p. 13 | Venerable Words by Uriah Smith

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 27, 1871

Venerable Words.

By Uriah Smith

The following extract we take from a work entitled, “The Morality of the Fourth Commandment,” issued in A. D. 1652. The date at which these thoughts were published, entitles them to the appellation of Venerable Words. But they state a truth which is more venerable still, even as old as the world itself. Long custom and old tradition—with what chains they bind the minds of men! Custom—how it arrays itself in the garb of conscience and passes itself off as that monitor of men’s hearts. And these two are almost invariably arrayed against the truth, and cause error to be received for truth. If ever there was an age of the world in which these facts should be borne in mind, and men should guard themselves against suffering their reason to be controlled by these influences, it is the present. We need not remark further. The reader will be interested in the extract, and will be able to make the application for himself:

“Long custom and old tradition, strengthened with the wit and learning of men, doth so far prevail as to give credit and authority to error to be generally received for truth; and the tenure that most hold their practices in religion by, is not so much Scripture, the rule and guide of conscience, as custom and example, so as custom is oft turned into, and pleaded for as conscience. We should not wonder at the prejudices men take at truth; the greatest professors of it, have sometimes been the greatest opposers and most ignorant of it. Who studied the Messias more in prophecies, seemed more to long for his coming than the learned scribes and Pharisees with the high priests and Rabbins? Yet when he comes, they despise him, see no form nor beauty in him; account him a deceiver of the people; one possessed with the devil; hate him, persecute him, crucify him, imbrue their hearts and hands in his blood. One would have thought, of all others, they would have been most unlike to have acted that tragedy. Certain devout persons, Acts 13:50, were the greatest enemies to Paul. The greatest pretenders formerly to church discipline and reformation were the greatest enemies to it.”

The same writer seems to look into the future with almost prophetic foresight. Truly glorious times have come for the discovery of truth since then, and distinguishing truths have been developed to try the obedience, love, and patience, of the saints, and to test the world. And with what keen discernment he lays open the design and work of the enemy at such times, to flood the world with error just as some new truth of God is coming forth, and so bewilder the minds of men that they shall either not discern the truth, or be afraid to receive it. Verily the effort of the enemy to now deceive the world with innumerable and unwonted errors, means something. The writer says:—

“Experience tells us that to every age God hath designed some distinguishing truth to try the obedience, love, and patience, of his saints, and for the world to stumble at. We are now upon the border of the most glorious times, for discovery of truth, and for the pouring out of the Spirit; we had need have our eyes about us and be circumspect and watchful against rejecting truth, as well as embracing error; that Satan invents such varieties of errors in these days, it argues some truths are near the birth, which he would deal withal, as Pharaoh and Herod with the Hebrew children, endeavoring to stifle them in the birth, many being so astonished and amused that they sit down with what the most profess, fearing all beyond that to be heresy; we should be equally as free to truth as fearful of error. To be hide-bound to truth is as bad, if not worse, than to be catching of error. Let every truth have its full value and place.”—Id., p. 5.

“Look not what truth is of most note in the world, but what is owned by Scripture; what agrees not with it, omnibus numeris [in all particulars], is false and crooked. The Scripture is God’s oracle, truth’s chair of state; there we must consult her, and nowhere else. And how infinitely are we beholden to the mercy and grace of God that when there is but one only certain rule in all the world, God doth so far condescend to our weakness as to make it plain and easy in all practical points.”—Id., p. 6.

This is a point calculated to excite our highest admiration and gratitude. There is no doctrine of the word of God touching our practice, but is so plain, that there is scarcely room to err therein. Men often work hard to get around the truth, but that is their own fault; and their labor is caused by their unwillingness to yield to the plain requirements of the word. And on no such point can the most presumptuous skeptic show, with all his claims of errors and adulterations in the Holy Scriptures, that the word of God has been changed so as to affect in the least degree our practice.

THE NUMBER SEVEN.

“The Hebrew root for seven, signifies fullness, perfection; and the Jews held many mysteries to be in the number seven: So John in his Apocalypse useth much that number. As, seven churches, seven stars, seven spirits, seven candlesticks, seven angels, seven seals, seven trumpets; and we no sooner meet with a seventh day, but it is blessed; no sooner with a seventh man Enoch, but he is translated.”—Id., p. 9.

We have often met with remarks on the use of the number seven, in the Scriptures, but do not remember to have ever met with anything more pointed and concise than the above, carrying it out to the seventh day and the seventh man.

U. S.