Following is a sampling of the actual text of 1888 Re-examined. These direct quotations are taken from the original lengthy 204-page, legal size, document. Sufficient is presented here so that an evaluation can be made of the general tone of this 1950 treatise:
Every failure of God’s people to follow the light shining upon their pathway for the past century must be completely rectified by the present generation before the remnant church can be granted any divine vindication before the world. Absolutely nothing which does not bear the test of truth will be triumphant in the Judgment. As Judge, God simply cannot and will not clear the guilty, whether it be an individual or a movement. If this is true, it follows that there is before the remnant church a heavy account to settle. And the sooner the issue is faced squarely and candidly, the better. …
Hence the need for thorough investigation, that true history may be distinguished from the “tradition of the elders.” For various reasons to be named later, the Minneapolis episode of our history has been enveloped in the foggy mists of that tradition. Fact must be separated from fancy.
The cleansing of the sanctuary can never be complete until the Minneapolis incident of our history is fully understood, and the tragic mistake rectified.—Pages 2, 3.
It must be pointed out.. . that there never was an issue or tide to be turned with the people; the issue or the tide was entirely with the leaders and the ministry of the movement. The people would gladly have accepted the light had the leaders permitted it to come to them undistorted and unopposed, or rather, had the leaders joined heartily in presenting it. There were many among the younger ministers, even, who were keenly interested in the message presented. They investigated their Bibles, and the message was doubtless a common topic of conversation. But the continually noncommittal attitude, or outright opposition, originating with responsible leaders in Battle Creek and elsewhere, quenched the movement.—Page 29.
The [1888] message being of God in a special sense, the authoritative, responsible, and persistent opposition to it constituted a spiritual defeat for the Advent movement, which defeat must be recognized merely to be a battle in a larger war, and not the losing of the war itself. Such a view of the matter will require that this generation recognize the facts of the case, and thoroughly rectify the tragic mistake. This can be done, and the living, righteous God will help us.—Page 38.
The true cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary requires a complementary work o1 cleansing the sub-conscious content of our heart and mind of hidden, buried, “underground” roots of unbelief and enmity against God. Light which will lay bare these spiritual conditions, and a means of spiritual therapy adequate for dealing with them, is more immediately needful than any amount of supernatural power for the propagation of our present “faith.” In other words, the power which we want is going to be light. The finishing of the work will be a natural consequence. A true understanding of Minneapolis [1888] and its aftermath is in line of diagnosis; a true understanding of the Cross is in the line of treatment.—Page 89.
That experience [the “loud cry” power] is yet future for the remnant church, rendered so by her own stubborn unbelief in the past.—Page 94.
After we have gathered up the fragments that remain [of the 1888 message] that nothing be lost, then could we with confidence press our petition to the throne of grace to give us this day bread convenient for us, meat in due season. As surely as there is a living God, the prayer would not be unanswered.—Page 120.
‘The remnant church, enfeebled and defective as she is, is still the supreme object of His [God’s] regard.’ The long Detour of wandering which we brought upon ourselves must lead us in the fulness of the time to the Christ whom we spurned at Minneapolis. In self- abhorrence and deep repentance, we shall find Him. There will be no self-vindication in the process. …
A recognition of the significance of our denominational history in the light of Spirit of Prophecy declarations, is essential before the loud cry can be recognized and received. Could any other kind of “loud cry” than that which would follow a denominational repentance “lighten the earth with glory”? What glory for God would there be in it? —Page 137.
The precious talent intended by its Giver to be used for the blessing of the world still lies buried, wrapped in the napkin of neglect.
The present generation of Israel will not spurn and ridicule the presentation of that message, as did the generation of 1888-93, if God’s confidence in the honesty of Israel as being worthy of the plan of salvation is justified. For us to fail again would compromise the honor of God’s throne, for He has staked that honor upon His confidence in the honesty of the Seventh-day Adventist conscience. In a sense, God Himself is now on trial in the course to be pursued by His people. . . .
If now [1950] is understood to be the time for the proclamation of the loud cry, it follows that now is the time for the making right of the Minneapolis [1888] wrong. The mistake of Minneapolis was the rejection of the very power which the church is now committed to a program of seeking for. …
Any reproduction of [the 1888] teaching must therefore be considered as only the beginning of the light which is needed, while obviously far in advance of our present contemporary understanding. A sincere acceptance of that self-humbling message would be the necessary preparation for the reception of further light to be communicated in God’s chosen way, in response to the intelligent prayers of His people.-Pages 202-204.