Christian herald., March 28, 1884, Page 5, Image 5

*?
?
y
•
«■
-
«
)-• * - . r :
*
CHRISTIAN' 11 Hit A L D
e>
__________ ___
Ï 7
V' ' -
‘
-
Just so it is with some men’s souls.
They are in tune with God, and
his thoughts, emotions, and words
find a responsive cord in their souls.
Buch a connection with God enabled
Seneca, Confucius, Socraves and
Pythagoras to see and- teach many
of the truths taught by Moses and
Jesus.
Borgia, Ky.
V ■’
_____
- --------—------- :--- —;—;—”
clearly warrant us to use means
which are not named in the Bible,
then, when we use them we do
practically yield the point, and take
our position among those who claim
that the Bible is not all \ sufficient,
but must be supplemented.
The failure to see clearly, just
here, is attributable mainly to the
assumption that everything not
_________
'
■
■
■
■
-■
5 ’
' r
A
in doing it.
Suppose the case to be that of a
widowed sister who is destitute.
That fruit of the spirit “ love ”
would, during this cold weather,
certainly include the providing fuel
for her—still that would be doing
something not named in the Bible
—the word “ fuel ” is not there, 1
think. Still he would be a Bible—
is wrong, which I have showed is
false asssumption. Still these so-,
cieties, conventions, etc, may be
wrong and certainly are wrong (on
the ground that the Bible is all suf­
ficient) if the Bible does not teach
them. Now does it ? Can we name
chapter and verse that so teaches ?
If we can not, then we must say,
not taught. But hold, some one
....... ,....
ALL SUFFICIENT.
BY Q. A. CASK.
It is commonly affirmed of the
Bible that it is all sufficient and
this is certainly believed among us,
I
4—
I
us how to be saved and. how to re­
main saved.
It is conceded, however, that the
teadi eve*y tiling
that we ought to know in this life.
Many things outside of the Bible
we must know, or we fail in our
. individual work. Still the Bible
is sufficient as a rule of faith and
practice. Because it does not teach
all science and art we can not there­
fore conclude that it is deficient as
a guide in religion.
Bible responsible for more than it
is meant to compass. If a man use
(the word “ religion ” to mean more
than the Bible warrants, he will
fail to find the Bible sufficient. The
same is true with any other subject.
.
So, too, confusion results if we
?
employ a Bible term in an unbibli-
cal sense, and then go to the Bible
for information. This last is quite
common, and is the very life of
sectarianism. The word “ church,”
used by some religious people to
include unregenerate persons, even
infants, and the known failure of
the Scriptures to furnish instruc­
tion for such a church, is a case in
point. But* instruction must be
had, so it is made as demanded, and
takes shape in creeds founded on
tradition. “ The Bible gives names
to all its own institutions. If, there­
fore, we go outside of the Bible for
a name it is a sure sign that we
have something not found in the
Bible.” This seems evident, and as
surely as it is so, does the trouble­
some-question arise, whether, if we
adopt measures and have institu­
tions, not named in the Bible, we
do not thereby practically renounce
our plea for the all sufficiency of
the Bible ? (We are speaking solely
of questions treated in the Bible—
such’ as preaching the gospel to
every creature and edifying the
church.)
. If the Bible teaching does not
therefore must not be used. Where­
as the truth is that the -Bible does
not specify by name everything in
life. Still, though the Bible does
not specify in detail everything,
and does^w M?■ clas s ify e very ac t , i t
nevertheless gives us sufficient in
struction to enable us to determine
whether an act, not named in the
Scriptures, ia-tighi or wroiig, that.
is, the Bible enables us to classify
the act / and belonging to one class
the Scriptures pronounce it good,
and if it is in another category the
Bible says it is bad. If this were
not so, we would have no moral
guide. For instance, after stating
the fruits of the flesh, in Gal. 5, in
sufficient detail the Apostle says,
“ and such like.” not only implying
that ‘we can tell what acts not
named belong to that class, but that
we are compelled to do so, and avoid
them, if we would live righteously.
This may be clear as to the indi­
vidual Christian life, and may show
the truth of the claim that the Bi­
ble is sufficient as a teacher on
what is to be avoided. But does
the Bible teach as clearly what we
are to do when the thing to be done
is not named in sacred record ? Or
are we left to simply do, if we like,
anything and everything that “does
not contravene any divine law.” If
this be so, then, the Bible is not all
sufficient as a guide. It would on­
ly teach us what not to do, and fail
to teach us what to do. At least it
would not make this or that obli­
gatory, and on the positive side,
would not be positive at all. I fear
we are too easy just here, and allow
our notions of freedom, “ liberty of
the gospel,” to nullify the force of
Bible teaching asserting an obliga­
tion. For when the Scriptures en­
able us to classify a given act un-
erringly-as belonging to the cate­
gory of fruits of the spirit, we are
under obligation to bear that fruit-
by doing that act, and in that case
the Bible is our teacher just as
though it specifically named the
act. Furthermore, if the Scriptures
did not embrace the good act, in the
case supposed, we would not be
satisfied that we would be blessed
Bible, kind of a man), so far as this
duty extends, who furnished the
fuel. The obligation to do this
would be felt by him who believes
the Bible, in all the force of a tre-
■m endims bought.” not the tame
“ may.” But then he could provide
fuel by furnishing either wood or
coal, and whichever is cheapest, oi
l>est, he ought to provide, for such
would be expedient. "The fotce of
this last “ ought’’ may be weaker
but it is no less certain, and the
Bible teaches it without naming
coal or fuel.
So also in the work of converting
the world the Bible is our all suf
fid ent rule of faith and practice;
and this’ is so, notwithstanding we
use/ ■* — and
must use
* »•-'T-Tflr*r*~“-i- n of necessity
■iimnii i-T—
means and have societies not men­
tioned by name in the Bible. This
however, is far from meaning that
we may do anything that we please
“ provided it does not contravene
any Divine Law.” This last would
leave us shattered about loose with
instruction only on the negative
side, nnd no felt obligation to ‘do
anything particularly. Besides it
would be practically to say that
the Bible is not all sufficient since
it does not tell us what to do. It
seems to me that the advocates of
our Missionary Conventions have
put thè matter just in that way,
claiming simply that the conven­
tion or society “does not contravene
any Divine Law.” Whereas, if we
have these institutions at all, we
must show that they belong to
what the Bible enjoins, else admit*
at once that the Bible is not suffi
cient as a guide when it comes to
converting the world.
There is universal agreement, I
suppose, that each Christian is un­
der obligation to bear his part in
supporting the gospel, in teaching
all nations, and that Christians of
any community, or of any country,
should act harmoniously. If in or­
der to do this, we adopt measures
and have societies, not named in
the Bible are they therefore wrong?
This conclusion coulàyjje reached
only from the assumption that
whatever is not named in the Bible
itbm — it *11.*.’"*”
Christian Missionary Society in the
Bible !” Well, if it is not inevitably
included in what we dp read, we
must abandon it or say the Bible is
not sufficient.
The Scripture I would name that
involves this and county and dis­
trict and state, cooperation is Mark
16 :15, 19 ; “ Go into all the world
and preach the gospel to every
creature.” Now the missionary 80-
ciety is right in the way of our go­
ing, or rather it is the only way we
can all go. We obey the commis­
sion by uniting our means to sup­
port those who actually go, and this
is a Divine obligation resting on
each Christian—an “ought” mast
emphatic. Thus the society is an
expedient, because right in the line
"oFour ’obeying Wmli’om^
(as the word “ expedient" means)
helps us on, enables us to do the
thing commanded. If, instead of
this we should get off the line
and get something which did not
have the preaching of the gospel in
it, then that something would not
be an expedient in this work.
What it might be would have to
be determined by other Scriptures
that bear upon it.
The correctness of this conclusion
may be more clearly seen by intro­
ducing a parallel. We have reli­
gious periodicals, almost without
number. Is it right to have them ?
Is it Scriptual ? This is always a
proper question to ask, for we be­
lieve the Bible is all sufficient to
guide us. But then they are not
named in the Bible ! Nobody ever
read the name American Christian
Review in the Bible, yet I never
met but one Disciple who thought
it wrong to print and circulate the
Review or any other religious pa­
per ’ But still where is your Scrip­
ture that teaches we should" have
periodicals ? If we can not find it
then we must either give up the
periodicals or admit that the Bible
is not all sufficient. I say again the
commission, “ Go teach all nations.”
The periodical is right in the way
of our going in this case, and the
Way in which we can all teach (in
the sense of imparting instruction.)
I
«
B'
%
v»'
ifâprS
♦
>