"Messengers of the Churches."
By Editor
By this title the apostle Paul designated his brethren in the work of the Lord. As the work of the ministry is an important work, and fearful responsibilities rest upon those engaged in it, so must a great responsibility rest upon the churches whose duty it is to approve of and co-operate with the messengers. While they pray (as we hope they constantly do) the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers, it is their duty to watch for the development of gifts, and exercise a wise judgment both to approve that which is according to the mind of the Spirit, and reject that which appears to be raised by the enemy to mar the work of God, and spread confusion in the churches. Had the churches indiscriminately accepted of all who have presented themselves as candidates for this office, the number of those endeavoring to preach the Third Angel's Message would doubtless have been ten times greater than it now is, while the truths that are now being brought so clearly and powerfully to bear on our present position, would have been obscured, and nearly lost amidst the rubbish of false and fanatical teachings. Sometimes our brethren grow weary, and almost discouraged at the slow manner in which the work seems to move; but when we consider the times in which we live, the confused state of the world in every class and department, the unpopularity of truth, and the nature of the opposition we have to meet, and then consider the experience we have passed through, and the great amount of truth that has been cleared of obscurities, and freed from objections, thus at once laying the foundation for a firm confidence on the part of those who have embraced the faith in the past, and a more powerful work in the future, we are led to exclaim, "What has God wrought!" Some of our brethren, with feelings far different from those of Moses and Jeremiah, have considered themselves slighted and their rights infringed upon by the refusal of the church to sanction their efforts to preach the word. With some the trial is deep, and the wound lasting, merely because they cannot account for the feelings and impressions they have had on the subject. Having carefully marked the course of several who have been nearly, or quite, ruined by a deception on this subject, we wish to offer a few words of caution to those who may be similarly impressed. An individual hears and believes the truth, and of course desires that others may hear it also. His mind has been opened to new fields of thought and study, beyond the utmost bound of his former conceptions; and with ardent feelings he enters into conversation with those who are strangers to it all. They are interested, and perhaps astonished at his knowledge of Scripture subjects, and ask him if he is a preacher; perhaps expressing surprise that one of his ability did not preach. Flattered with his success, he repeats the experiment with the same result; and the coincidence of a few such remarks on his ability, duty, etc., he takes as providential, and concludes he has a clear call to the ministry. Then if the church opposes him he argues first his own deep impressions, and second the remarks of those who have heard him advocate the truth, and are best acquainted with his ability. In regard to such impressions, an ardent temperament, a misguided zeal, with even a small addition of self-conceit, will give them a strength and tenacity equal to any purpose. But of the judgment of those who have innocently been the instigators, at least in a measure, of such a movement, we wish to speak. Those who have urged him to preach are entirely unacquainted with the truth, and the qualifications of a messenger. A man of judgment and experience would attach no weight to their expressions; for though they may be honest and desirous to hear, yet they could not detect error, and distinguish between faith and fanaticism. In these matters the church alone is qualified to judge, and the Head of the church has constituted her the judge, to approve and ordain the messengers of the truth. If the churches stand in the light of truth, they will sympathize with those who are truly called of God, and be able to detect the work of the enemy. We have had some sad experience on these points in the past, and as we look at the fulfillment of prophecy, we have reason to fear that, as the church increases in the grace of God, and the gifts of his Spirit, those counterfeits will increase, and greatly disturb the peace of the church, and hinder the work, unless we constantly watch against the encroachments of the enemy. Some think that this is not a part of our work; that we are to preach the word, and leave others to act entirely according to their convictions. But this is a great mistake. Our labor would be of little avail did we not nurture and cherish what has been planted. Those who have been the instruments for the development of this message have toiled on through many cares and much anxiety, and they could only expect to incur the displeasure of their Lord by neglecting any part of their duty, and suffering the enemy to destroy the fruit of their labors. Another danger in these cases is this: Some who have no duty in this work, and even after the church has so decided, will go on filling appointments, not professing to be qualified messengers, but only for the purpose, as they say, of getting up an interest, and thus preparing the way for the messengers. Let such understand that no messenger wishes to labor where an interest is so got up. "Getting up an interest," as it is called, is a particular thing, and requires care and caution. The veriest humbug in the world can easily get up an interest. We want to know how the interest is got up, and on what ground it is based. In such places we often conflict with what has been taught as present truth, and the community becomes distrustful. Our burdens are thereby increased, and time and labor lost. Let none hereby judge that we are not praying for laborers, or anxiously watching for their development in the churches. All who appear to be called of God will be encouraged to go forward as is for their good, and the good of the cause, and we shall still earnestly inquire, "Who is sufficient for these things?" But there is yet another danger to which the cause is sometimes subjected, by the misguided zeal of those who have been accepted as ministers. When once accepted and ordained, they assume that they may safely rest on their own judgment, and labor where and as they may see fit, without restraint from churches or Conferences. We do not believe in the arbitrary exercise of authority in any case, neither do we believe in breaking away from the restraint of properly constituted authority. God himself has made the laborers the messengers of the churches, and he will not regard with favor those who assume an independent position, and reject the counsel of their brethren. That God has vested his church with authority is too clearly shown in the Scriptures to admit of a doubt. In the patriarchal age the father was the head of the household, and as life was lengthened out, and children increased to the second and third generation, he who was at first the head of a family became the head of a tribe. Afterward the Lord took his people out of Egypt, a race of oppressed bondsmen, and immediately he organized them, appointing a leader, and rulers. When the dispensation changed, and the kingdom was taken from the literal descendants of Abraham, the Lord did not then leave his people in confusion and anarchy, though he did not then set up his kingdom. He appointed officers of various kinds and grades, and declared that he who would not hear the church should be as a heathen and a publican. To some this may seem a hard sentence; but it is the declaration of the Head of the church himself, from which we have no right to turn. Nor will it do for one to plead that God has called him to the work, and therefore no one has any right to advise or to control his action. "God is not the author of confusion, but of peace." Having clothed his church with certain rights and powers, he is jealous to have them regarded because they are of his own appointment. In proof of this we call attention to a case recorded in Acts 13:2, 3. The Holy Spirit spoke to the church, saying: "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." The Lord had called them to a special work, and now he calls upon the brethren to act their part in sending them forth to that work. "And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away." This made them in fact just what the Lord called them, the messengers of their brethren who sent them away. This is the order of the Lord; it is Heaven's own arrangement, and Heaven's blessing will ever rest upon those who recognize it and conform to it. But some one will say, "The Lord blesses me without subjecting myself to any such arrangement, and gives me great freedom in presenting the truth." It is the misfortune of some people that they have the best freedom in their ministry when they can have their own way, unrestrained by the very authority which God has ordained. For the present time they think they are having a great blessing and great success; but time must show that they are making a great mistake. In departing from the order which the Lord himself has instituted, they grieve the Spirit, and leanness will come to their own souls, and their work will show defects, the converts never rising to a high plane of spirituality and soundness in the faith. Paul wrote to Timothy: "And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully." 2 Tim. 2:5. This is a sentence which ought to be weighed carefully by every one, especially by those who feel called to bear great responsibilities. There is a zeal not according to knowledge—to the knowledge of God's way and order,—but it borders on fanaticism, and there it will end if not restrained or checked. Fanaticism is always zealous, because it is always self-confident. Faith has its boldness in the Lord, in conforming to his will, but is distrustful of self. Who realizes these things? "To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" This is a serious subject and we pray that the Lord will, at this time of peril, spare his people, and give not his heritage to reproach. Joel 2.