Untitled article by Poor Pilgrim

Untitled article

Poor Pilgrim

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 7, 1859

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 14, No. 7.

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From the Sabbath Recorder.

The Reign of the Saints.—No. 1

By Poor Pilgrim

"Thou hast made us unto our God, kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth." Rev. v, 10.

In the first several volumes of the Sabbath Recorder, if my memory serves me right, we had occasional articles upon this interesting subject. James A. Begg, Isaac P. Labaugh, Halsey H. Baker, and some other writers furnished matter for a free discussion of the subject; and so far as I have learned the theme was interesting to most of our people. Of late years, I understand the conductors of the Recorder have ignored the subject, except so far as it is connected

(or rather supposed to be connected) with the Whitbyan theory of the conversion of the world, and the spiritual reign of the saints in the kingdoms of this world; or as it is commonly expressed "the reign of Christ in the hearts of his people." Why this thing is done I know not; except it be the fear of our wisecacres that what is unpopularly called, Adventism should find a lodging among our people. Well, what is the consequence? This: We have driven off two churches (in Ulysses and Hayfield, Pa.), and many other individuals, whose piety is as unquestioned and unquestionable as any that remain among us. (Whose mark is this? Let Rev. xiii, 16, 17, answer.) And now so far as I am acquainted, and so far as I can hear of the sentiments of the churches, the doctrine of this prescribed class is gaining ground among us with great rapidity, and a thorough sifting with a Whitbyan (alias orthodox) sieve would thin us out a great deal more. In the fear of the Lord, and on the behalf of all honesty in professions and principles, I hope the present editorial committee will take off the ban from this subject in all its shades and positions. We profess to be a scriptural people, to be guided and determined by the plain word of God alone, and vauntingly have dared Sunday-keepers to contest our Sabbath-keeping positions. But what avails it? What better are we than others if there is a fair christian question of Bible teaching that we ignobly refuse to entertain?

The senior of the editorial committee is reported to have once said: "The defense of the Sabbath of Jehovah and its advocacy in these last days of the apostasy, is rolled upon us as a people, and if we are unfaithful to the cause, God will raise up some other people to whom he will give that high and holy work." Or words to that effect. If these are prophetic words they are surely fulfilling; for the despised Sabbath-keeping Adventists have made seven thousand converts to the Sabbath in a little less than ten years. They publish a weekly paper with 2300 subscribers. They have forty different pamphlet publications, of which they annually sell and give away many thousands, which are constantly being reproduced on a steam-power press of their own. They sent out six tents, each capable of holding 3000 hearers during the summer season into all the north-western States, in which the laws of the ten commandments is boldly faithfully and uncompromisingly preached; and all men warned of the danger of refusing or changing any one precept of Jehovah's holy law.

Put what we are doing in contrast. Our people profess to have existed two hundred years, and scarcely number seven thousand now. The Sabbath Recorder has existed fourteen years, we have 1800 subscribers; we have eighteen tracts some quite small. Who has heard us preach on the Sabbath question beyond our own churches? Who has distributed our publications beyond our own connections in society? What need have we for a steam-power press? We can hire all the printing done that we need or want to have done.

Why this contrast? Oh, we have become a very respectable people. We are conducting ourselves very respectably, and this ADVENTISM, soul-sleeping until Christ comes, and then having paradise—new heavens and new earth—on this old geologically rotten, crazy, volcanic, fire-bellied world, is such strange, unpopular doctrine, we shall lose the respectability we have acquired in society if we admit it among us. Then it makes those who believe Christ is near, "that day" just at the doors, dress so plain; and their manners become so unfashionable who believe that Sunday-keeping is a mark of the wild beast of Revelation, that all who advocate these doctrines must content themselves to be accounted speckled birds. Then there's our academies, colleges, universities; what will people think of us if we preach the law of God in connection with the speedy coming of Christ to give immortality to his saints, and set old Paul and Peter and John and the other nine of them to judge the world a thousand years? Why, we have a number of ministers who have had a regular college course, have been through a theological course under some of the best theological preceptors we have on this continent, and they have a great bearing to modern Calvinism; and although the voice of prophecy makes no part of the course, the system chimes best with Whitbyanism, (alias, the conversion of the world), and we cannot hope that they ever will become Adventists until they actually see part asunder, and the sign of the Son of Man illumine the heavens from horizon to horizon, and from the zenith to the nodes. Now is it not reasonable to suppose that such a doctrine will introduce wonderful confusion among us? and to keep the safety-valve on? Now Messrs. editorial committee, you must look out for your own interests, and if you don't let the steam-pipe blow freely, why look out for your boiler, for I tell you the fire's burning.

I am right glad to see you let Hobart speak and answer W. M. A. and Inquirer. I think he misses it in calling Solomon the bad names he's given him, but I can stand that better than bursting a boiler, or seeing the church turn a poor soul out doors, because of their loving the appearing of Jesus Christ and telling that they are waiting for his second coming. If you don't shut the door upon this, I believe I shall try and write some more on paradise, and sleeping souls, and the second death.

[POOR PILGRIM.]

NOTE. Bible truth is evidently working in the minds of many who do not operate fully with us. We are rather pleased with "Poor Pilgrim's" remarks, though we must confess some things he says seem sharp, and rather severe on the conduct of the Recorder, more so than anything that has appeared in the REVIEW. "Poor Pilgrim" gives a very correct statement of our operations, with the exception of the size of our tents. They seat only from 800 to 1000 persons.

Below we give the editor's remarks, which are as favorable on us and "Poor Pilgrim" as might be expected from those who labor to sustain their denomination. It may be true, as this editor says, that their "ancestors were not such 'wisecacres' as to know the time and manner of his coming, any further than they were able to learn from what is revealed in the sacred writings;" but if we are not mistaken, these words were designed to mean more than they say, and give the impression that Adventists are wise above what is written in regard to the time and manner of the second glorious appearing of Jesus Christ. Those however, who are informed in regard to our views know well that we believe and teach that it is our privilege to know just what is revealed on this subject in the sacred Scriptures, and no more. "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us, and to our children for ever." Deut. xxix, 29. J. W.