FROM

THE

MILLENNIAL HARBINGER:

FOURTH SERIES.

VOL. VII.]	BETHANY, VA. SEPTEMBER, 1857.	[NO. IX.

      "Beware lest any man spoil you, through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."--Paul to the Colossians.

      IT was intimated in my last article, that from the delicacy of some of the questions handled, and their detached and isolated presentations in short and disconnected essays, I felt myself exceedingly liable to misconstruction. I have been conscious that not only particular positions taken, but the general scope and design of the whole series of articles might be misconceived and misinterpreted, but I have ventured to proceed under the assurance of my own good intentions and the hope that the gradual evolution of the subject would at last place all these matters in a proper light. It may be that, in this confidence, I have too long neglected to introduce some explanations and qualifications of my remarks, which I now desire to offer.

      Let me not be understood, then, as questioning in the least, the correctness of the principles and teachings of any of the leading brethren in the Reformation, when I have ventured to express the fear that many may have adopted their conclusive arguments showing that facts are the true basis of faith, as a theory or philosophy of faith itself. I would, on the contrary, re-affirm my entire conviction that this point has been so clearly elaborated, especially by Bro. Campbell, as to leave no just ground of dispute, and that if any have converted the argument into a theory, this error is not to be attributed to those who have employed the argument. It is due rather to that tendency, so common in religious society everywhere, to substitute theories and philosophies of things for things themselves. As to the actual extent to which the particular error in question may have prevailed, I do not undertake positively to say; for though, in view of the [491] strong natural tendency in men to mix philosophy with religion, and the various indications of the existence of this error which have fallen under my observation, my fears might lead me to think that many, as taken by themselves, had fallen short of the true idea of faith, it may be no less true that, compared with the mass of the disciples, the number is but few. Of this, at least, I will endeavor to entertain the hope, for certainly nothing would be more subversive of the great principles and purposes of this reformation, or more unfavorable to spiritual progress, than the mixing up of human philosophy with so elementary a matter as faith. We, as a religious community, are distinguished from all others, in that we have adopted facts instead of doctrinal theories as the basis of the Christian faith, and, on this account also, it has seemed to me important that imperfect views in relation to this matter should not be allowed to exist in the mind of any one.

      I have no idea, indeed, that there exists amongst us as a religious body, any great diversity of sentiment. It has been said, indeed, by one whose judgment is entitled to the highest respect, that we have among us "all sorts of preachers preaching all sorts of doctrines," and this may be correct in the same sense as what I have above alleged as to the existence of imperfect views of faith. But it is certainly far more applicable to the other religious denominations than to us. The practice of text preaching and of spiritualizing the Scriptures which prevails among them, gives rise to the greatest discrepancies in their expositions of the Word of God, so that one will scarcely hear the same doctrine deduced from the same text by any two preachers in any one party. We, however, having adopted the true and established rules of Scripture interpretation, almost invariably reach the same conclusions, so that brethren the most widely separated from each other, find themselves of one heart and of one mind in regard to all the great matters of the gospel. This is not only agreeable in itself, but a sure indication of the correctness of our principles, and that the Bible alone furnishes the proper basis for the union of Christians. How important it is then that we should carefully adhere to this standard and allow no human philosophy to mingle itself insidiously with the pure teachings of the Sacred Word.

      The liberty we enjoy as disciples of Christ of sitting at the feet of our Master to hear his word, and to grow in knowledge of divine things, is one which we cannot too highly appreciate. Sectarians who are shut up within the narrow precincts of human creeds, can neither realize nor comprehend it. But knowing, as I do, the earnest desire of the brethren to make progress in the divine life, and the sincere delight with which they gain new insight into the sacred [492] mysteries of the gospel, and that they will bring every thing to the test of Holy Scripture, I trust that my present effort to break the cold fetters of that sensuistic philosophy which has cramped the energies and arrested the advance of this religious movement to some extent, will be accepted in the same kind spirit and cordially love of truth in which I am sure it is made upon my part.

R. R.

      While upon the subject of misconstruction and consequent misrepresentation of my views, I wish to say a few words in relation to the sense in which I have used the word philosophy, and the point of view in which I contrast it with faith in the title to these essays. This, indeed, is to most readers, sufficiently indicated by the text which I have selected as a motto, but in order to prevent misapprehension on the part of any one, I would remind the reader that I have throughout, carefully specified the sort of philosophy to which I object in religion, as being human philosophy. He will also remember that I have by no means objected to human philosophy or wisdom, considered in itself, but that, on the contrary, I have defended it from the rude assaults of an ignorance so adventurous as to denounce it wholly and unreservedly as calculated only to "make infidels." I have taught that, in its own place, it is worthy of attention and respect, and that it is very far from being a mark of intelligence or wisdom to charge literary institutions or individuals with having infidel proclivities because they "use the philosophies mental and moral of the times." The reader will perceive how forcibly this view of human philosophy is sustained in an article in the present number of the Harbinger from the pen of Bro. Campbell, and how absurd, in view of what is there said are all such assertions as that "The revelations of God and the philosophies of the world agree in no particular," and that "no one who respects the Bible can believe in any system of philosophy in existence"--thus making faith and all philosophy necessarily antagonistic to one another. Truth is always harmonious. No truth in the universe can possibly be incompatible with any other truth, and whatever men may have discovered that is true in reference to mind or morals, or material nature, will be found to be in perfect harmony with what may hereafter be discovered, and certainly can never conflict in the slightest degree with any truths in Divine revelation.

      The reader will remember that I have distinctly asserted that religion itself has its own philosophy, and that my objection has been to the substitution of human philosophy for that divine philosophy, which pervades the gospel. I remarked in the May number that, "since the philosophy of anything is its reason, there is a philosophy [493] in religion, else there would be no reason in it. But it is a divine and not a human philosophy. It is Christ crucified that is God's philosophy. It is the gospel that is God's power and wisdom. Hence it would be correct to say that Christianity contains the most glorious and sublime philosophy in the universe, since it is the divine plan or system of salvation, perfectly adapted to man through an infallible knowledge of his nature, character and condition. It is because it is thus absolutely perfect in its own philosophy that any addition of human philosophy spoils it. Christ must be our 'wisdom' as he is "our righteousness, our sanctification, and our redemption." I take pleasure in again referring the reader to Bro. Campbell's essay on "Christianity the true philosophy," in the present number, as a cogent and forcible presentation of the same view, and as exhibiting the contumely offered to the "Great Teacher," in forsaking his lessons of wisdom for mere human theories and speculations.

      It will be then, I presume, apparent to the most ordinary apprehension in what sense I use the word philosophy, and in what respect I contrast faith with philosophy. That there is a contrast and an antagonism between the faith of the gospel and human philosophy as its substitute, cannot be truthfully denied. The former is God's wisdom; the latter is man's wisdom; and being thus things of the same class, they are with entire propriety contrasted with each other. "My ways;" saith God to man, "are not as your ways, neither are my thoughts as your thoughts." But the opposition or antagonism between faith and human philosophy is clearly implied in the text which I have prefixed to these essays. The apostle in addressing those who were to be guided by FAITH, warns them to take heed lest any one should "spoil thee through PHILOSOPHY," which he further defines as "after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world and not after CHRIST." This human philosophy, then, was, in his view, antagonistic to the Christian faith, since he warns the disciples AGAINST it, and exhorts them to "walk in Christ Jesus the Lord as they had received him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as they had been taught." While I have thus, the language of an inspired apostle clearly affirming the mutual antagonism of faith and human philosophy in religion, I care not to seek for any other justification or defence of the appropriateness of the title, "Faith versus Philosophy." The faith of Christ is adverse to human philosophy in religions affairs. The Holy Spirit has declared its entire incompatibility with a pure faith, and has given us the most earnest and emphatic warnings against it, and it will be our wisdom to give proper heed to these admonitions.

      Of course there never can be any just antagonism between the [494] Christian faith and that divine philosophy of which it is itself the exponent, and I trust that no reader will so far misconceive me as to imagine that I have anywhere asserted the existence of such an antagonism. As our beloved Bro. Campbell has well remarked, one might as well assert an antagonism between faith and reason. For faith is the very perfection of reason or true philosophy, and we cannot then too reverently receive the things of faith which are revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures, since they are the infallible dictates of infinite wisdom, and the appropriate and necessary means devised by divine love for our salvation.

      Upon this subject I have many things to say which seem to me important in the present position of affairs. But as this particular point has already occupied so much space in the present number, I defer any further discussion to a future opportunity.

R. R.

[The Millennial Harbinger 28 (September 1857): 491-495.]