p. 364 | A Most Singular View by Editor

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Dec 5, 1878

A Most Singular View.

By Editor

A writer in the Herald and Presbyter, the Presbyterian paper of Cincinnati, Ohio, giving a description of the Seventh-day Adventists of Battle Creek, Mich., closes up his article with the following paragraph:—

"Leaving out the question of what constitutes the true Sabbath, the utter annihilation of the wicked, and saying nothing about "immersion," they are a sect that all Christians would do well to pattern after in many respects. What the church needs to-day is a positive Christianity. It needs—and the world demands of it—an outward exemplification of that spirit we claim to possess inwardly—a showing forth, by our daily walk and conversation, by our honesty in business affairs, that we are 'Israelites indeed' and in truth, 'in whom there is no guile.' Are there not many more professors than possessors?"

He seems to think we would be a commendably peculiar people if we would discard our peculiarities! He is not alone in this. Many have expressed themselves in the same manner; they will be ready to accept the effect whenever we will put away the cause which produces it. Individuals have often said to us that they loved our preaching; they admired our zeal in trying to spread the truth; they were convinced that the preaching of the age is not what it should be to convert the heart and to reform the life; and that our success would be assured if we would drop the seventh-day Sabbath, the near coming of Christ, the destruction of sinners, and such like objectionable doctrines. What a short-sighted view. As well might his neighbors have said to Samson, "We admire your display of courage and strength; but we object to your fashion of wearing your hair so long. If you will consent to be shorn, we will be glad to make an alliance with you, knowing that your strength may be of service to us in our battles." Samson gave an answer to such reasoning. "If I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man." Judges 16:17.

So as Seventh-day Adventists we say to our critics: Our strength lies in the things to which you object. Our love for the Sabbath is indispensable to proper regard for the authority of God and his law. Our belief in the advent near urges us on to diligence in warning our fellow men, and urging them to accept the Saviour before he ceases to plead for them and comes to take vengeance on his foes. Our belief in the mortality of man guards us against that greatest of all of Satan's deceptions, modern spiritualism. And not the least in the list, our belief in spiritual gifts, to which the strongest objection is urged, insures unity in our faith and efforts, and the correct application of the word of God to our hearts and lives. Remove these and you take away our strength. These are the cause of all the effects which you commend. Our strength is not in ourselves, but in the "present truth" which God has graciously given us for the last days.

A correct faith lies at the foundation of a correct life. If the tree is good, the fruit will be good. We are very far removed from antinomianism. We do not believe that people are saved by faith without works; but we believe in "the obedience of faith." Rom. 16:26; that by adding to our faith the Christian graces we shall have an entrance ministered to us into the kingdom of Christ. 2 Peter 1:1-11.