It Will Survive the Shock

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 14, 1906

It Will Survive the Shock

THIS advent movement is not a mere system of philosophy, the product of human wisdom and dependent upon human power for its proclamation. This message is of heavenly origin. God started this work through his own agencies, and he has cared for it in the face of ridicule and opposition. After pledging himself to the success of this movement for more than half a century it is unthinkable that God should desert it now, and permit the enemy to triumph over the one effort to prepare the way of the Lord.

It ought to be plain to all, however, that we have come to a crisis in our experience. Strong influences have been in operation for several years which, if allowed to prevail, would destroy the foundations of this message and introduce an entirely different order of things. “The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place, what would be the result? The principles of truth that God in his wisdom has given to the remnant church, would be discarded. Our religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that have sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as error. A new organization would be established. Books of a new order would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced.” It is because we have believed in the original message as given to this people to give to the world, that we have withstood the efforts to bring in this “great reformation.”

As the latest development in “this reformation” we are now brought face to face with an effort which, if successful, would destroy the confidence of our people in the integrity of this movement and leave them in a state of perfect uncertainty concerning the reliability of the spirit of prophecy. Whether it is so intended or not makes no difference with

the fact. This action must be judged by its fruit, and its fruit is evil.

The stand which has been taken to maintain the original platform of this advent movement as against the effort to bring in a reformation has brought on a conflict. But who is responsible for this conflict? We greatly deplore the present situation, but shall we sacrifice the truth in order to avoid a conflict? We do not like to spend our time and strength in replying to the charges of those who ought to be leading the forces against a common foe, instead of directing an attack upon their former companions in arms, but shall we desert our standard and permit these incorrect representations to unsettle minds without making an effort to place the facts before the people? It seems clear to us that the responsibility for causing a division in our ranks rests with those who have led in an apostasy, rather than with those who have sought to prevent the cause of God from being betrayed into the hands of the enemy. When this matter is fully understood, we are confident that some of the claims and statements circulated among the people will appear in an altogether different light, and the defenders of the truth will not successfully be represented as the offenders.

Because some are now attempting to tear down what they have before built up, there may be more or less apprehension lest this cause may have seen its best days, and lest it may now enter upon a period of decline. In view of our present situation some may even question whether it would not have been better to remain silent than to bring on such a controversy. Did Moses remain silent when apostasy broke out at Sinai? Did he permit the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram to continue unchecked? Was not Phinehas commended for his efforts to stay wickedness in Israel? “They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead. Thus they provoked him to anger with their doings; and the plague broke in upon them. Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed. And that was reckoned unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.” Under the guidance of the spirit of prophecy we have made an honest effort to counteract the evil thing among us, and we believe that the final result will justify this course.

For the encouragement of any who may be inclined to question whether this cause will survive this experience we will quote an extract from an article in “Letters to Physicians and Ministers,” published as “Series B, No. 2.” The title of the article is “The Foundation of Our Faith,” and the whole article is worthy of diligent study. We quote the following paragraphs:—

Shortly before I sent out the Testimonies regarding the efforts of the enemy to undermine the foundation of our faith through the dissemination of seductive theories, I had read an incident about a ship in a fog meeting an iceberg. For several nights I slept but little. I seemed to be bowed down as a cart beneath sheaves. One night a scene was clearly presented before me. A vessel was upon the waters, in a heavy fog. Suddenly the lookout cried, “Iceberg just ahead!” There, towering high above the ship, was a gigantic iceberg. An authoritative voice cried out, “Meet it!” There was not a moment’s hesitation. It was time for instant action. The engineer put on full steam, and the man at the wheel steered the ship straight into the iceberg. With a crash she struck the ice. There was a fearful shock, and the iceberg broke into many pieces, falling with a noise like thunder to the deck. The passengers were violently shaken by the force of the collision, but no lives were lost. The vessel was injured, but not beyond repair. She rebounded from the contact, trembling from stem to stern, like a living creature. Then she moved forward on her way.

Well I knew the meaning of this representation. I had my orders. I had heard the words, like a voice from our Captain, “Meet it!” I knew what my duty was, and that there was not a moment to lose. The time for decided action had come. I must without delay obey the command, “Meet it.” . . .

What influence is it that would lead men at this stage of our history to work in an underhand, powerful way to tear down the foundation of our faith,—the foundation that was laid at the beginning of our work by prayerful study of the Word and by revelation? Upon this foundation we have been building for the past fifty years. Do you wonder that when I see the beginning of a work that would remove some of the pillars of our faith, I have something to say? I must obey the command, “Meet it!”

We believe that the Lord himself has directed in the stand which has been taken to prevent the perversion of the essential principles of the truth for this generation. It has been under his direction that these errors of doctrine and the wrong plans of organization have been squarely met and opposed. We further believe that, like the ship in the scene described, this cause will survive the shock, even though it be injured, and that it will then move forward with even greater power than ever before.

This is God’s truth and it will not be overthrown. This is God’s cause and it will not suffer defeat. God has not commissioned us to make an attack upon any man, but he has set us in defense of the truth, and we believe that he will prosper the effort honestly put forth to preserve this gospel message from being permeated with the subtle sophistries of scientific infidelity. Let our confidence be in the truth and not in men. Let our hope rest in the power of God. Let us have faith that he who has begun this work will carry it safely through. “We have not followed cunningly devised fables.”