The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 1

Acknowledgments

The production of a work as extensive as this four-volume set, and of such an exacting nature, could not be achieved or financed by any one person. There must, first of all, be adequate financial sponsorship, for the cost of such an endeavor is heavy, involving extensive research trips throughout Europe, and heavy investment in photostats, microfilms, and original documents, which constitute the working sources. As these were scattered all over Britain and the Continent, in historical archives and literary institutions, as well as throughout the Americas, they had first to be secured and brought together for study. PFF1 911.1

This assemblage has resulted in the unique Advent Source Collection—the largest single collection in its particular field, ever brought together in one place—which is now housed in the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, of Washington, D.C. Its value, it should be added, has been enhanced by the loss or destruction of not a few of the originals in Europe, through the desolating ravages of World War II. This assemblage provided the working materials and the needed apparatus. PFF1 911.2

Moreover, because of the multiple language problem, there had to be constant collaboration with specialists in the extensive work of locating, securing, translating, analyzing, organizing, and finally in putting the findings into acceptable manuscript form for publication. Then it had to be revised and strengthened by the aid of constructive criticism from competent readers; and this, in turn, followed by painstaking checking, not only of all direct quotations and their context, but all paraphrases, names, dates, and historical facts and allusions, and a thousand other details. This has called for extensive aid from still another group of experts. PFF1 911.3

So, in this sense, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers has been decidedly a group project, with all the inherent safeguards of such a plan, and these paragraphs are to record grateful acknowledgment to various leading organizations, and to individuals, who have materially aided in bringing this far-reaching project to fruition. PFF1 911.4

Tribute is therefore due, first of all, to the farsighted vision and generous financial provision of the officers and executive committee of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, who authorized this project and the provision of a sufficient annual budget to carry this enterprise forward with continuity now for more than sixteen years. Greater tangible support could not have been asked. PFF1 911.5

Second, indebtedness is here expressed to the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, not only for providing a housing vault for the priceless source materials, but for classroom laboratory opportunity over a period of years, where, as special instructor in the Historical Development of Prophetic Interpretation, I was enabled to develop a comprehensive syllabus, with extensive source readings. It was this that formed the framework for the writing of these volumes. It also afforded opportunity for testing out the value of the findings upon hundreds of students who have passed through these special classes, not only in North America but in Europe and South America as well. PFF1 911.6

Third, lasting obligation is expressed to the Review and Herald Publishing Association, likewise of Washington, D.C., which, with faith in the value of this venture, has invested many thousands of dollars in subsidizing this large work, which could not otherwise have been produced because of the inevitably excessive cost of technical verification, critical editing, illustration, and production. PFF1 912.1

And now, I have particular pleasure in recording deep indebtedness to the following institutions—State, national, and public libraries, universities, and historical societies—for making their manuscripts and book holdings freely available, as well as their coin and medallion collections, together with the privilege of reproduction of the texts. The marked helpfulness, and ofttimes the extraordinary courtesies of the directors, librarians, and curators of these archives and repositories, will ever be held in grateful memory. There were numerous other institutions which yielded individual items, but these are the principal libraries used: PFF1 912.2

R. Biblioteca angelica, Rome, Italy.
Biblioteca apostolica vaticana, Vatican City, Rome, Italy.
R. Biblioteca casanatense, Rome, Italy.
R. Biblioteca nazionale centrale, Florence, Italy.
Biblioteca nazionale Vittorio Emanuele, Rome, Italy.
Bibliotheque de la societe de l’histoire du protestantisme francais, Paris, France.
Bibliotheque nationale, Paris, France.
Bibliotheque publique et universitaire, Geneva, Switzerland.
Bibliothek des Evangelischen Predigerseminars, Wittenberg, Germany.
Bodleian Library, Oxford University, Oxford, England.
British Museum Library, London, England.
Cambridge University Library, Cambridge, England.
Libreria Valdese, Torre Pellice, Italy.
Nationalbibliothek, Vienna, Austria.
Preussische Staatsbibliothek, Berlin, Germany.
Trinity College Library, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Trinity College Library, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland.
American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Mass.
Andover Newton Theological Seminary Library, Cambridge, Mass.
Columbia University Library, New York, N. Y.
Harvard University Library, Cambridge, Mass.
Henry E. Huntington Library, San Marino, Calif.

John Carter Brown Library, Providence, R. I.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Rare Books Division; Union Catalogue Division; General Reference and Bibliography Division; Inter-Library Loan Section (through which single volumes were borrowed for photostats or microfilms from libraries all over the United States).
New York Public Library, New York, N. Y.
Review and Herald Editorial Library, Washington, D.C.
S.D.A. Theological Seminary Library, Washington, D.C.
Union Theological Seminary Library, New York, N. Y.
University of Chicago Library, Chicago, Ill.
University of Nebraska Library, Lincoln, Nebr.
Wisconsin State Historical Society, Madison, Wis.

Indebtedness that cannot be repaid is here inscribed for the generous time and thought, and scholarly collaboration over a period of years in the libraries of Europe, of F. A. Dörner, clergyman and research worker of Berlin, particularly in the libraries of Berlin and Vienna; of Alfred Vaucher, president, Seminaire Adventiste, Collonges-sous-Saleve, Haute-Savoie, France, especially on the thirteenth-century Joachimite group in this volume, and on the Waldenses, for his help in research in Rome, Torre Pel-lice, Geneva, and London; to Jean Vuilleumier, formerly editor of Les Signes de Temps, in the libraries of Paris, and to W. E. Read, clergyman and administrator, in the British Museum and other great libraries of Britain. PFF1 913.1

Thanks are also tendered, herewith, to the distinguished group of readers of the entire manuscript, for their kindly criticisms as well as their encouragement in the formative days of the plan, especially to the following: PFF1 913.2

R. A. Anderson, instructor in evangelism, S.D.A. Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C.; L. L. Caviness, professor of Biblical languages, Pacific Union College, Angwin, Calif.; F. D. Nichol, editor, Review and Herald, Washington, D.C.; R. L. Odom, editor, Philippine Publishing House, Manila, Philippines; George McCready Price, author and former teacher, Loma Linda, Calif.; W. E. Read, clergyman and administrator, London, England, and Washington, D.C.; D. E. Rebok, president, S.D.A. Theological Seminary; H. M. S. Richards, international radio commentator, Glendale, Calif.; A. W. Spalding, author and former teacher, Collegedale, Tenn.; W. H. Teesdale, president, Home Study Institute, Washington, D.C.; Daniel Walther, professor of church history, S.D.A. Theological Seminary; H. A. Washburn, former professor of history, Pacific Union College; *and Frank H. Yost, professor of church history, S.D.A. Theological Seminary. PFF1 913.3

And to readers of special sections: Paul E. Quimby, professor of Bible, Pacific Union College; Edwin R. Thiele, professor of Bible, Emmanuel Missionary College, Berrien Springs, Mich.; and Lynn H. Wood, professor of archaeology, S.D.A. Theological Seminary. Material aid has been had from numerous other scholars in Europe and America. PFF1 913.4

Most of all, obligation is here acknowledged to those whose unwearied and highly competent collaboration on the final form of the book, in research, checking, and verification, over a period of years, has brought this exacting work to completion: to Merwin R. Thurber, book editor for the publishers, and his efficient research assistants, Julia Neuffer and Edna Howard, for the various specialized and technical aspects of the work; also to Julia Neuffer, of the Review and Herald, and to Erich Bethmann, linguist and author on the Near East and comparative religions, for invaluable help in both translation and research in special areas of Latin, German, and French source materials; further, to T. K. Martin, art director of the Review and Herald; and to my efficient secretary, Thelma Wellman, who not only typed the manuscript numerous times in the various stages of development but took a major part in the indexing. PFF1 914.1

Appreciation is also extended to other leading translators of the sources; namely, to J. F. Huenergardt for the German, to Jean Vuilleumier for the French, to the late W. W. Prescott and Grace Amadon for the Latin, and to William W. Rockwell, for many years professor of Latin Paleography in Columbia University, for transcribing from thirteenth-century manuscripts used in this volume. Other special credits appear in the subsequent volumes. PFF1 914.2

And finally, sincere thanks to that goodly group of artists, copy editors, compositors, proofreaders, and related artisans, whose skilled work in office and factory has made the mechanical excellence of this product possible. PFF1 914.3

Appendices