Seventh-Day Adventists Can Not Federate

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 3, 1910

Seventh-Day Adventists Can Not Federate

DR. C. T. RUSSELL, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, has been delivering a series of sermons recently on church union. On Sunday, January 23, he spoke on “Church Federation and Teachings on Baptism,” and took occasion to suggest the means whereby some of the denominations might drop their non-essential differences and unite in church federation. He believed that if the Baptists and others who held to immersion in baptism, realized the spiritual significance of this ordinance as they should do, they would not hold so tenaciously to this particular form of baptism as a cardinal Christian doctrine. He believed that Adventists in general were becoming more generous in their views, and saw no reason why they should not be able to unite with the Christians of other churches; but in considering the Seventh-day Adventists, he felt that there was no common ground of federation between them and other denominations. Of this church he says:—

But for that portion of Adventists which considers the keeping of the seventh day of the week the all-important part of Christianity we see no ground for federation, unless, indeed, they may choose to get about the difficulty by counting the calendar the other way around the world. Thus they might bring their seventh day into harmony with what others term the first day. Or, by counting the calendar in the opposite direction, they may still keep their seventh day and realize that others are keeping the same day, though calling it the first day.

If the calendar of the week were of man's devising, then Seventh-day Adventists might well adjust their reckoning to bring them in harmony with their brethren of other churches; but believing, as they do, that God has established the order of the days, and that the true seventh day of the week is the Sabbath, and falls upon what is commonly known as Saturday, and can not by any logical reasoning be made to fall upon another day, there is no recourse left them if they are to believe God and obey his Word, but to do as they are now doing. Dr. Russell speaks truly when he says that there is no basis of federation between Seventh-day Adventists and the great churches of the land. God has given to this people a special work to do, and a particular message to proclaim. In the very nature of the case, it admits of no federation, as this term is employed by Dr. Russell; for federation would mean compromise of its peculiar character. Seventh-day Adventists may unite with those of other churches in promoting every righteous reform, in standing for every right principle; but having done all this, they still have a peculiar and particular mission to the world, a proclamation of the message which no other church is proclaiming. As they did not receive their commission from man, they can not let man mold their system of belief, determine for them what is essential or non-essential in order that they may confederate with their fellows. They choose to stand for truth, and with truth, and with all the lovers of truth by whatever name they may be known. In this union the disciples of the Lord find a federation as strong as its divine author.