THE FAITH OF JESUS by John M. Mosher

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 1, 1860

THE FAITH OF JESUS.

By John M. Mosher

TO THE EDITOR OF THE REVIEW: In your editorial remarks in reply to my inquiries on the faith of Jesus &c. in the Review of Feb 2nd you have misrepresented us (the Seventh-day Baptists) as a denomination. And therefore I referred the article to one who is more acquainted with the views of our denomination who has kindly consented to reply to said remarks and lay before you a fuller view of our people as a denomination.

Yours in love of truth. JOHN M. MOSHER. N. Y. City.

REPLY

IN conformity with the request of Bro Mosher I would offer a few remarks for the consideration of the editor of the Advent Review and Sabbath Herald upon his reply to Bro. M. in the Review and Herald of Feb. 2nd upon the sentiments of the Seventh-day Baptists. The article in question appears to be written in the Spirit of kindness and I make no complaint on this account.

In pointing out some of the particulars wherein the Seventh-day Baptist denomination fail in coming up to the standard in matters of belief to the faith of Jesus, in his remarks upon the several points noticed, he assumes that as a matter of certainty his views of doctrine and construction of the Scriptures are right, and of course that those who differ from his standard are wrong, and in those particulars have not the faith of Jesus. This is logically right. It is this way that we reason upon the same points. We believe that we understand the Scriptures correctly upon those points in which we differ, and consequently that we are right and our brethren who differ from us are wrong.

As to the doctrine of our Lord's second personal advent, I am not aware that we differ from our brother. It is acknowledged in our denominational expose, and I know of no church among us which has questioned its truth. And we also believe in the literal resurrection of the dead and final judgment of the quick and the dead, of the just and of the unjust when every one shall be judged and receive at the hands of our Judge according as our works shall have been. But I believe that we as a denomination differ from his view of an intermediate state between death and the resurrection. He says, "The only hope Christ ever held out to his disciples of being with him was through the medium of his personal return." Our people generally think otherwise because in their opinion the Scriptures justify a different opinion. Jesus represented the rich man after his death and prior to the resurrection as being in torment, and Lazarus being comforted, thus each having a foretaste of their final reward. Whether we consider this narrative of our Lord in the light of history or as a parable, the sentiment of intermediate suffering and comfort is sustained.

The promise of Jesus to the dying penitent is to the same purpose. "To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise." This is certainly a promise of being with Christ not through the medium of his personal coming. Jesus also said, Rev. xiv, 13, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth." To be blessed is to be happy, and from henceforth signifies from this time forward, that is, from the time of their death. This implies that they exist, are conscious and capable of happiness. St. Paul said, Phil. i, 23; "Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better." He was comforted with this hope, and it implies existence and a capacity for enjoyment this side of the personal coming of Christ; for in the following verse he contrasts this being with Christ with abiding in the flesh. From these and other portions of the Scriptures the Seventh-day Baptists consider this as one item of the faith of Jesus, and that those who have adopted an opposite have so far departed from the faith once delivered to the saints.

The Seventh-day Baptists hold to the doctrine of the eternal judgment at the second coming of Christ, when he will cast the wicked into hell with all that forget God, adjudged to everlasting punishment, and he will then reward his disciples with everlasting life in his heavenly kingdom.

From the above it may be seen that the Seventh-day Baptists do not sympathize with such as hold that death is the coming of Christ, or the day of judgment, or that man at his death goes to his final reward.

The Seventh-day Baptists believe in the coming of Christ personally, but I am not aware that they have at any time fixed upon the time of his coming. They do not agree in remembering when the literal sun has been darkened, or the moon withheld her light, or that the stars have literally fallen from heaven. Neither do they concur with their second advent brethren in holding that their concurrence with them in their eccentric view of these signs is an item of the faith of Jesus.

I think that the Seventh-day Baptists have never ignored the promise of Christ or its fulfillment, in bestowing the gifts of the Spirit upon the church and I think these gifts are possessed and enjoyed by this people as far as may be justly claimed by any other branch of the church of Christ.

Once more and I will have done. In the article under review the washing of feet is referred to. It says, "There is also an ordinance which our Lord instituted for his church as brought to view in the xiiith of John, 1-17, which is now generally neglected."

The Seventh-day Baptists have never recognised this act of our Lord as instituting an ordinance for the church the practice of which is essential to church fellowship. It is looked upon more as an act of hospitality than as a standing ordinance in the church. Churches in the denomination have at different times and in different localities had appointments for such as felt it a duty to engage in washing each other's feet. How far the members have performed this rite, or how often, the writer is unable to say. The subject is left for every one to be fully persuaded in his own mind and to act accordingly. *