Is It Correct? by Uriah Smith

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 26, 1864

Is It Correct?

By Uriah Smith

Mr. Uriah Smith: I wish to say a few words concerning an article which appeared in Review No. 15, Vol. xx, headed, The Seal of the Living God, and signed U. S. I wrote you a letter some five or six weeks ago, I should think, in which I called your attention to the same; but as I have not heard from you in regard to that subject, permit me to call your attention to that article again.

I wish to call your attention to one incorrect statement in said article. It is this: "4. That in the fourth commandment, and there only, the Father's name is found." Now the statement that the Father's name is found only in the fourth commandment, is untrue, as you may see by reading the ten commandments; and even the writer contradicts himself, as he says in a former part of the article, "The word, God, occurs in the first three" (commandments). It does also occur in the fifth commandment.

Thus you may see that the statement that in the fourth commandment, and there only, the Father's name is found, is untrue. And I wish that error might be corrected, as it is likely to do much hurt as it now stands. I received a letter from a man of influence in the State of Maine, in which he called my attention to the above statement—the statement that in the fourth commandment, and there only, the Father's name is found—saying that it is false. And I could not deny it, nor disprove it; for I thought so myself. Therefore I do most earnestly desire that the above-mentioned error may be corrected through the columns of the Review.

Lyman L. Loomis.

Stowe, Vt.

Remarks. There are some peculiar features about the above communication, which show themselves at first sight.

1. It is a little singular that so palpable an error as that which is referred to, is claimed to be, should be suffered to rest in peace and quiet for more than a year, before being called in question.

2. It is a little singular that that "man of influence" in Maine should be writing to Mr. Loomis on this subject. If he detected, or thought he detected, error in the paper issued at this Office, why did he not write to the Office concerning it? How does it happen that his communication was with Mr. L.? Perhaps the secret of the matter lies here: It may be that Mr. L. first wrote to him complaining of said article, just as he did to sister M. W. Howard, of Malone, N. Y., and who, as true consistency dictated, immediately communicated with the Office on the subject.

3. It is a little singular that any statement should be made so far out of the way that a mere perusal of the ten commandments, as is claimed, would show it to be untrue. We have read the ten commandments many times, but have never found anything to militate against the claim set forth in the article referred to.

4. It is a little singular that any writer should make a claim which he had, as is urged, so plainly contradicted only a few lines before.

As to the contradiction, we will quote a line or two from the article in question: "This leads us to an examination of the ten commandments. Do we find the true God pointed out in those commandments? We do; but it is in the fourth only. The word, God, occurs in the first three, but there is nothing to show who he is." Did Mr. L. ever read this? Does he see its import? And when it is expressly stated that there is nothing in any commandment except the fourth to show who the God of those commandments is, does he see the bearing this fact has upon the question? The truth is, the term, God, is not the distinctive name of any being. That is, different nations apply the term to altogether different objects. There are gods many and lords many; and though we understand readily by the term God, the great Jehovah, the maker of all things, the heathen would understand by it, the sun, the idol in his pagan temple, or any object which he might chance to be worshiping. Read the ten commandments to a heathen, leaving out the fourth, and he would reply, Certainly, my god is the one referred to in these commandments: he is the author of that law. But when we read the fourth commandment, we at once show him that not the sun, nor any created thing, is the God of that law, but the Maker of all these things. Hence the fourth commandment is the only commandment containing the name, that is, the distinctive title of God; showing him to be the maker of heaven and earth.

It will evidently do Mr. L. and the influential gentleman in Maine, no injury to think a little harder upon this subject. When therefore they will show how they can make known to a heathen the true God, without the use of the fourth commandment, we will confess to error on the point. Till then, they, of course, cannot require it. U. S.