The Position of “The Bible, and the Bible Only” and the Relationship of This to the Writings of Ellen White

Other Witnesses Testify

Early in 1863, Elder Uriah Smith presented an editorial in the Review and Herald in which he dealt with the question of the “Bible and the Bible Alone.” It opens: PBORWEW 10.1

“‘The Bible, and the Bible Alone,’ ‘The Bible in its purity,’ ‘The Bible a sufficient and only reliable rule of life,’ etc., etc., is now the great cry of those who are giving vent to their opposition to the visions, and are working with their might to prejudice others against them...

“The Protestant principle, of ‘the Bible and the Bible alone,’ is of itself good and true; and we stand upon it as firmly as anyone can; but when reiterated in connection with outspoken denunciations of the visions, it has specious appearance for evil. So used it contains a covert insinuation, most effectually calculated to warp the judgment of the unguarded, that to believe the visions is to leave the Bible, and to cling to the Bible, is to discard the visions...

“When we claim to stand on the Bible and Bible alone, we bind ourselves to receive, unequivocally and fully, all that the Bible teaches.” The Review and Herald, January 13, 1863. (In Witness of the Pioneers, p. 30).

Smith then in his three column statement develops this line of argument. The full statement with its unique and useful illustration is worth reading. It is attached as Appendix D. See page 27. PBORWEW 10.2

A few years after this Elder J.N. Andrews, who edited the Review from 1869 to 1870, in the issue of February 15, 1870, presented an editorial under the title “Our Use of the Visions of Sr. White.” While he does not employ the term, “The Bible Alone” he writes of those who plead “that the Scriptures are sufficient” and makes clear our position. The entire article will be found attached as Appendix E. We quote sufficient to reveal his line of thought. PBORWEW 11.1

“5. While therefore we do heartily accept the Scriptures as teaching man’s whole duty toward God, we do not deny the Holy Spirit that place in the church which the Scriptures assign to it... PBORWEW 11.2

“8. The work of the Holy Spirit may be divided into two parts: First, that which is designed simply to convert and to sanctify the persons affected by it. Second, that which is for the purpose of opening the truth of God, and of correcting error, and of reproving and rebuking secret sins. This part of the work is wrought by what the Scriptures term Spiritual Gifts. These exist, not for the especial good of the person to whose trust they are committed, but for the benefit of the whole body of the church. PBORWEW 11.3

“9. Now it is plain that those who reject the work of the Spirit of God under the plea that the Scriptures are sufficient, do deny and reject all that part of the Bible which reveals the office and work of the Holy Spirit. PBORWEW 11.4

“10. Thus 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4, which define the gifts of the Spirit of God, cannot really form a part of the rule of life or those who affirm that the Scriptures are so sufficient in themselves that the gifts of the Spirit are unnecessary... PBORWEW 11.5

“14. The object of spiritual gifts is to maintain the living work of God in the church. They enable the Spirit of God to speak in the correction of wrongs, and in the exposure of iniquity... In short, their work is to unite the people of God in the same mind and in the same judgment upon the meaning of the Scriptures. Mere human judgment, with no direct instruction from Heaven, can never search out hidden iniquity, nor adjust dark and complicated church difficulties nor prevent different and conflicting interpretations of the Scriptures. It would be sad indeed if God could not still converse with His people.”—(In Witness of the Pioneers, p. 39) (See Appendix E, for the full article.) PBORWEW 11.6

Elder George I. Butler, while president of the General Conference, wrote a series of five articles for the Review which were published from May 12 to June 9, 1874. He presents the subject from a broad base, and gives one paragraph to the point under discussion: PBORWEW 11.7

“It is again objected that the Bible alone is sufficient, because Paul tells us, ‘All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.’ If all Scripture is profitable, we suppose those portions are which teach the perpetuity of spiritual gifts, and that tell us they will be in the church in the last days, and tell us how to distinguish between the false and genuine. These prove the visions under consideration to be of the right stamp.”—The Review and Herald, June 9, 1874. (In Witness of the Pioneers, p. 47).