THE REAL QUESTION

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 5, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 18.

THE REAL QUESTION.

The real question before Protestants now is, Will they stand to Protestant principles? The Protestantism of the sixteenth century was not in its purity, power, and unity the Christianity of the first, but it possessed the principles which would, if followed, have developed, and which will yet develop in those who cleave to them, the same purity and power and unity manifest in apostolic times. Those principles, elsewhere discussed more fully, were, in brief, the Bible and the Bible alone, and the absolute separation of Church and State, or the non-interference of the civil magistrate with the exercise of religion or the observance of religious institutions. It is really all comprehended in the first principle, “The Bible and the Bible alone;” for he who follows that will follow Christ, whose “kingdom is not of this world.” In submitting to the word of God, the Spirit of God would have led the church into all truth, and would have eliminated all error. Simple faith would not have endeavored to effect this by creed and council, but would have relied on the promise and Spirit of God.

The mistake of the Protestant churches lay in endeavoring to form into cold, dead creed the living word of God. This error led to the second error,—endeavoring by human effort and power and law to infuse vitality into the lifeless form. Hence came connection with the State, class legislation, intolerance, and persecution. All these are inevitable results of the creed principle. We do not mean by this that all creeds have led to a union of Church and State, because the opportunity and influence to enable them to do so have in most cases been wanting. But the principle leads to that, and a tenacious clinging to error plainly condemned by God’s word, leads to that, as illustrated by the Baptist and Disciple Churches, many of whom are demanding legislation for Sunday observance, a religious institution, for which there is absolutely no authority in God’s word, but which is wholly based on the traditions of an apostate church.

We said that following the principle, “The Bible and the Bible alone,” apart from creeds would develop a pure, united, and strong people. It has in part done this already, and what has been done is a pledge of the completion of the work. Following that principle has called out a people from every antagonistic denomination, from various nations and tongues of the world, from the cultured and the ignorant, and, despite early education, environment, and prejudice, united them firmly, without creed, on “the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus”—an inspired epitome of the gospel of Christ, of the whole word of God. This people have not come out from the other churches for the purpose of forming a new church, but they have been impelled by the principle, “The Bible and the Bible alone,” to turn from the traditions of men, which the Protestant churches inherited from the Papacy. They have been constrained by their love for God and his word and for precious souls to teach these important truths to all who would hear, not to tear down other churches nor to build up a new church, but to advance the cause of Christ. For these reasons we now appeal once more to our Protestant brethren in all denominations to follow what they have declared in their various creeds; to simply do what the great principle of Protestantism demands. Listen to the creeds and doctrines of the various churches. The Thirty-nine Articles of the Protestant Episcopal Church declare:—

Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation; so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation.—Article VI.

No Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the commandments which are called moral.—Article VII.

The Methodist Episcopal Church is to all intents and purposes the same in its articles 5 and 6; and in Catechism No. 2 of the same church, p. 38, the moral law is defined as follows:—

86. What is the rule of our obedience? The moral law. “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” Matt. 19:17.

87. Where is the moral law given? In the ten commandments. Ex. 20:1-17.

The commandments are then given verbatim, with proof texts. After the fourth commandment the following scriptures are quoted: Lev. 19:30; 23:3; Ex. 31:17; Gen. 2:3; Ex. 23:12; Isa. 58:13. Every one of these scriptures refers to the seventh-day Sabbath.

John Wesley, on Matt. 5:17, says:—

It was not the design of Christ to revoke any part of the law. It cannot be broken. Every part of it remains in force upon all men in all ages. Neither time, place, nor circumstances make it liable to change.

Our Baptist brethren declare:—

We believe the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God for its Author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us, and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.—Baptist Convention of New Hampshire.

From “The Advance Almanac for 1894 and Manual of Congregationalism,” we take the following:—

V. We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the record of God’s revelation of himself in the work of redemption; that they were written by men under the special guidance of the Holy Spirit; that they are able to make wise unto salvation; and that they constitute the authoritative standard by which religious teaching and human conduct are to be regulated and judged.—P. 56 Creed of 1893.

In the same work, pp. 58, 59, is the Congregational Confession of Faith reported by the Creed Commission of 1833. The following is required of those who unite with that body:—

You do truly repent of your sins; you heartily receive Jesus Christ as your crucified Saviour and risen Lord; you consecrate yourselves unto God and your life to his service; you accept his word as your law, and his Spirit as your Comforter and Guide, and trusting in his grace to confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, you promise to do God’s holy will, and to walk with his church in the truth and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.—P. 58 Confession of Faith.

The Presbyterian Confession of Faith thus speaks on the same point:—

The Bible contains the whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, or man’s salvation, faith, and life. The moral law doth forever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof; and that not only in regard to the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God, the Creator who gave it. Neither doth Christ in the gospel any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation.—Article 5. Neither are the aforementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the gospel, but do sweetly comply with it, the Spirit of Christ subduing, and enabling the will of man to do that freely and cheerfully which the will of God, revealed in the law, requireth to be done.—Article 7.

We might multiply such sentiments as these indefinitely from other sources. We only ask Protestants to hold to the principle which gave them existence, the Bible and the Bible alone, wherever it may lead; for, as “every word of God is pure,” as it is life, it will lead only to righteousness and life everlasting through faith in Christ. We close these quotations by one from Dr. Albert Barnes on Matt. 5:19:—

We learn, hence, (1) that all the law of God is binding on Christians. Compare James 2:10; (2) that all the commands of God should be preached, in their proper place, by Christian ministers; (3) that they who pretend that there are any laws of God so small that they need not obey them, are unworthy of his kingdom. And (4) that true piety has respect to all the commandments of God. Compare Ps. 119:6.

Here is stated over and over again the principle upon which Protestantism, nay, Christianity itself, is based. Those who follow this one great principle will turn from the Sunday of tradition and observe the seventh day.

But do not misapprehend us, brethren. It is not a mere matter of the first day of the week or the seventh day of the week; it is that for which these two days stand. The one, the seventh day, stands now for God’s word, for one of the plainest precepts in that word, for Jesus Christ the Creator (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16), and the Creator and Sanctifier through the word of truth (John 17:17). Of the creation, the Sabbath of the Lord, the seventh day, is the memorial. Of the redemption and sanctification of fallen man, the Sabbath

is the sign between Christ and his people (Eze. 20:12); for the same power which creates is the power which regenerates, or makes a man a new creature (Eph. 2:10; 2 Cor. 5:17).

The first-day sabbath has no authority in Scripture, as good men among the various denominations have declared. Christ never authorized it as a holy day, nor did his apostles. Inspiration has given the sacred name “Sabbath” to but one day, and that the day just before the first day. The Sunday sabbath, in its origin, its early observance, its history, stands for paganism, for an apostate church, for traditions which make void the word of God, for usurpation of right and truth, for intolerance and persecution. That it has been kept by good men does not affect the question. “Whose image and superscription hath it?” Luke 20:24. A counterfeit may pass through the hands of many good men, but it does not thereby become genuine. Jesus says, “Every plant, which my Heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.” Matt. 15:13. Those who identify themselves with error in great crises must share its fate.

Brethren, readers, turn from the darkness of papal tradition to the light of God’s word. Turn from the power of the State to the gospel of Christ. Turn from the wine of Babylon to the living water of God’s word. We ask it not merely as a Seventh-day Adventist, but as a Protestant, as a Christian, for truth’s sake, for Christ’s sake, for your own soul’s sake, in the great crisis through which we are passing. Decide not for the multitude of earth, but for the Loving One who bought you, the Living One who will save you, the Mighty One who will keep you to all eternity. It is not merely the first day or the seventh day; it is Darkness or Light, Error or Truth, Tradition or the Word, Babylon or Zion, Barabbas or Jesus, Antichrist or Christ. Which will you choose?