There is nothing more important for individuals or bodies of people
than clearly defined and well settled principles. To stand the test,
and be of any importance to the world, the principles of an individual
or a body of people, must be correct, and of vital importance. They
should also be clearly defined, well understood, and constantly kept
in view. It is then not only safe, but of the highest importance to
adhere to them with the most determined pertinacity, fixed purpose
and inflexible firmness. When principles are of the character we have
described, it is dangerous to swerve, shrink or depart from them, in
the least degree. Adherence—the most strict, rigid and determined
adherence—to correct, clearly defined and settled principles, of
a vital character, is indispensable to permanence, stability and
happiness. If the principles thus defined are divine, departure from
them is _apostasy_.
We are not speaking of _subtle principles_, requiring the utmost
stretch of intelligence or learning to understand, or even to perceive
them, when clearly set forth. There may he principles of this kind,
correct ones, too, but we think, _never practical_. That which is
practical and vital, is never so subtle as to require the utmost
stretch of intelligence, either to set it forth or understand it. The
Bible has its deep things, profound and wonderful, requiring the utmost
stretch of human intelligence to set them forth, or understand them;
or, it may be, deeper than human intelligence can fully fathom, but
they are not the practical, and if vital in any sense, it is not vital
that we should understand them. If we could not be Christians, serve,
or please our heavenly Father, without understanding all such, it would
certainly put it out of the power of the masses, to be acceptable at
all. We know this is not so.
In precisely the same way, in nature, there are certain things that
we must know, or we can not enjoy the blessings God has in nature for
us. There are certain principles in nature that are _practical_ and
_vital_, and we must know them and act in continual reference to them,
or we will come to inevitable ruin. But they are not subtle, deep and
profound principles, requiring the utmost stretch of intelligence to
set them forth or understand them. These lie upon the surface, are the
first things we come to, and may be easily learned, and understood
sufficiently for all practical purposes. God has wisely arranged, in
both nature and grace, or in the temporal and spiritual kingdoms,
so that what we _must know_ may be easily learned, thus showing his
benevolence in both, and that both have marks of the same Authorship.
In these matters there is no excuse for being misled. In other words,
if any one is misled, he must be an _easy dupe_, a _willing victim_.
In religion, on the part of the man of faith, certain principles
are settled, and not to be opened anew, and investigated from the
foundation, every time any new phase may appear. Certain other matters
are so self-evident, that they need only to be well stated to satisfy
any ordinary mind. These are the matters that move the world, and
not the abstruse and subtle things. They are the matters that carry
conviction to the mind, settle the understanding, and leave it in a
state of satisfaction and rest. They call out the response, almost
involuntarily, _that is so_. It does not have to be proved again.
As an illustration:—In a union meeting in which we participated, many
years ago, and after the discussions had continued eight days and
nights, in which some ten parties participated, on the last evening of
the meeting, a gentleman rose and inquired if he might speak, at the
same time explaining that he was a sceptic. The chairman said that it
was no church meeting, and if he intended speaking to the point before
the meeting, he should be heard. Several expressed a desire to hear
him, and no one objected. He said he only intended to say a few words.
Pointing to those of us who contended for union on the Bible, he said:
“If the Bible is true, these men are right, for they insist on your
taking _the Bible and going by it_. If the Bible is not true, _I am
right_, and there is no show at all for the balance of you.” That is a
case that needs no argument.
Before we belonged to the church, we spent a few days in a worthy
family. The head of the family was a class leader in the M. E. Church,
a kind-hearted and good man. He was zealous, and desired to benefit
us religiously, and made sundry attempts to talk to us. We knew but
little about the matters of which he talked, and really did not desire
to say enough to discover to him how little we did know. But after
further acquaintance we inquired of him as follows: “If a man will take
the Scriptures, read them, believe them, and do what they require,
will he not be a Christian?” With somewhat of an air of surprise, he
replied: “No; he must have something more than that.” This “something
more than that” was the perplexing part. What more could there be than
the Scriptures require? _Then, if there is something more than the
Scriptures require, how did any man find it out?_ And, still further,
what is it? _If it is not required in Scripture, how does any man know
that it is required at all?_ Of course we mean on the human part, or
that which is required _of man_. When we inquire how a man is to obtain
a crop of corn, we do not mean how he is to _make soil_, how he is to
get atmosphere, sunshine, rain, etc., but how he is to perform _his
part_. If the soil has not in it the qualities to produce corn; if the
right state of atmosphere is not given, the sun does not shine, and
the rain does not come, he is not to blame. It is useless to preach
about the properties of the soil, the atmosphere, the warm sunshine,
the rain, etc., in showing a man how to grow corn. On all these matters
a man might preach philosophically, learnedly and correctly, but not
another grain of corn would grow, for all his fine talk. This is not
the _practical_ nor the _human part_. But the man must be instructed
how to put the ground in order, how to plant and cultivate, in showing
him _how_ to obtain a crop of corn, _with_ the divine blessing, but
certainly not _without it_.
_First._ We have long since settled the question about the authority of
the Bible. That is no more an open question, unless we please, for the
sake of argument, to look at it as an open question. We receive what
the Bible says _implicitly_, or because _the Bible says it_.
_Second._ Then it is _the rule_, and there is not a reason in this
world for not taking it and _going by it_. It is the rule, the final,
the absolute authority. It must be received in all things.
_Third._ Then the gospel preached by the apostles—precisely, no more,
no less, no other—must be preached by us. What they preached then or
in their time must be preached now or in our time.
_Fourth._ The gospel preached by the apostles was precisely what the
people were required to believe, in their time, and what they did
believe to the salvation of their souls. This same gospel precisely is
what the people in our time are required to believe, and what they must
believe to the salvation of their souls, or not be saved at all.
_Fifth._ The things commanded to be done in the preaching of the gospel
by the apostles were the things which they did that they might be
saved. The same things precisely which they were commanded to do, and
which they did to be saved, are the things now commanded to be done by
those who believe the gospel, that they may be saved. These things must
be done now for precisely the same purpose as they were then.
_Sixth._ If, with precisely the same faith, the same things are done,
for the same purpose, the same result will follow. No man can give a
reason against this conclusion.
_Seventh._ When persons are turned to the Lord now or have become
christians, the same instructions imparted to the first Christians
should be imparted to them, to show them how to serve God and be
finally saved. If this is not so, then no man can show how we are to be
guided to the everlasting city.
We give these as a few of the clear principles from which we can
not turn away without apostasy and utter ruin. These are vital and
fundamental matters, and no man can infringe on them or treat them with
indifference without being held in distrust. No man will turn round
and repudiate all of them at once, but those who turn away will depart
little by little, introducing a little _new_, leaving a little out, and
encroaching on these principles, first in this and then in that. Such
men will flounder and think themselves abused if we do not think they
are perfectly _sound_. But there are some things we _can not think_.
We can not think white is black, or that black is white. We can not
believe without evidence. If men desire us to think they are sound they
must give us the evidence to prove it and we will rejoice to believe
it. They can easily do this if they are sound.