The facts we relate in this article are not original with us. They were taken from the Holy Scriptures and Christadelphian writings. We will purposely leave out names because we wish to place no primary importance on man except to reveal how God has used certain ones to keep the light of His truth shining throughout the history of this dark and evil world.
When the people of Lystra would sacrifice to the Apostle Paul and Barnabas as gods, he stopped them and said : “Men, why are you doing this ? We also are men, of like nature with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them” (Acts 14:15 R.V.).
It is a profound truth that God has never left Himself without witnesses in the world. One need only to look at the well regulated laws of the earth and the universe around us to see the power and being of the Almighty Creator.
Has He not in ages past raised up holy men to speak His will as they were moved by the Holy Spirit ? He sent His only begotten Son who said: “I am the light of the world; He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
Jesus also said to those who believed on Him : “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Jesus revealed the truth to His apostles, who in turn spread this truth to the four corners of the known world. Even after they died and the apostasy set in, the light of the truth still shone, although it grew dimmer and dimmer until, in the middle of the Dark Ages, it almost went out. But secular history reveals to us how God raised up certain men to keep it flickering. These men took the Holy Scriptures out of the hands of the apostate church and put it into the hands of everyone.
One of the most recent revivals of apostolic teaching began one hundred twenty-five years ago, when a young medical doctor emigrated to America, taking passage as a ship’s doctor on the ship “Marquis of Wellesly.” The vessel ran ashore on Sable Island in a very bad storm. It was supposed she would be lost with all hands.
Faced with the danger of losing his life, the young doctor felt uncomfortably pressed by the question of what would become of him if he were to perish. He was far from being irreverent or irreligious, but he had never made religion a question of practical interest.
The consequence was that at such a trying time he felt a cloud of uncertainty. He resolved that if his life should be spared, he would never rest until he found out the truth of the matter, in order that he might no more be found in such an uncertain state of mind. On getting safely ashore, he did not forget his resolution. He began his explorations by attending various Protestant denominations. He was determined to seek out the truth without identifying himself with any ecclesiastical organisation.
But due to his ignorance of the Scriptures, an incident happened that made him associate with the American reformation of Campbellite movement. It inaugurated the young doctor on a 16 year career which terminated in the repudiation of every form of popular faith and the adoption of the truth as found in the writings of Moses, the prophets and the apostles. He became a preacher and editor.
But he said: “We never sought the engagements of an editor or a public speaker. We have never addressed the people from inclination, but always from a sense of duty, and at the earnest solicitation of others. In the days of our profound ignorance we were to the Campbellites a very acceptable preacher.” The doctor set up a medical practice, but, due to his speaking engagements, he became an intense Bible student. Having a thorough and working knowledge of both the Greek and He brew he became wiser than his teachers, and trouble ensued.
As the doctor studied the Scriptures, certain questions arose in his mind. He could not reconcile the teaching of the Holy Scriptures with certain popular beliefs of the day. Not having arrived at any conclusions himself, he determined to seek the aid of others. So he drew up a list of questions and published them in a religious magazines under the heading : “Information Wanted.”
We will not try to present them in their entirety, but will merely summarize briefly some of the more important ones.
- Is there any difference between man and the inferior animals other than their organisation?
- Is man naturally and therefore necessarily immortal? Is he an immortal soul because he is man, or is immortality a gift consequent upon the due observance of certain conditions proposed by God at certain periods of the world’s age ?
- If man is naturally immortal, how can life and incorruptibility be said to be brought to light by Jesus Christ in the Gospel?
- If immortality be a gift, is that gift conferred as soon as a man dies, or does he wait for it in unconsciousness until the return of Jesus Christ at His second advent?
- If, as soon as a man dies, he is instantly translated to heaven or hell, how can he be said to be dead, and to rise again from the (lead? Is a man in heaven or hell dead or alive at the same time ? Ir so, where do the Scriptures teach this ?
- If immortality or punishment be conferred upon men as soon as they die, of what use is the judgment which all say is to be at the end of the world?
- If instant perennial bliss or woe is obtained at death through all ages, is not the Gospel nullified, seeing that Paul says it brings life and incorruptibility to light ?
- Is not the great recompense of reward and punishment consequent on the offer of immortality on the terms of the Gospel or the rejection of God’s proclamation ?
- If so, and if God never made this offer to pagans, say the Chinese, will they be raised again from the dead to suffer punishment with those who heard it and yet refused to obey it?
- Is not the term “unjust” limited to those who have rejected God’s way of justification, as the term “just” is confined to those who have accepted it?
- Does not the resurrection of the just and unjust exclude pagans who have not heard the messages of God, infants, idiots and the insane ? Do not these at death fall into a state of unconsciousness from which they will never be delivered ?
- Does not the promise made to Abraham (Gen. 17:8) refer to the possession of Canaan in Asia under the personal reign of the Messiah ?
- Win not the faithful of all ages inherit this land and rule over the governments of men by a resurrection from the dead when Christ descends to the Mount of Olives ?
- Is not restoration and not destruction the ultimatum of all God’s dealings with man, and does not that restoration relate to the earth which was cursed on man’s account?
As we stated before, we have not quoted these questions in their entirety, but merely enough to show that the doctor was diligently endeavoring to fulfill his resolution to seek out the truth concerning his future if death were to overtake him. The reception accorded these questions by his contemporaries was very unfriendly. The questions were misconstrued to be a declaration of conviction on the points raised, and were denounced as a new and infidel creed.
“We asked for bread,” said the doctor, “but our contemporaries gave us a stone. Our mind was not made up on any of the questions; we wanted light. Instead of someone stooping down to instruct us, we were beset on every side. Instead of attempting to enlighten our darkness or direct us in the way of truth, they turned upon us with the cry of ‘infidel’.”
The hue and cry against the doctor was, however, beneficial in its results. As he himself said : “Had no notice been taken of these questions, it is exceedingly probable we should have thought no more about them. Instead of putting us to silence it only roused our determination to seek out the truth : if wrong; if wrong to get right, and when righted to defend the right and to overthrow the wrong or perish in the attempt.”
Soon after this the doctor broke with all his former religious associations whose opposition had done so much to force his attention to the study of the Scriptures. In 1847, some 15 years after his resolution to seek out the truth, he published a confession and abjuration. In other words, he announced publicly that he had been misled and was misleading others in teaching for doctrine the commandments of men. He was reimmersed into what he had found out to be the true teaching of God’s Word.
We would like to point out here that the doctor continued to grow in the knowledge and understanding of God’s Word throughout the remainder of his life. He did not stand still. Many times later if he found he was believing and teaching an untruth, he immediately proved his point from the Scriptures and renounced what he had formerly believed. But from 1847 until his death in 1871, he was a strong and tireless contender for the truth as taught by Jesus Christ and his apostles from God’s Holy Word
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One