No, reader, it is of no possible use to stand against the plain testimony of Scripture. The truth of the Church was not--could not--be known in Old Testament times. It was, as the inspired apostle tells us, "hid in God"--hid in His eternal counsels--"not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit,[3] that the Gentiles should be _fellow-heirs_, and of _the same body_, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel." (Eph. iii.) [3] The "prophets," in this passage, are those of the New Testament. This is evident from the expression, "_Now revealed_." He could not speak of a thing being "now revealed" to men who had been dead for hundreds of years. Besides, had the apostle meant Old Testament prophets, the order would assuredly have been "Prophets and apostles." We have a similar expression in Eph. ii. 20: "Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets." He does not say, "prophets and apostles." The truth is that the apostles and prophets formed the first layer of the foundation of the Church of which Jesus Christ is the chief Corner-stone; and this is an additional proof that the Church had no existence save in the secret counsels of God until our Lord Christ, having accomplished the work of redemption, ascended into the heavens, and sent down the Holy Ghost to baptize believers--Jews and Gentiles--into one body. The reader may also refer with real profit and interest to Rom. xvi. 25, 26: "Now to Him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to _the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began_, but _now is made manifest_, and by the scriptures of the prophets (literally, by the prophetic writings, that is, of the New Testament), according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith."