The Holy Kiss by Uriah Smith

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 4, 1871

The Holy Kiss.

By Uriah Smith

Dr. Wm. Tuisse, in his Morality of the Fourth Commandment, speaks of this ordinance among others, showing how it was used in the primitive church. His testimony will be of interest to the readers of the REVIEW. Special attention is due the remark that as the work of Antichrist is more fully discovered, the ordinances which his wicked hands have obscured and defaced, will be restored more and more nearly to their ancient luster. The work of the Man of Sin is now seen in its enormity as never before; and the work of rescuing Bible institutions and practices from the foul heap of Romish superstitions is very fully developed. Dr. T. says:—

“Other ordinances there are almost wholly lost, or much defaced by the prevalency of Antichrist (and as he shall be more fully discovered, so they shall come nearer to the luster of their first institutions), as the holy kiss, 1 Cor. 16: 20; 2 Cor. 13: 12, which was used by the ancient Christians, either when they met one another, to manifest to the heathen (enemies of the Christian name) the singular love they bore to their fellow-Christians, and that they durst own them in the face of enemies, or it may be in public, either before or after prayer, love feasts, Lord’s supper, as a token of perfect unity, love, conjugal affection, and singleness of heart, free from all prejudice, jealousy, and malice. In Tertullian’s time, it was used among Christians. He calls it the chain of peace,” &c.

“So anointing the sick with holy oil hath a plain institution, James 5: 14, which the pope, St. Peter’s ape, hath turned into extreme unction and a sacrament. I have heard of some godly persons who have known it practiced upon some sick, with a blessing and recovery of the party.”—Id., pp. 60, 61.

EVERLASTING.

Definition by Edward Brerewood in Treatise of the Sabbath, published in 1632, p. 19.

“Everlasting is taken either absolutely, that hath no end at all, or limitedly, that hath no certain end prefixed, or known period appointed for the continuance, although in nature or divine ordinance, it hath a determined period.”

This language published two hundred and thirty-nine years ago shows that this manner of treating the word everlasting is no invention of modern times, devised for use in the present controversy on the subject of immortality.

U. S.