A Check on Adventism by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Nov 1, 1883

"A Check on Adventism."

By Editor

THIS is a heavy title for a piece of light ordnance, and as we read the pamphlet we could but think the title was indicative of the self-complacency and assurance of the writer, rather than the strength and efficiency of his work.

"Adventism" is a Bible doctrine, beyond the power of all opposition to put down. The preaching and publication of Adventism, in this generation, is assuming considerable prominence. Its ministers are listened to with candor and interest by large and intelligent congregations, in the United States and in other countries. Its publications are sought after by all classes, and almost all are willing to accord to them the merit of being prepared with candor and ability. We may instance among our works the "History of the Sabbath," a book which shows the most thorough research and pains-taking labor; its equal on that subject has never been published. Its author, Eld. J. N. Andrews, has been some years our missionary in Switzerland, where he has published a monthly SIGNS OF THE TIMES in French ("Signes des Temps") which has had a wide circulation, and has exerted a very wide influence. This is one of a number of important books published by Seventh-day Adventists, which are being now sold in larger numbers than ever before. One of our missionaries, Eld. Matteson, also publishes a paper in Christiana, Norway, which circulates in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Beside these we publish papers in America in Danish, Swedish, and German. Our church paper, the Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, published in Battle Creek, Mich., has a liberal and healthy patronage, and is connected with the largest printing establishment in that State, where most of our books, pamphlets, and tracts are printed, and a general book and jobbing business done. In this place the denomination have also established a College, and a Sanitarium second to none in the United States.

In Oakland, Cal., we have a large and flourishing printing establishment, which has won an enviable reputation for reliability, promptness, and good mechanism. Here, as in Michigan, we do our own binding, stereotyping, and electrotyping. The SIGNS OF THE TIMES is printed at this office. It is the only religious paper on the Pacific Coast which does not advertise. Its extensive circulation, being sent to every part of the world wherever the English language is spoken, makes it a desirable medium for advertisers, and we have almost constantly, for several years past, refused liberal offers. The circulation at the present time is nearly 20,000 copies. In this State, also, in Healdsburg, we have a College in successful operation, which we expect will prove an important auxiliary to our general work.

Our work is peculiarly aggressive. Tents are used, every summer, in from twenty-five to thirty States, in which to place our views before the people; in some of the States a number of tents are run, but the exact number we cannot give. No denomination has been so successful in holding camp-meetings. They have been held regularly since the year 1868, from the Atlantic to the Pacific; from Maine and Washington Territory to Texas and Alabama. Some of these have been attended by as many as 20,000 people; and some have been held on grounds where other camp-meetings have been disturbed, and even broken up, and where we were warned by the people that a camp-meeting could not peaceably be held. But we have never yet heard, in all the history of our camp-meetings, of a peace officer being called upon, of an arrest being made, or of a meeting being disturbed. We do not claim ability above all others, either in this or other respects; but we do believe that we are proclaiming the truth of God according to his own "sure word of prophecy," and that his hand has been over us for good, and his angels have guarded us from the malice of the enemies of the truth. If he sees fit to let the strength of opposition rage, and we have to suffer open persecution, we shall not complain. It will not hinder the truth. But we are very thankful that thus far "the wrath of man" has been restrained, and we have been permitted, in quietness and peace, to sound the warning to the world.

We have hastily outlined these facts that our readers may judge with what interest we read an advertisement in the California Christian Advocate of "A Check on Adventism." It purported to be a pamphlet of ninety-six pages, published by the Methodist Depository of San Francisco, the following being on the title page: "Which is the Sabbath? Saturday or Sunday? or A Check on Adventism, by Rev. T. H. Woodward, A. M., member of California Annual Conference. Introduction by C. C. Stratton." The Advocate recommended it as "good reading," and we procured a copy of it. If Adventism was to be checked we were anxious to see how it was going to be done. We have seen this formidable "Check." Interesting? Beyond telling. As we read we are forced to exclaim, "Here's richness!" We have seen many arguments on the Sunday question, astonishing us by their bold perversions of Scripture and amusing us by their sophistries and absurdities, but Mr. Woodward has excelled all his predecessors. And now if Adventism is not "checked;" if it is not silenced, rooted out, extirpated, annihilated, there is no use for Methodism to make another effort, for what shall he say who comes after Woodward? If he has not stretched sophistry to its utmost tension; if he has not exhausted the fountains of theological nonsense, we cannot imagine how it can be done, or who can do it. If any think that possibly we are placing too high an estimate on the peculiar merits of the work, we invite them to wait a little until we lay before them some of its variegated beauties.

There is one part of this book to which we feel like giving serious attention. It is the introduction by Dr. Stratton. The doctor is "President of the University of the Pacific," a Methodist college in the neighborhood of San Jose. It is not his fault that the name is larger than the institution. We have looked upon him as a Christian gentleman and scholar, duly qualified to occupy the position in which his Conference has placed him. Reading his introduction, and then the frivolous work which he so highly recommends, one might suppose that his duties as an educator left him little time for close examination of such questions as are therein presented. But he is a "Doctor of Divinity," and is engaged considerably in preaching, and such questions are presumed to come directly in his line of thought. But, aside from all such considerations, we are much surprised that the doctor has put himself upon record as endorsing such vagaries and contradictions as the book contains, and also as using language so illiberal and unjust toward those of whose life and faith he knows so little. That he was not well acquainted with our views when he wrote the "Introduction" he will hardly now deny. Be that as it may, those who have been readers of our papers and other publications for some time will know how to estimate aright both his knowledge of us and his candor in presenting us to the readers of that book, when they read the following paragraph:—

"The cogent and timely little work which follows is directed against an organization resting mainly on the claim that Saturday, instead of Sunday, should be observed as a day of rest. True, it has some other peculiar notions, but this is the real corner-stone of the society. And on this whimsy, sustained by broad assertions and frequent iteration, rather than on valid reasoning, a new sect is endeavoring to wrangle and elbow its way into existence. In maintaining this notion, it must bid defiance to the established usages of Church and State,—indeed to the stars in their courses and the sun in his daily circuit; but this matters little to the victims of a religious prejudice. And some will halt and puzzle over this nonsense, while the great procession of unsaved humanity moves on to the bar of God."

If these words were just we should not complain of their bitterness. We love justice, but it seldom is where it will. We have learned to love it in trying to defend the law of God from popular reproach and popular violation. But as the words are manifestly unjust, as is easy to show, they certainly present their author in a questionable position as a Christian minister. And least of all should we expect to hear such words from an intelligent Methodist minister; one who knows that just such vituperation was the stock of those who opposed the founders of his own denomination, when they were trying to "wrangle and elbow its way into existence." His knowledge of history assures him that he is but following in the footsteps of the Jews in the time of the apostles, the Catholics in the time of Luther, and the "established church" in the time of Wesley, in his efforts to arouse the popular prejudice against those who venture out on the truth of God in "defiance of the established usages of Church and State," and to belittle the issues which they present. Not a sentence has the doctor penned in his "Introduction" which would not be found suited to the popular form of thought against Elijah, against Christ and his apostles, against Luther, and against Wesley. Such being the case we do not feel either irritated or dismayed by the bold denunciation he has hurled against us.

Let us look at the terms which he has used. He pronounces the work of Mr. Woodward "cogent," which has the definition of powerful, and irresistible! Of that we shall give our readers a chance to judge when we present his contradictions of Scripture and of himself. For of all the writers we ever followed we never found one who so broadly contradicted himself, over and over, as Mr. Woodward has done. "Timely," yes, it is much needed by the Methodists, if it will indeed serve their purpose as a "check on Adventism." For Adventism is abroad, as persistent and aggressive as Methodism was when it was elbowing its way into existence; when it yet had the spirit of reform; before it had so changed its "Discipline" and its usages as to embrace within its folds every species of fashion and popular folly! "Whimsy," or nonsense, is it, to contend for the validity of the commandment of Jehovah, just as he spoke and wrote it, without change or diminution? If the doctor will consider but a moment, he must confess that all the whims and fancies which imaginative minds can invent are put forth to bolster up the Sunday; that no two denominations of Sunday-keepers, and scarcely any two teachers of any one denomination, can agree as to the reason for, or ground in Sunday observance! Each contradicts all the rest, but all agree on Sunday! Sunday babel. Yes, we are willing to stand outside the "established usages of Church and State," when our obligation to the commandment of God is in question. And this argument (!) against us we expect will fast gather strength in coming years. As to what he says about our bidding defiance "to the stars in their courses and the sun in his daily circuit," or to their "established usages," we shall have to waive an answer until we have an explanation of his words. We incline to the opinion that he did not himself attach any particular meaning to them, but they sound well, and may prove taking to the cursory reader! Any way they are harmless. In an ordinary man such language would appear "grandiloquent;" but something more is expected where a man has to maintain the dignity of his "D. D.," and "President of the University."

Next week we will pay our respects to the work of Mr. Woodward, only referring to the "Introduction" when we find something peculiarly "cogent."