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Christian Experience and Teachings of Ellen G. White
is in perfect order, that subjection and perfect discipline mark the
movements of the angelic host. It is his studied effort to lead professed
Christians just as far from Heaven’s arrangement as he can; therefore
he deceives even the professed people of God, and makes them believe
that order and discipline are enemies to spirituality; that the only safety
for them is to let each pursue his own course, and to remain especially
distinct from bodies of Christians who are united, and are laboring
to establish discipline and harmony of action. All the efforts made
to establish order are considered dangerous, a restriction of rightful
liberty, and hence are feared as popery. These devoted souls consider
it a virtue to boast of their freedom to think and act independently.
They will not take any man’s say-so. They are amenable to no man.
I was shown that it is Satan’s special work to lead men to feel that it
is God’s order for them to strike out for themselves, and choose their
own course, independent of their brethren.
Individual Responsibility And Christian Unity
God is leading a people out from the world upon the exalted plat-
form of eternal truth, the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
He will discipline and fit up His people. They will not be at variance,
one believing one thing, and another having faith and views entirely
opposite; each moving independently of the body. Through the diver-
sity of the gifts and governments that He has placed in the church, they
will all come to the unity of the faith. If one man takes his views of
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Bible truth without regard to the opinion of his brethren, and justifies
his course, alleging that he has a right to his own peculiar views, and
then presses them upon others, how can he be fulfilling the prayer of
Christ? And if another and still another arises, each asserting his right
to believe and talk what he pleases, without reference to the faith of the
body, where will be that harmony which existed between Christ and
His Father, and which Christ prayed might exist among His brethren?
Though we have an individual work and an individual responsibil-
ity before God, we are not to follow our own independent judgment,
regardless of the opinions and feelings of our brethren; for this course
would lead to disorder in the church. It is the duty of ministers to re-
spect the judgment of their brethren; but their relations to one another,
as well as the doctrines they teach, should be brought to the test of