To Correspondents by Editor

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 9, 1858

To Correspondents.

By Editor

A "friend of Present Truth" suggests the following question:

"Was Adam in his first state, mortal, immortal, neither, or both? A definite answer to the above would be very thankfully received by many friends of the Cause."

ANSWER. "God created man to be immortal." Wisdom of Solomon ii, 23.

E. O. Fish. The old covenant was the covenant made with literal Israel. The new covenant was entered upon when the middle wall of partition was broken down by the death of Christ. It was then that the law was to be written in the heart and put into the mind.

The 144,000 cannot be those who are raised from the dead; for they are said to be redeemed from among men.

They cannot be the first fruits in reference to the dead; for Christ is the first fruits of those that sleep, and the great harvest will be at the resurrection. But they enjoy a pre-eminence over the great body of the redeemed in having been translated, They sing a song which none others can sing. We think they are properly called, therefore, as James says, a kind of first fruits of God's creatures. Jas. i, 18.

D. Hildreth. Concerning the man who was reported to have been struck dumb in his chair, &c., &c., Bro. Hutchins wrote to the Post Master of the place where the event was said to have occurred, and received answer that it had no foundation whatever.

L. M. A. To your query concerning the lawfulness of eating pork, we have not time nor space to give an extended reply. We will only refer to one declaration of Paul's, which, in our opinion is sufficient, so far as the Bible is concerned, to demolish completely all distinction which people may endeavor to raise between meats. 1 Tim. iv. He speaks of some commanding to abstain from meats, &c., and then says: "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving." Here is permission given touching every creature, without qualification and without limitation, provided it be received with thanksgiving. Whatever is positively repulsive, our palates will admonish us not to touch; and whatever is not for our health of course we should not indulge in. But the comparative merits of different kinds of food as promotive of health, is a question which the Bible does not decide for us. Each must determine this for himself according to the laws of his own nature.