Untitled article by Wm. Cottrell

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · December 17, 1867

From Bro. Cottrell.

By Wm. Cottrell

BRO. SMITH: There is quite a strong opposition to the present truth in and around Bowersville. The preachers of the different denominations are making public demonstrations against the truth. Last night I listened to a discourse from Eld. Story, of the M. E. church, on what he was pleased to call the general Judgment. It is rather astonishing to me that a man that has heard a course of lectures, as Mr. Story has, at the tent in our place, should take such a position as he did. He was very literal, a part of his time, in his rendering of Scripture, and when it did not suit him he was very figurative. He would have the day of Judgment a literal day, and those that are to stand before the Judgment, to be standing there literally, but when he came to notice the books' being opened, Rev. xx, that meant God's memory only. He said that there was but one day of Judgment for all; and that Christians would be judged by the gospel, the Jews by the law, and the heathen by the light that they have; and that Jesus is the only judge. He read Rev. xx, entire. Verse 4: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them,” &c. Yet Jesus is the only judge. Paul says in 1 Cor. vi, 2, 3, “that the saints shall judge the world,” and that we shall judge angels. He then went on to state that the righteous and the wicked would all be raised at once. Then he happened to think that there was a “first resurrection;” then he must get out as best he could. So he stated that he once thought that all the righteous were raised in the first resurrection; but now he was convinced that none were raised in the first resurrection but the martyrs of Jesus, and that they would reign with Christ a thousand years. And then the rest of the righteous and the wicked would be raised, and all would be judged, and then rewarded according to their works.

He then gave us his views on the state of the dead till the resurrection. That it was not true that they slept, as taught by us, but that they were in a conscious state. But he did not believe that they were judged at death, but that their cases were decided at death, and they were happy or miserable, as the case might be, and then on the day of Judgment they would be judged and rewarded.

But all such efforts as have been made here against the truth are only calculated to strengthen us in the belief of the truth. We would say, Praise the Lord for the light of present truth. We feel our own weakness and unworthiness, but when we draw near to the Lord in prayer we receive strength of the Lord, and are enabled to praise him who is the strength of his people.

We would say a word to Bro. Waggoner and Van Horn: Our prayers have been following you, and we believe that you will be blessed of the Lord. We feel happy and would praise the Lord that our prayers have been answered, in that he put it into the hearts of his servants to come to Bowersville and proclaim the last message of mercy that is to be sent to the world, and that a people has been raised up here that we believe will go through to Mount Zion. Pray for us, Yours in love, WM. COTTRELL. Bowersville, O., Dec. 2, 1867.