p. 88 | Our Last Paper by Editor

Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · Oct 24, 1854

"Our Last Paper."

By Editor

This is the heading of a short note from the Editor of The World's Crisis, a paper which advocates definite time for the Lord's second advent. The following is the note:—

"Believing the coming of the Lord will take place on the tenth day of the seventh month, (Jewish time,) the publishing Committee have given me instruction agreeably to my own conviction of duty, to give notice that we expect to publish but one more paper, in which we shall give the argument on the chronological periods in connection with the types. We shall publish all that we have means to supply for gratuitous circulation; and Brethren may send in for as many copies of the same as they wish, and if they feel it to be their duty to add more to our means in order to increase the circulation, they can do it in the fear of the Lord."

We have much regretted this false excitement on definite time, although we have said but little relative to it. Many of the leaders have rejected the true position in regard to the Sanctuary, which explains the past advent movement, and the present true position for God's waiting people, therefore we could not help them. Their arguments on time have been generally well met, and their unsoundness exposed; but the majority have rushed on still. And now that they are meeting a sad disappointment, we have no other feelings toward them than pity.

That some of their leaders are bad men, we have no reason to doubt. Said one of them a few years since, their most eloquent speaker:

"The ten commandments are abolished, dead and buried, and do not deserve a grave-stone." "They are an old thunder and lightning law." "A miserable rickety old law, and always was a curse to man."

Said another, now a decided time man, "If the Sabbath was not abolished, Jesus Christ should have been stoned to death as a sinner, for he broke the Sabbath."

Such men, (unless they have repentance of their blasphemy, and we have no evidence that they have,) cannot be called of God to deliver any important message. There is no doubt that not a few among the time brethren have joined the excitement, and have cried, "sell," and "live out your faith," for the sake of the spoil.

But we doubt not that the majority have acted honestly, under a deep sense of duty. Their leaders have kept from them the third angel's message, which explains the subject of time, and also our past disappointments, and they have embraced and have acted upon the best light they had. And now as they may feel the chastening rod, while time rolls on, we fear that many will make shipwreck of faith, and cast behind them the blessed hope. We would stretch out the hand of sympathy and help to them, but we fear that we can reach but few of them. Many of them, we are confident, will not be helped. But we are confident that some, at least, will now be willing to receive the Bible view of the Sanctuary to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days. With feelings of deepest sympathy, and love for our honest Advent brethren, who have gone with the excitement of definite time, we call to them (not to "come back," but) to come along with the remnant who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.