Ellen G. White and Her Critics

Remaining Points Considered

In the setting of these passages that give Mrs. White’s true teaching on the matter of Sabbathkeeping, the points in the charge become a little pointless. Let us consider briefly those not already answered: EGWC 359.1

1. Mrs. White “now directs her people to keep Sunday exactly as all conscientious Sunday observers do; that is, in holding religious meetings and doing religious work!” EGWC 359.2

We hardly believe that any minister of a Sundaykeeping church would agree with that statement. We are certain that no minister in the area where her instruction was put into effect would consider we were keeping Sunday “exactly as all conscientious Sunday observers do.” Mrs. White included in her instruction regarding these Sunday “religious meetings” the following: “We are to proclaim the truth in regard to the Sabbath of the Lord.”—Testimonies for the Church 9:233. Proclaiming the Sabbath truth means to an Adventist not simply presenting the evidence for the seventh-day Sabbath of the Lord but presenting the warnings of heaven against keeping the papal Sabbath, the first day of the week. Will someone explain how an Adventist could at one and the same time be keeping Sunday and denouncing Sunday worship? EGWC 359.3

2. “Now, if it [“holding religious meetings”] is acceptable to the Lord from Adventists, it must be acceptable to the Lord from Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists and others.” EGWC 359.4

We agree that it would be acceptable to the Lord if the members of these Protestant churches followed her counsel for Adventists, which means keeping God’s holy Sabbath day, and then, if the situation requires, using Sunday in missionary work, holding religious meetings that extol the true Sabbath and warn against the false. EGWC 359.5

3. “Lastly, if Methodists, Baptists and other Christians have the mark of the beast because they ‘give Sunday to the Lord’ in religious service, why will not Adventists also have it if they give the day to the Lord in the same way?” EGWC 360.1

But how would Adventists receive the mark of the beast for holding religious services on Sunday if those services had as one of their purposes a warning against the mark of the beast? We might add that Adventists do not teach that anyone has the mark of the beast simply because he keeps Sunday. That mark will be placed only upon those who, having received a knowledge of the Scriptural claims of the Sabbath, willfully continue to keep the papal Sunday. In proof of this we quote these words from Mrs. White: EGWC 360.2

“When Sunday observance shall be enforced by law, and the world shall be enlightened concerning the obligation of the true Sabbath, then whoever shall transgress the command of God, to obey a precept which has no higher authority than that of Rome, will thereby honor popery above God. He is paying homage to Rome, and to the power which enforces the institution ordained by Rome. He is worshiping the beast and his image. As men then reject the institution which God has declared to be the sign of His authority and honor in its stead that which Rome has chosen as the token of her supremacy, they will thereby accept the sign of allegiance to Rome—‘the mark of the beast.’ And it is not until the issue is thus plainly set before the people, and they are brought to choose between the commandments of God and the commandments of men, that those who continue in transgression will receive ‘the mark of the beast.’”—The Great Controversy, 449. EGWC 360.3

4. “In giving the instruction she did, Mrs. White herself removed the ground for the persecution under Sunday laws which she had previously predicted.” EGWC 360.4

This has already been answered, with particular emphasis on the fact that what “she had previously predicted” in Early Writings she consistently continued to predict through the years, including her words in Testimonies, volume 9. EGWC 360.5

A reading of the full text of Mrs. White’s counsel regarding our attitude and actions in relation to threatened Sunday law prosecution reveals that she is here writing a commentary on the inspired command: “As much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” Romans 12:18. The only time that that command cannot apply is when living peaceably would sacrifice principle, and would cause us to bear a false testimony to the truths of God. There is no danger that any Adventist will bear a false testimony concerning God’s holy Sabbath day by engaging in missionary work on Sunday, provided he follows the inspired instruction to “proclaim the truth in regard to the Sabbath of the Lord” as he goes forth in such missionary work. EGWC 360.6