Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-05-01
(Original
ORTHODOXY.

highest authority in the English language, is
as follows: "Soundness of faith; belief in
the genuine doctrines taught in the Scrip.
tures." With this definition, no one will be
likely to make any sort of objection; still,
about the thing itself there is great difficulty.
Men have to decide what is soundness in the
faith. In no other way can it be discovered
what are "the genuine doctrines of the Scrip
tures," than by the human intellect. 1t is
readily admitted that man, in judging what
the Scriptures teach, may be guided by the
Holy Spirit. Their minds may be enlight-
ened by the Holy Spirit, and thus enabled to
discover the teachings of the Bible. This is
glorious truth, and one that should be held
dear by every pious mind. 1t is one of the
truths often and plainly taught in the Scrip
lures. The promise of the Saviour, immedi-
ately prior to his ascension, was that he would
send to his disciples the Holy Ghost, who
would lead them into all truth.
1t must be remembered that in searching
the Scriptures, men do not universally, and
at all times, and on all occasions, ask the
guidance of the Holy Spirit. Rarely is the
Bible read or studied with the full conviction
in the mind that its sacred truths can be fully
understood, and all its teachings discovered
only when the Holy Spirit reveals to the mind
what is actually revealed in its sacred pages
but undiscoverable by the human intellect
If the Spirit was invariably sought to guide
us in searching the Scriptures, all necessary
aid would be granted, and in that case all
men would discover the same genuine doc
trines in the Bible and see them in the same
light. All men who believe the Bible at all
would be orthodox both in creed and in prac.
tice. In such state of things, there would
be no such thing as heterodox Christians in
what are usually called orthodox churches
At present, such state of things does not
exist, and in all human probability, will not
exist until the millennium. Men too often de-
wise what appears to them an orthodox creed,
and then search the Scriptures, not to learn
what they teach, but to find detached por-
tons which will bolster up and sustain their
previously formed creed. The same is true
with respect to the practice of men. They
resort to the Bible, not to learn what is duty,
or what they must do, and what they must not
do; but they first act and then appeal to the
Bible to prove that the action performed was
right and proper. Hence, it so happens that
the Bible is made to teach doctrines wholly
incompatible, and practices diametrically op-
posed to each other. Such being the condi-
tion of things, it is difficult to pronounce with
absolute certainty, what is heterodox and
what is orthodox. Every man thinks him.
self orthodox, and he is very apt to think
that every other man, who thinks or acts diff:
ferently from him, is heterodox.
In reference to this whole subject, it would
be we'll for every one who would be sound in
the faith and believe only in the genuine doc
trines of the Bible, to make clear investiga-
ton both of his belief and practice. 1t is a
dangerous thing to receive the fundamental
articles of ones religious creed from men, and
not from God as revealed in his word The
Bereans of old searched the Scriptures for
themselves. 1t is still the duty of all men to
search the Scriptures. One of the sins of
which the early Corinthian Christians were
guilty, was that some of theh followed Paul,
others Apollos, and others Cephas. Chris
tians are bound to follow Christ.
In searching the Scriptures, we must be
unbiased by preconceived opinions, and we
must earnestly seek the guidance Of Gods
Holy Spirit. Without these precautions we
will be little profted, so far as orthodoxy in
the sight of God is concerned. We may be-
come, in one sense, learned in the Scriptures,
and great controvertialists; but at the same
time have very little accurate knowledge OF
the genuine doctrines Of the Bible, and be
almost destitute of governmental religion.