p. 3 | The New Reformation

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 26, 1903

The New Reformation

THE purpose of the gospel of the kingdom is to reveal the principles of the kingdom of heaven in opposition to the principles of the kingdom of this world. This work is not accomplished in organizations, or by teaching mere forms and creeds. It is a question of the relation of each individual with God, and this is determined by the fruits seen in the life rather than by a mere connection with some outward organization, whether that organization be the papacy or the true church. Whenever an effort is made either by the individual or by an organization to discard Babylonish principles, and to accept the principles of the gospel, then the god of this world, who is the inspiration of all the ways of Babylon, seeks to defeat this effort, or failing in this, to introduce the same old principles under new names, and thus to accomplish the same result in another way. This has been the history of nearly all the movements for the restoration of the pure gospel.

In the Reformation of the sixteenth century a protest was made against the perversion of the gospel in the papal system, and a work of reform was inaugurated, which, if it had been carried to its full extent, would have restored a pure gospel, and prepared a people to stand in the great day of the Lord. But this great movement soon ceased to make further progress in bringing the people back to the old paths, because it began to crystallize the teachings of the Reformers into a creed, and to look to them for light, rather than to follow the principles which they adopted in seeking light directly from the Scriptures for themselves. But this was simply to put man in the place of God again, the difference now being that it was another man instead of the pope. Whenever any revelation of truth from the Scripture is rejected because it is not in harmony with a creed previously accepted, then the papal principle is adopted, and even that which was formerly light becomes darkness.

It was just this departure of Protestantism from its original principles which has made necessary another world-wide message to reveal the full light of the truth of the gospel which will deliver the people not only from the papacy as a system, but also from all the principles of the papacy wherever found. Adopting the Bible and the Bible alone as the sufficient rule of faith and practice, and taking for its keynote the fundamental principle of the Reformation, justification by faith alone, it has sent forth fresh rays of light and hope in many parts of the earth. For the last half century it has

been calling the attention of the people to the true Sabbath of the Lord, the seventh day of the week, the sign of genuine sanctification through faith which is in Christ Jesus, and urging a complete reform from all the methods and principles of the papacy whether found in the Roman Catholic or the Protestant churches. The foundation principle of the everlasting gospel, that God the Creator is alone to be worshiped, the results of following in the ways of Babylon, and the fearful punishment awaiting all those who obey the dictates of the papacy, as set forth in Rev. 14: 6-11, are to be proclaimed “to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,” in order that a people may be brought out who shall not be partakers of the sins of Babylon, and so shall not receive of her plagues. Every individual is thus called upon to decide whether he will follow papal principles in opposing God and changing the law of faith into the law of works, thus himself becoming a part of the mystery of iniquity; or whether he will accept the gospel message, “Fear God, and give glory to him,” and thus become a part of the mystery of godliness. “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” “If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.”