West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1890-07-31
SEVENTH DAY ADYENTISTS,
AND THEIR WORK.

In another column we have given
notice of the Annual Camp Meeting
and conference to he held at New
. burg, by the Seventh Day Advent
lists of this state, Aug. 5-12, 1890.
AS tins denomination is compare
lively young and in view of the fact
that these people are becoming bet
ter known to the religious world,
and arc going to hold their annual
meetings of the conference, Tract
Society, and Sabbath School Assocl-
alton at Newburg, the following
facts which we gather from rcli-
able source concerning their origin
principles and progress may be of
interest TO the public. Seventh Day
Adventists, Us determination, date
their rise from about 1S47; at pre-
sent they number upwards of 30,
600. They have about one thousand
churches with between four and five
hundred ministers and licentiates
and about one thousand colporters
and mission workers. They are
rapidly growing and extending
their work in all parts Of the world.
While they firmly believe in the
personal coming of Christ, they do
not believe that any propheticperi-
cd given in the Bible reaches to his
coming, or was designed to mark
the day or year of that event. The
foolish time setting movements of
{" First Day Adventists. have dis
gusted the world and brought re-
proach upon the advent name, and
it is natural that Seventh Day Adj
ventist5, should repudiate all con-
nection with them. While they do
not believe that any man knows of
the day or the hour of Christs COM
ing, they do believe that some
thing may be known Of the prox-
unity of that event, and further,
that by the predictions in the Scrip
lures of what was to take place in
the last days, and the signs that
were to precede that event, they be-
lieve that we have reached the time
when it is near at hand, even at
the door see Matt. oath chapter.
They recognize the ten command
ments to be of supreme authority;
hence they observe the seventh day
or Saturday, as the Sabbath. They
believe in change of heart, called
converting, or the new birth, similar
to the faith of all orthodox church
es; that as result of the fall, man
in his natural state, is under con-
demnation Of sin; that of himself
he can do nothing to atone for his
sin, but that there is salvation only
through Christ; that the righteous
ness of Christ must cover mans
unrighteousness; that this right
eousness can be obtained only
through faith. and consequently
that at is only through faith that
man can be justified, Immersion
is the only mode of water baptism
recognized by them. They man
tain that life and Immortality are
not inherent, but must be sought
and secured by means Of the gospel
through Jesus Christ. They be-
lieve that unrepentant sinners who
reject Christ and refuse to obey the
law of God will perish, and be ut
terly consumed in the renovating
fires of the day Of God; that after
the reign OF saints with Christ in
heaven for a thousand years, this
earth will be restored to its Edenic
glory, and become the eternal home
OF the saved; where pain, death, sin
and sorrow shall no more. Their
churches in each state are organized,
into State conferences. The state
Conference annually elect an exccu-
tive committee Of three or five. who
have the over sight Of the work in
the conference during the year.
These various State Confer
ences, embracing several con-
ferences in Europe, are all
organized into one General
Conference. The General Confer.
once annually elects an executive
committee Of nine, who have the
oversight Of their work throughout
the world, when the General Con-
ference is not in session They
have at present, between twenty