Untitled article by James White

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, November 26, 1867

THINGS IN MAINE.

By James White

We have now passed through the Maine Conference, and have learned pretty well the condition of things in this State. At Norridgewock, there is a large church composed mostly of excellent material, and well united. They were converted from the world and from the different churches, and are free from many things which hinder most of those who were Adventists before they embraced the Sabbath. There are many other good brethren in the State who have been converted from the world, or from the different churches within the past three years, who stand as free from the errors, prejudices, and false notions of nominal Adventism as this dear people at Norridgewock.

As far as this State is concerned, those converted from the ranks of the nominal Adventists, are generally the most difficult to get along with. Those converted from the churches are the next best, while those converted from the world are generally the best. This I account for on the grounds that those converted to any form of error, or to religious theories based mostly upon errors in theology, are not made better, at least so far as their heads are concerned, but are in a worse condition than before. In order that they may be truly converted to God and the truth, they must be first converted from their errors, which requires in most cases, more labor than to convert five sinners out of the world. And then when you get them free from their errors, they need a thorough conversion to God and the spirit of the truth. Religious experience mixed with error is a terrible misfortune to any, especially to those of a cast of mind and temperament disposing them to fanaticism, and making them liable to fall under the strong spirit of error. Such seldom so far recover as to stand free and be as much help to the church as they burden it. They may have been taught that organization is wrong, that order is no part of gospel truth and duty; and so much of their experience has been in disorder, that it is almost impossible to bring them where they can share the benefits of healthful discipline.

Some of this class are rash, and fault-finding, and under the profession of plain dealing will wound the hearts of conscientious, feeble, precious souls, and will strengthen the hands of those who have the same unsanctified, unteachable, untamable spirit as themselves.

Others take the opposite extreme, and feel hurt when wrongs and errors are faithfully reproved and rebuked, and are ready to sympathize with those who are justly reproved. They turn the reproof, which might be a blessing, into an injury. This is the better of the two classes of persons, yet their position and course is more directly in the way of establishing order than the first named. The person who wounds the hearts of God's dear children in the exercise of assumed authority not given him of God, commits a great sin. But he who shields the guilty from just reproof, the very reproof that meets the case of the erring, and the only thing that in many cases can help those deceived by Satan, and lead them to recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil, takes upon himself a terrible responsibility. Organization and thorough discipline will help both of these, and save the church from the withering influence of both.

The great advent movement has been of God, and all men who have had a good second-advent experience in the movement have been made better. The good experience of such is just what is needed in the cause at the present time. But most of those who are converted from nominal Adventism have had an experience in such errors as definite times for the Lord to come since the prophetic periods terminated in 1844. With all these false time-movements there has been more or less fanaticism. The most prominent fruit of these movements with many has been a spirit of irreverence and recklessness in language and general conduct in the house of God. They talk of God with as little solemnity as we would of a horse, and speak of going to Heaven as though it were a common-place event of about the same importance as going to market with a load of potatoes. They seem to delight in rude, clownish expressions which move the mirthfulness of a certain class, which is mistaken for the spirit of God, giving rise to disgusting shouts of glory, amen, &c.

These men seem to have no taste for order, hence see no special need of discipline and union. They are ready to war against organization, and finally drink in hatred to all restraint. They become perfectly unteachable, and boast of their liberty, that they will not be bound by any man, and the most congenial element for them is where confusion and self-exaltation reigns. A few such souls, assisted by the father of disorganization, are capable of getting up confusion enough to distract the whole 144,000.

A good second-advent experience is a priceless treasure. A bad experience, as above described, is a dreadful curse. A good experience qualifies one to be a great help in the cause, while a poor experience disqualifies persons to be any help, until they be thoroughly converted from their errors. In fact, until they are thus converted they are a burden to the church, and if they refuse to be reformed they are sure to be a curse to the cause.

There are, however, exceptions to these general statements. There are those buried in all the errors of nominal adventism, who, on receiving the message, at once become humble and teachable, and immediately come out free and clear from all the effects of false teachings. These are precious souls, and are worthy of double respect and love for their commendable course.

We pity those who choose not to be corrected, and we pity the church on their account. We must patiently labor with such in great faithfulness. But of all the labor required of ministers and churches, none is so difficult and trying as to help those who think their condition better than that of their brethren, better than that of ministers who have long led off in the cause, and, therefore, they refuse to be helped. How inconsistent is their course. They receive the Sabbath and the third message, and profess to believe that God's hand is especially in the work of bringing these truths to them by his servants. But before they are converted from the spirit of error, even while their heads are hardly out of the shell, or their eyes, like young kittens, are but partially opened, they begin to view God's servants with distrust, and are soon so puffed up by the Devil that they feel fully capable of teaching their teachers who have long labored, studied, prayed, and wept, and toiled in the cause. They seem to forget that these ministers were in the truth which they have partially received, while they were in error, and that these ministers have not changed to come down to them, but they have changed more or less as far as they have come up to the positions occupied by these ministers, and all those fully converted under their labors. Could they wait, before looking for the errors of those who have the truth, till they should be fully converted themselves, they would not see errors in their teachers to talk about, and in thus doing grieve the Spirit of God, and ruin their own souls. The sad course of such is frequently like this.

1. They embraced but a portion of the present truth.

2. Having but little truth and less consecration, with a large proportion of error and false notions, they consider themselves qualified to teach others, and they talk with all apparent confidence of the errors of Seventh-day Adventists.

3. They soon feel that the work of pointing out our errors is laid upon them, and that we must give up much that we regard as sacred truth, and thus come down and meet them half way.

4. In doing this they are controlled by a wrong spirit, fall under the direct power of Satan, become grieved, agitated, and sometimes angry, because they cannot convert us, and some of them will give up what little truth they have acknowledged; or, if they do not do this, they become our bitterest enemies. And it suits Satan all the better for them to hold on to a profession of the Sabbath and some other points, and attend the large gatherings of this people where they can have a chance to exert a blasting influence in talking out their feelings of bitterness against Spiritual Gifts, Organization, &c.

The plain and pointed testimony borne in reference to these persons will result as follows:

1. Some of them will be reformed and saved by it.

2. Those in danger from their influence will be saved from it, and

3. Those who cannot be saved will be separated from the good and humble by faithful scriptural dealing.

It is lamentable that such things should exist. The thought is agonizing that time and toil must be expended by our ministers to meet the influence of these persons, and to save the flock from being scattered by them. Could they enter new fields, sustained and backed up by all who profess the Sabbath, how rapidly would the ranks be increased.

Again, the course of these persons makes it necessary to expose them, and their course. And the fact brought out that such things do exist with some Sabbath-keepers, stands greatly in the way of honest persons, who, were it otherwise, would embrace the truth. All this suits Satan well, as it enables him to hold precious souls who would receive the truth under favorable circumstances.

But as things are, some are safe in his power, and they will be finally lost. Precious souls lost! And their blood will be found in the garments of men and women professing godliness, yet who were too proud and wilful to be corrected. Terrible thought! Precious souls, one of them worth more than a thousand worlds, forever lost! Beings capable of enjoying an eternity of bliss if saved, and of glorifying God throughout the ceaseless rounds of eternal ages, miserably destroyed and lost! May God help all to feel that unless they gather with Christ, they scatter abroad, and stand directly in the way of the salvation of men.

No State has suffered so much from the blighting influence of fanaticism as Maine. And yet it is a good field for labor. The work is hard at present, and will be till order is fully established, and all who profess the Sabbath present a united front. There are many good people in Maine, and we look to the future for a great ingathering of souls.

The soil of this State gives the laborer a scanty compensation, and from necessity the laboring classes have been disciplined to industry and economy, which are the best safeguards against intemperance, idleness, and other sins and vices so common in those States where the soil rewards the farmer many fold. But it is Satan's object to pre-occupy every good field, hence his impositions upon the good people of Maine in almost every form of fanaticism, in order to keep them from embracing the truth.

He imposes upon young men by impressing them with feelings of duty to preach. And perhaps no State has more who are ready to preach the Sabbath, and more or less of other points of present truth, than Maine. But in point of real laborers in the State, the destitution is great. The harvest truly is great, and preachers are as truly many, but the laborers are few. It is laborers, not preachers merely, that are wanted.

The people are too readily satisfied with preachers on whom God has never laid the burden of labor. And not until they see that such men are of no service to the cause will they turn from them and engage in the cry to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers.

The difference between these self-made preachers and laborers may be seen as follows:

Preachers gather a few ideas, and, parrot-like, repeat discourses, perhaps fluently, which they take from the lips of others. They may please the hearers, but fail to impress them with the solemnity and importance of the subject, for the reason that they do not feel it themselves.

Laborers are not unwilling to learn of others, and are ready to take the precious links of truth that have, with much study and prayer, been brought out by others. They feel the solemnity and vast importance of these truths, and are thus qualified to make a deep and lasting impression upon others. The Spirit of God is with them, and holy angels minister unto them. Their minds are fruitfully led into Scripture truth, and in their practical teachings, and their exhortations, a good degree of originality will be seen. At least, such men are not confined to the repetition of a few sets of ideas which they call lectures, and besides these have but little or nothing that they can say. A real laborer is always ready to take hold of work where it is needed to be done.

Self-made preachers get their eyes on the pay. Give them money, and they still profess that the gospel “woe” is upon them. Take from them support, and the “woe” falls from them as easily as the rain drops from the clouds. Then follow their complaints. They receive, if possible, the sympathy of some. Then unhappy divisions follow, if they can produce them.

Those called of God have the burden of truth and of the salvation of men upon them. It is purely the love of souls that leads them to the gospel field. Labor is first with them. Support is second. Give them support, and they will be grateful for it. Take it from them, and they will labor on until stern necessity drives them from the work. Abundance will not raise them above it. Want will not lead them to murmur and turn from it.

The reason why there are so many preachers rising up in Maine is because but few have just conceptions of the exalted character of this work. To bring men and women from the moral darkness of these times to the light of present truth, and lead them along step by step understandingly in all the great doctrines and principles of the third message, and establish them in order and Scriptural discipline, is a much greater work than many young and inexperienced preachers suppose. And the standard of moral fitness for the kingdom of God is much higher than they suppose. If these men realized the greatness and importance of the work they would not be so ready and willing to enter upon it. If they had any just sense of the value of souls, they would be slow to assume the responsibilities of spiritual guides. God's ministers watch for souls as they that must give an account.

But the self-called preachers, not feeling nor understanding the sacredness of the work, enter upon the ministry much as they would upon worldly matters of little consequence, and at every step there is a tendency with them to lower the standard of godliness. The influence of such men is bad anywhere, but especially among our churches, the very place where these young, or inexperienced preachers choose to labor. A continued effort is necessary to keep the standard of piety high with the churches. These men do nothing to exalt it, but, rather, their influence brings it down to their ideas of things.

Laborers who are God's workmen, that need not be ashamed, brought the members of our churches to the truth. They have been organized by skillful hands, and led along by men of experience and piety, till they are, in most cases, far in advance of these young men who have the preaching mania. And now shall these, who need to be taught the first principles of the doctrine of Christ, become their teachers? What an absurdity!

The mechanic hews the timber from the tree, or cuts the stone from the solid ledge. He lays the foundation, and erects the frame, and from the rough lumber brings out the planed and carved work with which to complete the noble edifice. The building is finished, excepting the finest work, the paint, the polish, the graining, &c. This is left for some clumsy apprentice! What? No! These nice finishing touches call for the most experienced, skillful hand. So after God's laborers have done the important work of bringing out and organizing churches, if they must have ministerial help, it should be the very best.

These inexperienced preachers should have a chance to prove themselves, and make full proof of their ministry. This they never can do, and never will do, visiting from church to church. In entering into other men's labors, and reaping the benefits thereof, they not only fail to obtain a good experience, but are almost certain to become ease-loving, self-caring, indolent and selfish.

There is, however, a school in which these men must learn lessons which they can learn in no other—lessons they must learn before they can be of use anywhere. Let them, after they have been properly instructed, enter new fields, where a blow has never been struck, where they may feel all the responsibilities of teaching the people and leading them to the truth. Let their success or their failure (giving them time to prove themselves in new fields) test the matter as to their calling. If God has called them, and they feel the burden of the work, and are anxious to preach, they will, by much prayer, humbly consecrate themselves to the work, and labor in the desk, and from house to house, to bring people to acknowledge the truth. They will then learn how hard it is to convert men. And as they see the influences brought against these young disciples, and labor to cut them off, they will also learn that the only safe position for believers is to stand complete in all the truth of the message, with the standard of consecration and devotion to the cause raised high.

The young minister, watching for souls as one that must give account, leading them along in the path of truth, duty and gospel order, learns fastest and best the true genius of church discipline, and is most rapidly preparing to perform all the duties of a Christian minister.

Those not called of God will prove their utter inability if thrown upon their own resources, in new fields, and seeing no permanent fruits of their labors, will soon give up the idea of preaching.

It is right and necessary that young preachers should attend more or less the large gatherings where experienced men are present to help them, and perhaps occasionally go with an experienced laborer for a time. But allow them to labor with the churches under pay, and let them attend all the Monthly and Quarterly Meetings, where there are laborers present to do all the work, and they will neither feel the burden of the work, nor learn to do it. And soon their support becomes the chief matter of their anxiety, and the burden of their message.

Some young preachers, instead of striking out into a new field, attend all those meetings held by experienced laborers within their reach, with the excuse for so doing that they wish to learn. It is right to learn both by study and by observation; but do these men think to learn to preach by looking on while others preach? Does the apprentice become a finished mechanic by folding his arms and looking on? No. Give the boy suitable tools, and, under proper instructions, let him use them. So let the young preacher combine practice with theory, and being properly instructed, let him enter the work feeling the full weight of the responsibilities he takes upon himself.

Ten or twelve years since, a youthful preacher in Wisconsin, under the excuse of learning, attended course after course of lectures, large meeting after meeting, where our ablest men labored. A clever sinner said to him one morning, “Mr. —, Why do you follow these ministers round and round? Why not go to work and do something in the cause yourself?” The reply was, “I wish to learn how to preach.” “But, Mr. —, Did you ever know the boy that learned to swim by sitting on the bank and looking on to see the other boys swim?” The rebuke was appropriate and timely. That youth is now an able minister in one of our western Conferences.

We close this lengthy article by stating that one of the greatest wrongs among us is early hints and expressions to young and inexperienced men relative to preaching, especially to those who appear to have a good degree of freedom in exhortation and prayer. Those who give such hints do not realize the fact that, independent of their influence, Satan calls three men to preach the present truth where God calls one. In fact, there is hardly a young man to be found among us, but has been imposed upon by Satan with impressions of duty to preach. And yet, brethren and ministers help on this work by expressions in prayer, hints in conversation, that this one or that should improve their gift. They may not say preach, yet mean it, and they are so understood. Satan takes the advantage of these incautious expressions and hints, and men are deeply impressed with the duty to preach who have neither the qualifications nor the duty upon them. They make a few efforts and fail, and the disappointment they see with others, and feel themselves, if they are men who can feel, cuts them terribly. The keen trial they have to pass through, God only knows, excepting those who have experienced it.

To raise a young man of fine feelings to the very pinnacle of the gospel ministry, then upon his failure, by looks, actions, and words, to cast him down in an unfeeling manner, is cruel beyond expression. It is a terrible jolt. It is a wound in his spirits he will ever feel. Yet many brethren, and even ministers, will set young men at preaching, then stop them, with as little feeling and reflection as they would call a day laborer from chopping wood to bringing water.

Many a young man who might have been a real help in the church, a good fire-side talker, has been set to preaching, and spoiled for the work he might have done. Could he have kept his place in the church, and exerted a good influence, and obtained a good experience, then God might have moved him to take a more public stand, and as he could bear it, called him to devote himself to the work of the ministry. A good minister said to me twenty-five years since, as he saw my mind struggling between conviction of duty to preach and to attend school, “The Lord calls young men to prepare for the ministry as well as to preach.”

When you see a young man moving out in the conference meeting with unusual freedom, ability and feeling, pray for him, but let him alone. If you think him being called out for a more public stand, keep your thoughts to yourself. Pray for him. Say nothing to him about it. You may be mistaken, and should you talk to him about preaching you might hurt him. If you are not mistaken you can do him no good in talking preach to him. Hands off, brethren. If God is laying his hand upon him, keep yours off. Pray for him. Do not meddle. God has never laid upon you the work of calling and making ministers. It is probably as much as you can do to obey the teachings of those God has already called. Do your own work before

meddling with that which is purely the Lord's.

If any are excusable for encouraging young men to preach, they are the experienced ministers at the head of the work. These, with all their experience, sometimes err. Their anxiety to see laborers enter the field, and to have the truth proclaimed, sometimes leads them to encourage men who prove themselves utterly unworthy. They finally have a duty to do to these unworthy men. They must be silenced, and their support cut off. This makes them their enemies. Some sympathize with the silenced preacher, and their bad influence is felt for some time. Now if experienced ministers sometimes fail greatly in judgment as to suitable men for the ministry, in the name of reason and religion we protest against novices calling men to preach the gospel.

Finally, brethren, let us all attend to our work, and let God do his. It is ours to pray the Lord of the harvest to raise up laborers. It is his to call and qualify them. Paul introduces himself in his epistles as follows: “Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God our Father who raised him from the dead.” Gal. i, 1. An apostle is one sent. Paul was sent, not of men, neither of man, but by Jesus and the Father. It is by the authority and power of Him who raised Jesus from the dead, that men are called to the ministry. See Rom. i, 1; 1 Cor. i, 1; 2 Cor. i, 1; Eph. i, 1; Col. i, 1; 1 Tim. i, 1; 2 Tim. i, 1; 2 Pet. i, 1.

The Conference has given opportunity to correct many things in this State. Half a score have preached the message more or less in Maine, and yet but four receive credentials at present from the Conference. Some of these have needed much instruction. Others are left in the hands of the Conference Committee.

JAMES WHITE.

Norridgewock, Me.