Minorities and Great Mistakes
The Christian Advocate calls attention to a very important truth in the remark that “in every great mistake by a nation or an ecclesiastical body, there has been a minority who have protested against the mistaken policy, pointed out the consequences, [and] solemnly warned the majority.” But in national mistakes those who protest are held to be “traitors;” while in ecclesiastical mistakes, those who protest are troublers of Israel: they “endanger the success of the work,” and do “damage to the cause.” In both national and ecclesiastical bodies the minority are despised, and their counsel is rejected, because those in places of power regard themselves as the only ones who know; the all-sufficient evidence of which is that they are in the places of power, and are the majority. And in both national and ecclesiastical bodies the root of the whole “great mistake” is that only selfish policy, instead of sound principle, is considered. Where sound principle is regarded, the counsel of one is treated with as much respect as is that of a million.