Review of Wellcome and Goud by Joseph Harvey Waggoner

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 21, 1870

Review of Wellcome and Goud.

By Joseph Harvey Waggoner

BY ELD. J. H. WAGGONER.

The Plan of Redemption by our Lord Jesus Christ: carefully examined and argued, by inquiring into God’s revealed purpose in the creation of man, the Adamic law, the old and new covenants, atonement by the death and blood of Christ, universal resurrection of the dead, the Judgment, the Israel of God, Millennium, etc., etc. By I. C. Wellcome and Clarkson Goud.

The above is the voluminous title of a book of 460 pages, published by the authors (Yarmouth and Topsham, Me.). It is divided into twenty-one chapters, the first nine of which treat of the creation, the fall, and the means of recovery; the last twelve, of the new birth, redemption of the earth, the Judgment, the kingdom of God, resurrection, millennium, &c. I make this division because this review will relate mostly to the subjects of the first nine chapters; the remaining chapters containing little that could be of special interest to the readers of the Review, the subjects of the resurrection, kingdom, millennium, &c., having been so frequently written upon by others who occupy the same ground.

Before reading this book, I had seen such strong commendations of it in the World’s Crisis, that I expected to find a work of more than ordinary research and clearness of design and execution. But I must confess to a disappointment in the reading. The most unqualified recommendations were kept standing from week to week in the Crisis; the most persistent efforts have been made to circulate it; and considering the self-contradictory positions of the book, and that some of its main points are directly opposite to what the Crisis has uniformly taught, I could but think the old saying might be aptly corrected for that paper thus—“puffing goes by favor.”

THE OBJECT OF THE WORK.

The object of the writers of this book, in its preparation, was two-fold: first, to oppose the teaching of the perpetuity of the law of God and the Sabbath; secondly, to oppose the doctrine of the non-resurrection of the wicked. For the doctrine of non-resurrection I have no sympathy; I am not a believer in it, having never seen any evidence at all conclusive to my mind of its correctness; and I believe it may be successfully met and refused—but not by such means as are resorted to in this book. The word of inspiration says, “And if a man also strives for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully,” 2 Tim. 2: 5; and it appears to me that Messrs. Wellcome and Goud might have profited by keeping this in view. Let the error be ever so great, or the truth ever so important, we are not permitted to oppose one, or advocate the other, except by lawful means. In this work the error of non-resurrectionism is opposed by making a distinction between redemption by the death of Christ, and by the blood of Christ; a distinction for which there is no warrant in the Scriptures. Not only so, but it strikes at the foundation of every principle the authors have advanced in regard to the nature of man, and the subject of life and death. The only reason why they did not strike a fatal blow at their own views on these subjects is found in the fact that they could not prove the existence of the distinction they claim.

OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE BOOK.

It is a pleasure to me to agree with others when it is possible to do so; I would that we could agree altogether; but my regard for the truth renders this impossible. In this case it is a pleasure to note the points wherein I agree with the book; points which are held to be material in the faith of Seventh-day Adventists. We are all happy to find these points so strongly endorsed in a work, the main object of which is to oppose our faith. And if it be found that the authors have failed to harmonize the other parts of their work with these admissions, it is a dilemma of their own choosing; we accept the admissions, so fatal to their theory, in good faith, and only regret that the authors and their endorsers, (the Crisis and its correspondents) will not receive the plain, inevitable conclusions drawn from premises which they have helped to establish. As before remarked, one prominent object of the book is to oppose the idea of the perpetuity of God’s law of ten commandments. Now we have ever claimed that the argument for its perpetuity rests very much on the nature of the law as a perfect rule of right, and its sufficiency as a rule of justification; and as a means, also, had it not been transgressed. Especial attention is called to the words of the authors of the book on these points.

NATURE AND SUFFICIENCY OF THE LAW.

Their positions on these points are partly expressed by direct declarations, and partly by quotations from the Scriptures. After quoting largely from the first chapter to the Romans, they remark: “This graphic description of man’s moral condition, and the cause of it, should be well considered by us all. It is a true account of the heart of all the race although these fruits are not developed in all to the same extent. Some of our readers may wish to be excepted from being identified in this class. Such should read, ‘As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. . . . Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.’ Rom. 3: 10–19.” Pages 30, 31.

That the law here referred to is that of the ten commandments is admitted, for the authors elsewhere quote from this connection and apply it to that law. Hence it is taught by them that all the race are proved guilty by that law. So we think and teach; but for so teaching we have been opposed by the Crisis and its correspondents, and by Messrs. Wellcome and Goud themselves, as errorists. What will they do about it hereafter? Now all know that guilt only results from transgression; and as all are guilty before that law, all have transgressed that law; and, of course, TO CONTINUE TO TRANSGRESS IT IS TO PERPETUATE OUR GUILT. And as Christ died “to put away sin,” which is “transgression of the law,” if we persist in transgressing the law we thereby refuse to have our sins put away, and his death avails nothing for us; sin remains with us, and “the wages of sin is death.” I hope the authors will ponder well this page of their book, and consider the relation they, as sinners, sustain to these facts.

Again they say: “In speaking of the fallen nature of man under the law, he [Paul] declares that the Jew is no better than the Gentile in the eyes of the law.” Page 38.

And then again follows a quotation from Rom. 3. And so “the eyes of the law” are upon all, both Jews and Gentiles.

On page 54, they remark that “the law reveals man’s fallen, sinful, lost condition.” But this it could not do if we were not amenable to its requirements. Thus, living in the United States, we might violate every principle established by British law, and yet that law of England could never be brought to prove us guilty, because we are not under its jurisdiction. So of the law referred to above; if it reveals our sinful condition, (as the Scriptures prove, and Messrs. Wellcome and Goud also affirm) then it necessarily follows that we are under its jurisdiction. And for them to make the above statement, and again affirm, as they elsewhere do, that we are under its jurisdiction, is only to contradict themselves. And if they deny a contradiction in their two assertions, it will then devolve on them to show that we may be proved guilty by a law which has no jurisdiction over us. Will they attempt this? I should be pleased to see them do so. Man is a subject of judgment: “God shall bring every work into judgment;” and they who are in a “sinful, lost condition” now, must have that condition changed, and their lives be brought into harmony with the law, or it will rise up in the Judgment, and there reveal that same sinful condition. Here they may cloak their “unlawful deeds” under the profession of faith in Christ; but there they will realize the truth of that scripture which they here ignore, viz.: that which shows that faith does not make void the law, but establishes it.

On pages 54, 55 they quote Rom. 3: 20–23, to further show that “the law exposes our sinfulness by nature,” and “affords no relief,” &c. We readily admit that the law affords no relief to the sinner; and we claim that the gospel affords no relief to him who persists in sin. Jesus does not save in sin, but “from sin.” He died “to put away sin;” not his own sin, for he had none. But he who continues in transgression does not have his sin “put away;” he retains it; and the law will expose his sinfulness in the Judgment, as it does here. If faith in Christ would save any one in transgression, Christ would be the “minister of sin,” which he is not. Neither law nor gospel will afford relief to the willful, persistent transgressor of the law.

The law affords no relief to the sinner, its object being, first, to prevent sin; and secondly, to condemn sin where it is found. But if it condemns sin and proves the sinner guilty, then of course sin and the law are direct opposites—they can never harmonize. Freedom from sin is harmony with the law. But what, then, shall be thought of those who deny and disregard the claims of the law, and yet claim to be free from sin? We can do no better than to quote to them Rom. 8: 7: “The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” From this it is very easy to see what position we shall occupy when the carnal mind is taken away. Then the enmity to God, and opposition to his law, ceases.

While it is acknowledged that the sinner is entirely dependent on the Lord Jesus Christ for restoration to righteousness, attention is called to the words of Rom. 3: 21; and this was my main object in introducing the quotation from page 55. “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.” The righteousness of God would have been manifested by the law had the law never been transgressed: as no remedy can be needed where no difficulty exists. Although the law will not confer righteousness on the transgressor, that coming to him only through Christ, the text says the righteousness is witnessed by the law. And the question arises, Is the witness competent? It must be. Then the righteousness which is conferred on the believer by Jesus Christ is witnessed by the law. But it would not be possible for any law to witness to principles not contained in that law; it cannot testify of matters foreign to itself. Therefore the law contains the very principles that the gospel enforces, and he who rejects the law of the Father virtually rejects also the gospel of the Son. This harmony is again directly affirmed by the apostle in Rom. 8: 1–4; he says “the righteousness of the law” is “fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit,” or, “in them which are in Christ Jesus.” By sin, or transgression of the law, righteousness is lost; for sin is unrighteousness; 1 John 5: 17. Through Christ it is restored to us. And once more we ask, Can the righteousness of a law be fulfilled in any one who continues to transgress that law? Of course not; for transgression or sin is unrighteousness, and most certainly righteousness and unrighteousness cannot exist together. So, to have righteousness restored to us, we must be brought in harmony with the law. This is further shown in that the carnal mind is not subject to the law, because “the law is spiritual;” Rom. 7: 14; and they “who walk after the Spirit” are subject to, and in harmony with, the spiritual law of God. They who are not in harmony with the law which is spiritual, cannot themselves be spiritual, but are carnal.

“The law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient.” 1 Tim. 1: 9. On this text Dr. Clarke says:

“He does not say that the law was not MADE for a righteous man, but ουκειται, it does not lie against a righteous man; because he does not transgress it; but it lies against the wicked.”

“The law doth not lie against a righteous man—doth not strike or condemn him.” Wesley’s Notes.

After enumerating many sins which the law is against, the apostle adds: “And if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God.” Verses 10, 11. This shows, again, the most perfect harmony between the law and the gospel. On this harmony alone we find that the law witnesses to the righteousness conferred in the gospel; thus, the law having condemned the sinner, the gospel grants forgiveness and takes away the carnal mind or opposition to the law: and then the law witnesses to the work; that is, it approves the character so formed. Thus the gospel enables the believer so to walk that the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in him; and the law is against every thing that is contrary to the gospel. And finally, men shall be judged by the law according to the gospel. Rom. 2: 12, 16.

Let us turn again to the testimony of the book. On page 60, speaking of the law of ten commandments, they say: “It was given to rescue God’s name and his law from forgetfulness among the children of men.” And, “In the eyes of this law all men are sinners, condemned to die.”

And on pages 140, 141, speaking of the ten commandments, they say, “It was the code which in its germ was given to Adam, and, in an elementary sense may be called the Adamic covenant for the government of the Adamic race while multiplying, replenishing, and subduing the earth. . . . Had the rules of this covenant been kept, no sin or death would have entered our world, and no other covenant would have been required. . . . The fathers of Israel being a representative people, this covenant is given to them for the benefit of the world, to give the knowledge of man’s relations to God,” &c.

This is very important testimony in regard to the law being given to Adam, and its being the original rule of moral obligation. Also, if it had been kept, no other covenant would have been required, as there would have been no sin nor death; of course the law was of that nature that it would have justified the obedient and insured them life—precisely what we now obtain in or by the gospel. And herein is again shown the complete harmony between the law and the gospel. Says Paul, “The law was ordained unto life.” It was designed to restrain men from sin, and so insure life by preventing death. Say our authors, it was “given for the benefit of the world,” and, “to give the knowledge of man’s relations to God.” Happy had it been for the world had these relations been honored and preserved by obedience to the law. But can it appear consistent to any that Jesus Christ, God’s beloved Son, would abolish a law of such a nature? would destroy a rule given to define man’s relations to God? would break down a code which reveals man’s fallen, sinful, lost condition, and condemns iniquity? No. The Scriptures teach that he magnified the law and made it honorable; that he came to put away its transgression by the sacrifice of himself; that he leads the believer to fulfill the righteousness of the law; and that in the last day the secrets of men will be judged by it. Blessed is the man who follows the Saviour in his perfect obedience, and is brought through faith in Christ in harmony with this law, that he may be free from condemnation when brought into Judgment, for it remains a truth that “the wages of sin is death.”

The testimony contained in the foregoing extracts is very important. No stronger endorsement of the law, or more explicit recognition of its claims, and of its completeness and universality, could we ask. We can only regret that the writers, who were led by the plain declarations of Scripture to make such important admission on this subject, have not preserved a consistency throughout their work by continuing to recognize the claims of the law. Their theories have evidently prevented them from appreciating the force of their own declarations.

(To be continued.)