The Judgment Day/Part 1/Section 5
SECTION FIFTH.
Apparent objections in the writings of the Apostles examined and answered.
Certain passages in the writings of Peter—Whether the Apostles understood the internal sense—An affirmative answer to this question not absolutely necessary—Nature and extent of their illumination–State of the human mind in that age—Only external truths could be received—Illustrated by the atonement, resurrection, and second coming—The Apostolic writtngs not a part of the Divine word—Compared with the writings of Swedenborg—Importance of examining this subject.
It has probably seemed to the reader that in the above remarks, I have passed very lightly over some very important portions of the Bible. The third chapter of Peter's second Epistle, and some passages in the writings of Paul, would of course be referred to as teaching very clearly that the material world will be destroyed by fire. I will briefly examine a few of the more important of these passages, and will endeavor to throw upon them a few rays of the heavenly light of the new dispensation.
The apostle Peter begins his remarks upon this subject, by earnestly charging his brethren to "be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets." His subsequent remarks show that, by the words of the prophets, he means those passages in the divine word which, in their literal sense, appear to predict the destruction of the material world. For after warning his brethren of the dangerous influence of scoffers, who would come in the last days, walking after their own lusts, denying and ridiculing the doctrine of the second coming of the Lord, and even confirming themselves in their infidelity by rejecting the scriptural evidence of the world having been once destroyed by a flood, he adds, that "the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." He says that "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt up;" and that, "the heavens being on fire, shall be dissolved." "Nevertheless," says the apostle, "we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."
The above passages were evidently intended to be substantially the same with certain "words which were spoken before by the holy prophets;" for the prophets often declared that "the heavens shall shake," "shall be rolled together," "shall tremble," "shall be clothed in blackness," "that there shall be wonders in the heavens, and in the earth blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke," "that the mountains shall melt," "and that the earth is burnt up," and many more similar expressions, that have been previously quoted. I have already endeavored to show that these and similar passages in the divine word, cannot be understood as teaching that the material world will be literally destroyed; and if the interpretation there given is seen to be in accordance with truth, the quotation of these passages by the apostle certainly cannot be adduced as authority for an opposite doctrine. That doctrine is true which results from a just and reasonable interpretation of the word of the Lord. Such an interpretation I have endeavored to give in regard to the passages referred to. Let the reader judge for himself, whether the views presented are according to the truth. As a rational and accountable being, it is his right and duty to judge of religious doctrines, and determine whether they are true or false. To give up this right, is to surrender into other hands the use of that freedom and rationality with which the Lord has endowed him. It is to make himself a slave to those who, from a love of self, and to gratify the pride of their own self-derived wisdom, seek to exercise spiritual dominion over the conscience and judgment of other men.
But the reader will, perhaps, be disposed to ask, have we any good reason to believe that Peter and the other Apostles understood the "words of the prophets" in the same sense in which we explain them? Did they understand their intenal, spiritual meaning? Before attempting to answer this question, I must premise, that, though it should receive an unqualified negative, the question in regard to the true interpretation of the prophecies would remain unaffected; for in order that the true meaning of the word of the Lord may be received into the understanding, it must be seen in the light of reason. The mind must act freely, seeking only to be led by divine love and guided by divine truth. It cannot acknowledge the absolute control of any other authority, even though it be that of the apostles themselves. That method of interpreting the divine word, which is now revealed for the use of the church, is known by all those who have studied it, to possess all that clearness and certainty which are necessary, in order to satisfy the most rigid demands for absolute demonstration. We know, of course, that there are those who profess to have examined it, and yet declare themselves entirely unsatisfied, and even assert that they can see nothing in it either reasonable or intelligible. But, without wishing to place a low estimate upon the goodness or intelligence of such persons, or to question their fairness and candor, we are still compelled to regard them very much in the same light in which a natural philosopher would regard the man who would attempt to review and set aside the Newtonian system of astronomy. We know that they have not thoroughly examined the subject from a sincere love of the truth. We would thus enter our solemn protest against the absolute right even of St. Peter himself, to declare, ex cathedra, the final and full meaning of the divine word. In seeking to know what is the true meaning of the word, as well as what is the word itself, we call no man master. One is our master, Christ. That which is demonstrated to be the word of the Lord, or to be the true meaning of that word, we hold ourselves bound to receive as such. We receive it because it is demonstrated, so as to be seen in the light of reason and truth; not because it is asserted, on the authority of any man, either living or dead. It is with these views that we entertain the question whether Peter understood the words of the prophets in the same sense in which they are now understood by the New Church. It would not, in the slightest degree, diminish or unsettle our confidence in what we know to be the true spiritual meaning of the divine word, even though it were shown that neither Peter nor any of his brethren had any distinct idea of such a meaning.
But there are good reasons for believing that they sometimes, at least, caught a distant view of that internal and spiritual meaning, which is now descending from heaven in its fullness and power. A remark by Peter, in his sermon on the day of Pentecost, was quoted above. It will be remembered that he refers to the words of the prophet Joel, in which it is said that there will be "wonders in the heavens above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come." This passage the apostle applies to the events which were then transpiring. If understood simply in its literal sense, the passage could have had no such application. His mind must, therefore, have been opened to the perception of its internal, spiritual meaning; in which sense it was then receiving its fulfilment. And it is certainly not unreasonable to suppose, that he might have had at least some perception of the true internal meaning of those very similar words, to which he refers in the passages quoted from his second Epistle. But I am not disposed to attach any very great importance to this supposition. The day of Pentecost was a peculiar time. "They were all filled with the Holy Ghost." It is very reasonable, therefore, to suppose that, on such an occasion, there was granted to the apostles a much deeper insight into spiritual things than they would ordinarily possess in the subsequent years of their ministry. The veil was drawn aside, and they saw the interior forms of spiritual truth with more than ordinary clearness. On subsequent occasions, they no doubt caught an occasional glimpse of the interior form of the temple of truth. The apostle Peter might have had some perception of those interior forms of truth when he wrote the passages referred to; but I am not disposed to insist upon this as a matter of certainty, or even of very strong probability. I see no good reason for withholding or concealing the fact, that we do not suppose that the apostles had, ordinarily, any very full or distinct perception of the internal and spiritual meaning of the divine word. They had received such a measure of divine illumination as enabled them successfully to teach those truths which the human mind was then prepared to receive. A higher degree of illumination than this would have added nothing to their usefulness, at that time, and might have been an injury to themselves. Their churches were composed of persons just converted from Judaism, or some of the various forms of heathen idolatry. They could do nothing more than to receive the general facts of Christianity, in their most external form. The simple facts that Jesus Christ came to this world as the Son of the Father, "was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified dead and buried," and that he rose the third day and ascended into heaven, and that these things were done in order to effect the redemption of the world; that it was necessary to believe in the Lord and obey his commandments, in order to be saved; that there would be a resurrection both of the just and the unjust; that the good would be eternally happy in a future state, and the wicked eternally miserable;—such general truths as these could be received by the mind even in its most external state. And if the great and fundamental truths of religion, even though received in their most external form, were heard and obeyed, the receivers of those truths, would, of course, be brought into conjunction with heaven, and would obtain an eternal inheritance at the right hand of the Lord. Such would, doubtless, be the result of receiving and obeying the truths of religion, even though those truths were only received as matters of faith, based on the evidence of testimony. And such appears to have been the manner in which divine truth was received by the early Christian church. Their understanding was not sufficiently enlightened to enable them to see the interior and spiritual forms of truth. They saw only the external appearances of truth, but when these were followed in humble and child-like faith, they guided the followers to heaven and eternal life. The divine mercy gave them only so much light as was suited to their state; and thus they were saved from the awful sin of rejecting and profaning the purer and more spiritual forms of divine truth. The human mind had for ages been immersed in the worst forms of idolatry and sensuality. It was necessary, therefore, that it should be very gradually brought out into the pure light of heaven. If the poor prisoner, who had long been confined to some dark and gloomy dungeon, were suddenly brought out into the full light of day, he would gladly rush back to his dark retreat. And thus would the human mind have fled back to the lowest depths of sin and profanation, if, from the dark haunts of idolatry and sensuality, it had been suddenly brought forth into the pure light of spiritual truth. If, when the Corinthian church turned the Holy Supper into a drunken feast, (see 1 Cor., ch. 11,) they had known that the bread and wine which they were thus using to gratify their low sensuality, represented the Lord's divine goodness and truth, they would have been guilty of a profanation which might have closed heaven forever from their sight. It would have been a deed fit only for the worst spirits in hell. But an act which, if done by us, would sink our spirits into the lowest depths of hell, was comparatively a trivial offense with them, for they saw not and heeded not the interior, spiritual nature of that solemn ordinance.
Such appears to have been the general character of the human mind at the dawn of the Christian dispensation; external and sensual, capable of receiving those truths which are merely scientific and natural, but not those which are spiritual and rational, unless in a very limited degree. And the writings of the apostles, as seen under the light of the new dispensation, appear precisely adapted to the state of the human mind in that age. The apostles had received just that measure of divine illumination which was necessary to qualify them in the best manner for instructing and enlightening those whom they were appointed to teach, The exterior forms of truth, the great external facts of religious doctrine, they saw distinctly; and they proclaimed those truths through the world with a zeal and enthusiasm which have never been exceeded. With the utmost zeal and energy they proclaimed everywhere the great fact that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners; and with the most intense earnestness, exhorted all men to faith and obedience as the only way of salvation. But we seek in vain in the writings of the apostles for any satisfactory explanation of the manner in which the advent, death and resurrection of the Lord are made available for our redemption. The great fact, is there presented and insisted upon, in every variety of form, but the explanation of that fact is wanting. This was that great "mystery of godliness" which the apostles did not attempt to explain. Nor was an explanation needed in that age of the world. If given, it would only have been misunderstood and perverted, for the human mind was not prepared to receive it. And yet the enlightened and rational mind in the present age, necessarily seeks for such an explanation, and cannot rest satisfied without it. To withhold such knowledge, is to compel the mind to remain in a lower state in regard to the understanding of spiritual things, than it does in regard to the infinitely less important truths of natural science. For here the phenomena are not only known but they are in some measure explained, and their connection with those interior law's and principles on which they depend, is beginning to be understood. And shall the natural degree of the human mind be free, and be permitted to roam in unrestrained freedom over the broad plain of scientific truth, while the spiritual degree of the mind is enslaved and held in bondage? God forbid. The day of freedom is dawning when the Lord "will undo the heavy burdens and let the oppressed go free."
A similar remark might be made, in regard to the views of the apostles, on other subordinate doctrines, such for example as that of the resurrection. It is distinctly and repeatedly taught in their writings, that there is to be a resurrection both of the just and of the unjust. It is very clearly and fully declared, especially in the writings of the apostle Paul, that man will come forth from the resurrection in a spiritual body, a body which will be very unlike these natural bodies, but which will be immortal, incorruptible and glorious. The great and important fact of the resurrection of man, in a spiritual body, is distinctly and unequivocally announced. But here the question rests. The fact is not explained. It is true the apostle has attempted to explain it. He seems to have anticipated the deep anxiety which the reflecting mind must necessarily feel to know something of the real nature of that important change, which is soon to take place in the manner of our existance. "But some man" says he "will say—How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?" To the person who is supposed to make this very natural and reasonable inquiry, the apostle applies the epithet "fool" with a little more harshness and severity than might have been necessary, if he had been fully qualified to give a clear and satisfactory answer to the question. He attempts an answer however, in which he very distinctly announces the fact of a wide dissimilarity between the natural and the spiritual body. He endeavors to illustrate this point, by referring to the difference between the kernel of wheat that is sown, and the stalk that subsequently grows up from the ground; and by the difference between various kinds of animals; between terrestrial and celestial bodies; the sun and moon, and stars of different degrees of brilliancy. But the real question,—what is the precise relation of the spiritual body to the natural,—when and in what way is it brought forth from the natural,—this question is unexplained, untouched. The plain and necessary inference is that the apostle did not understand it. Nor was it necessary, at that time, that he should understand it. If he, had understood and explained it, in all that clear light, in which it is now unfolded in the doctrines of the New Dispensation, his explanations would not have been understood by those for whom they were intended. And if not understood, would inevitably have been perverted and abused.
The external and sensual state of the human mind in that age, would have rendered it impossible for any distinct impression to have been received, of the nature of spiritual substances and forms. For we find that even now, in the midst of the boasted light of the nineteenth century, there are many who cannot understand the New Church doctrine of the resurrection, simply because that doctrine substitutes spiritual ideas, for those which are natural, sensual, and material. How much more then would this spiritual and beautiful doctrine have been misunderstood perverted and abused, if it had been announced amidst the darkness and idolatry which overspead the world at the dawn of the christian dispensation.
Such being the general nature of the apostolic writings, designed and fitted to reach the conscience and life, by presenting the prominent facts of religion before the mind, in an external form, it is not necessary to make any very special effort to show, that the apostles were favored with any very interior or spiritual perception of the meaning of those prophecies, which relate to the last judgment and the second coming of the Lord. When Peter reminded his brethren, on the authority of the divine Word, that "the earth and the works that are therein would be burnt up," "that the heavens and the earth would pass away," and that there would be "a new heavens and a new earth," it is not necessary to insist upon the supposition, that either he or the brethren to whom he wrote, had any correct impression of the true spiritual meaning of those prophecies. Their minds may have scarcely risen above the merely natural idea, that the material universe would be destroyed and give place to a new order of things. But if this idea was connected in their minds,—as it no doubt was,—with the impression that the Lord would then come to reward the faithful and punish the disobedient, the force of truth, in its external and apparent form,—the only form in which they were prepared to receive it,—was brought to bear directly upon the conscience and life. That the apostles correctly understood the prophecies in regard to the coming of the Lord and the end of the world, will hardly be maintained by any one, who has observed the discrepancies which exist in their writings, when treating upon these subjects. In the first epistle to the Thessalonians, chapter 4th, Paul says: "We which are alive, and remain unto his coming, shall not prevent them which are asleep,"—plainly intimating the expectation, that he and his brethren who were then alive, would live to witness the second coming of the Lord. The same apostle, in writing to Timothy, charges him to keep a certain commandment, "until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ." And in writing to Titus, he speaks of looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our savior Jesus Christ. In fact it appears to have been the constant tendency of the teaching and writing of the apostles, to direct attention to the second coming of the Lord, as an event which was literally near at hand. Their expectations on this subject were evidently not realized. There was the beginning of a long series of disappointments, which have been repeated in almost every century of the christian dispensation, and which seem likely to continue so long as the christian church continue to substitute the literal for the spiritual, sense of the prophecies. But the apostle Paul evidently saw, in the subsequent years of his life, that he had been too hasty in his expectations of the immediate coming of the Lord. For at a later period, he addressed another letter to the Thessalonian church, the principal object of which appears to have been to convince them that the "day of Christ" was not at hand, but that "there would come a falling away first, and that man of sin would be revealed."
But some reader may be disposed to stop and ask what does all this mean? Are not the writings of the Apostles a part of the Word of the Lord? Certainly not. We have no evidence that they ought to be so regarded. In the word of the Lord there is always an infinite and unfathomable depth of meaning. Were it not so, it could not be the word of him whose wisdom is infinite; whose thoughts are as far above our thoughts as the heavens are higher than the earth. The word of the Lord is filled with "spirit and life;" with the omnipotent power of divine goodness and truth; and is thus removed to an infinite distance from all those writings which are merely the expressions of finite thoughts.
But in the writings of the apostles we find no such infinite depths of spiritual meaning. It is true there are "some things hard to be understood," but so there are in the writings of almost every author. This certainly would not be regarded as an evidence that they are a part of the word of the Lord. The apostles had, undoubtedly, received more than an ordinary amount of spiritual illumination. They were thus prepared, in the very best manner, to unfold and explain the truths of the word, so far as was necessary or useful at that time. But the truths which they taught were first received with their own minds, and from them were imparted to others. Their writings therefore, as well as their oral teachings, were expressions of their own thoughts,—nothing more. Certainly no one would attempt to maintain that the many thousands of public sermons and exhortations of the apostles, as well as their private instructions from house to house, that all these constituted a part of the word of the Lord. But it is difficult to conjecture, on what ground a distinction, in this respect, has been made, between their oral sermons and their written lectures. What reason has ever been assigned, why the latter should be regarded as a part of the divine word, any more than the former? I am not aware that it has ever been shown that they contain any internal evidence of being a part of the word of Jehovah. I do not remember any one passage in those letters, in which the Lord distinctly speaks, in his own name and by his own divine authority and power. So far from this being the case, the expression, "I Paul" occurring in several places, shows very clearly, that the writer intended to be regarded as the real author of the letters which he wrote. How infinitely unlike those sacred scriptures which prove by their "spirit and life,"—their internal and spiritual sense, that they constitute the divine word of the Lord. In that divine word we see "no man but the Lord only." He is "sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train fills the temple." And around the temple, the "Seraphim stand crying one to another, holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." That holy word comes to us with the divine imprimatur of "thus saith the Lord." A large portion of it is presented to us as the express words of Jehovah himself. And to those who will acquaint themselves with it, there is now presented a clear and unanswerable demonstration of the divinity of the Word. Unlike any other writings, that the world has ever seen, it is shown to contain an internal and spiritual sense, which is manifested through the sense of the letter, as a man's spirit is manifested through the medium of his body; or as the spiritual world is manifested through the medium of the natural world. But for a full explanation of this important subject, I would most respectfully refer the reader to the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. If he will faithfully examine those writings, with a serious desire and affection for the truth, he will find a flood of heavenly light, poured upon every page of the divine word. He will there find a test applied which, with infallible certainty, separates the divine word from all those writings which only express those thoughts, which have passed through finite minds. If the reader is sincerely desirous of obtaining more rational and enlightened views of the word of the Lord and of spiritual things, it is certainly not unreasonable to hope, that he will not dismiss this subject as the unbelieving jews did the teaching of the Lord, by asking whether any of the "rulers or of the Pharisees had believed on him;" The "rulers and pharisees" have always an interest in upholding the old and established forms of religious doctrine; and, of course, place themselves in an attitude of uncompromising hostility, against every thing that looks like innovation. It will be in vain, therefore, to go to them, for any encouragement or aid in examining this subject. They may not say to you, with as much candor and fairness as Demetrius, the silver smith, said to his fellow workmen, "ye know that by this craft we have our wealth;" but they will be able to present you any number of stereotyped reasons for disregarding, in this instance, the advice of him who said, "he that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him."
But the reader will probably be still perplexed with the views that have been presented in regard to the writings of the apostles. The question will still recur, have not these writings been generally regarded, as equally canonical with other portions of the sacred scripture? Have they not for many ages been included in the catalogue of canonical books, and printed in our bibles as part of the divine word? All this is undoubtedly true: and it it equally true and well known, that this has been done on the authority of certain ancient ecclesiastical councils. Those councils decided by vote what portions of the scriptures should be received by the churches as canonical; and the apostolic letters, contained in our bibles, were among those which were thus received. Have we then any additional light on this subject, which can warrant us in setting aside the opinion of the ancient fathers, of the christian church; and in fact the almost unanimous opinion of that church for many ages? Certainly we have. The opinion of Emanuel Swedenborg? O, no;—not his opinion, but his demonstrations. We have fallen into the same sort of heresy in regard to spiritual things, that has prevailed so extensively, within the last two hundred years in regard to the truths of natural science. We are following in the footsteps of those reckless innovators, who have been rash enough to accept and rely upon the results of scientific demonstration and actual experiment, even though opposed to those doctrines which had been received "always, everywhere and by all." And the alledged authority of ecclesiastical councils will probably be about as successful, in preventing the reception of the divine realities of the New Dispensation, as the thunders of the vatican were in stopping the revolutions of the earth, or blotting from existence the satellites of the planet Jupiter.
From the views presented above, it will readily be seen, that while we entertain a very high regard for the writings of the apostles, and believe them to have been designed, by Divine Povidence, for a very important use, yet we do not regard them as a part of the divine word. Nor do we even regard them as containing a very full developement of the internal and spiritual meaning of that word. In order to reach the minds of those for whom they were intended, they necessarily present the external and apparent forms of divine truth, rather than its more internal and spiritual forms. And as the illumination of the writers appears not to have extended to those interior truths, which are now laid open for the use of the church, it is a necessary inference, that they must have entertained imperfect and even erroneous views, in regard to the true meaning of many portions of the word. We cannot therefore accept the apparent, or even real meaning of an occasional passage in those writings, as a sufficient reason for rejecting a doctrine, which rests upon the internal sense of the divine word; and is also confirmed by the demonstrations of rational and scientific truth. Such a doctrine, as I have before endeavored to show, is that which teaches that death separates the spirit of man from all immediate connection with the natural world, and hence that the resurrection and final judgment must take place in the spiritual world; and that those important events will leave the laws and operations of the natural world undisturbed. If therefore Peter and the other apostles, understood the words of the prophets to mean that the earth and the works that are therein would be burnt up, in a literal sense, we can only say that we have now the most abundant reasons for believing that they did not understand the true spiritual meaning of those words.
But is it not a bold and daring presumption, to intimate that Emanuel Swedenborg has understood and explained the word of the Lord better than the apostles? I confess I am unable to see, why we are justly liable to such a charge provided we are convinced, on good and rational grounds, of the truth of what we assert. On the other hand, it seems to me that the presumption is on the part of those who deny the divine illumination of our author, "understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm." The second coming of the Son of Man is clearly foretold in the word. This all admit. But it is also distinctly shown in the word that the "Son of Man "is "the word" and "the truth." We read that the "Son of Man shall come in his glory;" that he shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel;" that we shall all "stand before the Son of Man," and that "in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh," that "the Father hath committed all judgment unto the Son because he is the Son of Man." Now who is this Son of Man, of whom we so often read that he will come again, and that he will judge the world? He is surely not a distinct person from Jehovah the Father, for this would involve us in the awful absurdity of acknowledging more divine persons than one, or, which is the same idea, more Gods than one. For to talk of there being two or three divine persons, and yet only one God, is to talk nonsense. It is to trifle with the most solemn and important subject, by using words which convey no definite or intelligible idea. It is to adopt a manner of speaking, which the truth seeking spirit of the present age, will not much longer tolerate. Either candidly confess that you acknowledge and worship a plurality of Gods, or else tell us what distinction exists in your mind between a divine Person and a divine Being. But if it seems too hard a task to do either the one or the other, we will leave you to reflect up on the subject, while we assure you, that we believe in and worship but one divine person, one God; and that God the Lord Jesus Christ. And when we read of the "coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven," we understand the coming of the Lord himself, as divine truth, revealed through the clouds of the literal sense of his word. His coming is the coming of the Internal and spiritual meaning of the word, in glory and power. It will be seen that this view will at once reconcile and harmonize many passages in the word, which, otherwise appear very contradictory and discordant. As, for example, after having been repeatedly taught in the word, that judgment will proceed from the Son of Man, the Lord says: "If any man hear my words and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world but to save the world. He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day." The apparent contradiction instantly vanishes, the moment that by the Son of Man we understand the word, or the Lord as divine truth.
It will be seen, therefore, that by the coming of the Son of Man, we understand the coming of the word in its glory and power,—a fuller developement of its internal and spiritual meaning. Heretofore the church has possessed no test, by which it could, with absolute certainty, separate the word of the Lord from the writings of men. There had been great difficulty and uncertainty, in seeking to ascertain what portions of the ancient scriptures are inspired; and in what their inspiration consists. The decisions of one ecclesiastical council had been set aside by those of an other, and the opinions of one author by those of another, till this whole subject had become involved in a dark and impenetrable mystery. No question in theology was more entirely unsettled, than that in regard to the inspiration of the scriptures. This fact will not be denied by any candid man, who has paid the least attention to the subject. In the midst of this confusion and uncertainty, an author has appeared, who professes to apply a test by which the true word of the Lord can be infallibly separated from all other writings, its divinity demonstrated with absolute certainty, and its divine power and glory brought forth to view in a manner heretofore unknown. The writings of this author have, produced the deep and strong convictions of truth, upon the minds of all those who have given evidence of having thoroughly and faithfully examined them.
Now I would most respectfully ask the reader, is it not a dangerous and unwarrantable presumption for any man, who has not carefully examined these writings, to venture to affirm that they do not contain a fuller developement of the true meaning of the divine word, than can be found in the writings of the apostles? Is it not the same spirit which would reject, without examination, any doctrine, whether true or false, which comes into collision with our prejudices?
With a quiet and unshaken confidence we await the time, when the final and full developement of truth, will show who is right in this matter. And yet for better reasons than a desire to behold the triumph of truth, I would indeavor to convince the reader of the importance of faithfully examining this subject. For I know that if he enters upon such an examination from a sincere love of the truth he will soon find himself exchanging shadows for substances, dreams for realities, the dead forms of an external faithfor the living realities of heaven.