Cowley's Talks on DoctrineCowley, Matthias F. (Matthias Foss)
Religion
Cowley's Talks on Doctrine
Cowley, Matthias F. (Matthias Foss)
Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines
What is the cause of all this uncertainty respecting the glorious plan
of eternal life? If one was or is right, all opposing methods must be
wrong. We answer that the lack of unity, the ignorance in relation
to the Gospel, and finally skepticism and infidelity, are due to
substituting the wisdom of men for the revelation of God, using human
learning instead of the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
We desire to show in this article that without direct and continuous
revelation from God, the Gospel cannot be understood and properly
applied for the salvation of mankind, nor can the purposes of God
be accomplished on the earth. First, we take direct statements of
Scripture: "Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that
keepeth the law, happy is he." (Prov. xxix:18.) The law of God has
never been kept without the Spirit of God to enlighten those who
sought to keep it. The history of the human family, from Adam to Noah,
from Noah to Moses, from Moses to the Lord Jesus Christ, and in all
subsequent ages, proves beyond cavil that where there was no vision
from heaven, no inspired voice, no revelation, the people utterly
perished in darkness and unbelief. The combined wisdom and learning of
men could not save them from spiritual darkness.
That there may be an authorized channel of communication between the
heavens and the earth, the Lord has, whenever His Church has existed
on the earth, appointed men to receive His will and make it known to
the people. "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His
secrets unto His servants, the prophets." (Amos iii:7.) This literally
might be understood as equivalent to saying that where no prophet was,
there the Lord was doing nothing that would result in man's salvation.
Without being technical respecting the language of Amos, the history
of the world from Adam down proves his statements true. When there
has been no prophet there has been no revelation from God. When there
has been no revelation or vision the people have wandered to and fro,
have tossed upon the billows of clashing opinion, perished in darkness
and have been buried in the great ocean of doubt and uncertainty. On
the other hand, when authorized prophets have existed among men we
may exclaim with the ancient Scriptures: "I have also spoken by the
prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the
ministry of the prophets. And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out
of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved." (Hosea xii:10, 13.) And we
affirm that without prophets Israel never was preserved and never will
be.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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