A. L. Guilford
held that complete perfection must kill the carnal nature in 1860
A. L. Guilford, "Ye Are Bought with a Price," RH 16:21
(October 9, 1860:166-167. Guilford insists that one cannot glorify God until
his carnal nature is dead. To glorify God is to obey God, hence by obeying one
kills the carnal nature.
F.M. Bragg said
that purifying propensities takes a lifetime 1863 F. M. Bragg, "Bearing the Cross," RH 21:9 (January 27,
1863):70- "Purifying” is
to be understood from the Biblical standpoint of sanctification as "being set apart for a holy purpose." Propensities and passions were also perceived as c o n t r o ll a b
l e . 3 When the Spirit performs his work on the soul the feelings are
softened, the propensities are changed, even brought into subjection, but the
purifying takes a lifetime.** Bragg explained this view: We bear the cross when we crucify the inclination of the carnal heart. This is our work under the third angel's message, to bring the feelings and propensities of the natural heart into obedience to the commandments of God and faith of Jesus, on teaching of the New Testament.4 Christ's merits pay the "great debt," Bragg wrote, but
one's only surety of these merits is received in bearing the cross. Then one’s
sins will be blotted out "at the times of refreshing. Zachrison 1984 page
366
R. Cottrell in
1866 opt for the complete victory over sin R. F. Cottrell, "Rom. VII," RH 27:20 (April 17,
1866):157-158. In Christ a person becomes dead to sin. "The person becomes dead
to sin, by living no longer in it: sin is dead when it has lost its power
and dominion over the person."
Sinless during
Time of Trouble to stand without a mediator 1867 D. Bourdeau D. T. Bourdeau,
"Advances of God's People," RH 29:11 (February 19, 1867):121—122. "that we
may be able to pass through the time of trouble without an
intercessor, and be found of Christ without spot and blameless at his
coming." Conversion is a
“way—"a
change in the mind, affections and conduct from
sin to holiness, a radical reform." D. T. Bourdeau, "Conversion and
Spiritual Life," RH 29:18 (April 9, 1867):209.
E. Goodrich on
principle and passion that can be overcome in 1867 “One definition
given by an early SDA is that of E. Goodrich: "By the word
passion are signified all the desires, appetites and impulses of the natural man, by
which he is prompted to seek his own interest and happiness, regardless of
others. For examples, we have pride, anger, fear, covetousness, yea, every
thing that comes in contact with divine order may be regarded as
passion." "Principle and Passion," RH 29:7 (January 22,
1867):74. In a second article
on the topic, he elaborates, "Passion stands related to principle as creature
objects to creative power, as circumstances to settled truth." See
"Principle and Passion," RH 29:8 (January 29, 1867):85. Passion is temporal,
principle is eternal. Passion consumes itself and its victims, principle is
other-centered. "The history of the world is, that man has ever sought to
reverse this order [of principle], by believing the truth to his own
crooked, selfish purposes, and he worships and serves the creature instead of the
Creator." In general, Goodrich sees passions as negative elements.”
Zackrison 1984 page 386
Overcoming is
possible according to A. M. A. Cornell 1868 “There was a
general pervasive notion among SDA writers that the human sinful
nature could be overcome through God's grace as one puts "forth an
earnest, persevering effort." "By nature
the human heart is inclined to be the
opposite of all that is amiable and lovely, but by the grace of God the evil
traits may be subdued, and we may have our characters adorned with the
previous graces described by the apostle. But we must realize that to
overcome our evil habits and passions, we must put forth an earnest, persevering
effort." A. M. A. Cornell "Come Unto Me," RH 31:12 (March 3,
1868):183.
D. Canright
said that only overcomers will be saved in 1871 “Canright wrote
in 1871, "only those who have
withstood all_ temptations, overcome all their sins, and lived righteously
before God" would be saved in heaven” “D. M.
Canright, "If Satan Sinned in Heaven, May Not Others Also?" RH 37:5
(January 17, 1871):37. Emphasis supplied. See Ibid.: "They were full of
infirmities themselves, weak and naturally sinful, with propensities tending to lead
them away from God; all the influence of the world brought to bear against
them; the powerful temptations of the devil and his angels, continually
causing them doubts and fears; and yet under all these circumstances,
they succeeded in overcoming their sins, and living holy and righteous lives
before God." Zackrison 1984 page 385
Ellen White
1872 man cannot save himself “Ellen G. White, "The First Advent of Christ," RH 41:1 (December 17, 1872):2—3: "Man could not atone for man. His
sinfuli" fallen condition would constitute him an imperfect offering, an atoning
sacrifice of less value than Adam before his fall. God made man perfect and
upright, and after his transgression there could be no sacrifice acceptable
to God for him, unless the offering made should in value be superior to
man as he was in his state of perfection and innocency."
J. Waggoner said
that carnality must all be removed in 1874 J. H. Waggoner, "They Shall See God," RH 44:16 (October
13, 1874):124: "'The carnal mind,1 the natural or unrenewed heart,
'is enmity against God.' But this may be all removed, and we be 'justified by
faith,' so that we may have peace 'with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ."' Waggoner explains that such removal involves a hatred for sin, a
yielding to God without reserve and accepting his power of salvation. For
other such expressions of overcoming, see M.E.S., "Message to the
Laodiceans," RH 15:23 (April 26, 1860):178—179; "The Sabbath School—Lessons
from the New Testament," RH 69:29 (July 19, 1892):462; A. T. Jones,
"Free from the Service of Sin," JU1 75:17 (April 26, 1898):268.
Waggoner 1876
that baptism is not removal of original sin
“Waggoner affirmed the stand that children have no sins to account
for and that baptism was not for the purpose of washing away original sin
or natural depravity. ^ Any position to the contrary would have to admit that
all infants are lost, a notion SDAs were not prepared to espouse.5
Waggoner criticized both the Arminians and the Calvinists for their practice
of infant baptism.5 The salvation of infants, he suggested, is on a different
basis— they have commited no sin and therefore they have nothing of which
to be pardoned. If Adam's transgression were the infant's sin then the
infant would be damned for he could not repent at his tender age.4 But through
"the Gospel" infants receive salvation, and all die, not as
"sinners condemned," but simply as mortal creatures who have been cut off from the tree
of life. “ Zackrison 1984 page 368
Butler’s
spiritual view of 1877 “This view preserved the earlier view of the resurrection but put equal emphasis on the spiritual rebirth. G. I. Butler wrote an
article in 1877 that indicated a major turning point for the spiritual view. 2
From that time on, the spiritual view strengthened and soon dominated
until by 1931 all reference to the resurrection as the new birth was
completely deleted form official Adventist statements of doctrine. 3”
Zackrison 1984 page 376
Canright in
1885 on sinlessness in John “When John says that the converted man "cannot sin," he
means that sin is so distasteful to his feelings that he will not do it. But that very same John said in his same epistle, "If any man
sin, we have an advocate with the Father."2 Zackrison 1984 page 375
E. R. Jones
said that there must be complete deliverance from indwelling sin after 1888 Some post-1888 writers pushed this view of overcoming to its limit. E. R. Jones insisted that "complete deliverance from inherited
and indwelling sin" was to be an actuality in the life. “When the Spirit of
God works in a person he delivers him from "inherited evil."