FEELING AND PRINCIPLE by James White

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 10, 1867

FEELING AND PRINCIPLE.

By James White

A CONVERSATION.

We frequently meet brethren professing faith in the present truth, whose views of the worship of God may be illustrated by the following conversation, supposed to have passed between Bro. Feeling and Bro. Principle. One worships God as he feels, the other worships from principle.

Bro. Feeling. Good morning, Bro. P. I praise the Lord that there is something better for us than the formality, worldly wisdom, and cold reason, exhibited in Bro. B.'s discourse last evening. I felt like death about it, till I decided to be a free man and move just as the Lord would have me, and not be bound or led by any one. Since I came to this decision I have felt free again.

Bro. Principle. The discourse of last evening, Bro. F., I think was a good one. I was instructed, interested, edified, and much blest while Bro. B. so clearly set forth the principles which should govern us in worshiping God in Spirit and in truth. And I think his kind, though close, remarks against extremely-impulsive worship, and moving altogether from feeling, which leads to confusion and extravagances, were in place.

F. But I cannot stand so much formality. I want to be led by the Spirit, and have the power. I must and will be a free man. Glory to God, I will be free. Paul speaks of the sins of those who have a form of godliness, and commands us to turn away from such.

P. Hold, Bro. F., you are too much excited to reason candidly and well. Now wait, and let us read from 2 Tim. iii, 1–5. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” It is not the form of godliness that the apostle holds to be objectionable. He states that those of whom he speaks have the form, simply to give the idea that they profess the principles of Christianity, while they are corrupt, and deny the power. The injunction to turn away from them is not because they have the form, but because of the eighteen sins mentioned, and their denial of the power of true godliness.

The Bible nowhere condemns form and order, but speaks of them in words of highest commendation. Paul, so far from condemning these, as you suppose, thanks God that his Roman brethren had from the heart obeyed the form of doctrine delivered to them. Rom. vi, 17. To Timothy he says, “Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me.” 2 Tim. i, 13. In another place he teaches that all things should be done decently and in order.

God is not the author of confusion. He brought harmony and a world robed in beauty out of chaos six thousand years ago. What order is seen in the six days of creation! Order ruled in the salvation of Noah, his family, the beasts, birds, &c., while all was confusion and destruction outside the ark. With what order God led the Israelites from the confusion of the distracted power of Egyptian slavery. And that entire system of religious service instituted to bring the Jews nearer to himself, and make them a mighty people, and a praise in all the earth, was one grand series of form each passing year. He who departed in the least particular was worthy of blame. Has God changed?

F. Changed! I hope, Bro. P., you will not go back into the Jewish dispensation for rules of order to govern Christians! They were well enough for the Jews, but not for us.

P. Wait, Bro. F.; I was about to say, God is the same in all dispensations, a God of order as well as the author of spiritual worship. Satan is the same, and fallen human nature does not improve. The confusion of the world, the flesh and the Devil, are the same in the Christian dispensation as in the Jewish. And, be assured that the change of dispensations does not consist in the least degree in a change from form to confusion. God instituted form and order with the Israelites because they were indispensable to their prosperity. And they are needed none the less in the present dispensation. Why not Christians be taught by the order of the typical system as well as by any part of it? And then Christians have the double lesson in the direct language of the apostles in favor of form and order in the church of Christ.

F. The Lord looks at the heart, and is not as particular about our words and other little matters that Bro. B. is so particular about. I believe in being free and speaking right out just what one feels.

P. True, the Lord looks at the heart. He looks mercifully upon our good desires and intentions and errors. The heart, or the condition of the mind, is shown by words and actions. A tree is known by its fruit. Unsanctified words and acts prove an unsanctified mind and spirit. You may class the use of the tongue among little things. But James makes it a matter of the greatest importance. Hear what he says, chap. iii, 2–13. “If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which, though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed, of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive-berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?

let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.”

The apostle teaches that he who fully controls his tongue, has the complete control of his whole body, and is a perfect man. He also teaches that this is the most difficult task performed by man. The horse may be made obedient to the bit, the ship is turned by the helm, and all kinds of beasts, birds, and even serpents, are made tame and obedient. But to control the tongue, so as not to offend in word, is a greater work, and is the best proof of Christian perfection.

Says Paul, 1 Tim. vi, 3–5: “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”

To Titus he says, Chap. ii, 8: “Sound speech that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.”

My dear Bro. F., the longer you are governed by impulse, the less prepared you will be to govern your tongue. And if you do not control this member, so that no guile is found in your mouth, you will be lost. I entreat of you to learn to speak and move from principle.

F. I am inclined to think you are half right. But what shall I do with my experience?

P. As to your experience, leave that, Bro. F., till you have clearer light. You know that you have moved wrong in some things, and much of your experience you have prized so highly, is very doubtful to say the least. Let me point out to you some of the evil tendencies of your impulsive experience.

1. It has led you to think you had much of the Spirit of God, when you have been almost destitute of it, not knowing what spirit you were of, much of the time.

2. This has made you self-righteous, independent and rash, so that when you have been opposed, or your views have been crossed, it has stirred your spirit, and in the heat of your feelings you have despised restraint, and declared your freedom, and, being in a condition only a trifle better than one crazy, you have talked boisterously, often repeating the words, “bless God,” and “glory to God,” when you were destitute to a great degree of both reverence for God and respect for man.

3. At such times, when you are almost void of reason, Satan takes great advantage of your heated feelings, and gives you impressions which you think are from the Lord. And if you continue to follow feelings, instead of being balanced, guarded, fortified, and directed by sound principles and good judgment, you will soon be fast in the terrible delusion that you are led by the Spirit of God in all your actions, words, and even your thoughts, while at the same time you are under the full control of the Devil. I have seen persons in just this condition. Such sometimes reach that imaginary state of perfection, where, as they say, they cannot sin. Terrible delusion this! I do not say that there is no help for any such persons, but my experience teaches me that it is a difficult task to rescue them.

This almost-fatal position is reached by different persons in different ways. Some are led into it by the idea that they are especially endowed with certain spiritual gifts. I knew a sister, far gone on the route to this position, who, when her views and wishes were crossed, would manifest passion, then fall into a condition resembling a hysteric fit, in which she would view matters and things unfavorable to those not in harmony with her. This all passed as the work of the Spirit of God in the estimation of many, especially herself, till she was plainly told upon good authority that her exercises were the result of anger, assisted by the spirit of Satan.

4. You are aware that some of your views of truth, and of worship are reproved more or less in the Testimonies to the Church and Spiritual Gifts, and you are also aware of the fact that this is the reason why you are not in harmony with your brethren as to the perpetuity of spiritual gifts, and their manifestation among us, to correct the wayward and to comfort the desponding and weak. You realize that you are not in harmony with the church in this respect, and if you persist in your impulsive movements, the inevitable result will be your full and final separation from the church. You are drawing off already. The Devil tempts you to believe that those who try in every way to help you have a crushing spirit. And the reason it is so hard to help you by appealing to your reason is, you have long followed feeling instead of reason.

5. Another bad fruit of impulsive religion in you is your lack of interest in the scriptural, reasonable, and just system of benevolence adopted by your brethren. There is too much form, system, and, I like to have said, too much common sense, in this efficient arrangement for you.

Both Scripture and reason have not had half so much weight with you as your mistaken idea of experimental religion. You have considered yourself far in advance of your brethren; hence you could not be taught by them, when they, as you viewed matters, needed instruction from you. It has been a most difficult task to approach you. Satan has had you in just the position that has pleased him. Your brethren could not unite with you in hopes that by so doing they would induce you to take a right position. Such a course on their part would have confirmed you in error. All their appeals to your reason were of no use while you were ready to denounce their efforts as the wisdom of this world, which is foolishness with God.

I am very glad, my dear Bro. F., that you heard the excellent discourse of Bro. B. last evening, and that you are so far convinced of your errors, and of the necessity of moving from principle, as to patiently listen to me. God bless you, and when we meet again, may you be fully converted, and stand free in sweet union with your brethren, with the blessing of Heaven upon you. JAMES WHITE. Norridgewock, Me.