Useless Controversy by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jan 3, 1884

Useless Controversy.

By Editor

SOME time since we copied an article from an Eastern paper on the subject of the two houses of Israel. The article was in nowise controversial—it referred to no individual. We then received a letter from a minister in an Eastern State, saying that he had been requested to reply to it, and forwarding a long article in reply. No one had any authority to request a reply to an article in this paper, unless he furnished his own means of publishing it. We thought at first, however, that we would waive our objection to the unwarranted liberty taken by somebody, and publish the article, first submitting it to the author of the selection to which it referred. And then the author of the aforesaid reply asked for room to reply further to any remark which the first writer might make as a rejoinder. This was asking so very much that we have decided to reject the matter altogether. In this we do no injustice to any one, for no one was referred to in the selected article; we invited no reply to it; and we have had no intention, and have none now, of opening our columns to useless controversies.

We are necessarily an aggressive people, having unpopular truth to proclaim, and popular error to oppose. But we are not fond of controversy at any time, on any subject. We have regretted that we had to repel direct assaults made by those who seem to think that "Adventism" is something to be abhorred, and that may be put down. Our position is now so well understood that we do not think that we can be injured on the Pacific Coast by misrepresentations: we shall, therefore, "pursue the even tenor of our way," with little regard for those who may oppose our work in an unreasonable manner.