A “NO” THEORY

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 5, 1859

A “NO” THEORY.

THERE are some persons whose creed seems to be such that “No” can be prefixed to every important article which might be contained therein. We have heard Infidelity called a great negation—a belief in all unbelief. This theory seems to be an approximation to the same end. For instance, they believe in No-law, No-Sabbath, No-prayer, No-Spirit, No-Devil, and No-resurrection-of-the-wicked; and if you inquire for the remainder of their creed, prefix “no” to whatever you please, and you will not get very wide of the mark.

Do you see anything, reader, very attractive in this dark array of negatives? Does it seem as though the humble obedient soul, could be satisfied with such a negation of all that is good and lovely? For our own part this is not sufficient. We want something positive, instead of all negative. We want something of which we can affirm positively, It is, instead of an unsatisfactory denial, It is not. We want something on which we can walk out, as upon terra firma, and build our faith in such manner as will stand the searching test of the last day. We want something that will be food, positive, substantial nourishment, for our souls, instead of endeavoring to satisfy ourselves with blank nothingness, or to “fill our belly” with a few breezes of “east-wind” from Old Jerusalem.

There are men going about the country, whose great delight, and one of their main objects, seems to be to dissuade people from keeping the Sabbath, or if they are already keeping it, to endeavor to prevail on them to give it up, promising them liberty. 2 Pet. ii, 19. And if they succeed in this, what then? They have only torn down something, and not built up; they have only lowered the standard which the individual before had up, not raised it; they have only brought him down again upon the level where he was before.

And what of those who thus fall into their snare? Are they made better? Do they become holier, more devoted, more godly? Rather the reverse of this. What satisfaction then can they take who are instruments in such a work as this? If they take any, it must be of that malicious kind which takes pleasure in tearing down and destroying the works of others. They seem to delight in their spiritual vandalism, taking sweet satisfaction in the thought that they are doing injury to another cause, though they may be gaining nothing for their own.

Granting that the Sabbath is only a matter of probability, it may be that it is binding, and that the Lord will require it at our hand. Which then is the safer course? To be found keeping it though it should not be reqnirod of us, or to be found breaking it, since it may possibly be binding. The only reasonable way to treat such a doubt would be to keep it; for in the one case we run no risk, but in the other a most fearful one. But the Lord has not left it thus in doubt. His law is plain, and his requirements imperative.

Let us have but very little “no” prefixed to our belief. We cannot subscribe to “no law;” for we do not feel restive under moral restraint; and we trnst that every emotion of every heart that will read these lines is in unison with its just requirements; and that with Paul they can can call it holy, just and good, and with another apostle, can say that its requirements are not grievous.

We have no disposition to have “no-Sabbath” a part of our creed; for we feel the Sabbath to be a delight, the holy of the Lord, and honorable. Neither do we desire that liberty (?) which is satisfied with “no-prayer;” for prayer, public, social, and private, is the life and joy of the christian. Nor can we believe in “no-Spirit;” for it has a work to accomplish for us which we are anxious to have fulfilled—even to seal us to the day of redemption. We cannot believe in “no-Devil;” for there is such a malignant, being in existence, who is warring against the works and the subjects of God; and it is well for us to be aware of his existence, and be on our guard against his devices. As to the resurrection of the wicked, we cannot prefix “no” to that; for the word declares that all this race of probationers, of which we form a part, the wicked as well as the righteous, the unjust as well as the just, shall give account for the deeds done in the body. Let us so live that we may be able to render up ours with joy and not with grief.