To Correspondents

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 18, 1871

To Correspondents.

D. McCALLUM: Nebuchadnezzar was raised to the throne of Babylon, and reigned two years in connection with his father, before receiving the sole government of the empire, on the death of his father; hence there are two computations of his reign, one dating from the former event, the other from the latter. It was in the second year of his sole reign that he had his dream of the great image. It was four years before this that he took Jerusalem, and carried Daniel into captivity. Hence Daniel had passed his three years' schooling in the Chaldean language before interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream.

H. G. BUXTON: We forward your letter to the Illinois Conference Committee.

WM. COTTRELL: Should a person apply for membership in one of our churches, who was engaged in the business of selling tobacco, set before him the inconsistency of such business with our profession as religionists, and our views and practices as health reformers. If this is clearly presented, he will see it, and either drop that branch of his business, or withdraw his application. If not, we think it would be well to give him time to consider it further before taking any action on the case. S. D. Adventists, who have been in the grocery business in this place, have never sold tobacco, and have never, so far as we are aware, found it any detriment to their business.

MRS. E. MILNE: It seems to us the more consistent view to suppose that God in the beginning made no provision for the existence of evil in this world; and that the plan of salvation through the gift of Jesus Christ, was devised to meet the circumstances of the case, after the introduction of sin. If it be asked how this can be reconciled with the idea of God's foreknowledge, it may be said in reply that to make it absolutely necessary for God to foreknow everything would be putting him under the power of a fatality altogether inconsistent with our ideas of the freedom of his position. Must there not be freedom in omniscience, as in all other things? And while God has power to foresee all things, and to extend his vision even to the limits of his own eternity, has he not also power to restrain, at pleasure, the operation of that attribute? God is omnipotent. He has power to do all things; but there are many things he does not do. Or, to limit it still further, there are events happening continually, those even which are not in accordance with his will, which he has power to prevent altogether, or turn in another course, if he should choose so to do; but in reference to which he does not see fit to exert his power at all. Therefore as his omnipotence is thus subject to his will, may not his omniscience be also?

J. WILMOT: The P. O. address you inquire for, is Troy, Oakland Co., Mich.

MRS. J. A. NOBLE: None of the “Thoughts on Daniel” are yet published in book form. Whether they ever will be or not will depend upon the decision of the Publishing Committee, after the examination of the book of Daniel is completed; and their decision will probably be governed by the call for the work. If there is sufficient call for it, we should be happy to revise it for book form.

S. E. EDWARDS: We think a Christian parent could do no less than to require all his children under age to keep the Sabbath. If they conscientiously think it their duty to keep the first day also, we would say, by all means give them the privilege. When they arrive at more intelligent years, it is to be presumed they will be able to see that in keeping that institution, they are obeying only the commandment of men.

SUSAN ELMER: See exposition of John 3:13, in REVIEW of May 25, 1869, Vol. xxiii, No. 22.