We do not hesitate to challenge—and rightly so—the strong contentions and historical or scientific "proofs" of the world's great scholars when adduced, for example, in behalf of the Sunday-sabbath or of evolutionary origins. With a case to prove, they either ignore, or are unaware of, unimpeachable evidence in abundance that not only neutralizes but controverts their strong postulates. Though our contentions in these fields are not conceded by the world's scholars' we know these facts to be incontrovertible. And we boldly take our stand thereon.
Why, then, should we yield supinely to the positive assertions of such scholars of the world on other vital points as, for example, in the field of historical fulfillment of prophecy, when their declarations are in direct conflict with unequivocal and repeated Spirit of prophecy declarations, and when their conclusions in other lines have been proved unsound? The same persistent search for sources in these historical fields will in time disclose fuller evidence that will disprove their common assertions in these lines and vindicate the verity of the inspired Spirit of prophecy assertions, as cases that could be cited clearly evidence.
We, as students in the advent movement, are recreant to our primary Christian duty as students, and are actually disloyal to the mandates of truth, when we concede such ill-proved declarations because made by worldly scholars, and fail to dig until we uncover the full facts that support and vindicate those utterances of inspired origin given for our guidance and protection. Some are prone to concede altogether too much, and too quickly. We should search on until we confute certain positions taken by worldly scholars who are not only without Spirit of prophecy guidance, but who deride this beneficent light from heaven and decry its authority and its authenticity.
God will honor the faith of reverent students who are simple enough to believe that He cannot lie, and that He will not deceive, when He speaks to His remnant church through the channel of His choice, in declaring historical truths that the unguided worldling is most unlikely to find unaided. The scholarship of this movement must not prove recreant to its supreme privilege and responsibility.
Much of the vaunted research of the world is notoriously negative, critical, and destructive.
Not infrequently, despite its claim to superiority, it is actually partial and incomplete in its findings. Just because scholars support a case, that is not necessarily a guarantee of accuracy, truth, or finality. The world's goals and methods of study and research are different from ours. We are not blindly seeking unknown truth. We have an inspired chart and compass. Divine light is not available in our quest that is not accessible to, nor followed by, the world. We must never follow the secularized university lead as our criterion in investigation, nor reflect its depreciating superimity complex as to evealed truth.
Some of our scholars have not unjustly been charged with being weakeners of conviction. From some classrooms students have gone forth with an ultraconservatism and a fatal indefiniteness that is ruinous to virile evangelism, to strong conviction such as any successful propagation of the faith calls for, and such as lies back of the heroic stand of the martyrs. Our ministerial brethren cannot but view with deepest concern any such wishy-washy, neutralizing influences permeating the ranks of our youth.
True Function of Christian Scholarship
Adventist scholarship should provide the great rugged facts of truth upon which strong, sound, substantial faith is built. That is the true function of Christian scholarship. But that pseudo scholarship, patterned after the world, which weakens faith, saps conviction, and smiles depreciatingly in pity at an aggressive faith and a clear, strong stand, is a menace to the welfare of the advent movement.
We must build faith and establish truth, else our research will not only be a curse to us personally, but, far more serious, will be inimical to the well-being of others. It will be a fearful thing to be found an unwitting weakener of the faith, an unconscious underminer of the certainties of truth. Our emphasis should be positive, not negative. Our business is to discover the full supporting evidences of revealed truth. We are to buttress the foundations of Adventism. This is our work, scholars of the movement. Let us attend to it.
L. E. F.
