The system which denies the existence of a responsible church, even from the Day of Pentecost, upon earth, because, according to the Divine counsels, the Church will not in truth be gathered together in one, safe in the heavens, at the end, is false and absurd. 'Tis false; because Timothy had to be instructed how to conduct himself in the Church of God; certainly this referred not to the Church assembled in heaven. And the body of: Christ increased (Eph. 4) by joints and bands, etc.; and certainly this is not in heaven. 'Tis absurd; because no one dreams of corruptions in the heavens; and the reasoning of every man of sense, and of the Bible, is occupied with the Church upon earth.
But, alas! the errors which crept in among true Christians (Gal. 4:1111I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain. (Galatians 4:11) and 20) were such, that Paul, for a moment, stood in doubt of those who had adopted them. 'Tis true, also, that there is corruption now in the Church; for the sins and errors of the beginning have gone on augmenting, although God has often raised up in the midst thereof special light and testimony.