p. 189 | Why not Debate? by Uriah Smith

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 8, 1874

Why not Debate?

By Uriah Smith

A BROTHER writes from Moberly, Mo., Nov. 23, 1874: “Why will not some of the ministers of the Seventh-day Adventists discuss the subject of the Age to Come with so-called ministers of the church of God? There is one lecturing here; and he told me to-day that the Adventists would not discuss the subject with any of them. His name is Kinsley, from Parsons, Kansas. Please answer through the REVIEW, and oblige.”

In reply, we would say that we are not aware that our ministers have ever particularly refused to discuss the Age to Come with the teachers of that faith. We are not aware that any one of them has ever been pressed to do so. We know nothing of this Kinsley mentioned above, or whether he has ever solicited a discussion with any of our people or not.

But more than this, we know not whether he is worthy to be engaged with in discussion or not; whether his position or influence in the communities where he is known is sufficient to make it any object to discuss with him. There are some persons, who, though they may be highly endowed with a mistaken idea of their own importance, nevertheless excite in the community not the least possible concern as to what becomes of them or their doctrines. To discuss with such is a foolish waste of time and ammunition. We would not intimate that the gentleman above referred to is one of this kind, as we do not know; but all these points are to be taken into consideration.

And, lastly, we have a work on that subject called “A Refutation of the Age to Come,” which utterly overthrows that theory, and which we are able to say with profound gratitude of heart has driven from the ranks of S. D. Adventists every vestige of that cheerless and frigid belief. To that book, although it is now going through its second edition, no reply has been attempted; and the publishers of Age to Come journals have been careful not to let their readers know that such a work was in existence. We are all exceedingly busy in the promulgation of truths which are of vital importance to the people, truths which pertain to the living present, not to the distant and comparatively unexplored future. And were we to make any suggestion to our ministers relative to the Age to Come, it would be that believers in that doctrine could not consistently call upon us for a discussion of that question, till they at least attempt to answer this work, to which we have repeatedly endeavored to call their attention. U. S.