“History of the Doctrine of the Immortality of the Soul.”
By Roswell F. Cottrell
I HAVE just finished reading this pamphlet, and think it a very interesting work. Those who would like to learn how it was that the great apostasy was effected, how it was that heathen fables took the place and the name of Christian doctrine, and led to the confusion that now exists in the nominally Christian world, will be interested and instructed by reading this work. They will here see how the pure banner of heavenly truth was lowered in order to bring into the church the worldly wise, who preferred the doctrines of Plato and other so-called philosophers to the doctrine of Christ, and only received Christianity in name, while they still clung to the foolish fables and blind philosophy of their pagan ancestors. And when we have learned the downward tendency of blind and sinful humanity; how, instead of being elevated by the pure and ennobling principles of divine revelation, it loved darkness rather than light, and proudly placed its own wisdom above the wisdom of God; perhaps we may cease in a measure to wonder how difficult it is to reform men at the present day. Some wonder, if truth is truth, why it has not been discovered before. But when we consider how soon the pure gospel truth was covered up by the rubbish of heathenism, we may well calculate that reformation will be up-hill work all the way. And our experience in the last message of the reformation may teach us in this respect, and satisfy us that the work of God, for the present generation, could never be accomplished without the gift of prophecy in the church. It is not because the Bible is not a clear and harmonious revelation of truth, but because men will interpret it so as to suit their own theories. And as long as they do this, revelation is no revelation to them. As long as they give a mystical interpretation to the Scriptures, they might better be without them; for without revelation they might hold their favorite theories and not lay its Author in the lie. As it was in the early centuries of the Christian church, so it is now. As pagans then would receive Christianity only on the condition that they might rob it of its distinguishing characteristics, drag it down to a level with the wisdom of those who by wisdom knew not God, and, in a word, paganize it; so we have seen plenty of men who would receive the third angel’s message, provided they could correct its faults by their own false notions and perverse interpretations, cast out those whom God has chosen to lead, in short, rob it of its divinity, that is, of all that distinguishes it as a message from Heaven. Men do not like to submit to authority. They may be a little delicate about openly and boldly rebelling against God. Therefore if they can drag down and humanize that which comes from Heaven—if they can find fault with his messengers—then they feel free to trample them under foot, and, with them, the heavenly truth which they bear. Saul of Tarsus supposed he was only warring against men like himself, while he persecuted the followers of Jesus; but the voice to him from Heaven was, Why persecutest thou Me? He was putting the Son of God to death, in the person of his disciples. So these are crucifying the Heaven-sent message in the person of those whom God has chosen to bear it. They fancy they are only wrestling against flesh and blood; but they are really warring against God and his truth. Rebellion is seductive, like the sin of witchcraft. I may have wandered from the point. But let those who would learn a lesson in regard to humanity from its history in the past, read the book mentioned at the head of this article. It costs only twenty-five cents. And let all beware of dragging down heavenly truth and exalting degraded humanity above it.