spirit of the work, which was wrought in the Believers, and by which they were severally, mutually, and jointly prepared to stand as a united body, fitly joined together in all its corresponding parts, so as to form a pure and spiritual relation in the building of the Church. And thus from faith to faith, and from one attainment to another, there was a gradual and continual increase of unity, purity, and order, until the present order of the Church was fully established.

THE

CHAPTER XIII.

The Subject continued.

HE present gospel order of the Church was established in the year 1792, although the gathering and preparatory work began some years sooner. Most of the members of the Church at NewLebanon, were gathered in the year 1788. At which time they entered verbally into Covenant with each other, to stand as one joint community in Church relation.

2. In this Covenant they freely gave themselves and services, with all their temporal interest, for the mutual support and benefit of each other, and for other charitable uses, according to the light and revelation of God which they had received, and which was there and then, and from time to time afterwards, revealed and made known, in regard to the order and building of the Church.

3. After seven years experience, the said Covenant was committed to writing, in form, for the security of their just and natural rights, on account of those who were envious without; and for the more perfect information of all whom it might thereafter concern. -And five years after this, the Covenant was again renewed.

4. It may therefore be proper here, for the better understanding of our faith and practice, in regard to the joint union and equal rights of the Church, to state the conditions and most essential particulars of this Covenant, as they are taken from the written form of the Covenant itself: they are as follows.

5. "In the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight, the year in which most of the members of the Church were gathered, the following order and Covenant, was then, and from ❝ time to time after, made known and understood, received, and entered into, by us members of the Church, agreeable to our understanding of the or⚫der and covenant of the Church in gospel order." 6. "It then was, and still is our faith, being con

CHAP.
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