{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_57318/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_57318","id":"gutenberg_57318","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/57318","summary":null,"tags":["Adventists","Bible -- Evidences, authority, etc.","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Salvation"],"text":"Produced by Heiko Evermann, David King, and the Online\nDistributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. (This\nbook was produced from scanned images of public domain\nmaterial from the Google Books project.)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n           The Scriptures Able to Make Us Wise Unto Salvation\n\n\n\n\n          The Scriptures Able To Make Us Wise Unto Salvation;\n\n                                 Or The\n\n                       Bible A Sufficient Creed.\n\n                                   By\n\n                      F. H. BERRICK, LOWELL, MASS.\n\n                               Hartford:\n                     Calhoun Brothers Steam Press.\n                                 1853.\n\n\n\n\nThere is no work, of human production, that contains such a variety of\nprinciples, which, when viewed as a whole, make such a complete system\nas the Bible. It is the great fund of knowledge. It reveals to us the\nmystery of creation. There we learn the character of God:--His\nattributes and perfection--His justice and mercy. There we learn the\nhistory of man--created as he was in the image of Him who rules the\nuniverse; endowed with intellectual powers, and moral capacity, perfect\nand upright--a candidate for immortality. Restrained by one command, yet\nacting with a free, unbiased will, we see him transcend the law of God,\nwe hear the sentence fall from the lips of his \"Maker,\"--\"Dust thou art,\nand unto dust shalt thou return.\" But will He leave him to his own\ninevitable fate? Will it be an eternal sleep? Shall that dust never be\nreorganized? Will Satan triumph over the \"Eternal Jehovah?\" We look! We\nlisten!! We hear the announcement, _I have found a ransom_. There we see\nthe \"plan of God\" developed, counteracting the influence of His rival,\nSatan. There we see men of the meanest condition, the smallest capacity\nin the eye of the world, inspired by the spirit of Him who fills\nimmensity with His presence; revealing the fact of man's salvation,\nthrough a crucified Saviour. There we behold the most sublime\ntruths--the most comprehensive sentiments; principles more philosophical\nthan those of \"Pythagoras\"--of more moral worth, than those of\n\"Socrates.\" There we see shepherds, announcing the birth of the Son of\nGod, and listening to that enraptured strain, \"Glory to God in the\nhighest, peace on earth, good will to men.\" There we see the \"Fisherman\"\ncalled to leave his net, commissioned to cure all manner of diseases,\nand to preach the \"Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation, to\nevery one that believeth.\" \"There we admire the purest morality in the\nworld.\" The \"Bible\" accounts for the evils entailed upon the posterity\nof Adam; it presents a plan, which, if believed, will ultimately free us\nfrom all the maladies consequent on the fall. There we read of the\nwonderful conception of the Son of God--His birth--His miracles. The\nfulfillment of the many predictions, connected with His first Advent;\nthe circumstances attending His death, when \"He made his soul an\noffering for sin;\" His resurrection, His ascension, His intercession,\nHis second coming, the judgment of the world, the resurrection of the\ndead, the translation of the saints, the destruction of the wicked, the\nestablishment of the everlasting kingdom, \"the restitution of all\nthings, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets,\nsince the world began.\"\n\nThe above are some of the items contained in this _wonderful_ book--the\n\"Bible.\" And who can wonder at the remark of Paul to Timothy, They (the\n\"Scriptures\") are able to make thee wise unto salvation? \"All\nScripture,\" says the apostle, \"given by inspiration of God, is\nprofitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in\nrighteousness; that the man of God may be perfect,--thoroughly furnished\nunto all good works.\" Instead of looking to commentaries, or depending\non what the _Fathers_ of the Church have said for doctrine, or making\ncreeds for our own use; we are to _search the Scriptures_--relying on\nwhat has been spoken by the Saviour and the \"Prophets,\" and the apostles\nof the Lord Jesus Christ, as the only doctrine able to make us \"wise\nunto salvation.\"\n\nBut the apostle goes further, and declares, that the Scriptures are\nprofitable for reproof; they are able to convince men of the truth, and\nto confound those who would deny it. Says Charles Beecher,--\"This\nspecification,\" viz: _for reproof_, \"fairly covers the whole ground of\nthe prevention or extirpation of error.\" In familiar language, the\nkeeping the Church pure from heresy. That this is the force of the term\n\"_Elenychon_,\" will be perceived by any one who will compare the \"New\nTestament\" usage on this word, and its parent verb. The Bible will not\nonly teach truth; it will kill error. It may not kill every thing that\nyou and I may consider error. It certainly will, when used rightly,\nextirpate what God regards as such; and, be it remembered, that He alone\nis to pass that sentence. That the Bible will have this effect, follows\nof course from the first specification, viz: for doctrine; for truth and\nerror cannot exist together: they are as fire and water. The more truth\nis taught, the more error dies. This also follows, because the Word of\nGod is constructed with direct reference to the cardinal errors of the\nhuman mind, by a divine reasoner, with such tremendous ability, that\nthose errors cannot live under a conscientious study of that word. This\nalso follows, because the Scriptures are self-interpreting,\nself-rectifying, self-vindicating. And the sure way of testing an error\nclaiming scriptural support, is, call it to the spot where it claims\nparentage, and call in the rest of the Scripture to testify. In this\nway, erroneous interpretations must die, and do die. And if there be any\ninterpretation that will not die so, then \"in God's name let it live!\"\nHow foolish it is for a class of persons to get together in conference\ncapacity, and resolve what is and what is not truth! It is assuming that\nwhich does not belong to any man, or body of men; it is a relic of the\n\"Roman Church,\"--an usurpation of the \"Mother of harlots, and\nabominations of the earth.\" And notwithstanding this power has been\ncrippled, at least in a political sense, yet, some of her relatives\n(\"harlots\") are \"following in the footsteps of their illustrious\npredecessor,\" as the following will show:\n\n    _Resolved_, That the peculiarities of that theory denominated\n    _Millerism_, together with all of its modifications, are contrary to\n    the standards of the Church, and as such, we are pledged to banish\n    them away.\"\n\nThere is nothing said about its being contrary to the Bible, but,\ncontrary to the _standards of the Church_. This, as one writer remarks,\n\"savors a little of the little horn.\"\n\n_For Correction._--This relates to church discipline, and church\ngovernment. \"There is not,\" says Charles Beecher, \"an offence against\nChrist, nor against the cause of Christ, whether in the church simple,\nor aggregate, which cannot be brought to conviction just as far, by the\nuse of the Bible alone, as God ever intended to have it convicted; and\nif there be an offence which cannot be thus convicted, it is not an\noffence against Christ, but against a human figment, and such an\noffence--let it be committed.\" If the Bible is a sufficient rule of\nfaith and practice, every thing used as a substitute is an innovation.\nWe have no right to make any _tests_; all that are necessary to\nsalvation, may be found in the Bible.\n\nAll creeds, from the Thirty-nine Articles down to the most simple, as\nused by Adventists, are wrong. Not that they contain no truth; but the\nprinciple is wrong. It is the same in every instance. A person, to join\nthe Church of England, must approve of its creed;--and it is the same\nwith some Adventists, as the following from one of our model Churches\nwill show:\n\n\"ANY PERSON OR PERSONS WISHING TO BECOME MEMBERS OF THIS CHURCH,\nAPPROVING ITS DECLARATION OF FAITH AS RECORDED IN THE CHURCH-BOOK, WILL\nMAKE SUCH WISH KNOWN TO THE COMMITTEE OR DEACON.\"\n\nNow, this is an iron bedstead, sure enough. Mark! there is nothing said\nabout the Bible, but approving the declaration of faith, as recorded in\nthe Church-book. Where in the Bible is there any thing of this kind?\nLuke tells us, in Acts, that the Lord added to the Church anciently; and\nthose added by any other than the Lord, must be tares. And again, if\nthis idea of connecting persons with this human machinery, is a part of\nthe gospel, why then is there not something in the Bible to support it?\nThe example of Philip is against it. Look for a moment to this\ncircumstance. The angel says to Philip, \"Arise, and go toward the south,\nunto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem, unto Gaza, which is\ndesert.\" He obeys the command, and as he moves toward Gaza, he overtakes\nor meets with the \"Egyptian Eunuch.\" The Spirit says, \"Join thyself to\nthe chariot.\" He did so, and after listening a few moments, he inquires,\n\"Understandest thou what thou readest?\" \"How can I, except some man\nshould guide me?\" was the reply. Then Philip began to preach to him\nJesus. And as they went on their way, the Ethiopian inquires, \"What doth\nhinder me to be baptized?\" And Philip said, \"If thou believest with all\nthy heart, thou mayest.\" He replies, \"I believe that Jesus Christ is the\nSon of God.\" This was the test. The chariot is commanded to stand still;\nthey went down both into the water, and Philip baptized him. And when\nthey were come out of the water, before, as we may conclude, he had time\nto enter his name on a Church-book, \"the Spirit of the Lord caught away\nPhilip, and the eunuch saw him no more.\" There is nothing said about his\njoining the Church after he believed; from the fact that, _by obedience\nto God_, he already belonged to it. He had entered in by the door\n(Christ), and all who climb up some other way \"are thieves and robbers.\"\nBut it may be said that we must have something of this kind, because\ncircumstances demand it. But this can be no argument in favor of it;\nfor, if it had been necessary, the apostles would have informed us of\nit.\n\nThe apostle, in his charge to the Elders of the Church at Ephesus, scans\nthe entire dispensation. It is as follows: \"Take heed unto yourselves,\nand to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost has made you\noverseers, to feed the Church of God, which He hath purchased with His\nown blood. For I know this, that after my departing, shall grievous\nwolves come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves\nshall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after\nthem. Therefore, watch, and remember, that by the space of three years,\nI ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. And now,\nbrethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is\nable to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among them which\nare sanctified.\" One part of this charge is addressed to the ministry.\nTake heed unto thyself--or yourselves; \"see that the life of God\nremains, and the work of God prospers in thine own soul.\" Take heed that\nthy words be seasoned with grace. Let thy conversation be upright,\ngodly, sincere, as becometh the Gospel. It should be without\ncovetousness: \"Desire nothing more than what God has given you, and\nespecially, covet nothing which the Divine Providence has given to\nanother man; for this is the _spirit of robbery_.\" Subdue that\ninsatiable desire for secular gain; bring it into subjection to the will\nof Christ; be content with such things as ye have; for He (the Lord)\nhath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. The man of God must\nnot be a \"brawler,\" but quiet and peaceable. He must be no \"striker,\"\nnot quarrelsome; not a persecutor of those who may differ from him; for,\nto indulge in such a spirit, is to give our profession the lie. He must\nbe apt to teach. \"Study,\" says the apostle, \"to show thyself approved\nunto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the\nword of truth.\" He must be careful to teach the _whole_ word of God,\nregardless of the commandments, doctrine and traditions of men. In a\nword, he must be an example of believers in word, in conversation, in\ncharity, in spirit, in faith, and in purity. And thus, in keeping\nhimself by the assistance of God's grace, he is prepared, in the second\nplace, to take heed unto the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath\nmade him an overseer; to feed the Church of God. Mark! the man of God is\nto feed the Church--not to legislate. He is to give them (the Church)\n\"their portion of meat in due season.\"\n\nThe apostle anticipated the fact, that a class would arise, which he\ndenominates wolves, not sparing the flock. One characteristic feature of\nthis class would be, a disposition to lord it over God's heritage. The\nseed had already been sown. Some had become carnal. There was a\n\"Diatrephes,\" who loved to have the pre\u00ebminence, viz.: \"lord it over\nGod's heritage.\" And there has been many of these \"Diatrepheses,\" clear\ndown to the present time. Look at the Bishops of Jerusalem, Antioch,\nRome, Constantinople, &c., striving for the mastery; till finally the\nBishop of Rome succeeded, trampling under foot all others, and then\nrearing a mighty fabric, and taking his seat in the temple of God,\nshowing himself that he was God. But we must remember that this was not\ndone in one year, or one century. It was like the leaven in the measure\nof meal--a gradual work. The deviation was so small at the first, as not\nto be noticed. The professed Church were imperceptibly assimilated into\nthe same spirit; like priest, like people. Like the car loosed from the\ntrain on a downward grade:--at first it moves so gently, no fears are\nentertained--how little will it take to stop it, is the feeling that\npervades the mind of the passengers; each one feels secure. It gathers\nstrength--its velocity increases--the brakes are applied; but it is too\nlate! In turning a curve, the track spreads, and both car and passengers\nare precipitated into the gulf below. How completely this illustration\ncovers the ground! The professed Church, becoming cold in her\naffections, indulging a self-confident spirit, disconnecting herself by\nher legislative acts from the Great Head of the Church; went back, step\nby step, till finally she fell into the yawning gulf of apostacy, \"The\nmaking of an authoritative creed, to which the clergy were compelled to\nsubscribe, was the first step; the absolute prohibition of the Bible to\nthe people, was the last step. The difference between, was only the\ngrowth of the principle. For the right to dictate what a man shall find\nin the Scripture, and the right to dictate that he shall find nothing,\nare one.\" Making creeds is the first step in apostacy; yea, more, it is\nevidence that the person or persons are already backsliden.\n\nIt may be remarked, that those who make creeds are honest. True: but no\nmore so than those Bishops who met at the \"Council of Nice,\" A.D. 325,\n\"and fully settled the doctrine taught in the word of God, banished\nArius into Illyria, and compelled his followers to subscribe.\" Honesty\nis no evidence that the thing is right. The \"Inquisition\" was honest in\ndelivering over her victims to the civil arm; yet, who but a Catholic\nwould approve of such God-hating work? It may be remarked that, there is\na difference between the synods of Nice, Chalcedon, &c., and those of\nthe present time. True; but what is the difference? _Ans._ The same as\nbetween the Anaconda of Ceylon, and the smallest serpent that crawls the\nearth. The former has power to destroy a person in a moment; the latter,\nnot having the power, yet possessing the disposition, shows, by running\nout his little _forked tongue_, what he would do if he could.\n\n\"The apostolic churches, during the whole of the first century, had no\ncreed but the Bible.\" And to urge creed-making as necessary because of a\nchange of circumstances, is to insult God, and it is an imposition on\nJesus Christ. The Lord knew all about the adverse circumstances, the\nfiery trials through which the Church must pass. He told the disciples,\n\"that in the world they should have tribulation.\" \"Verily, verily, I say\nunto you that ye shall weep and lament.\" In this language, He scans the\nhistory of the Church, clear to the end. But nothing like authority or\nlenity is given for creeds, or any of this human machinery. The Apostle\nPaul informs the Church, that men \"would arise, speaking perverse\nthings, to draw away disciples after them.\" And if ever an opportunity\noffered itself to instruct the Church in relation to this matter, it was\nat this time. But not a single word is said from which we can gather any\nthing of this kind. It is as follows: \"And now, brethren, I commend you\nto God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up.\" No\nintimation here of creeds or compacts. And if men will not stand without\nthis miserable man-made stuff, the quicker they fall, the better.\n\nBut it is not only so with creeds, but every organization and compact,\nseparate from the word of God, is of the flesh. But as there are many\nreasons urged in favor of creeds and compacts, we may perhaps now, as\nwell as any time, call them upon the stand in this connection. And--\n\n1st, It is said they had churches in the apostles' day. True; but the\nterm Church, as Adam Clark says, simply means an assembly or\ncongregation, the nature of which is to be understood from connecting\ncircumstances. Wherever the believers assembled, there was a Church.\nHence we read of a Church at Ephesus, Corinth, &c. Sometimes the term\n_Church_ includes the entire company of believers in every age of the\nworld, as may be seen by looking at the following passages: Eph. i. 22;\nv. 24, 25, 27; Col. i. 18, 24; Acts xii. 28. Hence the remark, that they\nhad churches in the apostles' days, is no argument in favor of the\npresent existing compacts. There is no intimation that they had articles\ndrawn up on paper, to which they subscribed. We go further:--There is no\nevidence that they had a record of names; and, however innocent this may\nseem to be, we regard it an innovation. But,\n\n2d, It may be remarked that, by being banded together, we can watch over\neach other. But we can watch over each other without these bands; and if\nwe are living and acting in the fear of God, we shall love each other\nsufficiently well to reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all long-suffering\nand doctrine. And in _this_ way, we shall \"lift up the hands that hang\ndown, and the feeble knees; and, making straight paths for our feet,\nthat which is lame will not be turned out of the way.\" This is a duty we\nowe to all the Church; and were it not for these sectarian pens, we\ncould _speak_ the truth to all the Church. We could watch over each\nother in love--the only _true_ bond of union. And thus, in loving God\nwith all our hearts, and speaking the truth in love, \"we shall grow up\ninto Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joined together, and compact\nby that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working\nin the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the\nedifying of itself in love.\"\n\n3d, _It keeps out wicked men_.--This is a most palpable falsehood. The\nhistory of all the past is against it. The Church, in every age since\nthe apostles' time, hath been troubled with wicked men. The Saviour\ntaught His disciples that, \"the wheat and the tares should grow together\nuntil the harvest.\" \"And He whose penetrating glance could trace its\nprogress through the succession of ages, by this significant parable, in\nwhich He represented its condition, (Matt. 13,) and proclaimed, that it\nwould consist, according to its earthly composition, of a mixture of\ntrue and false members;\" \"He reserved the public sifting and separation\nof this mass of men, so different in their dispositions from each other,\nto his final judgment alone.\" \"He\" has blamed that hasty and intemperate\nzeal of man, which, while it would separate the tares and the good seed\nbefore the proper season comes, is apt to pull up the hidden seed of the\nwheat with the tares. A great majority of the professed Church, at the\npresent time, notwithstanding their organizations, are as corrupt as was\nthe Church in the dark ages. But,\n\n4th, _It keeps out heresies_.--If this be so, why did not the apostles\nkeep out heresy? For we are told by some, at the present time, that they\nhad creeds and compacts? There were some in the apostles' time who\nbelieved in circumcision. He, the apostle, inquires of the Galatians,\nWho hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth? In writing\nhis fifteenth chapter to the Corinthians, he inquires, \"Now, if Christ\nbe preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you there is\nno resurrection of the dead?\" These were fatal errors. Again, we\ninquire, If, by being organized, the Church can keep out heresy, why has\nnot the Church kept it out? There never was a time when there was so\nmuch heresy, corruption, and wickedness as at present. Hundreds of\nprofessed Christians deny the personal coming of Christ: they teach that\npersons, when they die, go immediately to heaven; that people have\nimmortal souls; that the spirits of men, after they are dead, return to\nthis world; and that they are peeping, rapping, and muttering, which, by\nthe way, is a _legitimate fruit of the Immortal soul theory;--a\ncounterpart of that lie of Satan_--\"THOU SHALT NOT SURELY DIE.\" These,\ntogether with the idea that heresy may be kept out by human machinery,\nare some of the leading errors of the age. But,\n\n5th, _The ministry is supported_.--I am thinking this is about the main\nthing, after all. The loaves and fishes, with the great mass, are the\nthing. Did not the Apostle Peter anticipate the fact that such a class\nof persons would arise, when he exhorted the elders to take the\noversight, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but\nof a ready mind? The question with the great mass is not, where can I do\nthe most good?--but, where can I get the best pay? The loudest call, is\nwhere there is the most money. These facts are so well known, as not to\nrequire any thing but common observation to demonstrate their\ntruthfulness. But,\n\n6th, _To know who_ WE _are_.--Satan's course, from the commencement, has\nbeen a most artful and cunning one: it has been the very business of his\nexistence, when he could not get people to renounce the truth\naltogether, to make them believe it possible to improve a plan which\nGod, in His infinite wisdom, has devised for the welfare of mankind.\n\nThe \"Jews\" (as their history assures us) at first were willing to be\ndirected by the Almighty; but by and by, they thought themselves capable\nof legislating: and being puffed up in their minds, and having their\nfoolish hearts darkened, they rejected the Lord; and then coming to\nSamuel,--Their plea--O how specious, how reasonable!--\"Behold thou art\nold, and thy sons walk not in thy ways; now make us a king, to judge us\nlike other nations.\" They entertained fears, undoubtedly, that after\nSamuel's death, which was approaching, they should be puzzled to know\nWHO WE ARE. This very idea led David to number the people, contrary to\nthe command of Jehovah. And how often it has been done since that time,\nto gratify a foolish heart, and a vain ambition! Would it not have\nsounded curious enough to have heard Paul say to Timothy, \"Timothy, we\nmust ascertain, _who_ WE _are_?\" And would not the young disciple, if it\nwas possible for him to fathom it, (for it is a vague term) replied by\nsaying, \"You told the Phillippians that we were the circumcision, who\nwanted our names in the Church book? no; that we were the circumcision,\nwho want to legislate? no: We are the circumcision, who worship God in\nthe spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the\nflesh.\"\n\nYe, says Christ, \"are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.\" In\norder to answer this question fully, we must, in the first place, answer\none that comes before it--one that is primary, viz: Do we love God with\nall our hearts, and our neighbour as ourselves? Do we live up to all the\ncommands of God? Are we conformed to His moral image? Is it the business\nof our lives to do all that God has commanded? Are we believing all the\ntruth, and living up to all the light we have? If so, WE ARE Christ's;\nand being Christ's, WE ARE \"Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the\npromise.\" It is not strange that the nominal Church should lose her\nidentity. But when we hear Adventists inquire, _Who we are_, it comes\nwith an ill grace. It sounds so silly. What! have we been engaged in\nthis glorious cause fourteen or fifteen years, and never learnt, _Who we\nare_? What does all this mean? Why this effort on the part of some to\norganize, and bring in all the Advent bands, and unite them in a\ncompact? Does this look like a confident, unwavering faith in the speedy\ncoming of Christ? Did we not deny, years ago, this miserable work of\nforming ourselves into a sect? Hear the _Advent Shield and Review_, for\nJan., 1845, vol. I. number 2, page 198. It speaks the language, I will\nventure to say, of the great majority of Adventists. Here it is:\n\n\"BUT ADVENTISTS HAVE NO WISH, NO INTENTION, NO NEED OF CONSTITUTING\nTHEMSELVES INTO A DISTINCT BODY.\"\n\nHow is the foregoing to be reconciled with the efforts of some at the\npresent time, unless there has been a mighty change? It may be remarked,\nthat circumstances have driven us to adopt this course. But what are the\ncircumstances? Is it because of impostors, or heresy? And do we expect\nto be free from these by associating ourselves together in this way? We\ndid not feel the need of any thing of this kind in forty-two and three:\nOur hearts were united in the bonds of love; and if this bond has been\nsevered, instead of fixing up something as a substitute--something that\nis contrary to the word of God--we should, by preaching the simple\ntruth, remove the cause, and \"nature\" (Grace) \"would work its own cure.\"\nBut no; we must have our creeds, our organizations, our conferences, and\nour delegates to those conferences. And then, having ascertained, WHO WE\nARE, we are prepared to act. But act how? Why, we can \"shear off the\ntroublesome thinkers.\"\n\nBut it will be remarked that this is not the design, and that it is\nwrong to judge our brethren in this way. But we may remark that it is so\nalready--the mystery of iniquity doth already work. The very design of\norganizations, in the common acceptation of that term, and also of\ncreeds, is to proscribe individual liberty; they are opposed to free\naction. It will not do for a man to act in accordance with the\ncommission, \"Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every\ncreature.\" No, he must preach to our party--to our people. To illustrate\nthis principle, we quote the following from the life of Lorenzo Dow:\n\n    \"A Preacher from America, whose name is Lorenzo Dow, travelled\n    lately in Ireland, without any official recommendation from the\n    American Conferences, or any of the rulers in that connection, and\n    yet professing himself a friend of the Methodists. What judgment is\n    it expedient for this conference to pass concerning the conduct of\n    that man?\" \"_Ans._ WE ARE MOST SINCERE FRIENDS TO RELIGIOUS LIBERTY;\n    but we consider ourselves called upon to inform the public, that Mr.\n    Dow has no connexion with us, nor did he receive the least\n    permission or encouragement from the conference to travel through\n    Ireland as one of our body, or as one of our friends; and we are\n    determined, that if he returns to this country, none of our\n    preaching-houses shall be opened to him on any account.\" Again,\n    \"letters of falsehood and lies, to set the government to sacrifice\n    an individual on the altar of tyranny, because he goes so\n    independent of the BISHOP'S POWER; and others will\" (do) \"hatch from\n    the same nest, &c. &c.\"... \"Better one suffer than many. If he is\n    innocent, we must use POWER, and make an example of him. What for?\n    As a warning to others not to dispute our power, which, if right,\n    _we_ have by Divine delegation, to enforce, 'MORAL DISCIPLINE!'\"\n\nThe question is not, what does Christ require?--but, what says the\nbishop? Now, we would say nothing, but for the fact, that the same\nprinciple is developing itself in our own ranks. This _miserable_ creed\nsystem is now exerting upon Adventists an unsuspected, but tremendous\npower against the liberty of the gospel.\n\nIt is stealthily creeping upon us. May God unscale our eyes, before we\nget entangled in the meshes of the net of the Devil! \"It is true, each\ndenomination says, we inflict no penalty; we only decline to receive\ninto our ranks one who does not agree with us. And this is so specious,\nit sounds so reasonable, that it might deceive the very elect. But it is\nthe most consummate stroke of infernal craft, and doubly distilled\nJesuitism. It is like Rome handing over the victims of the Inquisition\nto the civil arm, charging it to do them no harm, and then piously\nlauding her own lamb-like disposition. It is true, the denominations do\nnot do the candidate any harm; they only leave him to his inevitable\nfate.\" But it may be remarked, that it is of no use to say any thing\nabout it; and should the individual lift his warning voice against it,\nhe is accused of having a hard spirit--of opposing somebody. But we wish\nit distinctly understood, that we are not at war with persons, but\nprinciples; not with men, but measures. We wrestle not against flesh and\nblood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of\nthe darkness of this world, against _spiritual wickedness in high\nplaces_. We are opposed to these religious combinations, because we\nbelieve they are opposed to God and His cause.\n\nTo give this idea more perfectly, we submit the following extract from\nthe pen of Br. J. V. H. (_Advent Herald_, September 18, 1844,) headed,\n\"APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE FOR OUR COURSE.\"\n\n    \"And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of\n    three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the\n    kingdom of God. But when _divers_ were _hardened_ and BELIEVED NOT,\n    BUT SPAKE EVIL OF THAT WAY BEFORE THE MULTITUDE, he departed from\n    them, and SEPARATED the disciples, disputing daily in the school of\n    one Tyrannus.--_Acts_ xix. 8, 9. \"It was not until _divers were\n    hardened_, and spake evil of _that way_ (the Lord's coming) _before\n    the multitude_, that the brethren were moved to come out, and\n    separate from the Churches. They could not endure this \"evil\n    speaking\" of the \"evil servant.\" \"_And the Churches that could\n    pursue this course of oppression_\" and \"evil speaking\" \"towards\n    those who were looking for the blessed hope, were to them none other\n    than the DAUGHTERS of MYSTIC BABYLON. THEY SO PROCLAIMED THEM, AND\n    CAME INTO THE LIBERTY OF THE GOSPEL. And though we may not be all\n    agreed as to what constitutes Babylon, _we are agreed in the_\n    INSTANT _and_ FINAL SEPARATION _from all who oppose the doctrine of\n    the coming and kingdom of God at hand. We believe it to be a case\n    of_ LIFE and DEATH. It is DEATH _to remain connected with those\n    bodies_ that speak lightly of, or oppose, the coming of the Lord.\n    _It is_ LIFE _to come out from_ ALL HUMAN TRADITION, _and stand upon\n    the word of God, and look daily for the appearance of the Lord. We\n    therefore now say to_ ALL _who are in_ ANY WAY _entangled in the\n    yoke of bondage_,\" \"Come out from among them, and be ye _separate_,\n    saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive\n    you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and\n    daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.\"--2 Cor. vi. 17, 18.\n\n    AMEN and AMEN.\n\n2d, These \"creeds\" and compacts are opposed to free speech. One great\nobject of creeds is a union of sentiment. Hence, when a man joins any\none of the various denominations, the creed is presented, or the\nquestion asked, do you believe so and so? Should he dissent in some\nparticulars, yet being an influential or wealthy person, he may join by\npromising he will not agitate the points of difference. But let us look\nat another case. Here is a minister--and, by the way, there has been\nmany of them--who embraces the truth of the Lord's speedy coming; it is\nas fire shut up in his bones; he comes with the joyful intelligence\nbefore his congregation, and in the fulness of his soul he preaches that\ntruth, which is the power of God unto salvation to every one that\nbelieveth; and in less than one week he is waited upon by the bishop, or\nthe committee, or peradventure, he receives a line through the office,\ninforming him he must desist, for it is contrary to the _standards_ of\nthe Church, and as such, we (\"Elders,\" \"Bishops\" and \"Deacons\") are\npledged to banish it away. If he persists, he must be admonished. If he\ncontinues to act the part of a man and a Christian, turn him out--\"yes,\nshear off the troublesome thinkers, and sing stagnant hallelujahs.\"\n\nBut we may come nearer home. How often we hear it remarked, \"Don't say\nany thing about the sonship of Christ--the sleep of the dead--the\ndestruction of the wicked; for, if you do, you will hurt somebody's\nfeelings!\" Yes; we have men among us who have declared, that these\nquestions shall not be preached in their pulpits. But the question may\nbe asked, \"Have we not a right to say what shall, and what shall not, be\npreached in our pulpits? and shall we not use our utmost endeavors to\nkeep the Church pure?\" Well, now, this looks very reasonable, and were\nit not for the history of the past, we might regard it as being very\ninnocent. But we look to the \"council of bishops,\" who met A.D. 325:\nthey acted from a conviction, that it was their prerogative to say what\nshould be preached: and by this act, though honest and sincere, they\nwere the unconscious tools, in the hands of the devil, of begetting a\nchild, which ultimately proved itself to be, the \"MOTHER of HARLOTS and\nabomination of the earth.\" May the Lord help us to be free, and preach\nour sentiments! \"For he's a freeman whom the truth makes free, and all\nare slaves beside.\" But,\n\n3d, _The few act for the whole_.--Look to the history of the Christian\nChurch--the Council of Nice, Chalcedon, &c. Who acted in these\nconferences? _Ans._ A few bishops. They got together; resolved that they\nwere the Church, or its representatives; made creeds, and then imposed\nthem on the flock. This has been the policy of Rome; for hundreds of\nyears her Popes and Cardinals, Bishops and Priests, have been humbugging\nthe people, hurling their anathemas at a Luther and a Cranmer. Why is\nthis? _Ans._ Because they dared to dissent from the decrees of those\ncouncils. But we do not stop here; that spirit, or desire to lord it\nover God's heritage, which characterized the councils of Rome, has been\ntransferred to the various synods of our time. It is often the case,\nthat a few persons get together, take into consideration the _wants of\nthe cause_, as they call it, reduce them to one or more propositions,\nand then bring them before the meeting. Perhaps one of this number makes\na motion, and another of them seconds it; it is accepted, then adopted\nby the votes of ten or a dozen, more or less; half of whom are the very\npersons who concocted it. It is then blazoned abroad, and O! what a\nbluster! When the merits of the case are known, it reminds one of the\nfable, \"The mountain laboured, and brought forth a mouse.\"\n\n4th, _It evinces a want of faith and confidence in God_.--Creeds are\nnever talked of, until persons begin to grow cold in their minds. \"The\nChurch, during the whole of the first century, had no creed but the\nBible;\" but when she departed from the simplicity of the Bible, and lost\nher faith in God, then she began to legislate.--They (the church) felt,\nas many express themselves at the present time, that we must keep the\nChurch together. Yes, and here was, and still is, the very trouble: WE\nMUST DO IT. This is not our work; it belongs to the Great Head of the\nChurch; and if we had faith and confidence in God, and in His word, we\nshould be willing to let Christ do His own work. Every effort to keep\nthe Church together by making creeds, is an innovation.--There were\ndivisions in the apostles' day, and there have been divisions in every\nage since that time. Every effort on our part to steady the Ark, when\nsuch effort has not been put forth in accordance with the plan of God,\nhas been frowned upon by the Almighty. It is often the case that those\nwho seem to have so much anxiety, and manifest so much zeal to hold and\nto \"build up the cause,\" as they are pleased to term it, are, when the\ntruth is known, trying to build up themselves. While it is our duty to\ndo all we can, under the blessing of Heaven, to promote the welfare of\nthe cause with which we are associated, we must be careful not to\nindulge a thought that its prosperity depends upon our feeble efforts:\nfor _it_ will live, whether we do or not. Christ stands at the helm,\nand, if we abide in the ship, we shall be safe. But the creed-power, or\n\"organizations,\" in the common acceptation of the term, are not only\nopposed to free action--free speech--But,\n\nLastly, _It is the most effective means to destroy souls of any thing\nthat was ever brought into existence_. The professed church to-day\nstands just where the Jews did eighteen hundred years ago; and the\nlanguage of Christ, as addressed to the Pharisees, is applicable to the\nvarious denominations: \"But woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees,\nhypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of Heaven against men: for ye\nneither go in _yourselves_, neither suffer ye them that are entering to\ngo in.\" Fine meeting-houses, costly pulpits, and a ministry that will\nplease itching ears, are the things with the great mass. They are guilty\nof turning the Lord out of doors, for they have rejected His truth.\n\"Ichabod\" is written on these pleasant palaces. The great majority of\nthe ministry are dumb dogs, lying down, loving to slumber; yea, _they\nare_ greedy dogs, _which_ can never have enough, and they are shepherds\nthat cannot understand: \"they all look to their own way, every one for\nhis gain from his quarter.\" They are turned unto fables. \"They love the\npraise of man more than the praise of God.\"\n\nThe great mass have corrupted their way; but yet there are a few who are\nhonest, and would believe if they could hear, and they could hear, if it\nwere not for these SECTARIAN PENS. They (the few) are famishing; they\ndie for lack of knowledge.\n\nWell, now, to take one step towards adopting a system, the perfection of\nwhich leads to such _damnable results_, must be a _departure_ from the\nsimplicity of the truth--a recreancy to the cause which, in the end,\nwill be more _baneful_ than beneficial.\n\nSome of those who want a record of names would shudder at the idea of\nbeing connected with such a system as that referred to above; and yet,\nin ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, this is the result where the\nfirst step is taken. We say, therefore, to all, \"Beware of the first\nstep! Do not give your influence in favor of such a wicked system, lest\nyou be taken in a snare! If you are in any of these sectarian pens,\nleave them at once; for they, like Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, are soon\nto sink into the pit. Those that are being formed by Adventists, are no\nbetter than other denominations. In some respects they are worse.\"\n\nThere are men among us, preaching brethren, whose moral and religious\ncharacters are unimpeachable--men of sterling worth, and of marked\nability; yet, because they view matters somewhat different from some\nothers, or because they will not be restricted to preach wholly to our\nparty, they are disfellowshipped; they are whispered to be _unsafe_,\n_unsound_, _heretical_! But some may say, that it is of no use to expose\nour brethren;--ah, to hold our peace would be to follow in the same\ntrack--to adopt the same policy of an apostate church. We wish our\nbrethren to know, both far and near, that this is the policy of some at\nthe present time. We have nothing to say against men, but against their\ncourses and their measures. Let every Adventist, who wants to be free,\nbeware of this _human machinery--these sectarian pens_--this last effort\nof Satan to destroy souls. We cannot help but exclaim, in the language\nof a \"celebrated writer:\" \"Oh, woful day! Oh, unhappy Church of Christ!\nFast rushing round the fatal circle of absorbing ruin! Thou sayest, 'I\nam rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing;' and\n_knowest_ not that thou art poor, and miserable, and _blind_, and\nnaked!\" We have said, and we repeat it again, there is no need of any\ncreed but the Bible: we have learned that it is a sufficient rule of\nfaith and practice: it is the best discipline we can have: and I will\nventure to say that, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, all\ndifficulties can be settled, if we follow out the rules given by Christ\nand His apostles. Let us hear the Saviour speak: \"Therefore, if thou\nbring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath\naught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy\nway; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy\ngift.\"--Matt. v. 23, 24. Again, we read, \"And when ye stand praying,\nforgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in\nheaven may forgive you your trespasses.\"--Mark xi. 24. \"Moreover, if thy\nbrother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between\nthee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.\nBut if he will not hear _thee_, _then_ take with thee one or two more,\nthat in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be\nestablished. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell _it_ unto the\nChurch; but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an\nheathen man and a publican.\"--Matt. xviii. 15-17. The apostle says, \"And\nif any obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no\ncompany with him, that he may be ashamed; yet count him not as an enemy,\nbut admonish him as a brother.--2 Thes. iii. 14, 15.\n\nThe above, together with many more scriptures that might be quoted,\ninvolves the principle on which brethren are to settle their\ndifficulties. And when the professed Church of God, instead of urging\nthe necessity of abiding by the above principle, departs from the Lord,\nby appointing committees to settle the differences between brethren,\nthey are guilty of the most audacious folly. If difficulties cannot be\nsettled by this rule, nothing will settle them but the final judgment.\n\nWe say, then, in the language of Beecher, \"Away with false policy! Rally\naround this central principle, look to the Lord, and you are\nimpregnable.\" The waves of the coming conflict, which is to convulse\nChristendom to her centre, are beginning to be felt.\n\nThe deep roarings begin to swell beneath us. All the old signs fail. God\nanswers no more by Urim and Thummim, nor by dream, nor by prophet. Men's\nhearts are failing them for fear, and for looking after those things\nthat are coming on the earth. Thunders mutter in the distance; winds\nmoan across the raging bosom of the deep; all things betide the rising\nof that final storm of Divine indignation, which shall sweep away the\nvain refuges of lies. When the Lord shall cause His glorious voice to be\nheard, and shall show the lightning down His arm, with the indignation\nof His anger, and with the flame of devouring fire; with scattering, and\ntempest, and hail-stones; in that day, what shall save us? For judgment\nwill begin at the house of God. What shall be our defence? Put your\ntrust in Him whose eyes are as a flame of fire--on whose head are many\ncrowns--who is clothed with a vesture dipped in blood--whose name is\ncalled \"THE WORD OF GOD!\" He who is to come down, and tread upon the\nhigh places of the earth, trampling His enemies in the dust, destroying\nthe works of Satan, breaking up all these compacts which are opposed to\nHis truth, establishing his everlasting kingdom, which is not to be left\nto another people, but which is to break in pieces all other kingdoms,\nand it shall stand for ever. Even so, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!--AMEN.\n\nF. H. B.\n\n           \"THE pure testimony put forth in the spirit,\n              Cuts like a sharp two-edged sword,\n           And hypocrites now are most sorely tormented,\n              Because they're condemned by the word.\n          The pure testimony discovers the dross,\n          While wicked professors make light of the cross,\n          And Babylon trembles for fear of her loss.\n\n           \"A battle is coming between the two kingdoms,\n              The armies are gathering round;\n           The kings of the earth and the lamb that was slain,\n              Will come to close contest ere long;\n          Then gird on your armor ye saints of the Lord,\n          And he will direct you by his living word,\n          The pure testimony will cut like a sword.\"\n\n\n\n\nTranscriber's Notes:\n\nMissing or obscured punctuation was corrected.\n\nTypographical errors were silently corrected.\n\nSpelling and hyphenation were made consistent when a predominant form\nwas found in this book; otherwise it was not changed.\n\nText in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_).","title":"The Scriptures able to make us wise unto salvation : $b or the Bible a sufficient creed","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":7924}