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A Dialogue Between Tradition, Reason, and Scriptus

Parley P. Pratt

Transcribed by Kerry A. Shirts

Mr. Traditon-Good morning. Mr. Reason, I understand that you have lately embraced the Book of Mormon as a divine record, and believe Joseph Smith to be a prophet inspired of God. I am astonished that intelligent men like yourself should be so easily deluded.

Mr. Reason-I am not sensible of having embraced my delusion. But as man is but a short-sighted mortal, and liable to be deceived, I shall be under in6nite obligations to you, Mr. Tradition, if you will have the kindness to point out the deception.

Mr. Tradition-Why, sir, the canon of Scripture is full; and the very idea of any more revelation is the height of absurdity.

Mr. Reason-Well, Neighbour Tradition, if you can prove your last assertion, namely, that " The Canon of Scripture is full," you will do me a great favour, and save a soul from error.

Mr. Tradition--I am pleased to see you so willing to be undeceived. There is hope in your case; In a world of evidence can be brought forward to prove that there is to be no more revelation. Why, sir, our fathers, our mothers our kindred, our neighbours, and our nation, have all testified that the Scriptures are full. Thousands of Protestant reformers, among every class and society, have borne the same testimony. And finally, almost every Christian denominations for many centuries past, have proclaimed, boldly and publicly, that the volume of Scriptures was completed by the Apostles, and that there was to be no more. What more evidence do you want? .

Mr. Reason-I hope, Mr. Tradition, that you will not be offended when I tell you that the "world of evidence" which you have now adduced, is not evidence, but merely tradition the assertions of uninspired men without proof-How am I to know that A or any part of these witnesses to which you refer "I the truth ? Do they prove their assertions by the Scriptures ? If not, how do they know that the canon of Scripture is full ? Must I believe and put my trust in their foolish traditions, and vain assertions without one scriptural proof ? " Cursed," saith Isaiah - Is he that trusteth in man, or maketh flesh is arm."

Mr. Tradition-Do you suppose that so many millions of people are deceived upon this subject ?

Mr. Reason-If they found their conclusions upon their own imaginations and vain traditions, they are just as liable to be deceived as the millions of heathen who have deceived themselves with the vain traditions of their fathers. And now, Mr. Tradition, if you will furnish us with some scriptural evidence to support your assertions, you will confer upon me a great favour; but away with unfounded traditions.

Mr. Tradition-I am not much of a scriptorian myself, but depend chiefly upon the ministers for scriptural knowledge. Ah! yonder comes my old friend, the minister, who has studied the Bible and preached these forty years. He will shew you that the Bible contains all that God ever has revealed, or ever will reveal to man.

[Enter the Rev. Mr. Scriptus, with a Bible in his band.]

Good morning, Mr. Scriptus. I am happy to see you. You have arrived just in the right time. Your services are much needed. Mr. Scripture, I introduce you to my unfortunate neighbour Reason, who has lately embraced that fatal delusion-the Book of Mormon, as a divine revelation. He seems to be an honest man; and it is a pity that he should be so imposed upon. Will you, Mr. Scriptus, have the kindness to shew him, by the Bible, that there is to be no more revelation ?

Mr. Scriptus-It is to be greatly lamented that my honest man should be so grossly deceived. But, Mr. Reason, are you willing to admit the Scriptures as evidence ?

Mr. Reason-Most certainly. The Scriptures are esteemed very highly, both by myself and by all who believe the Book of Mormon. And I can assure you, that I shall receive all evidence drawn from that source with the greatest satisfaction. And if you really believe that I am deluded, I earnestly desire that you should bring forward the strongest and most convincing arguments that you are in possession of, that I may be reclaimed.

Mr Scriptus-I will read to you, Mr. Reason, the 15th., 16th., and 17th., verses of the third chapter of II. Timothy. "From a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works"

You will perceive, Mr. Reason, that Timothy bad enough Scripture when be was a child, to make him wise unto salvation, and what necessity was there for any more ? Could he be benefited by any more ?

Mr. Reason-Will you please to tell me, Mr, Scriptus, what Scriptures Timothy was acquainted with when be was a child?

Mr. Scriptus-The Old Testament, I suppose; for the New Testament was not yet written

Hr. Reason-Then, according to your argument, the New Testament is useless, inasmuch as the Old was able to make Timothy wise unto salvation. What a pity it was that the Lord and his angels, while John was on the Isle of Patmos, did not know that mankind bad enough Scripture years before, or in the days of Timothy's childhood; it would have saved them the trouble of revealing that lengthy revelation to John, and saved him the trouble of writing it, and saved mankind from delusion in believing it. How long is it, Mr. Scriptus, since you made the important discovery that all the Scriptures given since Timothy's childhood are useless?

Mr. Scriptus-I must confess, Mr. Reason, that I never thought of the arguments which you have now advanced; and I clearly perceive that there is no evidence in that passage against more revelations being given; but I think that you must be convinced by the two following passages that we have enough to perfect the man of God and throughly furnish him unto all good works.

.Mr. Reason-I do not perceive, Sir, any such declaration in the passages to which you refer. It does not say that enough Scripture is given by inspiration of God, to make the man of God perfect, &c., that there is no necessity for any more. But it says that " all Scripture is given &c.," leaving the man of God to be perfected by all Scripture which should come to his knowledge, given at any period of time; indeed, as a proof that more Scripture was given after Paul wrote this, you are referred to that given on the Isle of Patmos many years afterwards.

Mr. Scriptus-I perceive, neighbour Reason, that you have a happy faculty of overturning my arguments. Your reasons are so very plain that I cannot withstand their force, and only marvel at the weakness of my own arguments. But I have one more passage of Scripture left, which I think is so pointed and definite against any additional Scripture, that it will be your turn next to yield the argument, and renounce the delusive doctrine of more revelation. It will be found in the last chapter of John's Revelations. I will read it, " For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book. If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this Book." This, I consider, friend Reason, to be positive proof that the canon of Scriptures is full, and no more to be added.

Mr. Reason-Well, Mr. Scriptus,, as you have fled to your strong bold and last refuge, the battering-ram of Reason will try its strength upon it, by asking a few questions. Is there any thing in this passage which you have just read, that prohibits God from adding more revelations?

Mr. Scriptus-0 no. It is" man" who is under restraint, and not God.

Mr. Reason-You perceive, then, that God might give ten thousand more revelations, for aught there is contained in that passage.

Mr. Scriptus-But do you not think that the idea is there indirectly conveyed that God would give no more?

Mr. Reason-Surely not ; for the same restraint was placed upon man as early as the days of Moses, saying," Thou shalt not add nor deminish to the words which I command you." Would you not have considered the children of Israel very foolish, if they bad said to Moses, that the canon of Scriptures was full? Yet they would have been as much justified in drawing the conclusion from the caution given in the book of Deuteronomy, as we are from the book of John's prophecy.

Mr. Scriptus-I perceive the strength of your reasoning. You have overturned my strongest hold; and I know of no other scripture that conveys the most distant idea that the volume of Scriptures was completed by the Apostles.

But admitting that there is no scriptural evidence against receiving more revelation, yet the idea of receiving the book of Mormon, or any thing else, as revelation, without proof is ridiculous. What evidence have you that it is a divine revelation?

Mr. Reason-I most cordially concur with you, friend Scriptus, that we ought not to receive any thing as divine revelation without evidence ; And, if I am not deceived, I have as much evidence in favour of the book of Mormon as you have of the New Testament.

Mr. Scriptus-As much evidence for that book as I have for the New Testament! I am astonished at your presumption! Why, sir, look at the great miracles which were wrought by the Saviour and his Apostles in confirmation of their mission, miracles too, wrought publicly, and not in a corner; the sick, both in and out of the church, were healed. We have the testimony of large multitudes entirely disinterested. having no connexion with the church.

Mr. Reason-How do you know, friend Scriptus, that miracles were wrought in confirmation of their mission ? Did you see them perform miracles with your own eyes ? Did you hear them speak in new tongues with your own ears ? Did you ever see or converse with any person that they healed ? Have you ever seen any person that ever saw them do miracles ? Or have you even read the testimony of one disinterested witness out of the church, who saw them perform miracles ? If not, how do you know they wrought miracles?

Mr. Scriptus-Why, the New Testament says so.

Mr.. Reason-I think, neighbour Scriptus,that you must have studied logic in the ancient schools of philosophy, for you seem to understand reasoning in a circle to perfection. First, you say that the New Testament is true, because miracles were wrought because the New Testament says so. It is the evidence of both the book -and and its miracles that is now called for. Let me inform you, sir, that you have only the testimony of six eye-witnesses, that there were miracles wrought in the days of the Apostles. viz., Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, and Peter; and they were all in the church, and not out of it. It is upon their testimony alone that you believe it. Not a solitary individual that was an eyewitness,either in the church or out of it, except those six,have written and handed down their testimonv.

Mr. Scriptus-What! Did not the lame man who sat at the beautiful gate of the temple testify that be was healed? And did not the blind man who received right, testify of it? and did not the multitudes who saw these miracles testify saying, that notable miracles bad been wrought ?

Mr. Reason-If they did testify, you and I never saw nor read their testimony, but are entirely dependent upon the testimony of the six writers afore mentioned. Luke, who wrote the Acts of the Apostles, testifies that the lame man was healed, and we believe it on his testimony alone. Luke testifies that multitudes saw miracles, but the multitudes have informed us nothing about it.

Mr. Scriptus-Your reasonings seem to be very conclusive, and cannot be overthrown. And I frankly acknowledge that I never thought of these things in this light before. But, neigbbour Reason, can you bring forward so much evidence as there is in favour of the New Testament; that is, can you bring forward six witnesses in your church who will testify that they have seen miracles wrought with their own eyes? You must, Sir, bring forward as much as six witnesses at least, in order that the book of Mormon may have the same claims to our faith that the new Testament has, so far as miracles are evidence.

Mr. Reason-1 can assure you, friend Scriptus, that we are not dependant upon the testimony of six witnesses alone, but can produce more than sixty thousand who have seen miracles wrought with their own eyes. Multitudes have been healed by the prayer of faith in the name of Jesus, both in the church and out of it, since the year 1830. Thus you perceive that we have a great cloud of living witnesses. Now, please take your pen, Mr. Scriptus, and write out the evidences on this sheet of paper in two seperate columns, and compare them, and we if one book has not as good a claim upon your faith as the other, so far as the evidence of miracles is concerned

Mr. Scriptus-I find, friend Reason, that I have been too much under the' influence of my neighbour Tradition, to judge of things according to reason, and shall henceforth endeavour to shun his company, and shall esteem it as a great favour if you will permit me to associate more frequently with you, for I am highly delighted with the soundness of the reasons you have advanced, and think that you have honourably extricated yourself from the charge of delusion,

Mr. Tradition, who had attentively listened to the conversation, became very much excited on hearing himself so lightly spoken of, and abruptly left the room, muttering the following soliloquy:-My old friends, Reason and Scriptus, have both forsaken me and treated me with contempt. But I don't care. Whatever my fathers believed I will believe too; for my great grandfather, Mr. Heathen Tradition, was highly respected by millions, and died a happy martyr in testimony of our cause, and my grandmother, Mrs., Roman Catholic, and my own dear mother, Mrs. Protestant, with all her numerous descendants, have been almost inflexible in the fate of their fathers. And of all the tradition family but a very few apostatise, and they are generally led away by the unpopular Reason and Scriptus families.,