THE following communication is from an esteemed friend. We give it entire, in a form most convenient for our reply.
M. H. "Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light unto my path." Such was the language of the Psalmist. It is known to all that the use of a lamp or candle is to enlighten or to give light. But in order to receive any benefit from the lamp, its rays must reach us. So it is with the lamp of the word; we must possess a teachable spirit in order to be benefited by its light. We must be willing to believe and embrace whatever it teaches, regardless of our pre-conceived ideas of truth."
REPLY. With the above we fully agree, and would rejoice to see such sentiments written upon the hearts of all professing to be Bible Christians. How true the remark, "In order to receive any benefit from the lamp, its rays must reach us." Many see much light at a distance in the future, but little where they now walk. The mind and interest is taken from present truth and present duty, to dwell upon the future age. Says David, "Thy word is a lamp to my feet." As a burning-lamp to our feet, God's word shines the brightest always on our present position. And it is Satan's object to attract the mind to some false light in the future, and cause us while running after that, to stumble and fall. The sad experience of hundreds who have embraced what is called the age to come, to the rejection of the present truth verifies the above.
M. H. "Why has the church fallen into so many errors since the days of the apostles? Is it not because she has not walked in the light of the word? Surely it is not because the Bible or its Author changes. No, they are alike unchangeable. But frail, erring mortals, refuse to be guided by its light, seeking for counsel to other sources for light and wisdom. Are we even now walking in this light? It is to be feared that many of us are unshrouded in error's night, and why is this but because we do not search the Scriptures? And if we do, is it not rather to seek for proof to substantiate our peculiar theories, than to find what they teach? I fear it is even so. Brother, friend, is not this fully unbecoming the follower of Christ? He has commanded us to 'search the scriptures.'"
REPLY. We do well to go back to the days of the apostles, and learn from those who received the gospel from Christ in its simplicity and purity. Learn from the teachings and acts of the apostles, then come along down through the history of the church, and we may learn the causes why so many errors have come into the church. If the Word had been preached, as the apostles preached it, and obeyed, as the apostolic church obeyed it, there errors would have been kept out. And mark the means employed in the correction and guidance of Christ's earliest witnesses. They were not left alone with the written word, without the Holy Spirit, and the gifts. Campbellism was not known among them.
The "mystery of iniquity" began to work in the church in Paul's day. It finally crowded out the simplicity149of the gospel, and corrupted the doctrine of Christ, and the church went into the wilderness. Martin Luther, and other reformers, arose in the strength of God, and with the Word and Spirit, made mighty strides in the Reformation. The greatest fault we can find in the Reformation is, the Reformers stopped reforming. Had they gone on, and onward, till they had left the last vestige of Papacy behind, such as natural immortality, sprinkling, the trinity, and Sunday-keeping, the church would now be free from her unscriptural errors.
But will the letter of the Word alone, do this work? Look at the sect called Campbellites, who have selected the lovely name of Disciples, and who profess to follow the Word most strictly, but reject the influence of the Holy Spirit and the gifts. They have the truth on many points, but perhaps no class are farther from the truth in regard to the Law of God, or who possess a spirit more unworthy the name, Disciple, (learner,) than they. They boast of their knowledge of Bible truth, and are puffed up, as if they had reached the very summit of divine truth.
Look at the different classes of those who receive the title of Adventists. Perhaps no people have ever arisen who have been more cut off from man's wisdom than they. But losing the spirit of their mission and work, and rejecting, instead of seeking to restore, the gifts, they have been left to follow human reason in searching the Word, and it is a fact that there is more confusion of sentiment among them, more of Babylon, than in any other sect under heaven. We have the course of these before us, and the result of their course thus far. What have we to hope for the result of such a course in the future? As we have looked at these, and seen their case growing more and more hopeless, we have become discouraged for them. As far as they adhere to the Word, we bid them God speed. Without the Word we are all lost. But to reject the gifts and the teachings of the Holy Spirit, it is to reject a portion of the Word, put out our light, and call down the frown of Him who set them in the church. Such remind us of those "virgins which took their lamps (the Word) and took no oil with them. Matt. xxv.
The means that Heaven devised for the unity of the church, and for her purity in life and doctrine, are ample. If they had been complied with, the church would have remained pure. We give one testimony to the point, and shall refer to others.
"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." Eph. iv, 11-16.
God has set gifts in the Gospel Church, [Mark xvi, 15-20; Acts ii, 1-4; 1 Cor. xii, 27-31; Eph. iv, 11-16.] and there is not a shade of scripture proof that they were given for a limited period in the gospel age, to be removed; but otherwise, they were given for the perfecting of the saints, [Eph. iv.] and were to remain till the Church should be perfected. And more, the prophecy of Joel, quoted by Peter, [Joel ii, 28-32; Acts ii, 1-22,] furnishes sufficient grounds for faith that in the "last days the gifts will be restored to a living, pure church, who share the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit.
M. H. "Many are the false steps that we as a people have taken. And why is it but because we have been following other teachers, and departing from the simple teachings of the word. Are there not now many of us advocating theories that are not taught in the Bible? Yes, theories which are contrary to sound doctrine. See with what tenacity we advocated 6 o'clock as the time to commence the day. Was it because the Bible taught it? And are we not advocating other theories which are as contrary to the light of the lamp as that was? I fear so. Some of the brethren are, I fear, walking in paths which are not lighted by the lamp of truth."
REPLY. It is doubtless true that some have taken many false steps, and continue to do so, and will have to retrace them sooner or later; but that this is the case with us as a people, we do not believe. We believe that as a general thing, our brethren have embraced the truth for the truth's sake. The REVIEW and its friends have never claimed infallibility; but have had, and still have, unbounded confidence in the work of God, under the third message, and that whatever errors the body might have, God would in his own time correct.
That some are 'departing from the simple teachings of the Word,' in regard to our present position and present duty, and are forming theories of the future upon unfulfilled prophecies, is true. But that the body have in any way left the plain teachings of the Holy Scriptures is not true. Never were the Holy Scriptures prized by the remnant as now. When the Bible testimony for commencing the day at sunset was presented in as clear light as other subjects have been presented in the REVIEW they gladly embraced it. And we believe they would change on other points of their faith if they could see good reason to do so from the Scriptures. But to change for the sake of having something new, or fall under an excitement, gotten up by prejudice, and act more from humor than reason and religion, and change views hastily on fundamental truth, and turn a complete religious summerset, we would not recommend any one to do. It reminds us of Jude's illustration of certain ones: 'Clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars,' &c.
But who have 'tenaciously advocated 6 o'clock as the time to commence the day?' Bro. Bates presented the strength of evidence for 6 o'clock at an early date, and the few then keeping the Sabbath conscientiously embraced it, as the best light they had on the subject. It was published in the REVIEW. We think that but two persons have ever advocated 6 o'clock time in the REVIEW, they occupying but little space. However true this may be of some, it is not true in regard to the REVIEW. We never viewed the question settled by plain testimony as other subjects have been in the REVIEW, therefore have been silent. The subject troubled us, but we acted on the principle to hold on to our present position, till we could see a better one.
The communications received on the subject advocated both sun-set and sun-rise time, both being urged with sanguine assertions, and no testimony offered as proof but what could be met with serious objections.
While the majority in the East have observed 6 o'clock time, Bro. R. F. Cottrell and others have observed sun time. The Publisher of our Chart, and many others who were first in the Message, have been unsettled on the question. And till of late, it has been regarded as a difficult point to settle. The brethren West have generally been with us on this question. Eld. D. P. Hall told us about a year since when we were with him in Penn., that he had preached to the church at Eldorado, Wis., and found no difficulty in convincing them that 6 o'clock time was right. The recent remark of J. M. S. that brethren West have differed with brethren East on this point gives a false impression.
We have all reason for humble gratitude that the clear light has come out on this subject. Those who have walked according to their best light, are worthy of praise rather than censure; and those who have been unsettled, but have patiently waited till the subject is made so clear that all can move on in union, have acted an admirable part. But he who would make capital to himself out of this matter, and try to raise himself up, by pulling down others, must be regarded as a religious bigot.
We take this opportunity to express our views, not designing our plain remarks to apply especially to our worthy correspondent, whom we regard as laboring under prejudicial influences. For want of room we are obliged to divide the article and give the remainder next week. J. W.