Ellen G. White and Her Critics

A Logical Lever

This modification of the Millerite belief that the shutting of the door was the sudden and complete ending of Christ’s mediatorial work for saints and sinners alike, was one of the logical levers that gradually opened the door wide to “whosoever will.” By including in their thinking the view that after October 22, 1844, Christ still had a mediatorial function to perform—even if only for a limited fraction of mankind, the household of faith—our fathers laid the basis for an ever enlarging conception of Christ’s service in the most holy place in behalf of humanity. That steadily enlarging conception will be evident as we study their statements written during the next few years. EGWC 182.2

All this is said in no attempt to blur the fact that these pioneers were partly in the dark at first—no one has ever offered greater evidence of their doctrinal fallibility than we are here presenting. We are seeking to show only that the pioneers, despite their evident fallibility, held from the outset certain distinctive doctrines which, when consistently developed, enabled them to preach salvation full and free to all who were willing to hear and accept. EGWC 182.3