ADVENTISM by N. Wardner

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Thursday, April 15, 1880

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 16

ADVENTISM

By N. Wardner

[The Sabbath Recorder having entered upon the publication of a series of articles by Eld. N. Wardner, controverting especially the views set forth in the book entitled “The Soul and the Resurrection,” by Dr. J. H. Kellogg, it has been decided to lay before the readers of the REVIEW, both the articles of Eld. Wardner and the replies of Dr. Kellogg. Below will be found the first article of the series, and the reply.]

CONSIDERABLE has been said in the Sabbath Recorder, of late, against exchanging delegates with the Seventh-day Adventists, lest we seem to indorse doctrines which we disapprove. But do we indorse Sabbath-breaking by exchanging pulpits with those who do not keep God’s Sabbath, and joining them in conventions and union revival meetings, in which almost every available opportunity is used to hold up the heathen Sunday as the Bible Sabbath, while they profess to speak as the oracles of God speak, knowing, at the same time, that the first day of the week is never there represented as the Sabbath? It is said that Seventh-day Adventists differ from us more than first-day denominations. There may be more points of difference, but are they such as should cause a wider separation? In regard to all truths which require sacrifice and self-denial, the proofs of sincere loyalty to God, they have no equals among first-day denominations; while the latter are trampling a plain command of God under foot, and are also persecuting us, by fines and imprisonments, for presuming to obey God against their dictation.

No one regrets more than I the unsound doctrine held by our Seventh-day Advent brethren; but while they show such a disposition to surrender every worldly interest to obey God, I must believe them to be honest truth-seekers, and therefore cannot help admiring and loving them; and instead of holding them off as reprobates, I feel like saying to them, “Come, let us reason together,” and see if our differences may not be overcome. Accordingly, I have given a series of discourses on life, soul, death, and the resurrection, in which I have reviewed, briefly, some statements of Dr. Kellogg, and Elds. Waggoner, Smith, Canright, and Loughborough; and by request of my congregation have written them out in substance, for publication in the Sabbath Recorder.

N. WARDNER.