The Life of Ellen White by D.M. Canright
Chapter 2 - The Great Denominational Test
“Seventh-day Adventists have no creed but the Bible.” This statement is made over and over again in their publications intended for public distribution.
Likewise they say: “The Bible is its own expositor.” “One text explains another.”
This all sounds well, but upon examination both statements are shown to be false.
In the first place, Seventh-day Adventists have a creed, the same as do other denominations, and have published this ever since 1872. They call it the “Fundamental Principles of Seventh-day Adventists.” It’s opening words are: “Seventh-day Adventists have no creed but the Bible; but they hold to certain well-defined points of faith.” And then they are once proceed to define these “points of faith.” What is this but a creed? Webster defines creed as “an authoritative summary or formula of those articles of Christian faith which are considered essential.”
Opening the disciplines of the various orthodox churches, such as Methodists, Baptists and Presbyterians, we find each beginning its articles of faith thus: “We believe.” Then follows what they believe. Adventists say that all these churches have a creed, but they themselves have no creed. But their “Fundamental Principles” begin in the same way, thus: “They believe;” and then follow their twenty-nine articles of faith, telling what they believe. Hence, for them to say they have no creed, but other churches have, is a deception.
But the worst feature about this creed is that it does not contain their chief article of faith - that which they regard as the greatest essential of all. Strange as it may seem, this is omitted. Their greatest deception in this matter is not in having a formulated creed when they say they have no creed, but in failing to insert in their formulated creed the one paramount article of their faith.
The third article of their published creed says they hold:
“That the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were given by inspiration of God, contain a full revelation of His will to man, and are the only infallible rule of faith and practice.”
This again sounds well; but it is false, absolutely false. Seventh-day Adventists do not believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments contain the full revelation of God’s will to man, neither do they take these Scriptures as their “only infallible rule of faith and practice,” for they hold that the writings of their prophetess, Mrs. E.G. White, are also given by inspiration of God; that these writings contain a fuller revelation of God’s will to man, and that they are infallible. And, what is more, they make faith in these writings a test of faith and fellowship in their church. All this is susceptible of the clearest proof.
Over and over Mrs. White claimed her writings to be inspired of God, and placed them on a level with the Bible. She says:
“I took the precious Bible, and surrounded it with the several Testimonies for the Church, given for the people of God. Here, said I, the cases of nearly all are met”(Testimonies, Vol. 2, p. 605; Vol. 5, p. 664).
According to 2 Tim. 3:16,17, the Bible alone is a sufficient guide to heaven, thoroughly furnishing the man of God unto all good works. But Mrs. White adds her writings to the Bible; surrounds it with them, in fact. With the two thus placed together, she says “the cases of nearly all are met.” The Bible alone, therefore, must be better; for that meets the cases of all.
The claim of infallibility was set up for Mrs. White’s writings in 1911. In that year they declared her writings to be “the only infallible interpreter of Bible principles” (The Mark of the Beast, by G.A. Irwin, p. 1).
With them, therefore, the Bible is not their only creed, it is not its own expositor, neither is it their only infallible rule of faith and practice. On the contrary, faith in Mrs. White and her writings is the great thing - the chief, but unpublished, article of faith. It is not an uncommon thing to hear their older members say, “If I gave up faith in Mrs. White, I would give up everything.” This shows that everything in this church is built on her. To disbelieve in her is the greatest of heresies, and at once brands one as an apostate. Before uniting with the church one hears little or nothing about Mrs. White; but, after uniting, one hears her quoted constantly as authority upon everything - doctrine, diet, dress and discipline.
The things that have been said here are unbelievable coming from a supposed Christian.