IN defining the doctrines which distinguish our organization from other Christian bodies I need only refer, in particular, to such as are suggested by the name we adopt, Seventh-day Adventists. The term “Adventist” is generally applied to believers in the literal, personal appearing of Jesus Christ the second time upon earth. It is more strictly applicable perhaps to those who hold that that event is to occur in the near future. It was first so applied to those who believed and followed the teachings of William Miller, who, with others in different parts of the world, for several years previous to 1844, preached that Christ was then about to come. It was used more as an opprobrious title by others than as a name chosen by themselves.
Aside from the one feature of setting a definite time for Christ’s second advent, we are believers in that doctrine as was Mr. Miller: First, because of such explicit statements as that of Christ, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go, . . . I will come again” (John 14:2, 3), and of the men in “white apparel,” who stood by at his ascension, and said, “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9–11).
Secondly, because of the uniform teaching of the prophets, Christ, and the apostles in harmony with these statements, embracing many predictions relating to dates and specific signs, a careful study of which at the present time, it seems to me, must convince any candid mind that his coming is “near, even at the doors.”
We have therefore chosen the name “Adventist” as the term “Christian” was adopted by the early church, as Baptists adopt the term “Baptist,” and Methodists the name “Methodist,” because it expresses a prominent distinguishing feature of our faith and work.
But, as since the first preaching of the Advent doctrine, many have taken the name “Adventist” who, unlike our people, have continued to fix upon date after date for the occurrence of the event, contrary to Christ’s own words, “Of that day and hour knoweth no man,” the necessity was felt for something which should distinguish us and our work from those who pursued this course, and yet adopted the name “Adventist.”
Shortly after the passing of the time set by Mr. Miller, some of those who later became the organizers of our denomination saw in the expression, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Rev. 14:12), two prominent and requisite characteristics pertaining to the people who should be prepared for the coming of the “Son of man” upon the “white cloud” mentioned in verse 14. They saw that the faith of Jesus must not only embrace faith in his death for “reconciliation” for past sins, faith in his life for salvation from present sin (Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 4:10, 11), and faith in his resurrection for redemption from the power of death and the grave (1 Cor. 15:19–22), but must culminate in faith in his second personal coming to accomplish this redemption and the translation of the living (1 Cor. 15:51, 52; 1 Thess. 4:13–17); and they believed that this last was the particular feature of that faith which, at the time, needed emphasizing.
From the statement in Rev. 12:17, “And the dragon was wroth with the woman [the true church of Christ, but not necessarily confined within denominational limits], and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony [because they keep the faith] of Jesus Christ,” they saw that keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus were marked characteristics of the “remnant church,” which would especially provoke the wrath of Satan.
For proclaiming the coming of Christ they had suffered reproach and opposition, in which they thought they recognized something of the malice of Satan; but they had not been particularly reproached because of keeping the commandments. Paul says, “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” To live godly lives must be nothing short of keeping all God’s commandments, for they contain the “whole duty of man.” Eccl. 12:13. They therefore began to study the commandments with greater diligence in order to learn if in any particular they were failing to observe them all. This study led to the recognition of the fact that they were really only keeping nine of the ten as originally given by God; and that with Christians of every denomination, except the Seventh-day Baptists, they24were observing as Sabbath the first day of the week (Sunday), instead of the seventh (Saturday), as required by the “commandments of God;” and therefore concluded that in this particular existed the special need of reform upon the commandments, as the preaching of the immediate personal advent of Christ was the important point in the “faith of Jesus.”
They saw that the fourth commandment is the only one which points out the true God, and distinguishes him from false gods; that it is possible even for an idolator—a worshiper of the sun, for example—to nominally assent to and observe the other nine without discerning the God who made the heavens and the earth, while this one would constantly week by week remind one who observes it of the Creator’s work and rest. For this reason he has seen fit to specify his Sabbath as a sign between himself and his people by which they may know him as the Lord that sanctifies. Ex. 31:13; Eze. 20:12.
Tho this belief and practice involved great sacrifice of pecuniary advantage and good name, and gave no promise of gaining large numbers of adherents, they could not shrink from the plain duty of bearing to the world the message containing these important and sanctifying tho unpopular truths. They felt at heart this sentiment expressed by Edgar Fawcett:—
“Nay, now, if these things that you yearn to teach
Bear wisdom, in your judgment, rich and strong,
Give voice to them, tho no man heed your speech,
Since right is right, tho all the world go wrong.
The proof that you believe what you declare,
Is that you still stand firm tho throngs pass by;
Rather cry truth a lifetime to void air,
Than flatter listening millions with one lie.”
So to give prominence to both of these points, and, at the same time, distinguish our work from that of other Adventists, whom it was felt reproached the cause by time setting, the combined name of “Seventh-day Adventists” was adopted as expressive of the two leading features of our work.
Perhaps the only apology necessary for the formation of a new denomination upon these issues is this: That it was found upon the experiment, often repeated, that to hold these views and to practice what they involved was impracticable with the retaining of one’s membership in the other denominations.
There are, to be sure, other points upon which we differ from most of the so-called orthodox denominations. The most prominent among these possibly are immortality only through Christ, brought to the individual either by translation or a resurrection from the dead (1 Cor. 15:12–18, 51–57); and the consequent opposite, the final utter extinction of life out of Christ in the “second death” (Rev. 20:6, 14; 21:8). No other view of man’s nature appears to us either scriptural, logical, or at all compatible with the plainly declared truth of a “judgment to come,” and the idea of succeeding rewards and punishments.
We also hold with confidence, based upon abundant Scripture proof, we think, to the belief in the perpetuity of all the spiritual gifts in the church of Christ as expressed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12; Eph. 4:8–13, believing that the disappearance of such manifestations is owing to a lack of the requisite “faith of Jesus,” and that their exercise has been, and will ever be, according to the “proportion of [that] faith” in the church (Rom. 12:6). Certain it is that the work for which these gifts were designed, namely, “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ,” seems to be a very desirable and necessary work for the present day. May the Lord hasten it in his own time and way.
We have no formulated creed, but claim the Bible and the Bible alone as our individual guide in all matters of faith, professing to believe implicitly whatever may be clearly shown to be taught in it, and to discard utterly as Christian doctrine and practice whatever may not be clearly proved by it. We therefore expect to see, and we truly find, the truths of the word expanding into broader fields, and running out along new lines.
I, however, note with regret, and not without alarm as to its ultimate results, a tendency toward a lack of thoroughness in individual study, and the consequent acceptance of positions and interpretations which have come to us from accredited authors and speakers, without a careful comparison and proving of these for ourselves by the daily searching of the Scriptures. This tendency is, I think, universal and noticeable in all denominations; yet it is surely a tendency away from true Protestantism, away from true Christianity.
There is a lesson, it seems to me, that as ministers of Christ, to whom the people look for instruction, we should not fail to impress upon every mind, namely, that the Holy Spirit and the word are given to every man; and if that Spirit is known as it is our privilege to know him, we, ministers or laymen, “need not that any man teach” us. That is, the people should be led both by our precept and example to do as did the Bereans, “receive the word with all readiness of mind,” listen without prejudice, neither to believe nor disbelieve even a Silas or a Paul without carefully comparing the thing preached with the Scriptures for themselves, “and search the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
The crying need of to-day is to get back to apostolic methods and the apostolic spirit of teaching and learning. When these are reached, we shall see greater power attending the preaching of the word, and greater unity manifest in all that is truly the work of God.
Amid the conflict of beliefs, whether over denominational or personal differences, I am thankful for this unfailing, individual promise, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.”