The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 182

;

THE APOSTOLATE

142 of Life

by the apostles themselves. And inasmuch as Rome established not by the preaching of the Word, but by the sacra-

this fellowship

mental

sign, it is in direct opposition to the apostolic doctrine.

However, from this it follows not that Rome errs in the fundamental thought, viz., that every child of God must exercise communion with the Father and the Son through the apostolate ; on the contrary, this is St. John's positive claim.

apparent conflict also written:

limited to the

lies in the fact that

i.e.,

their declaration of the

little circle

of the

The

solution of this

they have not only spoken, but

men

that

Word

of Life

happened

was not them

to hear

;

on the contrary, by writing they have put their preaching into real and enduring forms they have sent it out to all lands and nations that, as the genuine, ecumenic apostles they might bring the testimony of the Life which was manifested to all the elect of God in all lands and throughout the ages. Hence even now the apostles are preaching the living Christ in the churches. Their persons have departed, but their personal testimony remains. And that personal testimony, which as an apostolic document has come to every soul in every land and in every age, is the very testimony which even now is the instrument ;

in the

hand

of the

Holy

Spirit to translate souls into the fellowship

of the Life Eternal.

And

one says, " Surely in this sense their word is still effective however, it results no longer in fellowship with the apostles, and by means of this fellowship with Christ, but it points us directly to the Savior of our souls, which is a more simple way," then we oppose this unscriptural notion most energetically. Such reasoning ignores the body of Christ and overlooks the great fact of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. There is not the saving of a few individual souls, but a bringing together of the body of Christ; and into that body every one that is called must be incorporated. And inasmuch as the King of the Church gives His Spirit now not to separate persons, but exclusively to them that are incorporated, and the inflowing of the Holy Spirit into this body, and principally in the persons of the apostles, took place on Pentecost, therefore no one can receive at the present time any spiritual gift or influence of the Holy Spirit unless he stands in vital connection with the body of the Lord and that body is unthinkable without the apostles. if

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