Letter from Bro. Griswold.
By S. S. Griswold
MESSRS. EDITORS, Dear Brethren: In availing myself of your very kind permission to write a few articles for publication in your paper; permit me to express my appreciation of the privilege thus granted, and especially as the views I shall set forth will probably not be in accordance with the views so ably promulgated by your paper. It is a noble example set by you, of that liberality which ought to obtain among all Christian periodicals, but which, it is to be regretted, is often not practiced. What is truth? should be the inquiry of all men, but especially of Christian men; and yet, this godlike inquiry is often held in abeyance to creeds and sectarian shibboleths. It is however of great importance that both sides of all great questions should be fairly set before the minds of the readers of all periodicals; for there is much liability of our being so biased or prejudiced in favor of our peculiar views, as not to give the opposite views a just consideration. Therefore, every seeker after truth should carefully examine the cons as well as the pros of his views. Continued thought and patient investigation are necessary to discover truth, and especially the higher truths of being. For all truth does not lie upon the surface. Many truths lie deep in the language used to set them forth. For while language is a medium or vehicle of truth, yet language often fails to convey the true idea of truth. The letter of all languages may kill, while the spirit may give life. For as the universe is a duality, including both a natural and a spiritual element or condition, so all languages possess a corresponding duality, a natural and a spiritual meaning. The Bible being revelations from spiritual beings of spiritual truths and facts, in order to a correct understanding of those truths and facts, it is necessary for the mind to conceive spiritual ideas of things. To ignore this, is to set aside the principles on which all language is founded. For all language has a spiritual as well as a natural meaning. Without such a spiritual meaning of language there can be no expression we can give of God or angels, and it may be questioned whether we can even conceive the idea of a God. It was the ignoring of the spiritual meaning of language that led the Jews to reject their Messiah, and it is a similar ignoring of the same thing that is now leading so many to accept the materialism of the Second Advent, the Soul Sleeping, Annihilationism, and Resurrection of the flesh. Painful therefore, as it ever is to a generous mind to differ from those whom we love in the Lord, and still more painful as it may be to encounter such in defence of truth, yet, no unnecessary tenderness should hinder from ever defending the truth. While therefore, I enter upon the inquiry and examination with diffidence, I hope to set forth my views in no offensive manner, but to so elevate the propositions as to at least awaken inquiry if not to convince. In my next article I shall commence examining the first proposition: “Do the Scriptures teach the doctrine of the personal advent of Christ, or his bodily return to our earth, and if so, that such advent is near at hand?”