Editorial by Editor

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 7, 1910

Editorial

By Editor

An Interesting Testimony. — Only a few months before his death, Dr. A. H. Lewis, for many years the leading man among Seventh-day Baptists, wrote an article in which he described the work of Seventh-day Adventists as on the decline. His words surprised many of his own people, and surprisingly pointed protests were forthcoming from some of them, while editorially it was explained that his words had been misunderstood. Over against that last comment on our work, which we never laid up against him, it is interesting to place his first comment, in a letter written to the REVIEW from Wisconsin in 1859. He wrote:—

I commenced reading the REVIEW some three or four years since, for two reasons: I wished to learn something of those who supported it, and advocated its doctrines, and felt willing to receive any new light upon the all-important subject of our lives. Upon the question of the Sabbath I had no inclination to disagree with you, as I had always observed it; other points I did not embrace at once. I thought them quite consistent, yet I never saw them in their true light until, with the Bible for my guide, I sought God in prayer for light to see his truth, and I now bless his holy name that I ever heard the three messages, the counsel of the faithful and true Witness, the immortality of man as brought to light in the Bible, etc., etc. But for meeting with Brother Steward, of Mauston, and the REVIEW when I did, in my boyish incredulity I doubt not but I should long since have renounced the Bible, and now have been attempting to “climb up” by some theory of speculative philosophy; and whatever may be the end of the REVIEW or of Adventism, this far I feel that it stopped me, and brought me back to the sure guide of the world, the Bible.

Extent of the Message. — A question at the close of Dr. Lewis’s letter, and the editor’s answer, are of interest as showing how dimly, as yet, appeared the field of our work to the believers in 1859. Dr. Lewis asked: “Is the third angel’s message being given or to be given except in the United States?” And the editor answered:—

We have no information that the third message is at present being proclaimed in any country besides our own. Analogy would lead us to expect that the proclamation of this message would be co-extensive with the first; though this might not perhaps be necessary to fulfil Rev. 10:11, since our own land is composed of people from almost every nation.

As the cause moved forward, the field of the work enlarged in the vision of the believers. It was seen that the message was to go not only to the few of foreign nationality who were coming to this country, but to the millions of Europe, Asia, Africa, and all the lands and islands of the earth. Only so can the work be finished. It is not for us merely to wait for the peoples of many tribes and tongues to come to us, but, “Go ye into all the world,” is the command of our Captain.