Earlier and Later Movements by George Ide Butler

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 24, 1911

Earlier and Later Movements

By George Ide Butler

Many Voices — No. 2

Earlier and Later Movements

GEO. I. BUTLER

As stated in the previous article, ever since the Seventh-day Adventist denomination has had an existence, dissatisfied persons have been drawing off and separating from it. As the beloved John said of some in his time, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” 1 John 2:19.

Another remarkable feature conspicuous all the way along has been the fact that all these disaffected ones have opposed the testimonies of the spirit of prophecy, which have been accepted by our people ever since this work began. In an early day in this message there arose a faction called the “Messenger Party” from the fact that they started a paper by the name of the Messenger of Truth. This party bitterly opposed the Testimonies because they condemned the tobacco habit. It made some stir for a brief period; then the paper ceased to be issued because of lack of patronage.

A few years later two prominent ministers who had begun to keep the Sabbath in Wisconsin started an opposition movement. They opposed the Testimonies, and advocated the age-to-come doctrine. Securing the old Messenger printing-press, they began printing a paper called the Hope of Israel, and antagonized Seventh-day Adventists for a short time, when they came to naught. The two leading ministers lost their influence, and not long after ceased their public labors. Thus the Hope of Israel proved to be a very delusive hope.

Another schism occurred in the State of Iowa some forty years ago. Many called it the “Iowa Rebellion.” The president and the secretary of the Iowa Conference, the only ministers of the conference, began an opposition against the Testimonies. At least two pamphlets were written against the Testimonies. They secured the old Messenger or Hope of Israel press, and with it started a paper called the Christian Advocate, in Marion, Iowa. For a year or so they stirred up quite a commotion. But it was only a brief period till both the ministers became Universalist preachers, and of course ceased to keep the Sabbath. The party began to dwindle down. The writer believes a small remnant still survives in the State of Missouri. The Iowa Conference, in a few years after this disturbing element left the ranks, had increased fivefold, becoming one of our strongest State conferences. After the Iowa difficulty, our work had quite a long period of peace and prosperity, attended with rapid growth.

About ten years ago, other disturbing “voices” began to be heard. Men very prominent in the denomination began to put forth doctrines relative to the Deity which were entirely foreign to the Belief of our people, and contrary to the Holy Scriptures. These doctrines were published in books and periodicals, and the minds of some were unsettled by them. The servant of the Lord felt it to be her duty to speak out in no uncertain tones in reference to these disturbing elements, and it was evident that the large majority of our people still maintained their faith in the Testimonies. We all greatly regretted that the disaffected brethren should persist in clinging to their new doctrines, and that we therefore must part company. The progress of the work was very little affected thereby.

More recently another voice is being heard. It claims to be new light upon the sanctuary question. It is held and is being taught that when our Saviour ascended to heaven, he became our great High Priest after the order of Melchisedec, and began his ministration in the most holy place, instead of in the first apartment, of the heavenly sanctuary, and so has been ministering in the second apartment for more than eighteen hundred years. It is also claimed that the Son of God had ministered in the holy place, or first apartment, from the fall of man till he came to this earth to die for man. It is not the purpose of the writer at this time to enter upon a review of the many erroneous claims and consequent wrong conclusions which are involved in this position. It would require altogether more space than could be allotted to take up this whole subject. The writer wishes simply to show that these new doctrines squarely conflict with the teaching of the Scriptures and with the positions always held by Seventh-day Adventists on the sanctuary question. “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” This period began in 457 B. C., and consequently ended in 1844 A. D. The cleansing of the sanctuary in type and antitype was a work of judgment; in the type it consisted in the removal

of sins that had been conveyed into the sanctuary; in the antitype it is the work of the great judgment day. The first angel’s message announces, “The hour of his [God’s] judgment is come.” Here is where God has appointed the commencement of the great judgment period.

This new view is really the same doctrine that the old Marion party taught over thirty years ago. Let not true believers be alarmed. Our positions are all sound, and that so-called new light is simply one of the many voices foretold by the servant of God.

One more word. Disbelief in the Testimonies inevitably follows this voice as well as the others. We read that Pilate and Herod, after great alienation, became friends when Jesus was about to be crucified. Their influence was united on that memorable occasion. So these voices, although each is different from the others, are all agreed on one point: all are against the prophetic gift in this denomination.

Bowling Green, Fla.