The gospel preacher Author:Benjamin Franklin Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SERMON No. II. THEME—DIVINE AUTHORITY. In this discourse I propose inquiring into the question of authority. Every government has a head, and the authority... more » is in the head. The authority of an empire is in the emperor; the authority of a kingdom is in the king; the authority of a State is in the governor; the authority in the kingdom of heaven is in the King. He is the Head of the body—the Church. When about to commission his embassadors—his ministers plenipotentiary—he said, "All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me." In view of this authority he said, "Go you, therefore, and teach all nations." The authority of our Lord came directly from the Father to him, and he gave it directly to the apostles. The Lord Jesus is the head over all things to the Church. He has, by inheritance, obtained a more excellent name than any of the angels in all the heavenly ranks; a name above every name that is named, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that he is the Lord to the glory of God. There is no other name given under heaven or among men by which we can be saved. He is the supreme—the absolute authority in the kingdom of God. There is not one particle of divine authority among men that did not come from him, either directly or indirectly, no matter whether claimed by individuals orbodies of individuals. It is certainly a matter of no little importance to examine the grounds on wMch authority is claimed from Christ. It is admitted on all hands that the apostles had authority directlj from Christ. This is not denied by any religious body. But how does any man now get authority, or on what is the Authority of any man now grounded? The prieats in jhe Papacy claim that they have a regular succession of popes, back from the present incumbent ...« less