Book: Clarence Creager Crisler, Organization: Its Character, Purpose, Place, and Development in the Seventh-day Adventist Church (Washington, DC: Review and Herald, 1938). HTML, PDF.
[p. 55]
Chapter 6: A Time of Anxiety
The instruction given to Sabbathkeeping Adventists regarding gospel order, was received by some with gladness. Others hesitated, questioned, and doubted. The days that followed were fraught with anxiety and bitter trial. It seemed as if the author of confusion and disorganization was determined to prevent the believers from becoming thoroughly established on gospel order.
For ten years the struggle continued. The full story of this long, trying experience can never be told. Of this chapter in their history, the apostles of the advent movement have left on record only a few of the details.
The believers in Michigan who, because of a desire to maintain private judgment in opposition to the counsel of God’s messengers and the united voice of the church, chose to withdraw from the ranks of the Sabbathkeeping Adventists, now began an attack against those with whom they had associated in Christian fellowship. Their attacks were directed largely against the establishment of gospel order in the remnant church, and to further their endeavors, they soon began to publish a paper, the Messenger of Truth. Of their work, Mrs. White wrote:
“Those who slandered us through that paper had been reproved for their faults and errors. They would not bear reproof, and in a secret manner at first, afterward more openly, used their influence against us. This we [p. 56] could have borne, but some of those who should have stood by us were influenced by these wicked persons. Some whom we had trusted, and who had acknowledged that our labors had been signally blessed of God, withdrew their sympathy from us, and bestowed it upon comparative strangers.
“The Lord had shown me the character and final outcome of that party, that His frown was upon those connected with that paper, and His hand was against them. And although they might appear to prosper for a time, and some honest ones be deceived, yet truth would eventually triumph, and every honest soul would break away from the deception which had held them, and come out clear from the influence of those wicked men; as God’s hand was against them, they must go down. …
“The Messenger party framed all manner of falsehoods concerning us. These words of the psalmist were often brought forcibly to my mind: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ Ps. 37:1, 2.”—Testimonies for the Church, Vol. I, pp. 95, 96.
Individual Responsibility
In the midst of these dark days, James White wrote an editorial clearly outlining the relation that individual members of the church of God should sustain to the church as a united whole. The following paragraphs are of special interest:
Two Extremes
“A good brother in the West inquires what we mean by church order. By gospel, or church, order, we mean [p. 57] that order in church association and discipline taught in the gospel of Jesus Christ by the writers of the New Testament.
“There are two extremes which we would warn all against. One extreme is to resort to human creeds, to secure church order; the other is no order, each one acting independently of the views and feelings of his brethren.
“On the one hand, men have seen the need of order and union in the church, that the cause of Christianity might advance, and to secure this, have formed creeds and rules of discipline to govern the church, instead of taking the words of life spoken by Christ, and written by inspired apostles. What a sad mistake!
“Human creeds stand unyieldingly against the progress of light and truth; they bind the consciences of many, and stifle the voice of truth, that, were it otherwise, would cheer the hearts of the faithful, and arouse the sinner to flee from coming wrath. Human creeds may have the credit of holding together vast bodies of men professing Christianity; but … there is not power in these creeds to purify the body. They shut out the light of those unfolding truths designed to purify men and prepare them for the coming of the Son of man, while these sins lie unrebuked upon the church, which will in the day of wrath sink her in perdition. …
“On the other hand, some who have seen the deadly influence of creeds, have run off into the fatal extreme of no order, but each, in their teachings and mode of operation, acting perfectly independently of the views, feelings, and wishes of their brethren. This extreme leads to anarchy and confusion. …
“Some of our dear brethren who engaged in the work [p. 58] of teaching the Sabbath of the fourth commandment and other truths connected with the message of the third angel, have stumbled, and some of them are now inactive, in consequence of taking this last extreme. … Their extreme views of individual responsibility, and not being in a Scriptural sense subject to their brethren, led them to … pursue a course which has resulted in much evil. … These things have arisen for want of gospel order among us. And while we see the holy cause of present truth is hindered in its onward progress in consequence of these evils, we cannot remain silent on this subject.
“The inquiry comes in from many places, ‘What is the matter? Why does not the cause of present truth move more rapidly?’ The best answer we can give, is this: God will not suffer this holy cause to move faster than it moves right. (What else could we expect in the last sealing work?) And He is waiting for His people to get right, and in gospel order, and hold the standard of piety high, before He adds many more to our numbers. …
“A shaking is now going on among us, and we cannot pray, Stay Thy hand, Lord, but we desire it to go on till we are left a holy and perfectly united people, prepared to work for God. … Brethren, one and all, let us arise in the strength of the Lord to the work before us. We see the evils that have existed and do now to some extent exist among us, and their sad results. It will not profit us to see these things, and sink in discouragement as we view them. But let us arise and put these things from us, that the frown of God may be turned away, and His power be manifested among us. …
“We have briefly noticed the two extremes, and their results. Between them we may find gospel order. Read [p. 59] the exhortation of the apostle, given by inspiration of God, to those who feed the flock:
“ ‘The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
“ ‘Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.’ 1 Peter 5:1-6. …
“Subject One to Another”
“We would call especial attention to the expression, ‘Yea, all of you be subject one to another.’ It will be seen at once that if this injunction is obeyed, union will be certainly restored and secured to the flock. It strikes a deathblow at the extreme view of individual responsibility, that men are not to be governed at all in the views they advance and the course they pursue, by those they believe to be the true church of God. It plainly shows that in these things they must be subject to the church. The pride of the natural, ungovernable, unteachable heart will start back at this plain gospel sentiment; but we dare not withhold it. There never can be gospel union until this gospel truth obtains and is carried out by the flock.
[p. 60]
“Turn to the fifteenth chapter of Acts, and there read the account of the course pursued by the apostle to secure the union of the faithful. … If such a course should now be pursued under similar circumstances, we should hear those who go for no order, exclaiming, ‘Don’t abridge our rights: let us enjoy gospel liberty!’ To such we would say that the teachings and example of the apostles do not abridge the lawful rights and liberty of any Christian; but they do rebuke him who would use his ‘liberty for a cloak of maliciousness.’ 1 Peter 2:16.
“The spirit of the humble and pure will be in harmony with these words of Paul: ‘Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another;’ ‘submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ Rom. 12:9, 10; Eph. 5:21.
“ ‘Fulfill ye My joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.’ Phil. 2:2, 3.
“ ‘And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.’ 1 Cor. 14:32, 33.”—Review and Herald, March 28, 1854.