p. 109 | Appeal to the Bible

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 21, 1871

Appeal to the Bible.

Not long since, a Roman archbishop in Chili gave the following counsel to his flock:

“When any Protestant,” said he to the faithful, “offers you a book of devotion and exalts the Bible to the stars, at the same time opposing the true faith and Christian practices, on the ground that they are without Scripture warrant, tell him to point out in his Bible where infant baptism is enjoined by precept or example a THING WHICH THEY PRACTICE AS WELL AS WE.”

“—And he might have added—Tell them to point out the passage which speaks of immortal souls. We remember how lame Dr. Cumming was in his discussion with Mr. French on Romanism on these points. They were almost the only points in which his adversary had the advantage of him. Shall we who accept the Bible for our rule of faith, believe and teach what we fail to find in it? If we may, the Romanist may do the same, and the pope be right after all.”—Advent Christian Times.

“—And he might have added further—Tell them to point out the passage which commands them to keep Sunday for the Sabbath, “a thing which they practice as well as we.” And this they have done, more than once, to the great discomfiture of those who were called to meet the issue. It is pitiable to see Protestants allow their prejudices to goad them on in the observance and defense of an institution which can show no other claim to our regard except that the papal church is its mother and paganism its father. “Shall we who accept the Bible?” &c.