Book: General Conference Committee, A Statement Refuting Charges Made by A. T. Jones Against the Spirit of Prophecy and the Plan of Organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Denomination (Washington, DC: General Conference Committee, 1906). HTML, Scan.
Contents: Refutes charges made by A. T. Jones after he had united with J. H. Kellogg in undermining the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Chapter 9: The Berrien Springs Meeting
Another instance cited to prove that the General Conference Committee is not loyal to the Testimonies is a circumstance connected with the Berrien Springs meeting in 1904. Referring to this, Elder Jones says:—
“At Berrien Springs in May, 1904, a written Testimony was given to you personally, addressed ‘Dear Brethren Daniells and Prescott,’ in which were the following words:—
“‘Last night I saw a hand stretched out to clasp his [Dr. Kellogg’s] hand, and the words were spoken: “Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me, and he shall make peace with me. Satan is striving for the victory. I will help Dr. Kellogg to stand on vantage ground, and every soul who loves me must work with me. As he sees me do, so he must do.”’
“You received that Testimony on Friday. Yet as late as Monday following, Dr. Kellogg knew nothing of it—at least so far as you were concerned—and he was there the most of the time. And when on Monday morning I read the Testimony openly in the morning meeting, you said that you had received it on Friday, but ‘did not know what to do with it.’ It would seem that loyalty to the [p. 46] Testimonies would have given to you plainly to know what to do yourself, whether you knew what to do with it or not. It would seem that loyalty to the Testimonies would have caused you to go straight to Dr. Kellogg and stretch out your hand to him, as the Testimony told you to do. But you did not do it then; and when I asked you in Battle Creek last month whether you had ever done it, you were obliged to say ‘No.’ Is that loyalty to the Testimonies, or is it merely ‘loyalty to the Testimonies’?”
The best explanation that can be given to all that was involved in the matter referred to above is the one which has been given us through the spirit of prophecy. This will be found in “Testimonies, Series B, No. 2,” in the chapter entitled “The Berrien Springs Meeting.” Among other statements made in this communication are these:—
“A glorious victory might have been gained at the Berrien Springs meeting. Abundant grace was provided for all who felt their need. But at a critical time in the meeting unadvised moves were made, which confused minds and brought in controversy. The Lord was working upon minds. Angels of God were in the assembly, and had all heeded the message borne, very different results would have been seen. Had all freely confessed their own sins, laying aside all anxiety about the acknowledgments and confessions to be made by others; had all humbled their hearts before God, as on the day of atonement in the days of ancient Israel, the Lord would have come in, and great victories would have been gained.
“But in the scenes presented to me, I saw men talking together between the meetings about the mistakes and faults of their brethren. In the place of searching their own hearts, and praying, and confessing their own mistakes, men seemed to be anxious that others should feel that they had acted unwisely. Angels from heaven, sent to minister wisdom and grace, were disappointed to see self pressing its way in, to make things appear in a wrong [p. 47] light. Men were talking and accusing, and conjectures were brought in that should have had no place in the meeting.”
Brother A. T. Jones acted unwisely. He acted in the light of another’s mind. He introduced matters that he would not have touched had he been wholly worked by the Spirit of God.”