Seventh-day Adventists by Editor

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 22, 1864

Seventh-day Adventists.

By Editor

We find a lengthy article under this heading, in the Voice of the West, of Nov. 1, 1864. For some of its statements we have a comment or two.

Voice.—"When we came to the West, it was not our intention to enter into controversy with these brethren. They had gone out from us, because they were not of us."

Reply.—We will tell you, reader, just how we have gone out from that class of Adventists represented by Eld. Himes. In 1844, we were together. After the passing of that year, S. D. Adventists held on to their former experience as the work of God. The others gave it up. We still adhere to all the fundamental principles that supported the Advent doctrine then. They have surrendered them. We continued right on in the lines of prophecy then commenced. They have backed down. We are still sailing in the 1844 ship. They have devised a new craft, and have got aboard of that. And this is the way we have gone out from them!

Voice.—"Their leaders took the ground that the prophetic periods ended in 1844; that the door of mercy was then shut, and no more could be saved. They have since modified this, so that, in their opinion, some may be saved."

Reply.—We “took” the ground that the prophetic periods ended in 1844. Not so. We simply held on to that ground, and did not give it up as they have done. This was going out from them (!) In regard to the shut door, over which such a hubbub has been raised, our views on that subject, would involve quite an extensive examination of the Sanctuary question, into which it is not our purpose here to enter. We make one remark upon it. We believe it is usual to deal with a person’s present belief, not with what he has believed. Eld. H. confesses that we have so modified our views as to believe that some may be saved. So that, if he thinks we ever held the view that no more could be saved, that is not our view now. But then it is highly important that the people should know everything that we used to believe. The fact is, we must be represented as an insignificant set of contemptible fanatics, and must be made so to appear before the public. From the first reception of the third angel’s message, that message has been preached for the purpose of converting people to the truth. This would be a fine piece of consistency, would it not, if we believed all the while that none could be saved? We “have since modified our views.” Quite a late thing apparently. Perhaps therefore some of our preachers spent years of time, and vast amounts of means, preaching the message for the benefit of sinners, when they did not believe that one of them could be saved. Who knows? According to Mr. Wellcome, as quoted in Review No. 24, every S. D. A. minister is either a knave or a fool, without qualification and without exception. According to Eld. H., such a trifling inconsistency as the above, would be no strange thing with this people.

But we cannot leave this point without stating a few facts for the benefit of the candid reader. In regard to this matter of the shut door, there is a great deal of misrepresentation; and it is the hight of inconsistency for the Adventists of 1844 to turn round and stigmatize us as the “shut door party.” For it was the general sentiment of the Advent body immediately after the passing of the time in that year, that their work for the world was done; and that their position was set forth by the “shut door” of the parable of the ten virgins in Matt. xxv. Wm. Miller bore the following testimony on this subject:

“We have done our work in warning sinners, and in trying to awake a formal church. God in his providence has shut the door; we can only stir one another up to be patient, and be diligent to make our calling and election sure. We are now living in the time specified by Malachi iii, 18. also Dan. xii, 10; Rev. xxii, 10–12. In this passage we cannot help but see that a little while before Christ should come, there would be a separation between the just and the unjust, the righteous and the wicked, between those who love his appearing and those who hate it. And never since the days of the apostles, has there been such a division line drawn as was drawn about the 10th or 23d day of the 7th Jewish month. Since that time they say they have no confidence in us. We have now need of patience, after we have done the will of God, that we may receive the promise.”

This testimony was published in the Advent Herald of Dec. 11, 1844, a paper of which J. V. Himes was proprietor, and J. V. Himes, S. Bliss, and A. Hale, editors. F. G. Brown, under date of Nov. 15, 1844, in the same paper, bore a similar testimony. And we might give testimony to the same import from Barry, Mansfield, Pinney, Marsh, Pickands, Cook, and others. This was the “shut door” of the Advent body, views which they held as well as we. Now how have they arranged this matter so as to make future labor consistent? Ans. They have done it by backing square down, giving up all their work for some ten years previous, and surrendering to the enemy all the ground they had up to that time gained. And what course have we taken in the matter? Ans. We have gone into the sanctuary, where the subject is all made harmonious and plain, and where, without surrendering an inch of the ground we had previously gained, we can give its place to every part of the parable of Matt. xxv, and yet find another world-wide message to be proclaimed to the people. Which have taken the most consistent course, judge ye.

Voice.—“To this view they have added the seventh-day Sabbath, and mysteriously through the visions of Sr. White, interwoven it with the three angels’ messages of Rev. xiv; particularly the third.”

Reply.—According to this view the great foundation and substratum of our faith is that some may be saved. Reader, are you not startled by so extreme and ultra a view as this? To this we have added the seventh-day Sabbath. So we have these two steps: 1. Some may be saved, 2. The seventh day is the Sabbath. Then mysteriously through the visions we have interwoven this with the third angel’s message; so that our faith now stands in these three divisions: 1. Some may be saved. 2. The seventh day is the Sabbath. 3. A mysterious conglomeration of Sabbath, visions, and third angel’s message!

Now if these things were introduced by the visions, and are dependent on them, we must look to the visions for proof of it, must we not? We refer to the connection between the Sabbath, third message, and the visions. But do we depend on them for proof of this? Not a particle, as all our publications show. Thus when we come to the facts in the matter, we find that Eld. H. not being posted in S. D. Adventist affairs, has just reversed the truth.

Having stated that we have been very zealous in making proselytes to our faith, the Voice continues:

Voice.—“These brethren come among our people, and find a hospitable reception. They make the most of this by the introduction of the Advent movement of 1844; get the confidence and sympathy of our brethren, when they introduce the messages, the Sabbath, and last of all the visions. But let it be understood that this liberality is not reciprocated. When once our brethren are proselyted to this new faith, they turn their backs upon us, and shut us out as nominal Adventists! That is, Adventists only in name. We are doomed to be ‘tormented with fire and brimstone, the smoke of which ascendeth up for ever and ever!’”

Reply.—Adventists since 1844, have confessedly been in an indefinite and unsettled position. We have a clear and definite truth to set before them. We believe there is such a thing as knowing that we are right. The apostle expressed the same confidence. 1 John v, 16. And they having no harmonious system to set before us, of course we had nothing to receive from them.

But who are “his people,” among whom we are accused of coming, and with whom he affirms we find a hospitable reception? One would think from his assertions on this point, that our whole work was but a crusade against him and his operations. But what are the facts in the case? Through the summer season our cause is advocated mainly by means of tents, which go out supported by the church, dependent on no other class of people, much less of Adventists! But at any season, our preachers who are pushing their way into new fields, rarely meet with an 1844 Adventist, much less with any who have taken their stand with Eld. H. in his present work. But on what ground can he claim the Adventists of 1844 as “his people,” when he has given up everything that called out the Advent people of that time, denounced the work as fanaticism, and thrown it to the four winds? As to hospitality, that we endeavor to manifest to all, and as an instance refer him to his call at Battle Creek, a year since.

But who of us have ever told any of them that they were “doomed to be tormented with fire and brimstone”? That is a gratuitous conclusion, which places us in a false light before the people. Our message is to warn people against receiving the mark of the beast. None are exposed to the fearful threatening of the third angel, till they receive the mark, or engage in the worship, of the beast. Now what consistency would there be in our warning men not to receive the mark of the beast, if they already had it? We say, therefore, again, distinctly, we had almost said for the hundredth time, that we accuse no one yet of having the mark of the beast in the sense of that message; and we doom no one to fire and brimstone!

Voice.—“For several months after the Voice of the West was started, although the Review received it in exchange, they did not so much as give a notice of its existence, or of our removal to the West, or, like many other Western papers, give us a word of welcome. When it did finally speak it was in connection with our difference of faith on certain questions, in which we were called upon to give the reasons for this difference. From this course of the organ of the body, and the constant attacks of their missionaries upon our people, in places where they could find access, we were led to the conclusion that the relations between us were to be like those of the Jews and Samaritans.”

Reply.—We wonder if for several months after the Voice of the West was started, it gave any notice of the existence of the Review, or signified any desire to live on terms of acquaintance. By what principle do our cotemporaries make it out that we should always be the first one to make obeisance?

In regard to the welcome, how could we tell whether we welcomed it or not till its policy and principles were developed? We are not of those who bid a welcome and God speed to this and that, any thing or nothing, without knowing or caring what it is. Before we commend persons or things we wish to know that they are entitled to commendation.

When we did speak it is said, it was in connection with some difference in faith. We ask who commenced the controversy? The Voice must here plead guilty. It opened the ball by giving the shallow argument from Prof. Whiting on Col. ii, 16, in reference to the Sabbath; and if the Voice thinks that we can see the people hedrizzled with such fog, and remain quiet, it has mistaken the spirit of its neighbors.

All the utterances of a public journal, are open to

the people, for examination and criticism. And because we did not bring some voluntary contributions to its feet, and then saw fit to criticize some of the errors which it made public on the Sabbath question, which is well understood to be a special subject with us, the Voice concludes our relations are to be like those of the Jews and Samaritans.

Then look at his heading: “The Voice of the West and Second Advent Pioneer.” What is a pioneer? One who precedes every body else to break ground and prepare the way. If this is not a complete ignoring of us and all our work, revealing a spirit to ride right over and pass unnoticed all our operations, we greatly misjudge. The greater proportion of our work is in this State and in those west of us. But if the heading of the Voice means anything it is intended to signify that nothing has been done here in the West on the doctrine of the Advent, but that it must come in as a “pioneer” to do something on that question.

But, through the blessing of God, S. D. Adventists have been enabled already to get something of a record before the people. The books and tracts that we have circulated have been not a few. The subscription lists of our papers, have reached a respectable figure and are encouragingly on the increase; and through the zeal and liberality of the friends of the cause, we never had more ample facilities for a great work before us than at the present moment. This may seem like boasting, but we affirm nothing in our own strength; and in the Lord we feel like boasting. Says the Psalmist, Ps. xxxiv, 2, “My soul shall make her boast in the Lord;” and again Ps. xliv, 8, “In God we boast all the day long.” Yes, in the name of the Lord we can run through all the troops, and leap over all the walls, of error, that may be thrown across our path.

What we have quoted thus far from the Voice of Nov. 1, is but the introduction to an answer to the questions we addressed to Eld. H. in Review No. 12, present vol., on the three messages of Rev. xiv, Babylon, the mark, image, and worship of the beast, the commandments of God, &c. He refers to the questions as being “easy of solution,” so much so that he at first thought he would “let them pass and keep about his work.” But we think we can show that he has as yet made no progress whatever in solving them. Not having time to consider them this week, we defer this part of the subject to our next.