WE do not desire to prevent discussion and investigation, or to deprive brethren of great inventive genius from exercising their extraordinary powers, nor to deprive men of the pleasure of making discoveries; but we are not favorable to allowing every man the privilege of taking out a patent right for everything that may be new to him; because it may not only be old with others, but useless, or even an old and oft exploded error. What we need now is, not so much men to make discoveries and invent something new, as men to push the old, the well-tried, and that which is known to be valuable. We do not desire, on the one hand, to be everlastingly hearing some new thing, nor, on the other hand, prohibited from hearing any thing new. We do not desire to be ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, nor to be never learning; but to have our eyes open to anything profitable, that may be advanced, and continue in the faithful practice of what we know. But the main work is to push the truth through the world which we already have. Nothing is more sickening and disgusting, than for some mere boys, who have hardly read a half-dozen volumes, to start out under a pretence of discovering new truth, “going on to perfection,” explaining the inner and outer man, the inner light, inner consciousness, conscience, the will, new modes of revelation, the manner of the Spirit’s work, etc., etc. We have had a perfect surfeit of all this kind of thing.
We do not need proud and vain young men to invent something new and glorify themselves, but humble and devoted young men, who will be content to “preach the word,” “contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints,” and persevere in pushing the gospel through the world. We have no faith in these young sap heads who are trying to render themselves famous by pointing out to the world the errors of Alexander Campbell. It is true that it is not absolutely impossible that even a very young man should discover some important new truth, or an old one, that had, for a time, been neglected and covered up, but it is not at all probable; and certain it is, that it is not the province of young men to spend a large share of their time in trying to present something new. We claim not to have comprehended all truth, so as to render it impossible for any thing more to be discovered; but the main work is to impress the truth we have upon the rising generation, and bring as many as possible under its influence. We want humble, working, and pious men, to spread the principles of the gospel through the world.