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The Publishing Ministry
closer home, so that they dared not go farther without some change.
Then they yielded, but not heartily, not because they saw the sinfulness
of their course of action.
Did the Lord accept the spirit and the manner of the yielding? No;
He could not trust them as representatives in His cause to advance His
work. They had gone forward in their own spirit of self-sufficiency,
and the work was marred in their hands. They confederated together
to sustain and uphold one another—in what? Let them answer. I leave
them with God. Sufficient is it that God would not trust His work in
their hands, for them to mold and fashion after their own order while
the Holy Spirit was not molding and fashioning them.
Light has been given repeatedly in regard to the spirit that should
control the Review and Herald office. No excuse can be presented for
a departure from the principles that should ever be revealed in every
branch of the work of God. Men are not to put their hands to the work,
to fashion it after their own ideas, ignoring the principles that God
has repeatedly declared should be maintained in the upbuilding and
prosperity of His cause.
The Pattern, Jesus Christ, must ever be kept before us. The Lord
Jesus says, “Follow me.” He that would “come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” This was not done,
but a new order of things was introduced into the office. The counsels
of God were too often ruled out of your assemblies. How? With some
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by an unholy confederacy. “We will stand together,” they said. “You
give me your support, and I will give you my support.” This was the
principle that controlled some of the workers in the office. God calls
it an unholy confederacy. His grace and His spirit had nothing to do
with this human policy....
Satan will leave no means untried to accomplish his object, to
conceal and obscure truth and establish error. This has been done. God
has been dishonored; truth and righteousness have languished through
unholy confederacy. Oh, the deceptions that Satan will practice in
order to destroy the soul! Through the love of money, conscience has
been sold for gain; there has been a violation of principle, of honor,
of integrity. God knows every work, and it will all be brought into
judgment. Oh, that the blind eyes may be opened!—
Letter 71, 1894
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A Confederacy in Wrong Methods—Men have tried to rob their
brethren of their rights, and have selfishly grasped all the available