The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

VI. Andrews-Scholarly Writings Include Conditionalism

Note should also be taken of JOHN NEVINS ANDREWS (18291883), theologian, author, editor, and missionary, one of the younger men in the founders’ group among the Adventists. Scholarly and a keen, logical reasoner, he early characteristically declared, “I would exchange a thousand errors for one truth.” And in this he spoke for his associates. He was versed in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Ever in the forefront of activity, he was author of a number of books, the most notable being his History of the Sabbath. CFF2 679.1

As early as 1851 he was on the publishing committee of the Review and Herald, and was a frequent contributor. For a time he was president of the General Conference of Seventhday Adventists, then was sent as the first Adventist missionary to Europe. So his writings were likewise representative. He too was a forceful Conditionalist. CFF2 679.2

EIGHT GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN ESTABLISHING DOCTRINAL PLATFORM

The guiding principles followed by the founding fathers of the Sabbatarian Adventists in establishing their platform were eightfold: They sought (1) to restore and re-establish the various primitive truths of the Early Church, largely recovered in the Protestant Reformation, but which a divided Christendom failed to complete or had let slip; (2) to retain and apply all sound principles held by various individual scholars of the nineteenth century-Old World, as well as New; (3) to complete and consummate, by carrying to their logical conclusion and application, those final phases of truth now due; (4) to revise and clarify details of truth perceived to be out of harmony with basic principles and outlines, which time had shown to be erroneous; (5) to harmonize and synthesize all truths so as to form a systematic whole; (6) to discern and differentiate between basic primaries or essentials, and secondaries upon which there were bound to be different views; (7) to recognize and present Christ and His two advents, setting Him forth as the central figure and power of all redemption, and His two advents as the focal points of time and eternity; and (8) to stress the consummation of the conflict of the ages between Christ and Satan, and good and evil, from Eden lost to Eden restored, and the final eradication of all sin and sinners. This meant the reinstatement of all lost, forgotten, and forsaken truths, many of which had been partially covered over and obscured by the accumulated debris of error. In this way they would be definitely helping to prepare a people for the coming King and kingdom. CFF2 679.3