Justification and Righteousness by Faith in the Seventh-day Adventist Church before 1900

119 Pages·1945·6.63 MB·English

by  Norval F. Pease

JUSTIFICATION AND RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH
IN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
BEFORE 1900
A Thesis
Presented to
' the Faculty of the
Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts in Religion
THE LIBRARY
S.D.A. Theological Seminary
Takoma Park
Washington 12, D.Ci
hy
Korval Frederick Pease
September 1945
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. INTRODUCTION . * . . ................ ............. 1
The problem . » • ................................. 1~
Definitions of term3 used . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Validation of the problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Organization of the thesis . . . * . . • • • • • • » .4
Present status of the problem * • . . • • • • . . . 4
Statement regarding sources of data . . . . . . . . 5
II. THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION AMD RIGHTEOUSNESS.
BY FAITH IN THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.................. ^ 6
Purpose of the chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . » • • 6
Paul's teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
The teachings of the church fathers before Augustine 7
The Pelagian controversy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Mediaeval teaching on justification by faith . . . . 14
The Catholic viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
The evangelical viewpoint ........ . . . . . . . 14
The Protestant Reformation . . . . . . . . . . 0 .. 15
Martin Luther . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
John Calvin 18
Reactions to Protestant views on human salvation . . 19
Tie Council of Trent.................... .. 19
Protestant reactions 22
ii
CHAPTER PACE
The eighteenth century evangelical revival and
its influence on Seventh-day Adventism . . . . . . 24
III. THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION AND RIGHTEOUSNESS
BY FAITH IN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
PRIOR TO 1888 . . .......... 28
Purpose of the chapter . . . .............. . . » * 28
Organization of the chapter 28
• The teachings of James 'White on justification
by faith...................... . . * ............ 29
Early periodicals and books ........ . . . . . . . 31
Lack of emphasis on justification by faith . . . » 31
Beginning of interest in doctrine in Signs
of tiie Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Mrs. Y/hite’s survey of 1844-1889 . . . . . . . . . . 35
Mrs. "White fs early teachings on justification
by faith . .................................... . 3S
Her conversion 36
Quotations between 1858 and 1383 37
Justification by faith in The Great Controversy. . 41
•Warnings against legalism just prior to 1388 . . . » 45
Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
IV. THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF 1888 ..................... , 49
® The-condition of the church in 1888 . . « • • • • • 49
Hie institute preceding the conference . . . . . . . 50
V
iii
CHAPTER PAGE
The General Conference session . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Opening day, October 17 • • . • • • • • » •:•-»«. 54
r:A
-.
Smith's sermon, "Ten Kingdoms" . . . . . . . . . _
- Waggoner's sermon, "Law and Gospel" . . . . . . 54
Second day, October 18. • • • • • » . . . . . . . 54
Mrs. White*s sermon, "Christless Preachers" . .
/ 54
’Waggoner’s sermon on justification by faith . » 55
Third day, October 19 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 56
’Waggoner's sermon on justification by faith . « 56
This series continued until October 25 . . . . . 56
Fourth day, October 2 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Mrs. White’s sermon, "Advancing in Christian
Experience" ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Fifth day, October 21 59
Mrs, White's sermon, "Counsel to Ministers" . . ■ 59
Seventh day, October 23 . • • • • • • • • • • • • 61
Mrs. White’s 3ermon, "Missionary’Work" . . . . • 61
Eighth day, October 24 ............ . « • • • 62
* P
Mrs. White’s "Morning Talk" . . . . . * • 6 62
- Hinth day, October 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62.
Waggoner concludes series on justification by
faith .........................-........... 62
Sixteenth day, November 1 . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Mrs. White’s sermon, "A Call for Deeper Study
of the ’Word" 63
i
-■?
CHAPTER PAGES
Later confessions indicate feeling at conference * • • 64
% Viewpoint of opposition .......... . . . . . . . 65
'i Fear of emphasis on justification by faith. . • • « « 65
^Dislike of Jones and Waggoner 65
Confusion of issues • 66
Importance of conference 66
V. THE REVIVAL FOLLOWING 3HE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF 1888 . * 68
Purpose of chapter . • ........ ..............• • • • 68
1889 ..........................................., . . 68
Revival meetings in various centers • • • • • • • • 68
Smith's reaction to revival 71
Review articles 72
Signs articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
J. H. ’Waggoner's book . . . .............. » . . » 73
General Conference Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
1890 ................................................. 73
Tracts and pamphlets............ ................ » 73
Signs articles 74
Review artioles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Mrs. White reports progress of revival . . . * • • 75
Cottrell's attitude toward revival . . . . . . . . 75
Mrs. White appeals for revival . . . . . . . . . . 76
Patriarchs and Prophets 77
A2V JiC. R*it» !-.'. ’^iiV
g CHAFER FACS
a Confessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
i#
3 Scattered contributions during year . . . . . . . . 77
«
#
S Mrs. White's warning at General Conference . . . «, 77
| 1892 ............................................. . 78
1
H Signs articles........ .. • ............... c < > 78
^
^
i3
jl Review articles 79
iS
----
M
a
aj| Steps to Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
aS
a
a1 1893 . . .................... ...................... 80
»
i
*
if Scattered articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
s
#
•2 Jones* sermons at General Conference Session • . » 80
;W
§t
jjj Mrs, White's warning to Jones ................... 81
Si
i|-£ 1894 ................................... 82
*
;| Littlejohn’s opposition • . . . . . . « . • • . . 83
| Mrs. White reports progress of revival . . . . . . 83
1895 ........ ................................ 83
;f Review and Signs articles . . . . . . . . . . . . ' 83
4
f .
•J General Conference Session . . . . • • • . • • • * 84
2 Opposition as sensed by Mrs. White . . . . . . . . 84
. . . . . . .'
| 1896 ........ ...................................... 86
<
4 Strong promotion of doctrine in Signs . . . . . . 85
f Review articles . . . • • • » ........ • * . . » 86
-! 1897 ........ ................................... . 87
1 Jones becomes editor of Review . . . . . . . . . . 87
-1 1898 .................... . ............ 87
%
_> - -
i Contributions of ’Waggoner and Covert . . . . . . . 87
vi
CHAPTER PAGE
The. Desire of Ages 87
1899 88
• « * , • ♦ » . » * • * . * * • • « * ■ * « o • «
Waggoner’s ’’Studies in Galatians” in Review . . . « 88
1900 88
___ •
Waggoner’s The Glad Tidings published 88
Conditions at close of deoe.de 88
Mrs, White’s books 89
Steps to Christ 89
The Desire of Ages «, « « , , , , «« a 94
Thoughts from, the Mount of Blessing » « • « « • « • 96
Christ’s Object Lessons 96
Importance of these books 97
VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 99
Summary'- .......... 99
Conclusions • * • « 100
BIBLIOGRAPHY 103
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CHAPTER I
IKTR0DUCTI02T ...
The purpose of this investigation was to discover the attitude
of the Seventh-day Adventist church toward -the doctrine of justification
and righteousness by faith. The scope of the investigation has included
the history of this denomination up to 1900 with due attention to the
background of church history in general.
Justification by faith is defined as ”, .. that judicial act
of God by which, on account of Christ, to whom the sinner is united by
faith, he declares that sinner to be no longer exposed to the penalty of
the law, but to be restored to his favor.”-'- The same idea is expressed
in different words in the W es trains ter Catechism, where justification is
defined, ”. . .an act of God’s free grace wherein He pardoneth all our
sins, and accepteth us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteous­
ness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.Frequently,
however, the companion term, ’’righteousness by faith”, is used to indi­
vV
cate more than is included in mere justification. ”. . . the epistle to
the Romans is not simply justification by faith, but rather righteousness
by faith or salvation by fa.ith.”^ This concept of righteousness by faith
£ ‘
~ A. H. Strong, Systematic Theology (Philadelphia? The Judson
Press, 1944), p. 049.
2 Philip 3chaff, The Creeds of Christendom (Hew York? Harper and
Brothers, 1919), III, 683.
,3
Strong, op, oit., p, 873.
2
may be construed as synonomous with sanctification, or may be consid­
ered as including both justification and sanctification* It is a more
general term than justification by faith.
Probably the most succinct definitive statement on the subject
in Seventh-day Adventist literature differentiates thus: "The right­
eousness by which we are justified is imputed. The righteousness by
which we are sanctified is imparted. >The first is our title to heaven^
the second is our fitness for heaven."^ An analysis of this statement
shows it to be in harmony with the generally held evangelical Protestant
position on justification and sanctification. In Seventh-day Adventist
literature, however, the terms ’‘justification by faith” and "righteous-
ness by faith” are often used interchangeably, sometimes applying to
justification, sometimes to sanctification, sometimes to both. The em­
phasis is on faith as an activating prinoiple in contrast to the legal­
istic idea of salvation by works*
Several conditions obtain that justify such an investigation as
this:
First, the Seventh-day Adventist church has never adopted a
creed. The official dogmas of most other religious bodies can be deter­
mined quickly by reference to accepted creeds or confessions. While
^ Mrs / E. G. White, "Qualifications for the ’.Worker," Advent Review
and Sabbath Herald, 72: 339, June 4, 1895. Seventh-day Adventists con­
sider Mrs. E. G. White their leading authority in matters of Biblical
interpretation end church polity. They ascribe to her writings a place
second only to the Bible, believing -that she was guided by a degree of
divine inspiration* Many of her works are included in the bibliography
of this thesis.
3
these official statements of faith do not always reflect exactly the
actual life and practice, or even the unanimous belief of the eccles­
iastical bodies concerned, yet such creeds and confessions do constitute
tangible evidence of trends of thought. But where there is no creed,
careful research is required to determine standards of belief.
Second, the doctrine of justification and righteousness by faith
is not a minor issue, but is and always has been a major Christian tenet.
Investigation that might seem unnecessary on some secondary topic, most
certainly justifies itself on one of the great dootrines of the Christian
faith,
Biird, the Seventh-day Adventist viewpoint on this doctrine has
been challenged both by other denominations and by groups that have with­
drawn from the Seventh-day Adventist church. For example, about a decade
ago a new sect was organised on the assumption that Seventh-day Adventism
does not teach the doctrine of justification and righteousness by faith,
Thi3 organization, which is known as The Lord Our Righteousness Church,
with headquarters at Auburn, Washington, is still active, and continues
to have some degree of local success in gaining adherents. Such chal­
lenges must not go unheeded. If the charges are groundless, the fact
should be demonstrated. If they are correct, the position of the church
should either be modified or soundly defended.
Fourth, many Seventh-day Adventists have heard of a crisis that
arose in the year 1888 regarding this subject. Ordinarily, however, they
have a very vague idea of what happened in 1888 and why. Inasmuch as
this crisis had to do with so fundamental a doctrine, it has been deemed