Many brethren are inquiring of us about the Spirit, “correct views
of the Spirit,” and of “the influence of the Spirit,” and insisting
that we should respond to some things that are published, etc.; but,
for the present, to all this we must simply say, that the Lord knows
our hearts. He knows who have the Spirit, who are led by the Spirit,
walk in the Spirit, mind the things of the Spirit and endeavor to keep
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. He knows them who are
his, who love him and keep his commandments. Blessed be his name; he
is able to keep them from falling, make all grace abound to them and
preserve them to his heavenly appearing and kingdom. With them, his
great work is a reality, a real work, the greatest and best of all the
works in which human beings have ever engaged; and they believe he is
with them, will be with them while they shall struggle for his cause in
this world, and will be with them in the day when God shall judge the
secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to the gospel. In him they
have put their everlasting trust;to him they have committed their
cause, and to him they look for their final reward. They fear not what
man can do to them, nor what he can say of them, but they fear him
who is able to save and able to destroy, who is able to kill and able
to make alive. We have nothing at stake only the cause of truth, of
righteousness and humanity. We have no theory of our own to maintain,
no philosophy to defend, nor pride of opinion to guard, but are willing
to learn of the most humble disciple in the whole kingdom of God. If
any brother really has more of the spirit of the Lord than we have, we
envy him not because _he has more than we_, but we are only sorry that
_we have less than he_.
* * * * *
By the way, as we now appear agreed that the Spirit of God should be
actually received and enjoyed by the saints, whether that agreement
be enforced by the terms of Scripture merely, or from the heart,
God knows. There remains but a single point of importance in our
mind. That is not, and has not been, whether the Spirit of God is
actually received and enjoyed by the children of God; but whether any
_teachings_ are communicated to man, or revelations made, either before
or after conversion, to saint or sinner, except _through the senses_.
Are not the revelations of God inscribed upon the sacred pages of the
Bible, the only teachings from heaven, for both the church and the
world, and are not these imparted to man through the senses? We do not
believe that there are any revelations from God, or teachings, binding
upon man, for saint or sinner, only those in the Bible, and these are
imparted to man through the senses. If this is sensuous philosophy,
then we are in for it.
[A] A discussion of the subject of Spiritual Influence was carried on
among the Disciples during the Decade, beginning in the year 1856.
Benjamin Franklin’s position, and indeed the gist of the controversy,
is presented in the opening and closing paragraphs of an editorial in
the _A. C. Review_.