Reflections on Truth

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 2, 1873

Reflections on Truth.

ONE of the Iowa tents has been pitched in Marengo, Iowa Co., this season, and the editor of the Marengo Republican, noticing the lectures, indulges in some reflections on truth, which are interesting, to say the least of them. His article follows:—

“The tent-man’s lectures in our city have been well attended. Inquiry has been made into the various interpretations of the Scriptures. Many have read for themselves that heretofore trusted generally to others. Bibles have been drawn from their obscure hiding places and the dust completely knocked off, and their bright pages, when properly read, flashed truth into the soul, where darkness too long brooded over the chaotic world. We have no fear of error when truth is left free to combat it. Let them grapple. This world is only kept together by the truth. Yet we doubt if absolute truth would be compatible with the existence of any society on earth. Pure truth, like pure gold, has been (thus far, at least, in our world’s history) unfit for circulation. Men have universally found that it was much easier to corrupt truth than to refine themselves. They will not advance their minds to the standard, therefore, they will lower the standard to their minds. But truth becomes more safe and practicable the nearer we approach perfection. No bad man ever wished that his bosom was made of glass so that others could see his thoughts. Men think it dangerous to follow truth too closely, lest she kick out their front teeth. In a perfect state of society it should be the animating principle of thoughts, words, or actions. But as we are now, could we keep together for a single year? Would not perfect truth become as imperfect to our imperfect minds, as perfect day, to our imperfect vision? What a pulling of caps by one party, and pulling of triggers by the other. The whole world would seem to have put on a mask, simply because it had taken one off. Ponderous volumes would be diminished to pamphlets, authors would be restricted to what is true, critics precluded from what is false. No enthusiast would believe what he cannot explain, or imposter explain what he does not believe. Men would be compelled to alter such a state of society, or change themselves.”