Present Truth by J. Clarke

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 10, 1866

Present Truth.

By J. Clarke

Many scorn the idea of present truth in spiritual things. They argue that there is no such thing as a present truth, but all truth is equally applicable, and that the great leading truths of the Bible are all as prominent relatively to each other at one time as another.

In temporal things they reason differently. In spring, the farmer sows and plants the seed, and in autumn he harvests the crop. There is summer work, and winter work. There is employment for every day and season; and no man would think of persuading the husbandman to sow his wheat in June, or to reap the crop in January; neither would he prepare his winter's wood in July, or gather winter fruits in May. To everything there is a time and a season, says the man of the world.

The merchant in like manner provides himself with goods for the season; and his shelves tell plainly to all of approaching frosts, and wintry storms, or of coming summer in its mildness and beauty.

Why not so in spiritual things? Shall not the household steward prepare meat in due season? Shall he not provide proper food for the household? Shall he not have regard to the time and circumstances?

At different periods in the world's history different errors hold the sway, and truth must, at each period, draw from the armory of Heaven armor suitable for the warfare; and for the nourishment of the church suitable food must be provided, as different circumstances demand.

In the time of the Reformation, the world had been deluded by a church, which made salvation attainable through set forms and ceremonies; and faith had been either forgotten or overlooked. The times called for reformers who would show the necessity of faith, without which all outward forms are dead and lifeless. Such reformers arose, and a great work was effected. That doctrine of faith has been preached and owned of God. Within the last century the same doctrine of faith as essential to salvation has been carried to such an extreme that the commands of God are some of them entirely overlooked and forgotten, just as faith had been ignored by the papal church previous to the Reformation. And what is most painful to think of, the Protestant churches are now carrying out their ideas of faith, to the destruction of morality, just as Rome urged her forms to the destruction of faith, and the vitality of Christianity.

Now reformers who urge works, and the keeping of the commandments of God, are at work in harmony with Luther, who urged faith as a great requisite to Christianity. Why? Because he combatted one error, and the present reformers combat an opposite error; but our reformers are with Luther, for they have, too, the faith of Jesus. Were those reformers of the sixteenth century now on the stage of action, they would help to repair the gaps which error has made since they labored in behalf of truth, three hundred years ago. They would preach truths applicable to the wants of the present age.

J. CLARKE.