1915 Proclamation of Liberty & the Unpardonable Sin / Ballenger, Albion 1st Ed.

Description: This 1915 hardcover book titled "The Proclamation of Liberty and the Unpardonable Sin" is a rare find for those interested in religious history. Written by Albion Fox Ballenger, this book explores the topic of salvation and the unpardonable sin. Published by the author himself, this book is a valuable addition to any collection of religious literature. Born the son of a Seventh-day Adventist, Albion Fox Ballenger was raised in the church. Before the age of thirty, he became the secretary of the National Religious Liberty Association,and then later the assistant editor of The American Sentinel. By the late 1890’s he was a fulltime evangelist and revivalist.A. F. Ballenger’s powerful preaching brought many souls to the truth, as well as encouragement to the church members. For instance, his revival meetings held at Battle Creek, November through December of 1897, centered on “Receive Ye the Holy Ghost,” where holiness and putting away sin was the main emphasis, caused many of the students and churchmembers to rededicate their lives to Christ. Soon he began working on a book based onsome of his sermons, entitled Power for Witnessing, which came off the press in 1900—thesame year he accepted a call to the British Isles.While in the British Isles, he “first worked in several of the big English cities, then in Wales,and finally as president of the Irish Mission. About this same time, shortly after the year1900, Elder Ballenger started teaching a “new theology” on salvation in Christ, which effected his views regarding the heavenly sanctuary and the atonement. These ideas began toraise the eyebrows of many of his colleagues, to say the least. Ballenger was called to clarify his views before the British Union Conference Committeesometime before the 1905 General Conference Session. After three hours of discussion witha special committee, his positions were rejected and the Conference relieved him of his postas president of the Irish Mission. While returning by ship to Ireland from England, he was caught in a terrible storm on theIrish Sea. It was at this time that he was impressed to write the manuscript for a book that would clearly proclaim his new views on salvation. His book would be entitled—TheProclamation of Liberty and the Unpardonable Sin. He later submitted the manuscript to thebrethren for publication, but it, too, was rejected. He set out to publish it himself, and thebook finally came off the press some ten years later in 1915. This is the first edition offered in this listing. This is conclusive proof that it was the content of this book that presented the “clearer lightfor which he was cast of the denomination he loved.” Most people think it was the Sanctuarydoctrine that lead him out of the church, but the reality is, it was his new light on salvationthat caused him to change his views on the sanctuary.The content of this book is summed up by the author: “If the reader would know at oncewhat is the central thought,—the all-absorbing theme,—the body, soul and spirit of this book,it is summed up in the final words of our dying Lord, ‘It is finished.’. . . The author praysthat it may reveal to some waiting soul the gospel truth that he need no longer wait for fullsalvation, but may now, by faith, take this gift already given through that work of Christ ofwhich He declared with His final breath.” The main thrust of Ballenger’s book was to prove that legal justification—universalforgiveness—has already been given to all men. Legal justification meant that one had beendeclared righteous, or innocent, as a judge forgives a criminal condemned to prison. Pardonand legal justification are one and the same thing. Anyone who has been involved in a courtsystem understands the application that Ballenger was making. This now became the heartof Ballenger’s “new light” on salvation in ChristElder Ballenger was sent as a delegate to the 36th General Conference Session heldoutside of Washington D. C. in Takoma Park, where the general leadership of the churchcould examine his views.6 The Session ran from May 11th to the 30th, 1905. Ellen Whitehad come from California especially for this Session. On May 18th she opened the meeting,“emphasizing the need of repentance and humiliation before God and one another.” Shestated, “In this last day of the great Day of Atonement, it is time to make sure that every sinis confessed and forgiven.”7 The significance of this statement must have struck home to thedelegates who would be later discussing Ballenger’s theology. His views were examined forthree days by a specially appointed committee, once again to be rejected.While attending this conference, Ellen White wrote in her diary, on May 20th: “BrotherBallenger is presenting theories that can not be substantiated by the Word of God. It willbe one of the great evils that will come to our people to have the Scriptures taken out oftheir true place and so interpreted as to substantiate error that contradicts the light and thetestimonies that God has been giving us for the past half century. I declare in the name of theLord that the most dangerous heresies are seeking to find entrance among us as a people,and Elder Ballenger is making spoil of his own soul. . . . We must not give countenance to hisreasoning. He is not led of God.”Four days later, a manuscript was written for the delegates at the conference which camestraight to the point: “In clear, plain language I am to say to those in attendance at thisconference that Brother Ballenger has been allowing his mind to receive and believespecious error. He has been misinterpreting and misapplying the Scriptures upon which hehas fastened his mind. He is building up theories that are not founded in truth.”At the end of the session, a general report was issued on June 1st, which in part, stated:“It is clear that the delegates to this conference do not look with favor upon any phaseof the so-called ‘New Theology,’. . . it does forbid the acceptance of such interpretationsof old truths as will make it impossible to distinguish between substance and shadow. .. . This message will not be corrupted by false teaching. . . . The third angel’s messagewill preserve its original individuality. . . . Some questions have been settled at thisconference.” Reflecting back on the conference, some four months later, Ellen White again wrote in her dairy“There are many today who present strange doctrines, giving the Scriptures a wrongmeaning. Elder Ballenger thinks that he has new light, and is burdened to give it to thepeople; but the Lord has instructed me that he has misapplied the texts of Scripture, andgiven them a wrong application. The word of God is always the truth, but the doctrines thatElder Ballenger advances, if received, would unsettle our faith in the sanctuary question.”It is important to understand that Ellen White is stating that Elder Ballenger’s “new light”would lead to an unsettling of “our faith in the sanctuary question.” It was not only his newviews on the sanctuary message itself that were brought into question, but rather that his“new light,” centered in universal justification, would lead to an unsettling of faith in thesanctuary message. This is evident by tracing the events that his book, The Proclamation ofLiberty and the Unpardonable Sin was the heart of Ballenger’s “new light.”As a result of these meetings he was finally removed from the ministry and eventually fromthe membership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Shortly after being disfellowshippedhe wrote a book entitled Cast Out for the Cross of Christ, to explain why he wasdisfellowshipped and to further clarify his views. It was apparent that he rejected the idea ofa literal sanctuary in heaven, and now believed that Christ had entered the Holiest of Holies(heaven itself) after His resurrection; he alsomodified how the type and anti-type fit togetherregarding the daily and yearly services,especially the Day of Atonement—all basedon his concept of a universal atonement for allmen. A rare book in excellent condition...

Price: 400 USD

Location: Walla Walla, Washington

End Time: 2024-12-06T02:21:35.000Z

Shipping Cost: 5.38 USD