To Correspondents

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · BATTLE CREEK, MICH. · Jan 17, 1871

To Correspondents.

A. F. Kellogg: We understand that the law spoken of in Romans 2, is the moral law. The word judge, in verse 27, is probably to be taken in the sense of condemn.

P. A. Roberts: Such passages as Eccl. 7 : 20; 1 John 1 : 8; &c., are held to be simply a declaration of the fact that no man passes through this life without sin, not that it is not possible for a person to live without sinning. While we understand that the strong expressions in 1 John, about sinning not, denote moral, rather than absolute, impossibility. See article on 1 John 3 : 9 in REVIEW, Vol. 35, No. 17.

J. Baker: The ten commandments, by themselves, are called a law in Ex. 24 : 12, and Deut. 33 : 2.

C. O. Taylor: The events brought to view in Matt. 24 : 31, and 1 Thess 4 : 16, seem to be identical. The latter speaks of the “voice of the archangel” and the “trump of God,” and Matt. 24 : 31, speaks of the “trumpet” and “a great voice” (margin); both being heard when the Lord appears in the clouds at his second coming.

J. Krehl: See Andrews’ History of the Sabbath for information respecting the time when the change was made from the Sabbath to Sunday, and how it was brought about. It was not the work of Christ nor his apostles; nor was anything done toward it in what is called the apostolic age.

F. A. Ruzzell: We believe that Christ existed as a personal being before his first advent; but respecting his incarnation, and the question as to how it was accomplished, we know of no better answer than the declaration of Paul in 1 Tim. 3 : 16: “And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh,” etc. What the Bible presents to us as a mystery, we must be content to receive as such; for the “secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children.” Deut. 29 : 29. We do not think Dan. 11 : 45 can refer to the papacy, as we shall endeavor to show when we reach that passage in Thoughts on Daniel.

B. F. W.: Against the facts of Geology, of course we have no objection to make. It is the wild guess-work based on these facts, and which are set forth under the name of Geology as an absolute science, to which we object. If you agree with us, that these are a “man of straw,” there is no controversy between us.

R. F. Cottrell: The point you mention will doubtless be considered at Conference.

Some of the foregoing inquiries came to the Office during our absence, which will explain their not being noticed sooner.