biblicalconf1919_july30

8/22/2019 BiblicalConf1919_July30

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* 118*7? ' , ,* .***T H E BS O F T E E SPIB1? Of SM7BKT IB OU RQff?ft rtQ^lfff* rt V * t S T T S I T V A 12 T ^ uT Gflrt 5 I TT J A w J Iiyr \jf DJLwiio JlfiiJ BiQivnxJuly 3Q , 1S19, 9:00 A-.il , . . ;

? . E. HOtSLL? O ur topic for this hour, as arranged in the*t îs f t T ho U ae f the Spir-itôf-grcphecy in our T e a c h i n g ^

of Bible and History.* .JQ.der , SaaieXle is heare with us this ;aoYalag _to fulfill his prosdse to our tea0faer^ t * fee wo u ld ;giw_us a talk

* --- - "__ -,-.:_along this line, ajid I am sure the opportunity of considering this ^question further will be greatly appreciated.

A . G . D & K I E L L S : J have been > little "uncertain iniay o wnffiind as to just what line it w o u l d be best to. follow* There if e somuch ia'this that it can not be fully presented in o ne taik/-lainidJ wo u ld xegajcaxaysiu . regrat missing the mark,and takin^ûp that: ;w hioh wo u ld not be of m o s t interest to y ou; andâb I finally decided that I ôuid prefer to have a round-table talfc. I woaldprefer to haire yo u question m e and then I would txy to answer suchpoints as are of m o s t interest to you. I taay not be able, to, giveanother talk here, and yo u probabiy urould sot have the time, and

rso I wo u ld like to a t a S c e this hour isost profitable* I isili presentoae or two points as briefly as I can to etart with, a nd then Iwill just open the ay for question** - _...,. r...

First of all I want to reiterate what 1 stated in the talkX gage S O S H S eveninga a go o n this subject,that I do not want to -say o ne w ord that will destroy confidence in-this gift .to this;, .;;,,?people. I do act ant to create doubts. I do not mnt to in anyây depreciate the *alue of the writli^s of the spirit of prophecy,,I have no doubt in m y own mind. I do not know whether every m ancan s& y that or not, but I can say it with all honesty. I have hadperplexities throuî the forty years 1 have been in the ministry.


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I have found things elmiiax to tUat to whicn Peter referred in Pa\a f 8wit ngs,hard to be understood, Y o u know Peter said that, and I,' ' i~ . , _ L - '"".--' -, _ _ ' " - . " , " - , ._ -. .have had personal testimonies c o m e to.ffls that I oouid_jiot 3 und8rr^_ .stand. That is a remarkablea oessa^e as that t~ But that is it"oteafiy all doubters" fcarlc baok1to wheii, they a t a w a ^ f r om cua?r- ^ * f e e ^ :;^tt- a t0tla^3a {ty o o u L d aotunderstand

from the Lord 1 s v atandpoini, A nd we;io ot l o a o w as m u o h a * the Lord| '"-,' '- ':."-'i.~ \' ." -\ ;'"'"V1 >-V , '->' " "'-V " f - ;"yij| ^Sr.i


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buaan nature. Y o u have beard the story of the Irishman who was,,promoted to the podtion of forenan of a section gang. T he nextm o r ni ng he vent out and said to one of the m a n : . , .

'Timothy Q'Briea, c o m e here** , ; . -_ : . , . . " , 1 ;... ,:-,-W h e n the mn c a m e , he said to h i m * "I discharge ye this m o r n

ing, not because I have anything agin ye> f ea t ; to sfeow m e authority, 1 1[Laughter -. c , -

H e had been put in office^ and U ne ve&y first t & i a & & &to do wa s to s how his authority* '. that is h u m a n nature, but it isnot Christianity; and it is to be abominated and avoided by everyo ne who gets office, whether president of the General Conference,or principal of a school, or head pi u.department in a school.should avoid that and give every nan his -full rights and freedomand liberty* , , ;

A s I said, I aave^Het things that were hard, to be understood,but time has helped m e to understand t h e m , and I can honestly saythis aoraing that I ga along in tlxia m o v e m e n t without a ny doubtsin m y m i n d . Ihen I take positions differing from attor inen, 'thatis znt proof that I am a doub ter ^ . I m ay be a doubter of theirviews or their interpretation, but tnat d o e s not jcalte la s a doubter

^ - 'of the spirit of prophecy, I fflay differ with a m an about hi9 interpretation of the Bible, bit that does not m a t e m e a doubter ofthe Bible. But there are m en who just hold m e right up as a doubter

iof the Testimonies because I take the position that the testimoniesare not verbally inspired, and that they ha v e been worfced up by tesecretaries and put in proper grammatical 'shape. A few years agoa m an c a m e onto the nominating committee a nd wanted tee kept outthe presidency because I did not believe the Testimonies were


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-4- 1190*interpretation; but I am the one to say whether I doubt the Testi-.

atonies, am I not? [Voices: Yes, yeatj A nd so aireiou. I want toleave the impression that I aa not trying in any way to put anydoubts in your mind. A nd 0, I would feel terribly to have this.


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have brought forward this sort of thing,no breath in the body,and the eyes wide open. That m ay have accompanied the exercise ofthis gift in the early days, "but it surely did not in the latterdays, a nd yet I believe this gift was J tsxsse fe Just as genuine andexercised just the s a m e through these later years as in the earlyyears.

C . P. BOMjM&S: Isn't the s a m e thing true of the Bible ? Can'tyo u size it up-and believe it because-of its fruit, what itdoes*and not because of the supernatural things related in it?

A . G . D A S I E L L S : 7es. For instance, I would not take thestory of Savid killing a lion and a bear, or of S a m s o n killing alion, and herald that to unbelievers or strangers as proof thatthe 3 i t Q . e wa s inspired, especially about S a m s o n . Here is the myI would want to teach the boys and girls: I would wa n t to beginwith the beginning of tnis-movement. A t that time here was a giftgiven to this person; and with that gift'to that individual, atthe s a m e time, c a m e this jaov.ement of the three-fold message. Theyoas i s right together in the s a m e year. That gift wa a exercisedsteadily and powerfully in the development of this m o v e m e n t . T hetwo were inseparably connected, and there was instruction givenregarding this m o v e m e n t in all its phases through this gift, clearthrough for seventy years.

Then, in m y own mind, I look the phases over. Fe will takeo ne pn the Bible. W h a t shall be the attitude of the people in thism o v e m e n t toward the Bible? W e know that that should be our authoriwithout a creed and without the higher criticism. This is the B o o k .the position we hold today is the right position, *e believe,tomagnify^his B o o k , to get our instruction f rom this B o o k , anri topreach this B o o k . ?he whole plan of rede?sption, everything that is


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neoesaary to salvation, is in this Book, and we do not have to goto anything outside of the B o o k to be saved. That has been theattitude of th Spirit of prophecy toward, this b o o k , from the begin-ng, hnen't it? [Voices: Yss.] A nd I suppose wo ' can give credit

"to -ttisrt- - g-ift^ar rar-attitufid- toward-the-Sook- as-Ku_Qh__aa _ to__ajiy _ _ _"v. iBi"iaeja,ae tjhat _aavfedy has exercised* .

H o # take the doctrines of the B&bl: In all the other reformations that c a m e up, the leaders &ere unable to rightly distinguishbetween all error ana truth,the Sabbath day, Baptism, the natureof m a n , etc.,-and a o they openly taught errors from this book. Butnow, when we oorae to this movement, we find the wonderful power ofdiscrimination on the part of the spirit of prophecy, and I do notknow of a single truth ia this B o o k that is set aside by thespirit of propnaoy, nor a single biblical or theological error that

c a m e down through the dai-fc ages that has been fostered by thespirit of prophecy and pressed u p o n , the people that we have to discredit wneu we d o m e to this Bi>o&. T h e doctrines of baptism, thelaw, the place, aud va,ue- and digait-y of the Holy Spirit in thechurch, and all the other teachings that we have, have been magnified by this gift afficng us.

T a k e another line,the activities of the church, Fexe is ourattitude toward foreign missions or world evangelism. " W h o a m o n ghas ever exercised greater influence than this gift in behalf ofworld evangel ism?

T a k e the Question of liberal, unselfish support of the srork^Wnen you go to those writings, yo u find them full of exhortations,and if *e woal-i live them out batter than w e do cm r giftsbe greater, and our progress would be m o r e rapid..


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11 7-

T h e n take our attitude on our service that we are to renierto our fellosmsn, Christian help work,all those activities wherea Christian should be a real blessing, -an unselfish individual in- .the cosaaunity to help people in . their sorrows and misfortunes,the 1 r "po veT ty~srrd"s lgim re esy aird every isar- t feat they-nee-^ hel-p-- - - -W e find -that- the writings of the. spirit of prq^ecy aboimd with.exhortations to an unselfish life ia Hiring s a s o n g ourmissionaryT a k e xhe question of hslth and the medica! A work , and allthese activities, and t a - k e the service that should be put forth inbehalf of the young. W h e r e do you find in any m o v e m e n t that weread about where better instruction has been given as to the attention that should be given to the young people. Take the question of education; Why, brethren, none of cur .teachers ever havestood in &afcaKxa


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A , G . D A H I E L L S : Well, give m e a question that will be definite,in a particular way. ' _ - . .

C*.L. TAYLQBx. I. would lifce to ast yo u to discuss for us theexegetical value of the Testimonies. Of course I think it is -

adeisi;_y_u8__tha_t__tke?e__are _a^T_te**? * 9 *&!?'& sheno reference. There are m a n y texts that she explains, and

there m ay be other explanations that are equally true that she doe*not touch. But m y question is really this; M ay we accept theexplanations of scripture that she gives'? A re those" dependable?

A ; G . BAIH SLLS: I have always felt that they were. It nay bein very critical natters there wa y be soaae difficulties; batI h a v e used t h e writings f o r y e a r s l a a way t o clarify or elucidate

-* v ~ the thought in the texts of scripture. T a k e "Desire of Ages" and"Patriarchs and Prophets." In reading them through I iiave foundm a n y instances of g o o d illumination. ,

D o e s that answer your question? Bo yo u m e a n whether studentsshould resort to the writings for their interpretation of the Bible,or to get additional ligh^? That is to say, is it necessary ts. havetl)ese writings in order to understanf^the Bible? mast we go to herexplanations to get our meaning of the Bible? Is that the questionor is that involved in it?

C. L. TAYLOH: K o t directly, but po ss i T S L y indirectly. Bat Twill give a m o r e concrete e xa m p le . W e will suppose that a studentcoses for help on a certain scripture, and wants to know what itmeans, T e it proper for the teacher to explain that scripture,with perhaps other scriptures illuminating the text, and tben brlns-in the spirit of prophecy also as additional lis^ht on the text?O r suppose two students differ o n the meaning of a text, and theycotae to the teacher to fin 5 out w h a t it m e a n s : Should the te


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-3 - 1195explain the text and then us the Testimonies to support the position he takea V O r take still a third case: Suppose that two "brethren, both of them believers in the Testimonies, and of ccrurse beliei&rs in the Bible primarily, K m t x & s ? > have a difference of opinion o n a certain text: Is it right for them in their study of thattext to bringp in the Spirit of prophec^r to-aid in their*ing of it, or should they leave th 'a t~b^t"" 'bT"iESSr""tB8~"entirely?

A . 0 . BASTELLS: On that first point, I th i nk this, that w eare to g e t our i n t e r p r e t a t i o n fro m this Book, primarily. T thinkthat t h e BooV explains itself, and I t h i n k we c a n u n d e r s t a n d t he* \Boofc , fundamentally, through the Book, without resorting to theTestimonies to prove up on it.

W , E i H Q W E L L : T he Spirit of prophecy-says the Bible is itso'#n expositor. ~ ,

5A . G . D A f l l E L L S : Yes, but I have heard ministers say that thespirit af pxosfceay-is the interpreter of-the Bible, I heard itpre*he& at-t&a General Conference a c m e years a g o ^ when it was saidtthat the only way we could understand the Bible wa.s through thewritings of the spirit of prophecy,

J. S. A S D IR S ON: A nd he also said "infallible interpreter,"C. ^. S O R K H S O H : That expression has been canceled. That is

not our position.A . G . DANTKLLS: It is not our position, and it is not right

that the spirit of prophecy is the only safe interpreter of theBible. That is a false doctrine, a false, view. It will net -tand..Why, ay friends what would all the people have dor^s f r om John's daydovrn to the present if there were no way to understand the Bible


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-10-e xcept through the writings of the apirit of prophecy! It is aterrible position to takel that id false, it is error. It ispositively-daagerous-l teat-do those people do over in Rouisania^W e have hundreds of Sabbath-keeprs there who have not seen a bookontire -spi-rit-Qf-?rophe^?~~Wha^-ti^ _ Can't _ tM ne.._us :dt8_rstancl this B o o k oa l_y as we get the interpretationthrough the apirit of prophecy asd'thetv take it to t h e m ? That 1heathenish S

L L. CAVIHESS; D o yo u uncle ratand that the early believersgot a x their unoerstanding from the Bible, or did it c o me throughthe spirit of prophecy?

A . G . D ANI S LLS : T h e y got their k n owl e dg e of the Scripturesas they went along through the Scriptures themselves. It pains m eto h^ar the wa y s o m e people talk, that the spirit of prophecy led

*-o u t and g a v e all t h e I n s t r u c t i o n , a l l t h e d o c t r i n e s , t o t h e pioneers,a nd they a c c e pt e d them r i g h t a l o n g . That l a n o t according t o thew r i t i n g s t h s m a e l v a s , "Early Writings. w Wa are told how they d i d ; ,they searched t h e s e scriptures together and studied and.prayedover them unti l they got together on t h e m . Sister White says i oher w o r k s t h a t f o r a lo ng time she could n o t understand, that hermind n a s lo cked o v e r t h e s e t h i n g s , a n d the brethren worked theirw ay a l o n g . She did not b ri ng t o t h i s movemen^ t h e Sabbath t r u t h .S h e opposed the S a b b a t b truth. I t did not seem r i g h t t o h e r w h e nBrother Bates presen ted i t t o her. But s h e ha d help from the Lor dami wnen t h a t clear knowledge w a s given her i n that w a y , s h e vas aw eak c h i l d , an d c o u l d n o t understand t h e o l o g y , b u t she had a clearoutline g i v en t o h e r , an d from t h a t d ay t o h e r d e a t h s h e neverKaverea a minute. B u t t h e Lord d i d n o t b y revelation g i v e t o .another all that He ha d g i v en in this B o o k . He g a v e t h i s B o o k , a n d


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H e gave m en brains and thinking power to study t faa Boole*I would not, in m y class work, give out the idsa at all to stu

dents that they o a n not unclerstand this b o o k only through the writings of Sister White. I would hold out to students,, as I^do.to ~ :preachers, arxa in ministerial meetings, the necessity of gettingour understanding of the Bible f r o m - the Bible itself, and using thspirit of propheoy to. enlarge our view. X tell^ them - .not to be lazyabout studying the B o o k , and J io t t ' o^Tuar aag e ' ax ouTi d first; lo^ some-thinr that has been written o n a point that they can just swallow .without study. I think that would be a very .dangerous thing forour ministers to get into that habit. A nd there are soa,\I asust .confess, wh o will hunt around to Jfind a statement in the Testimoniesand spend no time in deep study of the B o o k . T h e y do not hare ataata for it, and if they o a n look around a nd find something thatis already m a d e out, they are glad to pick that up and go alongwithout studying the Bible. T he earnest study of the Bible is thesecurity, the safety of a m a n . H e mist C c j r n e to the book itself andg e t i t f c y careful s t u d y , a n a than whatever h e f i n d s i n t h e s p i r i tof prophecy or a n y other w r i t i n g s that will help him a n d throwl i g h t and clarify his vision o n i t , t h a t i s alright. Doea thatcover y o u r point?

C , L . TAYLOR: I t d o e s t o a certain e x t e n t ; a nd y e t ^hen yout & k e t h e c a s e o f t h e s e t w o brethren w h o a c c e p t t h e Bible and theT s s t i t c o n i e " , but s t i l l have a difference o f interpretation t h a tth ey s r a n t help o n , i s i t r i g h t f o r them t o u s e t h e - T e s t i m o n i e si n t h e i r study of t h a t t e x t , a s v . e l l a s t h e Bible?

A * G . DANIELLS: I think i t i s r i g h t t o t a k e t h e *hole trend .of teaching a n d thought . t h a t i s put through t h e Testimonies on that

'- . - ,; -*-.subject. If I am perplexed about a text, a nd in ray study of the '


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U99spirit of prophecy I find something tsat m a k e s .it clear, I takethai. I think Brother Prescott illustrates that in this matter ofM a tt he w 24 of tfhieh" there is a clear outline- in t&is spirit -of-prophecy. . .......

For tw&-c>E- three- -yea . r& -- I speat- ain the 3tu


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-13- " - ';-"anxious about it, and I said, "Lord, what la the vital, isportantthing necessary to get this work finishedt* I wa s at Friedensau,and in ay r o o m praying earnestly aver that-natter* - .And :


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-So, Brother Taylor, I rcould feel that the vie^p that would bem a d e clear by the notes in the spirit of prophecy would be thesafe view to take.

W . E. HOWELL: I had a little experience- on that sarae point thatc a m e to tea during this Conference, and it maie an impression on m ymini, t have always claimed a part of the fifth chapter of Hebrewsfor trie teacher. I have resorted to itm a n y times for help f o & a'teacher's uie^point. T , a & t week we-were study-ing, here the divinecall to teach, and I resorted to this chapter for s o m e thought, andin csnrisctioa. with it I rea-d a c o s n n e a t in the spirit of prophecy,I think the Spirit of the Lord led at e to it. It says this is forthe teacher; * H s f c f c m * wh o seeks to transform humanity must himselfunderstand huasanity. * I thought that wa s good for the teacher."Only through sya^athy, faith and love can m en be reached and uplifted.' H & r e Christ stands revealed' as the faster-Teacher, ofall that ever dwelt on th sarth, H e aloaa has perfect understanding of the humn soul." Then c o m e s this scripture from the fifthof Hebrews; " W e have not a high priestMaater-Teacher, for the*priests were teachersthat oa ,n not "be touched with the feelingsof our infdirsities, one that hath not .been in all points temptedlike as we ars." That brought a flash of light on the fifth chapter of Hebrews I had never received before. T h e n I took that ideaof tne high-priest being a master-teacher, and I found the bestoutline of tiia qualifications of a teacher I could find in any oneplace in the Bible; and no w I claim the whole of the fifth chapterfox the teacher.

F. M . t f l V J Q X : I h & v e a paragraph here I would like tu read.This is so coinpletely in nartaony with what Brother Daniells hv.sexpressed that I thought I would like to read it. James White, iathe R e v i e w of 1851, wrote this., and it wa.3 republishsd again four


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-15-years later, as expressing wnat be considered the denominationalview with respect to the Testimonies back there:

"GIFTS O F T H E G O S P E L C H U K O T *"The gifts of the Spirit should all have their proper places*

T ne Bible is an everlasting rock. It is our rule of faith anapractice. In it toe ffian of G o d is 'thoroughly furnished unbc ail"gdod works. 1 ""If every aierabei- of' the church "of' Christ was hwly, .harmless, and separate from aimers, and searched- the HolySciiptur.es diligently and with m u c h prayer, for duty, with the aid ofthe Holy Spirit, we think, they would be able to learn theirwhole duty in *alx good % o r k s - . Thus 'the m an of G o d m a y beperfect.* But as the reverse exists, and ever has existed, G o d inr " k t- " J -m u c h mercy ha pitied, the weakness of his people, and iias set thegifta in the gospel church to correct, our errors, and to leal us tohis-living Word. P a u l T T S a y s that they are for the 'perfecting ofthe saints,* 'till we all o o m e in the unity of the faith.' Theextreme necessity of the churca in its imperfect elate is Godtsopportunity to manifest the Spirit.

*Every Christian is therefore in duty bound to take the Bibleas a perfect rule of faith and duty. H e should pray fervently tobe aided by xhe Holy Spirit in searching the Scriptures for the wholetruth, an.i for "nia whole duty. H e is not at liberty to turn fromthen* to learn his duty through any of the girts. W e say that thevery m o m e n t he doss, he places the gifts in a wrong place, -an-1 takesan extremely dangerous position. T h e W o r d should be in front, ^9eye of the church should be placed upon it, aa the rule to ~alkby, and the fountain o T Aiado t, from which, to I^arn. duty in 'all goosorks* But if a portion of the church err froc the truths cf theEible, and b e c o m e w e a k and aickly, and the flock becoise scattered,


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1202-IS- ' ;.-..

so that it e e e m a necessary for G o d to eroploy thergifts of theSpirit to correct, revive, and heal the erring, we . should let himwork. Tea, more, we she-aid pray -for him to -work, and plead -;earnestly that he 'ould work by the Spirit*a power* and bring the

-soattrsTrt- -steep-to- iris fsid;-?rate -the-tardy -he~ wiii

" W e wrote the abo T O article oa the gifts at -tbs gospel, - ^ -four years since. It wa s published in the first volume of theH e view. O ne object i$ republisbing it is that cur readers may seefor themselves ishat our position haa ever besn on this subject,that they niay be better prepared to dispose of tb& statements ofthose v ^ h . 0 seek to inj-ure.-us. ' '"

" The position that the Bible, aM the Bible alor*e, is the ruleof faith and duty, does not shut out the (gifts, which G o d set inthe church* T o reject them is shutting out that part of theBible which presents theai. W e say, Let us have a whole Bible, andlat tha^ 1 and that alone, be our rule of faith and duty... Place .thegifts wnere they belocg r and all is barsiony." Heviev? and Heraldof October , 1854.

'W . W . ? H K S C O T T : H O A - should we use the writings of the spirit oprophecy as an authority by which to settle historical questions?

A , G . D A S I E L I ' S : We-l i , noiv, as I xxndsrstand it, Sister finitenever claimed to be an authority on history, ana never claimed tobe a dogmatic teacher on theoiog/. ^'S^'e never outlined a course oftheology, liXe Mrs. Eddy's " O O O K on teaching. She just gave outfragmentary statements, but left the pastors and evangelists andpreachars to -orlr out all the^- probls^s cf scripture ar*1 o x " theologana of history. She never cXai-reu to be an authority o n history;and Q . S I have understood it, shore the history that related to tKs


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interpretation of prophecy wa s clear anu expressive, she wove itinto hor writings; but I have always understood that-, as far assho W as concer-ies, she *as re.*3y to correct in revision such statements a? 3 be t&ought should " b e corrects , I have aever gone to hervritiazs, an! taken the history thr*t I found in hsr "Titings, asthe positive statement of history regarding the fulfillment ofpr^pcesy. I do not know hov; other's aia-y"Tiatr-that, but I have fsl^ttUat I should del with history in the aaiss wa y that. I am exhortedC o deal v;ith the Bible,prove it all carefully and thoroughly,anc^. then.let her go on and m a k e such revisions fror tiae to time aaseem best.Just one more thought; $o# you know aocething about thatlittle bo o f c , "Ths Life of Paul." Y o u know the difficulty ?;e = t/into about tbat. W e could never claim inspiration in the vrhclethought and m a k e u p of - the booi;, because it has been thrown asidebsoause it w& a badly put together. Credits ere act given to thepropw-r authorities, .and s o m e of that crept into " T h e Great C o n troversy,*tb.s lack of creiit3j and la t s revision of that too,kthose things were carefully run down and roade right. Personallyxhat has never ahalcen ay faith, but thers ars s s s a h c h-ive beengres-tly hurt by it, and t think it is because they claimed toe m u c hfor tiisse writings. Just as Brother Wixl t s s^ys, therais a dangerin going aws.y fron tha B o o k , and cls,iTiir.g toy nruch. JJ et i^ haveits full T:sight, just as G o d has fixed it, and then I think w gv.i,.l stand without baing -shaken su soxe of these things io appearthat wo car. not haxraonize with ov,r theory,

n. . PR E 3 C OT T : Thcr^ is another experience th^t y o x : k s s . v ofs tt sipolies to v,nat Brother T-aylor lias Drought up. Sose of the


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-IS- :brethren here reaeaaber vexy sell a serious controversy over the interpretation of the 8th chapter of Daniel, and there were s o m e of

; the. JaretJiieu-JK^^csgi^called'" tha ,new yl-rsr; and they. took"her ^ritings^td'.'.'ycpholii; their ' "

use_her. -wxitln5S_to_settle_ that controversy.. I think thatto be remembered' as kelsg her o w r x . ^counsel w ^ e n oret&rezi, that"' did- :olairc to believe the Bible and the spirit of prophecy were dividedover an interpretation, and it wa s a matter c pubiic controversy.

j. N . ASDERSOK: Bo w far woiiid you take that -??ord fros Sisterfhite to be a. general statement about her writ iagsJ : > 7/

A * 0. B A H I S L L S : I thinfc it wis especially on the ease then,but I think we have to ^ use the s a m e judgment about using:her writingsin other cases. . * . \

C..A. S E OL L : -Just ho w shall we use the Testimonies in tholineclass r o o m ? 1?aatr shall t > e our attitude toward them in the,iia&JE of* * ~ "hi^t'or.y, especially? Before I Icaew tuat there K as anyin the spirit of p T O p h e c y regr*rdiag the esperieucs of. John, I atatdto the class that there wa s a tradition that John had b & s n throwninto a caldron of boiling oil, and a student itr.madiately producedthat statement in the .Testimonies that John wa s thror .*n into theboiling oil. H o w , I want to kno~, 7as she given a divide revelation that Jo "r.n wa s thrown into a vat of boiling oil?

H o" another Question, on the taking of Eabyloa. Mrs. White in -the siirlt of prophecy meatlous that Babylon v^as t^kon according tothe historian, by the turning aside of ths waters. . M o d e rn scholarship says it wa s not taker, that *vay. r'hat should be our attitu-iein reard to auch tb-Laat


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M R S . W I L L I A M S : W e have that question to meat every year.E. F. ALBEHTSWORTH: I have been confronted in m y classes by

students ".who c ^ m e v?i^h the Testimonies and endeavor to settle aby quoting where she says, *I H a v e been shown." They

X l _ . A k i a g L 5 . J ? t e t ^ _ I have_wantedto *.x> k now - R h a t attitude we should, take o # a question of thatkind. - " ' -

G . ?. B Q L L M A K ; Wouldn't that latter question Require a cotj-crete axacpleT

A . G . D A N I S L L S : Yes, I th'ink itwould. s o m e ofE. F. A L E E R T S W O R T K : I do not recall the example; tmt^thestudents Ti o i i l d say that meant she had a direct revelation, andothers would say that meant that she was s h o w n by people around.her.

A G . S A K I E L L S : I do not think that, is what she means when shesays that. 1?heG she w a s e h o wn , itwas by the .angel or the revelation that was m a d e to her, I feel sure fche.t wa s her meaning.E. F. A L B E R T S t O R T H : I have founa students " K h o had doubtsabout that.

W . G . W I H T H : Suppose #e do have a conflict between the authorised and revised versions?

A . G . B A S I E L L S : That question wa s up before. Y o u must notcount m o an auth&rity for I am just like yo u in tue matter. I haveto form ay o wn opinions. I do not think Sister White meant at allto establish the xaacsiam certainty of a translation. I do notthiuk she had that in niiud, or had anything to do with putting hsrseal of approval on the authorised version or on the revised versionwhen s L e Quoted that. .She uses whichever version helps to bringout tna thought .she has most clearly. " . ' " '' -


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. " . 1206"*iw " .icf^reiiCtf tv thib historical ^natter, I cannot say any*-

e thi-a I h.7o suiJ, that I never h^vo unlsxstooi that Sis*t e_ 7iite uiiisiv^-A to S3ltle hlstoiic*! ûs^ti,,;i3. I viiitsd barorica 3-fsr u;;Is matter of thy * daily, 1 1 an-i I t along .7 i th . nieth~t old chart,as s rly a chart ae * e have access to,

0, ?. 3jLLÂr;: Tlir 3iJE chart t at Îder "Ha3keil"soiYs"?""^""A . 5. B A S T T L L S ; TS ' s , it IB ttoat s a m e chart. I taok that

IaI3 it an her lap, aad I too*: ^Ba^ly Writings" aad read tt toc-nji. t:;-3r* I t-id her of the controversy. I spent a lon tire rithher. It wa s one of her Ouys ^hea ehe was feeling cheery andrested, and so I explained it to ber q ite fully. I said, " N o ^hers yo u say that you were sliona that the. viev cf the 'daily*t&at the brethren held *as correct. ' Now," I said* n tliere fere twoparts here in -this 'c ily* tbat you quote. O ne is this period oftime, the 2300 years, ~ a s d the other is what the ^da.ily * itself

I rent o * 7 a r that xiVu ier, an- . t every tiro, as quick as I - s o 'c o m e to that titaa, she would say, B ^hy, I .kno; : ^hat ^ O L G s h o . 7 u me,that that period of 3300 cSaya v;vs .fised> arid that there vvoul-1 beno defi-ite titse after that. T he brethren wer~ right /hen theyrâcned that 1344 date."

Then I rould leave that,Je*ni I v T o u l u 5 0 oa about this 'Daily.""^hy," she saio, "Brother Dar.i^lls, t io not kn o ? ; ^hat that 'ais, whether it ie paganism or Cbr-st'a ministry. That wa s nottr.s thing th t âs shov.r , roe . 1 1 An:! she srould ~o into that twilsens right aây. T K s n w hen I soui j ccrre back to the 23rC- ye^rs,she -soulx straighten ri-ht up and say, r Tnat is the thln~ we nevercan ii-cve a v -a y from, 1 tell you, yo u aev^r can T-ove arav fror, tha3300 year period. It was shown to m a that 'that wa s fissd. n


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-SI- ' ". 'A nd I believe it was, brethren. Y o u m i g h t Just as well try

to move m e out of the world as to tfy to s o v e we o n that question,not because she says it but I believe it wa s qiarly s h * > m : ;fcQvhrby the Lord, 6ut on this other, when she says she wa s not shown-what - tte ^ iatly^-wasv * ~ h e U f t v e - ^ t h a ^ , ^ad~X-ta*e-fa^y-ll2itiagsA_^^

on t h a : f e _ _gusatig_n $t_ the B aally>t t fixi:&at pexd. That ist h e thing s h e talks about, a n d I take the Bible with I t , a a d I ; -t a k e t h e Bible as to what the " d a i l y * itself i e .

S o when i t c o m e s t o t h o s e historical questions About t h e t a k i n g of B a b y l o n , X t h i n k t h i s , b r e t h r e n , w e o u g h t n o t t o le t everyl i t t l e s t a t e m e n t i n history t h a t w e f i n d l e a d u s away f r o m t h espirit of prophecy. ?ou know historians contradict easfe other,-

- ' / . --


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W f a y should we *a t discount the writings on parchment in favor ofthe writings on day?* .

A G . D A N l E L t S ; That is what I meant, that we ahould not allo w every historical statement that we find that contradicts theTestimonies to set us wild. If there are two authorities 'of equalvalue o n that point, bring up the authority that is in harmony with.what w e " Save". - " - - /"'

~ ' * "0. A . S H UL L : W e teachers have a great responsibility on usto take the right attitude. If we say that a oertain thing In theTestimonies is not correct, students are likely to carry away theiraprsssion that we do not have faith in $he Testimonies.A . X 3 . B A U I E L L S : there are two 7 ways to hurt students 'llcrthismatter, one wa y is to discount the Testia&onies and oast a littlebit of question and doubt o n them. I would never do that, brethren,in the school room. H o aatter ho w #uch I was perplexed, I *ouldm e v e r oast a doubt in the m i n d of a student. I would take hoursto explain matters to ground the student in it. Casting doubts atndreflections is oneway to hurt a student. Another way is to takea n extreme and unwarranted position. T o u earn do that and pass itover; but when that student gets out and gets in contact withthings, he m ay be shaken, and perhaps.shaken clear out and away. Ithink we shoul_d be candid and honest and never put a claim-forththat is nst well founded simply to appear to believe. Y o u willhave to be careful in giving this instruction, because m a n y of thestudents have heard from their parents things that are not so, andthey hear from preachers things that are not so, and so their foun-\dation is false.

I icust refer again to t ixs attitude, of A . T. iiefcx Jozies. In hisheyday yo u know he just drank the shols thing In, and be wjld hang


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a m an o n a word* I have seen him take just a word in the Testimoniesand hang to it, and that would settle everything^just a word. Iwa s with him vhsn he m a d e a discovery,or, if he didn't i cake it,he appeared to oake it,and that wa s that there were words in theTestimonies and writings of Sister Ihite.that G o d did not txxpixsorder her to put in there, that there were words which she did notput in by divine inspiration, the Lord picking the words, but thats o m e b o d y had helped to fix that up. A nd so he took two testimoniesand compared them, axd he got into great trouble. H s went on withDr. Kellogg, where he could Just pick things to pieces.

F. M . WILCOX: Ba ck in the 6 0*s or 7 d * s a General Conference insession j & a a A A passed this resolution,they said, we recognize thatthe Testimonies have bees prepared "under great pressure and stress\of circumstances, and that the wording is not always the happiest,and we. r e c o m m e n d their~^epublicatian with such changes as will bringthem to a standard.

A . 0. B A K T I M t S t I would like to get hold of that resolution., brethren, I want to ask yo u honestly if there is a m a n herehas had coubt created in your mind from m y attitude and the

positions I have takent [VOIC ES: Jfo$ H o S O O r is there o ne ofyo u that thinks T am shaky on the Testimonies?I will not say thatthinks m y position is not just right",^for yo u might not agree withm e, but from what I have said, is, there a teudenoy to lead yo u tobelieve that I am shaky, and that s o m e time I will help to get youa w a y -from the Testimonies? [Several decided no's were heard.]_ - \C. L. TAYLQB: In your talk a few evenings ago I agreed 1005!in everything you said. Today there" is just one question in rcy mind.

A . G . BAim^S: Let us have itV


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-24- -C - L. T A Y L Q R : T h ^ . t is regarding those outward manifesta

tions, those things of perhaps a miraculous nature. . -I do not inowsrhett iBr ycnr Intend to oarry the- impression that you discredit- thoseor that you simply would not teach them. If it is that you would

in. agreement 5 t i th_ iba_t Q n .the .pther fe ind* . i?_.yp^ **^f'.1'.^. positionthat those things are not-. to be relied- on, that Elder Loughborougbana others are mistaken about these things, I should have to disagreewith you.

A . G . B A &IE L L S : H o , I do not discount them nor disbelieve thembut they are aot the kind of evidence I rould us with students or'pith unbelievers. - *C. t. Tf t Y L O R: I agree with that.

A , 0. B A tOT UL S : I do not question thesi, but I do not thinkthey are the best kind of evidence to produce. Tor instance, I donot think the best kind of proof for m e to fcive" an audience on theSabbath question or- the nat&re of ma n , or baptism, -is to go and. readSistar Wtiite's writings to the. I believe the "beat proof I can^ive is the Bible. Perhaps yo u will r e m e m b e r that it fell to m e topreach Sister White 1 s funeral sermon; and if you will remember, I

't o o f c that occasion to give evidence of her high calling. I did nota - long list of fruits and miraculous evidences. I knev? thethe world in

matter would bs published to^hundreds of papers, and T wanted togive them something that would be a high authority, and this, iswhat I - gave:

First, that she stood with the word of Goa from Genesis toRsvelition in all its te-.icbin^.

Then, ehe stood with njankijad in his highest endeavors to helpmankind, -elaborating on t&ose points,


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t ie what I mean, Brother Taylor; "but T do not discounttfccse othar tilings. " ,

That I want "to know isrthis, oretaren; D c H 8 l a y position appearto be of such a character that you would be led to think I am shaky?VQlSsT S^TT"^^^want to - do- jttefri^ba&-I have t^ befeoms^^I,-can;.-aot, o a i s m r f l a g f l L _in,a thing like this, I have stood through itafcoufc/Jfor^years.; art-shaken, and I think it ie a safe position; but if 1 were driven totake the position that s o m e dc on the Testimonies, X "would be shaken[ V O I C E : That's right'] I would not knos? where to stand, for Io a n not say that white is black and black is white.

H . C. L A C E T : T o us there is no doubt that you believe theTestimonies, but will you mind m y adding another personal note toit?

A . 0. D U K I E L L S : K o .H . C L A C E T : It is thla; l^ose who-have not heard you, as

v ; e have here, and are taking the other sids of the question^s o m e of them are deliberately saying that neither you nor ProfessorPresort believe the Testimonies. For instance, I went out toHt. Vcrnon and I m et the graduating class there, and when theeater-cises ware over 3 I had a private -talk fcith three._o:r: four, of. tlioseyoung people, and they told m e that they certainly vmdsrstood thatour General Conference m en down heretfcey did not m e a n m e orBrother Soreasondid not believe the Testimonies.

ft. W . PRESOOTT: T o u are not telling ue news.H . C . L C E Y : W e as teachers are i& a terribly hard position.

W s have got nearly down to bed-rock in the question* that have beenasVed asre; "but the students do get right down to kgAxgs&t bed-rock


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- 3 S - . : . ,on s o m e Q'l these things, and we need to get a littledeeper Here,There are people her* at these meetings wh o do not dare to askts,in questions that hi.ve c o m e up in their kinds or in private talks.But -y& t t - fc-m w-- that the teacher 4s - in a ?ery difficult position* - . _

On that oatter of the capture of Babylon, I have felt free tohitI-^hou^rt-the


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2 7 ~ 1213A . G . D A H I E L L S ; That la what I m e a n by referring to secondary

matters.H . C. L A GEY; In our estimate of the spirit of prophecy, isn't. . _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ . . . ._ . _ . .. _ . _ _ _ _ , . ' . _ * _ . _ _ _ . . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . . _ . . . _. . . __i_

its value to us m o r e in the spiritual light it throws into our o wnhearts and lives than in the intellectual accuracy In historicaland theological matters. Ou g h t we not to tak those writings as thevoice of the Spirit to our he arta, instead of as the voice of theteacher to our headsT A nd isn't the final proof of the spirit ofprophecy its spiritual value rather than its historical accuracy?

A * 0. B A S I E L L S : Yes, I think so."J. H . ASEERSQS: W o u l d yo u set about to explain things as yo uhave this morning? W o u l d yo u explain that yo u do not think the

Testimonies are to be taken as final In the matter of historicaldata, etc*, so as to justify a position?

A . G . D A N I E L L S ; Who gives the teaching in the school o n thespirit of prophecy? Is it the Bible te icher? H ow do yo u gat thatquestion before the students?

C. L . TA Y L O R: Both Bible and h-istory teaohera catch it.W . H . W A X E H A M : It c o m e s up in every Bible class.H . C, LACEY: Wouldn't it be a splendid thing if a little pam

phlet were written setting forth fcfetssxf iuKta in plain, siiple,straight-forward style the facts as we have, them,simple, sacredfacts,so that we oould put them into the hands of inquiring students?

VOICE: O ur enemies would publish it everywhere.itG. I* . BENSON: I think^ w o u ld be a splendid thing if our brethrenwere a little conservative o n these things. W e had a m an c o m e toour U n i o n and spend an hour and a half en the evidences of thespirit of 8 prophecy through Sister Wnite. T he impression was con-


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28-So .

veysd t h a t practically every word t h a t s h e s p o k e , and every letters u e w r o t e , w h e t h e r p e r s o n a l o r o t h e r w i s e , w a a a d i v i n e I n s p i r a t i o n .T h o s e t h i n g s s a k e i t awfully hard T o r o u r t e a c h e r s a n d m i n i s t e r s .

W 4 G . W I H T H : I w a n t t o second w h a t P r o f e s s o r Lacey baa broughto u t . I w i s h y o u g e n e r a l m e n would g e t o u t s o m e t h i n g f o r u s , becausew e a r e t h e o n e s t h a t s u f f e r .

W W . F R E S C O T T : T o my c e r t a i n k n o w l e d g e , a m o s t e a r n e s t appealw a s m a d e f o r t h a t f r o m h e r o f f i c e t o i s s u e s u a h a s t a t e m e n t , a n dt h e y w o u l d n o t d o i t .

C - . ? . B O I L M A B : I t w a s n ' t made t o h e r , t h o u g h ,W . W . P R E S C O T T : H o , b u t i t w as m a d e t o t h o s e w h o w e r e handling

he r a s a n u s o r i p t s . v -A . G . D A N I E L L S : S o m e o f t h o s e s t a t e m e n t s l i k e w h a t Brother

W i l c o x read here t h i s morning h a v e teen up a n u m b e r o f t i m e s , a n dBrother White a l w a y s t o ok a good sensible p o s i t i o n ,

W . W . P R E S O O T T : B r o t h e r W i l a > x had a l e t t t e r f r o m SisterW h i t e herself t h a t he r e a d *" A . G . DA8XXUS: When t h e s e t h i n g s w e r e u n d e r pretty x f e x v xs h a r p c o n t r o v e r s y , W . 0 . W h i t e , f o r h i s m o t h e r , s e n t o u t thingst h a t w e ha d i n our v a u l t s here t h a t greatl y modified t h i s , andhelped t o s m o o t h o u t t h e s e w r i n k l e s an d g e t a r e a s o n a b l e g r o u n d o nwhich t o s t a n d . I d o n o t k n o w b u t w h a t p e r h a p s t h e G e n e r a l Confere n c e C o m m i t t e e s i g h t a p p o i n t a c o m m i t t e e t o d o t h i a , and haver e l i a b l e , r e s p o n s i b l e m e n t h a t t h e p e o p l e d o n o t question a t a l lt a k e hold of t h a t a n d bring o u t t h e s e f a c t s . I t d o e s seem t o a t h a t i n o u r s c h o o l s t h e r e o u g h t t o b e a n a g r e e m e n t among t h et e a c h e r s . T n e history and B i b l e t s a c h s r s and o t h e r s t h a t h a v e t od o - w i t h t h e s e t h i n g s should g e t together a n d h a v e t h e i r s t o r i e s


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- a s - - ' - . " 1 2 1 5a nd - t h e i r teach i ng a l i k e , if possible. The truth should be g i v e nt o t h o s e students, and w h en you give the truth t o them y o u w i l lhave them founded and established on this without trouble. B u twhen t h e s e erroneous v i e w s are g i v en t h e m , th ey g e t a false i d e aand then there i s d a n g e r w h en an honest man takes t h e true . s i d ea nd states hi s p o s i t i o n ,

W . E . H Q l I * t : I t seems t o u s e t h a t t h e point ^ i s of v ery g r e a tI m p o r t a n c e . X have b een somehwat p erp lex ed on t h i s matter. Wehave tal ked over things very freely a n d frankly here.at t h e othermeeti ng a a d at t h i s , a n d I think the teachers here a t a i l satisfied tax* a s t o t h e plaoe that i s to be given t o t h e spirit ofprophecy in i t s relation t o their work. B u t these t e a c h e r s , whe nthey g e t b a c k t o their p laces of w o r k , w i l l have a l l kinds o f q uestions put to t h e m , a n d i t has b een a q u e s t i o n XB w i t h m e , a s to h o wf a r a teacher o u g h t to fo with & class o f young people or with a nindiscriminate bod y to d e a l w i th a n d attempt t o b ri ng o u t t h e thingst h a t they h av e heard hers and h av e received and believed f o r thems e l v e s . I think there i s where the difficulty is-going t o b e ,We h av e o n l y t w o teachers here o u t of an entire f a c u l t y * Some o th ermember of the faculty might not be cleared up on these t h i n g s . T f c e cmay be teachers who are endeav o ri ng t o t e ^ o h science o u t of t h es p i r i t of prophecy; or another teather who has n o t ha d the be n e f itof this discussion, m a y have s o m e other v i e w p o i n t ; An d i t r e a l l yputs these teachers in a very har d s i t u a t i o n . I f there i s a n y t h i n gt h a t can be done b y w a y of p utti ng something i n t h e hands of t h eteachers e o that th ey co uld g i v e the t r u e representation in them a t t e r , I think i t w o uld b a v ery g r e a t h e l p . .

W . W . PRE8COTT: C a n y o u explain how i t i s t h a t t w o b reth renc a n disagree on t h e i nsp i rati o n of the-Bitls, o n e holding to the


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verbal inspiration and the other opposed to it, and yet no disturbance be created in the denomination whatever. That situationia,right here before us* But if two brethren^ take the s a m e attitude on the epirit of prophecy, one holding to verbal inspirationand the other discrediting it, he that does not hold to the verbalinspiration is discredited.

F. S T , WILGOX: Do yo u believe that a"manwoin t f a verbal inspiration f the Bible? believes the Bible!

W . W . Hff iSOQTT: I do not have any trouble over it at ail*I have a different view myself. If s > _ m an does not believe in taeverbal inspiration of the Bible, he is still in good striding; butif he says he does not believe in the verbal inspiration of theTestimonies, he is discounted right away . I think it is an unhealthful situation. It puts the spirit ,of prophedy above the Bible,

If. G . W I R T H : Really, that is m y biggest problem. I shallcertainly be discredited if I go back and give this view. . I wouldlike to see s o m e published statement given out by those trho leadthis work so that if that thing should oome- up there would be s o m eauthority back of it, because I am in for a lot of trouble on that'thing. I would like to see something done, because that educationis going right on, and our students are being sent out with theidea that the Testimonies are verbally inspired, and wo e be to them an out where I am that does not line up to that.

H aw as to health reform: Frequently a student will c o m e to m eand quote what Sister White says .about butter. B ut we serve butter\on our tables right along. A nd tby will bring up about meat, ho wunder no consideration is that to be eaten. A nd I kno that that isunreasonable, and there are times when it is necessary to eat meat.W h a t shall we do about that? I woula like & little JLight on s o m e


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-31-of those details, as to whether we ought to take them at fullvalue. .

A . G . D A N I E L L S : I am willing to answer part of that, for Ihave had It about a thousand tinsss. T a k e this education of healthreform. It is well knovm from the writings themselves and from- T _-__personal contact with Sister White, and from c o m m o n senae^tfaat intraveling and in itknowledge of dliJfeient~parts^ ofifieWrl'd,the instruction set forth in the Testimonies was nevex intended ta b0 2 1 0 great wholesale blanket regulation for peoples 1 eating anddrinking, and it applies to various individuals^according to theirp_hysieal condition and according to the situation in which theyfind themselves. 1 have always explained it that wa y to our ministers in ministers* meetings. W e had a ministers' feting over inScandinavia, and we had one m an there from the,"land of the midnightsun,* up in Bammerfest wnere yo u never grow a banana or an appleor a psach, and hardly even a green tning. It is snow and coldthere nearly all the time, and the people live to a large extent onfish and various animal foods that they get there. W e had ssat anurse from Christiania up there as a missionary. H e had the strictidea of the diet according to the Testimonies, and he would nottouch a fish or a "bit of reindeer, nor any kind of'animal food, andhe wa s getting poor; because missionaries that ars sent ou . t do noth a ve much m o n e y , and they cannot import fresh fruits; and it wa s inthe days when even canned goods were not shipped m u c h . T he fellownearly starved to ojgath. H e came down to attend* that meeting, andhe w a s nearly as whte as your dress [speaking to Sister Williams].tH e haa hardly any blood in his body. I talked to him, and I said,"Brother Olson, what is the matter with you? W e will have to bring


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~ 3 S " 1218you a*ay from up there ifyou do not get better. Y o u have no redblood corpuscles in your blood." I talked with him 'a while, andfinally aaked him, " W h a t do yo u live on?*\ ' ' - - - - - _ - . .. . _ _ , _ ."TOeil, 1 1 ixe said, *I live a good deal on the north wind.*

I said, " Y o u look like it, sure enough."W e isent on talking, and J found out that the iaan wasn't eating

m u c h but potatoes and starchy foodi,just a limited dietary, Isent at him with all the terror I ooul,d inspire for such: foolishness.

YOI-S&r Bid yo u m a k e any isgxr&ssiontA , G . BA13IEU.SS Yes, I did. A nd I 'got other brethren to joinm e. W e told that m ac he would be buried up there ifhe tried to

live that way. W e talked with him straight about it.When I got back to this country I talked with sister W h i t e abou

it, and she said, "Wh/lbn't the people use c o m m o n sense? W hy don'tthey know that we are to f a e governed by the places we are located?*You will find in a little testimony a caution thrown out, modifyingthe extreme statments that were m a d e .

F. U . WILCQX; Sister W h i t e says in a copy o f . the Instructorthat there are s o m e classes that she wo u ld not say should noteat s o m e meat.

A . G . BANIELLS : There are very conscientious m en and ministersare very aracfc afraid they will eat something they ought not to.

that very point Paul says that the kingdom of G o d is not m e a tor drink, but righteousness and peace; and we are working and tryingjust as auchto get through to the k i n g d o s ^ a K m m a f c - O ^ i the ground of w o r k s byeating or not eating as by any other thing in this world. Y o unever can put down vegetarianism as "the wa y to heaven. I have been


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-33-over in India where they are mighty atriot about their eating, but* . 'they do not get righteousness that way.

C. I.. T A I L O R : It is true of air works, isn't UT^ ^A . G . D A i n S L L S : Certainly. Y o u take m en who have never al

lowed a piece of animal food to pasa their lips* and s o m e ofTfhemth~e ffiowtr tyrsmiioal * brutai

with the gospel, we have to tell them that is not the way to G o d ,that they will ha i s e to c o m e and believe in the Lord Jesua tferietand have J t k s & x His righteousness imputed to them on confession, forgiveness, and all of that . W e have people a m o n g us that are Justas m u c h in danger of trying to establish this righteousness byworks in the matter of the dietary as the world has seen in anything. Y o u know from what twister W & i t e brought out on the matterof righteousness that itwas not her purpose to put down eating anddrinking as the way to heaven. It has its place. It is important,and I would not want to see this denomination awing, a^vay over 'tothe position of other denominations; but I do not like to hear ofteaching that would lead this people to fall back on eating an d:drinking for righteousness, for Paul said that is not the way. 1do not think proper caution wa s used in putting out s o m e of thesethings, and I have told Sister White so.

SffiS. W I L L I A M S : Y o u m e a n in publishing themtA . G . BAHXEUaS; Yes, when they were written. I told Sister

mute that it seernes to m e that if conditions in the arctic regionsand in the heart of China and other places had been taken into ao-oount, s o m e of those things would have been modified. Why,* shesaid, f l y5 if the people are not going to use thair judgment, thenof course we will have to fix it for them. 1 1 . It seemed so sensibleto m e. Sister White wa s never a fonaticj s he wa s never an extrem-


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' .-.-'- ' ' - "122*?4

1st. She wa s a level-headed w o m a n . She was well-balanced* I foundthat so during a period of 40 years of association with her. W h e nwe were down in Texas, and old Brother White wa s breaking down, thatw o m a n just got the m o a t beautiful venison every day to eat, and ra y

,- that 4s 4ust the -ihiagi* J3^__&gj&t jfeold feim up aad m afchim live en a diet of atar h* I always found her well-balanced,There are s o m e people wh o are extremists, wh o are fanatical; butI do not think we should allow those people to fix the platfora------------ - - - - { - ...... ..... - -and guide this denomination. I do not propose to do it, for one.A nd yet I believe that we should use all the caution and all thecare that is set out for the maintenance of health* A nd brethren,I have tried to do it, but I nave not livedall m y life on thestrictest dietary set down there. I have had to go all over thisworld, and as yo u know, I have had to be exposed to all the disease germs. I have had to live on a very spare dietary in placesin ray travel, and I have lived on wheels, and under great pressure,and it was prophesied w&en I west into this in 1901 that I & decadewould finish m e, and I -would either be a broken-down old wan on theshelf or in the grave* That is the way m y friends talked, and theysympathized with m e, and regretted that I ever took this position.;but I said to myself, * By the grace of G o d , I will live in everypossible way just right ae far as I know it, to conserve m y strengthThis is m y 19th year, and I am not broken down, and I am not on theshelf or in the grave. I am strong and well. I am weary, but Ican gat rested. 1 have trfced to be honest and to be true to X f c *m y seuse of wh a t wa s the right tning to do , and it has kept m e walland strong. That is the basis on which I propose to work. I do nopropose to have any extremist lay do^n the law to m e * & as to what


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."-" , . ' - - - " ' " ' > " ' '1222'\ :.-,-'I . ' ' "*ditions that maintain. That Is what I tell in ministers' seetings

ar id I do not think I destroy the force of the massage at all, onlyto the extremist.

BH)THER W A L D Q R F ; I nave had no trouble for ov


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--,.- 37- - ' . ' - , " : . " / : - ' . 122A s for m e a t eating, I haven't touched neat for twenty-one

yeara; but I buy m e a t for m y wife. 1 often go into a butcher shopand get the very best they hare in order to .keep her in life. Inever will use the Testimonies as a sledge h a m m e r on By brother.

A . G . DANiaLS; I will tell yo u one thing, a great victorywill bs gained if we ge a liberal spirit eo that we will treatbrethren who differ with us on the. interpretation of the Testimoniesin the s a m e Christian wa y we txaat them when they differeon theinterpretation of the Bible. That will be a good deal gained, andit is worth gaining, I want to tell you, for I hove been undercriticism tstx ever since the controversy started in Battle Creek,Isn't it a strange thing that when X and s o m e of m y associatesfought that heresy year after year, and we got massage after messagef r om the spirit of propheoysoae of them very comforting and uplifting messagesand all that time we were counted as heretics onthe spirit of prophecy? H ow do you account for that? W hy didn'tthe spirit of prophecy get after us? I claim that I know as well asany m an l u x x m & i f c whether I believe in the spirit of prophecy ornot, I do not ask people to accept m y views, but I woul d likethe confidence of brothers where we differ in interpretation. Ifw e can engender that spirit, it will be a great help; and I believewe have to teach it right in our schools.

Suppose students c o m e to yo u with questions about the Bible-hat yo u do nfct know what to do with,or do yo u always l k n o w t Iw o m l d like to go to a teacher for a year that would tell m e everything in here that puzzles m e! T O a t do yo u do when students c o m eto yo u with such questions?

W . H. W A K E H A M : I tell them I do not kno^, and I do not losetheir confidence, either.


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= . . " . . . . - ' . ' . - ' . ' ' - - ' : . ' " . - . - > . " ' ' " . ' - 1 2 2 438

A . G . BAS IELLS : Well, when they c o m e to yo u with somethingin the spirit of prophecy that Is puzzling, why not say, as Peterdi4- tfes-t_tMr,e i^e:^^m_thin^8: ha?d to be understood. -I do notthink that destroys th'e confidence of the people* -But we have got

got to just &s3tage^ulj_anjLogtteknowledgeof everything about the spirit of prop&eoy aad tafce an extreme position in order to be loyal and to to e true to It.

W . S. B0rei*L: I just want to ressark two things. One is on la*question Professor preaoott Raised in oun previous meeting aa toisiiy "people"take these" different attitudes toward- a m an on the Bibleand dn the Testimonies. I am not philosopher enough to explainan attitude of that sort, but. I do think that the oauae of it Hem

h .primarily in the taking of extreme and radical positions. T thinkthat is where the root of tae difficulty lies, especially withr e f a r e T i D Q to the spirit of propheoy, A

Brother Daniells and Brother Prescott and -others have c o m e inhere ith us and have talked ver'jr franfely with us, and I am sureevery m an here will say that they have not covered up anything.,They have not withheld from yo u anything that y o T j t havQ asked forthat they could give yo u in reference to this matter. I do notdoubt that it is your experience as it is m i n $ when I go out 'fromWashington, to hear it said that Brother Daniells or Brother Presoott does not believe the spirit of prophecy.A . G . DATOSLI.S: Brother Spicer, too.

W . . KOWEIJi : Tea, and Brother Spicer. - T feel confident othis, that as yo u go out from this council yo u can be a great helpin setting people straight on these things, and I belisve it is ourprivilege to do it, brethren,, to help the people o n t&se points. . M a n ? of them are sincere and honest in' that position; ' from ' 'what they


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have heard. I think it is our duty to help such persons all w e canas w e meet them.

G.t. B E HS 0 N : s this subject-going--to be-dropped here?r frontwhat Brother Daniella has said, I know wha t it is "going to mean to

~so^Q--^--Qui-^chQ^ls^-a&dj-to--curSeser&lConfereace men . Ifee3^-it--would be unfair to us aa teachers to p r oLetters huve already c o a s l a , a s i n g , about t h e g e n e r a l e e n w i t hr e f e r e n c e t o interpreting t h e s p i r i t of p r o p h e c y . I d o n o t thinki t ia f a i r f o r u s t o g o o u t an d t r y t o s t a t e t he position o f OUT-- -- --__-^ _,---___ _ __ " tG e n e r a l Conference m e n . On t h e o t h e r h a n d , I k n o w t h e feeling a n dd o c t r i n e a s t a u g h t i n o u r c o n f e r e n c e s , an d t h e y are the B i b l ete-chers o f t h e p e o p l e ; and i f o u r B i b l e and history t e a c h e r s taket h a s s l i b e r a l position o n t h e s p i r i t of p r o p h e c y , our s c h o o l s a r egoing t o b e a t v a r i a n c e entirely with t h e f i e l d . O u r people a r ebeginning t o wonder about t h e c o n d i t i o n o u r schools a r e i n . Theys a y thoy read i n t h Review of t h i s s p i r i t o f p a g a n i s m , a nd theys a y t h o s e a r t i c l e s s u r e l y sould u o t have b e e n p u U . i s h . e d i n t h eReview i f t h e s e c o n d i t i o n s d i d n o t e x i s t l a our o^a s c h o o l s ? W h y ,w h a t would they be pu t t i n g i t i n t h e R e v i e ? / f o r i f t h a t w e r e not t h ec a s e ? T h a t i s a f a c t , many o f c u r people t a k e t h e position t h a tt h o s e articles w e r e w r i t t e n b e c a u s e o f . c o n d i t io n s existing i n o u ro w n s c h o o l s . I t h i n k w e o u g h t t o g e t d o w n t o a solution o f t h i sthing i f w e c a n , and s t a r t s o m e k i n d of a c a n p a i g n of e d u c a t i o n .O u t i n t h e field w e have stressed t h e i m p o r t a n c e of t h e s p i r i t o fprophecy m o r e t u a n t h e B i b l e , a n d many o f o u r m e n a r e doing i tr i g h t a l o n g . ?aey t e l l o f t h e s o n a e r f u i p h e n o m e n a , a n d many timest h e y g e t t h e i r e n t i r e sermon f r o m t h e s p i r i t of prophscy insteado f t h e B i b l e . I f a b r e ak c o m e s between o u r s c h o o l s a nd t h e f i e l dw e a r e i n a s e r i o u s p l a c e .


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T. & . F RE NCH : I believe it would help us a great deal ifsome general statement were issued, and if om e of this mattertfcat has bees-broughtup could o&-giêa>-oa, ahowiag taat m e --' -are not shifting our position, that w e are viewing the spirit of " --prophecy-essi^baa-l3ees-jviewed-a3âtea| 3Msel4eveitsoul-4-helpto .settle the _sittIon in our &*%*$ oonfereaces, and ôtg.d "be,-agreat help both to the conferences, aad to tae schools. 1 am sure .from wUat has been read here of letters and,resolutions of the pastthat w e hare not shifted our position, but the matter is just upagain; and ifw e could get oat statements as to our attitude allalong, ami restate thematter, I beli ve itwould do iauoh good.5 W . 2. H3WEI ,L ; The next topic w e have is a consideration ofhow to teaoh the spirit of propheoy in o*or sohoois. In oxir recentgeneral eduoatibnal oonfention w e provided for a aenie8ter*s wor jcin the curriculum in this subject. T think TO ought to tae tenmi rates* intermission* and thea take up this topio, which willgive opportunity for further questions along this line,

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biblicalconf1919_july30

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