Development of Order: No. 2 by John Norton Loughborough

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 11, 1901

DEVELOPMENT OF ORDER.—NO. 2.

By John Norton Loughborough

“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” I Cor. 1:10. This scripture clearly shows the Lord’s desire for unity and harmony among those who give instruction to His people, that they be not themselves instigators of confusion.

After the close of the prophetic periods in 1844, until the light of the Third Angel’s Message was seen, there was confusion among the believers. This confusion, to some extent, existed until they saw the real present truth, and became settled in the belief of the same. The Lord was, meanwhile, manifesting the true gift of prophecy in connection with the unfolding light of the Third Angel’s Message. Those who were willing to accept His guidance now had the privilege of coming into that “unity of the faith” which true gifts are designed to promote. See Eph. 4:11–16.

To illustrate the difficulties to be overcome, brought about by the “confused ideas” of those who had just accepted the Sabbath truth, we refer to the first general gathering of our people in central New York. In August, 1848, they requested Brother and Sister White and Elder Joseph Bates to come from Massachusetts to give them instruction in the truths of the message. We read: “About thirty-five were present,—all that could be collected in that part of the State. But of this number, hardly two were agreed. Some were holding serious errors, and each strenuously urged his own views, declaring that they were according to the Scriptures.”—Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, page 86. The Lord, through the gift of prophecy, instructed this people respecting the truth in contrast with their errors; and when that series of meetings closed, they were a united company.

As to the kind of instruction that was given at that time to correct prevailing errors, and save the ranks from confusion, in Experience and Views, published in 1851, we read: “Such subjects as the sanctuary, in connection with the twenty-three hundred days, the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus, are perfectly calculated to explain the past Advent movement, and show what our present position is, establish the faith of the doubting and give certainty to the glorious future. These, I have frequently seen, were the principal subjects on which the messenger should dwell.”—Pages 53, 54.

Of the necessity of harmony among the teachers, we read in the same book: “Some who have formerly run deep into fanaticism would be the first now to run before God sends them, before they are purified from their past errors; having error mixed with the truth, they would feed the flock of God with it, and if they were suffered to go on, the flock would become sickly, and distraction and death would follow.”—Page 53.

This being the situation, we can readily see that the very first thing “wanting” in establishing “order” among the Seventh-day Adventists was some regulation by which the flock might know who were approved ministers, and who—not thus approved—were liable to teach them “pernicious errors.” About the year 1852, the Lord gave the following instruction, which was first published in Supplement to Experience and Views, in the summer of 1853:— “Those men who are not called of God, are generally the very ones that are the most confident that they are so called, and that their labors are very important. They go into the field, and do not generally exert a good influence; yet in some places they have a measure of success, and this leads them and others to think that they are surely called of God. It is not a positive evidence that men are called of God because they have some success; for angels of God are now moving upon the hearts of His honest children to enlighten their understanding as to the present truth, that they may lay hold upon it and live. And even if self-sent men put themselves where God does not put them, and profess to be teachers, and souls receive the truth by hearing them talk it, this is no evidence that they are called of God. The souls who receive the truth from them, receive it to be brought into trial and bondage, as they afterward find that these men were not standing in the counsel of God. . . . “I saw that the Church should feel their responsibility, and should look carefully and attentively at the lives, qualifications, and general course of those who profess to be teachers. If unmistakable evidence is not given that God has called them, and that the ‘woe’ is upon them if they heed not this call, it is the duty of the Church to act, and let it be known that they are not acknowledged as teachers by the Church. This is the only course the Church can take in order to be clear in this matter; for the burden lies upon them.

“I saw that this door at which the enemy comes in to perplex and trouble the flock can be shut. I inquired of the angel how it could be closed. Said he, ‘The Church must flee to God’s word, and become established upon gospel order, which has been overlooked and neglected. This is indispensably necessary to bring the Church into the unity of the faith.’”—Pages 13–15.

After speaking of how the apostolic Church was troubled with false teachers, and of the course pursued to remedy the difficulty, the Testimony continues in these words: “I saw that we are no more secure from false teachers now than they were in the apostles’ days; and, if we do no more, we should take as special measures as they did to secure the peace, harmony, and union of the flock. We have their example, and should follow it. Brethren of experience and of sound minds should assemble, and, following the word of God and the sanction of the Holy Spirit, should, with fervent prayer, lay hands upon those who have given full proof that they have received their commission of God, and set them apart to devote themselves entirely to this work. This act would show the sanction of the Church to their going forth as messengers to carry the most solemn message ever given to men.”—Ibid., page 16.

In Experience and Views we also read: “I saw that the shepherds should consult those in whom they have reason to have confidence, those who have been in all the messages, and are firm in all the present truth. . . . Then the shepherds will be perfectly united, and the union of the shepherds will be felt by the Church.”—Page 52.

Another statement is found in Supplement to Experience and Views, which says: “The Lord has shown that gospel order has been too much feared and neglected. Formality should be shunned; but, in so doing, order should not be neglected. There is order in heaven. There was order in the Church when Christ was upon earth, and after His departure, order was strictly observed among His apostles. And now in these last days, while God is bringing His children into the unity of the faith, there is more real need of order than ever before; for, as God unites His children, Satan and his angels are very busy to prevent this unity and destroy it.”—Page 12.

By comparing dates, it appears there were two years from the time Experience and Views was published until the Supplement appeared—from 1851–1853. The latter called for action. The delay to act was that all might understand the subject. The fear was the course those would pursue who claimed “freedom to go with no restraint.” From 1853 the plan adopted was that of giving the ministers who had proved their gift, and were evidently approved of the Lord, and in harmony with all the work, a card recommending them to the fellowship of the Lord’s people everywhere, simply stating that they were approved in the work of the gospel ministry. These cards were dated, and signed by two of the leading ministers, known by our people to be leaders in the work. The one given to the writer in January, 1854, was signed, “In behalf of the Church, “James White, “Joseph Bates, “Leading Ministers.”

Of course those who claimed liberty to do as they pleased, to preach what they pleased, and to go when and where they pleased, without consultation with any one, failed to get cards of commendation. They, with their sympathizers, drew off, and began a warfare against those who they claimed were “depriving them of their liberty.” Knowing that it was the Testimonies that had prompted us as a people to act, and establish order, these opponents soon turned their warfare against instruction from that source, claiming that “when they got that gift out of the way, the message

would go forth unrestrained to its ‘loud cry.’”

Our people stood faithfully at their work, following the light the Lord had given, leaving the opposers alone, and the result is seen in the REVIEW of Dec. 26, 1854, where Brother James White speaks of the situation as follows: “There never has been such strong union as seems to exist with the remnant at the present time, and there seems to be a general waking up to the work of God. The late scourge to which some refer in this number [meaning the opposition party] will prove one of the greatest blessings to the cause. It will put the people of God on their guard in their future course, and free them from some who have been a burden to the cause, and whom they could not reform.”

And so, with the establishment of point number one in church order, we could see, in one year, the blessed fruits predicted, in the union of the flock.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.