The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-01-31
Correspondents Of ihc A0toeata.
LETTERS TO MEDICUS.
NUMBER EIGHT.

things in your two first letters which |
had intended to notice, but did not feel
at liberty, lest our readers should think
our discourse as long as that OF job and
lis friends. But my seventh letter was
concluded in haste, aud | was half in
cliGed to write another to remove little
obscurity-which, see by your third
letter, has occasioned some misappre-
hension on your part. Excuse me there
fcre, in this endeGvor to explain, and
correct also some misunderstanding on
one or two other points
And, first, | had no more desire than
you to engage in a po2cmic discussion.
My only purpose was to haze a friendly
correspondence, for the sake Of eliciting
truth. And however much | may have
bcen actuated by" the desire to appear
in print" you must allow that after IN.
W. Pa" had lectured me for bigotry,
because he supposed [ would censure
the lr;shman fer praying to Mary instead
of God, it was perfectly proper for me
to make the inquiry whether the saints
could hear our requests. [ did not know
what evidence would be offered in sup
port of that belief but was wil!inG--as
| am now-to believe that they cdn
hear, provided there is sufficient eri-
dcnce Of it. When you advanced what
you considered evidence, it was my duty
to examine it with perfect candor, to
see whether it was snBicjem. This |
endeavored to do leaving the arguments
from the fathers, however till should
have opportunity to consult their writ
ings,-hoping You would be able to as
sist me in this respect. 1t was no fault
Of mine il the scripture argument you
presented seemed, on a careful examin-
alton Of the texts, entirely insufficient
for your purpose; nor if your philisoph,
ical argument seemed positively and I've
ry strongly to make against you. |
asked for evidence "scriptural or ohcr,"
aud am willing to take any other cvi-
dence for what it is worth, If God has
spoken to any man since the Bible was
written, as he did to the prophets, then
the testimony of such man would have
the same weight as that Of Moses or
Paul, ouly we must be sure that he does
indeed speak Gods word, and not his
own. And you will agree that no mere.
ly human testimony can compare in val.
ue with "the witness Of God"
You say have "secn fit to deny"
you arguments. Net so; l have said
that they seem to me incOnclusive, and
have specified wherein, 1t was not the
doctrine but its t0mdotion that I called
"shadowy," called the proof 'shadowy
because it is 50 difficult to get hold of.
You disclaim personal responsibility
for your Interpretation OF scripture as
it was not yours but that of your church
Pardon me, if | did you injustice-it
was unintenhoual, l supposed you were
giving your own Interpretation, just as
| gave you mine When | was a child
took the Interpretation fgiven me by
pureuts teachers and pastors; but wher
became man-as competent as they
to judge Of truth and error--L consd,
cred it my duty to inquire for myself
In the main my own Judgment has beer
convinced of the truth of those things
was taught in childhood, but in some
points | have been led to think differ
emily. Might it not be so with you, i
you would examine the doctrine you re
ceived by tradition from your fathers
and might you not come to the same
conclusion that | have in regard to the
doctrine under consideration, viz: tha
it grew up after the Bible was written
and rests entirely on human authority
But you do not think it right to eX
ercise your own judgment in the inter
probation Of scripture! ! yet we read tina
"every one of us must give account o
himscv to God ;" and "it the blind lead
the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Are you willing to follow blindlya teach
er who blindly followed his teacher, an,
90 back through a succession Of Gin TIL
sense, at least blind guides, trustin:
that the first of the series had the truth
aud that none of the rest have change,
it into a lie? Ifthere shouh be an er
ror, how will you answer it to the Judg
that you believed what you was taught
though you had in your hands the wor,
of God by which you might "Proye al
things" and correct the errors of you
teachers? You consider the Bible ia
too holy to be twisted ana turned an,
made to suit every whim which the hu
man mind may conceive" Amen t,
that and precisely for this reason ever
man should search the scriptures TO
himself--not to west them from thei
true meaning, but to enquire reverend
what the true meaning is, to learn, nc
what DR. A., Or DR.. b., may say, bu
,ehot does God say; and, while no ma
may lord it over our consciences, we ar
bound to believe aud do what God says
at the peril Of our souls.
What if Gods people for thousand