Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

150 THE SECOND MAN VERIFIED IN HISTORY.of Pentecost, the root-of perpetual mission fromwhich the heralds derive their commission; theyare sent, they proclaim, they are heard, they arebelieved, and this faith opens the door for the admissionof subjects into the kingdom, according tothe law which they proclaim. Thus are describedo us at some length the acts of that wise master-builder whose words we have just cited; butthough he laboured more abundantly than all,all acted after the same manner. The Churchwas founded by personal teaching, of which theliving word was the instrument, and the wholetruth which was thus communicated was termedthe Tradition32 or Delivery.We now come to the second step. Beforethe Apostles were taken to their reward, the sameSpirit, who had instructed them that they wereto found the spiritual kingdom by means of theliving word, inspired them to commit to writinga portion of that great tradition which they hadalready taught by mouth.33 But they never deliveredthese writings to men not already Chris-3- ?) 7rapa5o