p. 52 | ORGANIZATION by Editor

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 16, 1861

ORGANIZATION.

By Editor

At the request of Bro. W. Phelps we give the following from his pen, though it is painful to give in the Review a communication which we know will sadden many hearts.

"BRO. WHITE : I feel it to be my duty to speak a few words through the Review to the brethren scattered abroad, that they may know how I stand in relation to organization under a name, that brethren may know where to bestow their sympathy. I would not have any deceived in this matter. The Advent people are very dear to me. I have felt that their trials have been my trials, and their prosperity has been my prosperity. But I have not that unison of feeling at present. I feel that the union is broken, for I do not sympathize with the body of Adventists in relation to organizing under the name, Seventh-day Adventists, and enrolling names under that head. As I feel, I never could consent to have my name enrolled on any class-book, or church-book, under any sectarian name. I might give my reasons, but that would be useless. I mean to keep my conscience void of offense toward God and toward man, and I must get the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name.

"And I would here say that I hold myself no longer amenable to that body of people calling themselves Seventh-day Adventists, nor any connection with them any farther than the Spirit of the Lord connects one christian with another.

"I would here say to the Norwegian brethren that they have my sincere thanks for what they have done for me since I have been a preacher among them, and I would say in their behalf, that for benevolence and meekness, and honesty of purpose, they are ahead of any people I ever lived among. May God bless them.

"I hope none of the brethren will feel to find fault with me for taking the stand which I have taken in this. There has been a spirit of fault-finding in some brethren in this vicinity with the position I have previously occupied. Now I hope there will be no more of it. They can organize if they choose, and I shall not be in the way.

"In hope of life when the Life-giver comes, "W. PHELPS."

There is frankness and candor in Bro. P.'s remarks seldom manifested by those who draw off from the body of Sabbath-keepers. But this does not prove his position a right one, nor make it less our duty to point out his mistakes. With a firm hope that he can be helped, we address to him the following:

Dear Brother : We would entreat you as a father to well consider the steps you have taken in leaving your brethren, and hear us patiently while we try to point out your errors, and set before you your dangers.

1. Should not such a declaration of separation from the body be accompanied with your reasons? You state that you have had great love for the Advent people. Those who know you believe this. Then why leave them in great error, as you suppose, without first laboring to help them? You are a man of years and experience. You are a minister, a watchman. Do you see the sword coming? Then why do you not give the trumpet a certain sound, by giving your reasons for the supposed danger? Do you see the wolf coming? Then why leave the sheep? Hirelings do this. You are worthy of better company.

When we first introduced the subject of organization, in No. 14, Vol. xv, we made the following request:

"If any object to our suggestions, will they please write out a plan on which we as a people can act?"

This request was reasonable. It fully opened the way for you, and others who felt as you do, to bring the Scriptures of truth to bear upon the subject, show us our error, and state a plan upon which we as a people can act. But no one up to this day has attempted to do so. And it has been a matter of grief to us that brethren who apparently possess reason and piety should not only utterly neglect our request, but object to organization without giving one text bearing directly upon the subject. If the simple form of organization proposed to exist among us is unscriptural, then why have you, with the Bible in your hands, suffered the Advent brethren, whom you have formerly loved so devotedly, to go on in organizing without faithfully warning them.

You are not clear in this matter. And you cannot clear yourself by tearing away from your brethren at this critical crisis of the cause. This rash movement will be regarded as the natural fruit of that spirit which would break down organization and order, and keep it down if possible.

You have labored hard in Wisconsin; but the reckless course of those opposed to order has torn down what you and others ardently labored to build up. We are surprised that the sad history of the past has not taught you the necessity of order and organization. If your position now be according to truth, Stephenson and Hall were valiant for the truth. They hated discipline and restraint, and took a most determined position against order, and the most heart-sickening and desolating confusion followed them. Let such men, with such sentiments, have a little influence, and we would as soon trust to the mercy of a tornado as to them.

Dear brother, we first suggested organization as a matter of pure necessity. We had labored to induce wealthy brethren to put their means into the publishing department, and conduct it as their individual property; but could not find any one who would risk himself in such a place, to stand the insulting cry of "speculation." We have never recommended such a course as the best, but looked to it with hope of being freed from responsibilities which no other person would take.

You will agree with us that the publishing department should not be trusted to one man. In no State has there been so much said against the one-man power as in Wisconsin. You will also agree with me that it should be the property of the church, and that the benefits arising therefrom should go to build up the church. But how can this be brought about and managed? Do you say with R. F. C. "we can trust one another?" We will suppose that the brethren, instead of organizing a Publishing Association legally, had at some General Conference decided to trust the management of the publishing department with Bro. Phelps. Suppose they had placed in his hands $5000 with which he had purchased Presses, Type, and other Printing Material to the amount of $3500, and put the remainder into books. The business being done in his name, it is legally his property. Now suppose something comes up in the church which Bro. P. cannot approbate, and he declares, "I hold myself no longer amenable," &c.

To have the property of the church held so loosely seems to us like tempting the Devil to tempt the jealous to feel suspicious and complain of the one who thus holds it, and to tempt him also to be untrue to his trust. We say then there is no way by which the church can own and manage the publishing department, only under a legal organization. And we venture to affirm that if there had been any other proper way, Bro. R. F. C. or yourself would have lost no time in pointing it out.

2. You say, "As I feel, I never could consent to have my name enrolled on any class-book, or church-book, under any sectarian name." Your feelings may not be right. If your views are in accordance with God's word, they are right. When we urge the fact that God requires all men to keep the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, the Methodists and some others will sometimes make feeling a standard. This we regard as dangerous. It amounts to this, that they will do as God commands if they feel to. We have not been opposed with God's word on the question of organization; but with—"Why! it is so different from my former feelings and testimony on this subject," and the like. Reason has had but little to do in the opposition. It has given way to prejudice.

But what do you mean by a sectarian name? The Christian denomination in its infancy discarded all sectarian names, and took the innocent name of Christian. But this is no less a sectarian name. The United Brethren and the Christians at first had the appearance of leaving all sectarian names, but they are sects, and these innocent names are really sectarian names. You talk of the Adventists. Take care, Bro. Phelps! Should we all consent to be known by that name, it would become a sectarian name.

As to the people of God having their names enrolled in a book, the idea does not terrify us, it looks rather beautiful. The saints of all ages have their names enrolled in a book in heaven. In this we gather an idea of heavenly order. Why not those who associate themselves together to serve God, have their names written in a book here? Who is injured by it? What righteous principle, or plain text of Scripture is violated by it? The names of soldiers, voters, members of literary and benevolent societies, &c., are enrolled. This is necessary to secure the desired end. And is it necessary that the children of light should be less wise in their generation than the children of this world?

But if you object to a church-book, we conclude you would object to a church clerk, therefore you would have no record kept of the doings of the church. Would you, as some do, have the church take action on important matters, even relating to the fellowshipment of individuals, and have no record made? This is supposing that the advent people have such wonderful memories that a record is not needed. Or, would you have no action taken? no church discipline? but, like the followers of Stephenson and Hall, every man constitute an independent church, each carrying out his idea of church government? You may depend upon it, that this is just what troubles so many of you in Wisconsin. Instead of consolidating in sweet harmony into one body, almost every man is an independent body, not amenable to the others. And this spirit has so far ripened in you, dear brother, as to lead you to tear away from your brethren. We do not say that the Scriptures require in direct terms a church-book and clerk; but we do say that no direct text can be produced in favor of discarding them. This being the case, it shows dishonor to the cause of Christianity for professed Christians to manifest less wisdom in church capacity than is seen in the different associations of the men of this world.

3. You say, "I must get the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name."

That great and glorious victory will be sung upon the sea of glass. Rev. xv, 2. It is doubtless the new song of the 144,000 of Chap. xiv, 3. But that, dear brother, will be a united company. They will have one name, be sealed with the same seal, and sing the same song. They will be disciplined here. They will not escape in confusion to Mt. Zion, like Paul's shipwrecked company, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. No, they will be marshaled here, and go up on Mt. Zion a perfectly united host. Come, brother, into the ranks again, and with your brethren fight the battle for union, against the distracting power of Satan.

Some have made a grand mistake in defining "the number of his name." They suppose this refers to the two-horned beast, and that his number is "six hundred three-score and six," the number of existing organizations, and in order to get the victory over the number of his name, it is supposed to be necessary to reject all sectarian names. This may not be your position. But whether it is, or is not, we wish here to show that the "number of his name" is the number of the name of the Papal beast. The "beast" and "his image" are mentioned five times or more in the Revelation, without the explanation in connection showing what beast, or what image, as if elsewhere fully explained. The definite specifications are given in Chap. xiii. The "beast" represents the Papacy, the "image" is the image of Papacy, the "mark" is the mark of the Papal beast, and the "number of the beast" is the number of the Papal beast.

"And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass mingled with fire, and then that had gotten the victory over the (Papal) beast, and over his (Papal beast's) image, and over his (Papal beast's) mark, and over the number of his (Papal beast's) name." Rev. xv, 2. Again, "And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark (of the Papal beast), or the name of the (Papal) beast, or the number of his (Papal beast's) name." Chap. xiii, 17.

The next verse we regard as a reproof on those who so easily find an application of the number 666. Especially may those feel the reproof who have made the mistake in applying it to the two-horned beast. A little "wisdom" in the use of language will help them.