6. Authority from God Needful.--We are informed in the scriptures, that the Lord wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul, whom he had called to be his servant. The sick were healed, and evil spirits were cast out of those who were possessed. "Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you, by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons, of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of the house, naked and wounded."--(Acts xix: 13-16). These men presumptuously took it upon themselves to act as those who had authority, and the result was that not even the devils would respect their administrations, much less the Lord. There is a principle of great moment associated with this incident. The question is, if these men, when acting without authority from God could not drive out an evil spirit, would their administration be of force, or have any virtue in it, had they administered in some other ordinance of the gospel, say baptism for the remission of sins, or the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost? Manifestly it would not. Hence we come to the conclusion, so well expressed in one of our articles of faith: "A man must be called of God by prophecy and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority to preach the gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof."--"The Gospel"--Roberts. {102} REVIEW. 1. What two great purposes were contemplated in Messiah's mission? 2. Relate the fall of man and its consequences. 3. What is general salvation? 4. How do you prove that there will be a general salvation? 5. Why is redemption from Adam's transgression unconditional? (Notes 1 to 4). 6. How are the claims of justice and mercy balanced in the atonement? 7. Was Messiah's atonement voluntary? 8. What can you say of the love of God as it appears in the atonement? 9. What is meant by individual salvation? 10. In what does it differ from general salvation? 11. By what consideration does mercy mitigate the claims of justice in the plan of redemption? 12. What are the conditions of salvation? (Note 6). 13. For what several purposes did Messiah institute his church? 14. Why is it that the description of the Church of Christ is so imperfect in the New Testament? 15. Enumerate the powers granted to the Twelve. 16. What other officers did Jesus call to the ministry upon whom he bestowed similar powers? 17. What other officers were appointed in the church? 18. Give Paul's description of the church. 19. State the particular objects to be accomplished by the church organization. 20. What reasons can you give for believing that the church as organized by Messiah is to be perpetuated?