The True Doctrine of the Bible
By S. Woodhull
DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS:—With pleasure I write a few lines concerning the faith we profess. We still hold on to the commandments, and are trying to keep them, regardless of the scoffs of the children of the Beast. No sooner does a child of God come out on the broad platform of Apostolic truth, and begin to "restore the old paths," than some of the professed ministers, and disciples of Christ cry out in the language of Scripture: Be not carried about by every wind of doctrine. Now I have been looking at this wind of doctrine, to see upon whose head the judgments of following "wind of doctrine" will fall. The whole matter is summed in a very few words. They will fall on those who have left the Gospel of Christ and his apostles. I, for one, feel willing to step close up to the great rule, and if I am too short or too long, let me be fitted accordingly. Who has the true doctrine? We say that Christ's coming is near, even at the doors. We say that the signs of his coming show that it is near. The working of Satan through spirit mediums show that it is near; and another prominent sign is the united opposition of the world and church to his coming, and their fallen condition in consequence of their rejection of the truth. I ask, who has the true doctrine of the Bible?—Let the rule, or Bible itself, answer: "But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matt. xxiv, 48–51. By these texts it is clear who have the truth. The popular churches teach that there will be a thousand years Millennium before Jesus comes, and all, through their agency and instrumentality. But who did they get their agency from? If from God, then their doctrine is in the Bible. But as it can't be found, not even a shadow of it, we must conclude that it is a doctrine of the devil, or else one of their own make. In either case we want nothing to do with it. In my estimation, the doctrine of a Millennium, as taught by the great mass of professing Christians, is a damnable heresy; for as I understand it, it is equivalent to saying, Where is the promise of his coming? and they say all things shall continue and grow better and better for one thousand years. But the Bible says, "the wheat and the tares shall grow together until the harvest." "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." It is damnable because it works in the same harness with the evil spirits. That is, it teaches the same doctrine; and we believe that these spirits "are the spirits of devils, working miracles," as brought to view in Rev. xvi, 14. We believe that the earth is to be restored to its primitive state of holiness and beauty, and that the meek shall inherit it in all its loveliness. Glory, and honor, and power, be unto our God who has given us such views of the future. This world looks very gloomy when compared with the inheritance that God has in reserve for those who love him, and keep his commandments. We rejoice in prospect of being permitted to live in the earth made new. "O when shall come the moment,
When brighter far than morn,
The sunshine of thy glory,
Shall on thy people dawn." Blessed be God that that glory is about to burst upon his people; then we shall spend a thousand years with Jesus—free from a tempting devil, until the time comes for the earth to be cleansed and given to the saints of the Most High. Because we are keeping God's holy day, on which he "rested from all his work," and are trying to so live that we may escape those things that are coming on the earth, and because we believe that the first and second angels of Rev. xiv, 6–8, have given their messages to the world, and that the third is now being given—for these views we are scoffed at, and they say it is a "wind of doctrine," and then try to draw our minds away from the truth, without ever once looking into the scriptures to see if these things are so. The coming of the Lord, the establishment of his everlasting kingdom, the restoration of the earth as the inheritance of the saints, have been preached by God's messengers, and men have rejected them, and God has withdrawn his Spirit from them, and has suffered them to go to sleep, upon the very verge of the opening scenes of the future world. But thanks be to God who has preserved a little remnant, who have kept awake; and O may we become more and more awake, and more alarmed, than we have ever been, that when the "covering shall be drawn over God's people," we may all be found to have the seal of the living God in our foreheads. O then we shall mount up free from the shackles that now bind us to earth. How easy then to shout, glory! We feel as though we wanted a deeper work of God wrought in us, that we may be able to give more glory to God, and be better prepared to stand the buffetings of satan, and the cruel mockings of the wicked. Those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, will have a "hard row to hoe," as the saying is, up to the time of the coming of our Saviour. This we may expect and prepare ourselves to meet; for Jesus said, through much tribulation shall ye enter the kingdom. The world is to hate us, if we are the Lord's. It can't help but do it; for it is led captive by satan at his will, and he has no sympathy with Christ or his followers. We have great need of encouragement and help from each other in this trying time. Our numbers are few, scattered in different parts of the country. We feel that we are growing firmer in the present truth, and our prayer is, that God would give us more patience, more faith, and more of his Holy Spirit, that we may be able to stand against all the wiles of the adversary. We talk these truths to our neighbors: some acknowledge it to be truth, but none, as yet, feel willing to make the proper sacrifice. We desire to leave them with the Lord, and trust in him to make his word quicker and sharper than any two-edged sword. It gives us encouragement to hear from those of like precious faith. It would rejoice our hearts to see you; and we trust, if we are faithful, we shall soon be permitted to meet in the kingdom of God. We beg an interest in your prayers, that we may be strengthened and filled with the Spirit. Yours in the truth, S. WOODHULL.
Olcott, N. Y., Oct. 1853.