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GOOD, TO-DAY

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 4, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 32, No. 7.

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GOOD, TO-DAY.

By Editor

The position of Adventists in 1844, on some vital questions, is thus expressed in an article which appeared in their leading organ in that year:
“It is our opponents who have departed from the ‘standard interpretations,’ and ‘long established opinions,’ which ‘have been supposed to be settled beyond a doubt.’ They have given up their old opinions, and have departed from the faith. Our opponents have thus far failed to point out any essential error in our views. The doctrine of a terrene millennium has been exploded and scattered to the winds; the fabled restoration of the carnal Jews, has been shown to have no place in the word of God. The fourth beast has never been disproved to be the fourth kingdom; and the connection between the 8th and 9th of Daniel—the latter an explanation of the former—has never been invalidated. Sneers, and scoffs, and sarcasm, and ridicule, and falsehood, have been hurled upon us in thick profusion, but the word of God still standeth sure; our arguments have remained untouched.”
That portion of the foregoing extract relating to the 8th and 9th of Daniel, we have put in italics, as it has a bearing on our relation to other bodies of Adventists. This was a fundamental principle in the original Advent faith. It was considered a “standard interpretation,” an “established opinion,” and “settled beyond a doubt.” And it has never yet been invalidated. It is as good to-day as it was then. We still hold to it. Our opponents have “departed from” it. One of two positions had to be yielded on the passing of the time in 1844. It was necessary to give up (1.) the connection between Dan. viii and ix, or (2.) the idea that the earth was the sanctuary. On examination it was found that the earth could present no claim to being the sanctuary, while the connection between Dan. viii and ix, could not be invalidated. S. D. Adventists gave up the weak position, and retained the strong. Others gave up the strong, and retained the weak: with how much wisdom, the close student of prophecy finds no difficulty in determining, even now, and time will soon make apparent to all. Our opponents have thus far failed to show any truth in what we yielded, or any error in what we retained. Our arguments still remain untouched.