But God will have a
people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the
standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned
men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical
councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent,
the voice of the majority--not one nor all of these should be regarded as
evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any
doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain "Thus saith the Lord" in its
support.
Satan is constantly
endeavoring to attract attention to man in the place of God. He leads the
people to look to bishops, to pastors, to professors of theology, as their
guides, instead of searching the Scriptures to learn their duty for themselves.
Then, by controlling the minds of these leaders, he can influence the
multitudes according to his will.
When Christ came to
speak the words of life, the common people heard Him gladly; and many, even of
the priests and rulers, believed on Him. But the chief of the priesthood and
the leading men of the nation were determined to condemn and repudiate His
teachings. Though they were baffled in all their efforts to find accusations
against Him, though they could not but feel the influence of the divine power
and wisdom attending His words, yet they incased themselves in prejudice; they
rejected the clearest evidence of His Messiahship, lest they should be forced
to become His disciples. These opponents of Jesus were men whom the people had
been taught from infancy to reverence, to whose authority they had been
accustomed implicitly to bow. "How is it," they asked, "that our rulers and
learned scribes do not believe on Jesus? Would not these pious men receive Him
if He were the Christ?" It was
the influence of such teachers that led the Jewish nation to reject their
Redeemer.
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