The Testimonies of the Early Fathers.
By S. N. Haskell
COULD we bring vividly before our minds the true state of things as they existed in the days of the apostles, and the days immediately following, we should have no confidence in appealing to the early fathers to sustain any doctrine which is not fully established in the inspired word of God. When we step outside of the books that are inspired, to prove a doctrine, we are at the mercy of every dreamer. The apostle warns the church concerning days which should follow his departure. “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” Acts 20:29, 30. Hence right in their midst they would find men “speaking perverse things,” that they, with feigned words, might make merchandise of them. He furthermore states concerning the rise of the papacy that “the mystery of iniquity doth already work.” 2 Thess. 2:7. There were many vain talkers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcision, subverting whole houses, and teaching things which they ought not. They were not sound in the faith. Titus 1:10–14. The result of this state of things was, that there were divisions among them. And the apostle declares, “There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest.” 1 Cor. 11:19. Unless God had seen fit in his all-wise providence to give an inspired history of the church for a certain length of time, as he has in the book of Acts, and a history of Christ, as he has by the four evangelists, and a system of doctrine, as he has by the epistles, we should be left wholly in the dark as far as arriving at any direct conclusions concerning the truth in these times is concerned. Perhaps were we to imagine a history of the doctrine of the fathers of the nineteenth century handed down to future generations, we might from this standpoint form an idea how it was in the early history of the church. There would be an awful mixture. There are some hundreds of different denominational sects, while contradictory doctrines are as numerous as the locusts of Egypt. And all believe they have the truth. Who from this heterogeneous mass of error could tell what was truth? It is equally inconsistent to suppose we can learn the truth from any doctrine by appealing to the early Christian fathers as given in profane history. It was in view of this state of affairs that Mr. Bower wrote: “To avoid being imposed upon, we ought to treat tradition as we do a notorious and known liar, to whom we give no credit unless what he says is confirmed to us by some person of undoubted veracity.” Hist. of Popes, Vol. I., p. 1. Men appeal to the fathers for the first-day Sabbath; and why? Simply because the Bible does not furnish proof. This is very unwise. These fathers God would have us believe he has inspired to write, and their testimony has come to us uncorrupted with error, and we call it the Bible. To this we appeal. If it is truth we want, then let us go to those fathers whom God inspired to write. But if it is simply testimony in favor of the first-day Sabbath that is wanted, ten thousand living fathers can be brought forward without delay that will testify to that. But what will their testimony amount to in the day of Judgment if not found in harmony with the law of God. The papists in the days of the Reformation cried, “The fathers, the fathers.” Luther cried, “The Bible, the Bible.” To this we say, Amen. South Boston, Oct. 24, 1871.