The Covenant Controversy of 1890
Waggoner was asked in 1889 to rewrite
some Sabbath school lessons on the book of Hebrews because the
originals, which had been written by his father, had been lost and the
elder was unable to rewrite them himself. The younger had re-written
five or six of the lessons because he could not agree with some of the
ideas concerning the covenants. He was given the freedom to write his
own views and the lessons were hastily sent to the different committee
members for criticism. Unfortunately, Uriah Smith's name had been
accidentally left off that list of review members. To atone for the
mistake, C. H. Jones, the manager of the Pacific Press, sent a set of
the lessons to Smith with all the additions. But Smith, seeing the name
of J.H. Waggoner on the front, passed them on since he agreed with him
theologically on the subject. Jones had sent a note explaining the
mix-up and the changes that the son had made, but Smith did not notice
the attached explanation and sent them on for publication for the first
quarter of the year 1890.59
This oversight was to cause Smith a great deal of trouble.
At the same time this was taking place
with the Sabbath school lessons, Waggoner was teaching at the
ministerial school in Battle Creek. He had begun a verse by verse study
of the prophecies found in the book of Isaiah with the emphasis upon the
nature and work of Christ.60
However, at the beginning of the year, 1890, he abruptly changed his
topic to the covenants. This was done without consulting either Uriah
Smith or Dan Jones, the secretary of the General Conference and the
board member in charge of the school. Dan Jones suggested that the
subject be left out of the school, due to its sensitive nature. He went
to Sister White and she felt that it should be studied but should be
investigated more thoroughly before taking it into the school. There was
a meeting the night before Waggoner was to begin his study. It was
unfruitful. The next morning Waggoner turned in his resignation to teach
that particular class period forcing Dan Jones to cover the class.
Finally U. Smith took over.61
By this time the Sabbath school lessons
that Waggoner had edited concerning the book of Hebrews were being
studied by the whole church. Dan Jones had noticed the situation when
the lessons first appeared. Smith, however, "saw them for the first
time" and claimed a dirty trick had been played. He wrote a
disclaimer in the Review saying that "none need feel bound
to accept any doctrine simply because it appears in the S. S. lessons or
Review."62
People had become interested in the subject of the covenants. The
ministerial students complained that they were unable to study the
subject; yet, the children could study the covenants in the Sabbath
school lesson.63
Ellen White wrote Smith after observing his strong efforts to oppose
Waggoner's views.
Night before last I was shown that
evidences in regard to the covenants were clear and convincing.
Yourself, Brother Dan Jones, Brother Porter and others are spending
your investigative powers for naught to produce a position on the
covenants to vary from the position that Brother Waggoner has
presented. Had you received the true light which shineth, you would
not have imitated or gone over the same manner of interpretation and
misconstruing the Scriptures as did the Jews. What made them so
zealous? Why did they hang on the words of Christ? Why did spies
follow Him to mark his words that they could repeat and misinterpret
and twist in a way to mean that which their own unsanctified minds
would make them to mean. In this way, they deceived the people. They
made false issues. They handled those things that they could make a
means of clouding and misleading
minds.
The covenant question is a clear
question and would be received by every candid, unprejudiced mind, but
I was brought where the Lord gave me an insight into this matter. You
have turned from plain light because you were afraid that the law
question in Galatians would have to be accepted. As to the law in
Galatians, I have no burden and never have.64
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