Untitled article by James White

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, September 24, 1867

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. XXX, No. 15

“LET EVERYTHING BE DONE IN ORDER.”

By James White

I AM sorry that some have misapprehended my remark recently made in the Review, that I was fearful of the standing of those who sympathized with a fault-finding, censorious, bitter spirit. I will try to make myself understood.

In order to pass safely the perils and deceptions of the last days we need discernment to distinguish between the Spirit of God and the spirit of the enemy. I have seen some, and with deep regret, too, who would cling to, and choose for their most intimate associates, those who made a loud profession and claimed to be led by the Spirit of God, whose harsh, jealous, denunciatory manner proved that it was not the Spirit of God that moved them. Such lack discernment in regard to the movings of God's Spirit, and accept every manifestation of mental or nervous excitement as from God. I have seen more than one individual “fall” by “the power” in camp meetings, whose daily lives gave evidence that they were not chosen instruments of Heaven. This was a warning to me. And in these last days we need to be specially careful and try the spirits whether they be of God, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; “for by their fruits shall ye know them;” not by their professions.

And I have seen those who separated themselves from the church; who, like Diotrephes, would have the pre-eminence or take no part, and refused to meet with their brethren; who divided their time between praising their own graces and complaining of others; I have seen such go to neighboring churches and there take a prominent part in meetings and even be invited to lead them. This is disorderly, and will not be countenanced by any well-informed and well-governed church.

Every church must judge of the standing of its own members; and it does not belong to some other church to rise up in judgment against its action on floating reports. Our Conferences have Committees appointed to take the oversight of such matters, and all errors of discipline should be referred to them on appeal.

I knew a church in the West almost broken up by persistently retaining a member who had been disfellowshipped by another church. They might have expected such a course to bring upon them the frown of the Head of the church, as it tends to destroy all order and bring confusion. One of the most difficult trials ever had in Ohio grew out of the same ill-advised action of a certain church receiving as a member one who moved among them, and refusing to recognize the

action of the church where he moved from. And yet that same church whose action was thus set aside—who had witnessed all the trouble that arose from such a disorderly course, have run into the same error and confusion by sympathizing with one who had been justly disfellowshipped by another church; and suffering complaints to prejudice them against that other church without knowing anything of the merits of the case. If they refuse to profit by the experience of others, and will learn wisdom only by their own suffering, we hope they will not complain when the trial comes upon them.

These are more than private matters. Order must be observed or the work will be marred, and our time spent in settling difficulties which a little wisdom and prudence would have prevented. Let all the churches learn to walk in harmony, and be at peace one with another, and the God of peace will bless and prosper them.

J. H. W. Bowersville, Green Co., O., Sept. 12.