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The Publishing Ministry
at liberty to put in claims in accordance with the estimate they place
upon their books. There would be a representation of selfishness that
would astonish you. Now, brethren, your dearth of means at the present
time is the result of just such selfishness. It has been introduced into
the work when it should not have obtained a breath of life, but been
strangled to death at the beginning. God abhors the practices that have
been followed. Do not now open a door to let Satan in where he can
work with human minds. Do not give those who have made books an
opportunity to destroy themselves. The most selfish, irrespective of the
present dearth of means, will consider themselves of such consequence
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that they will draw away from the publishing house the last penny that
they can obtain, and God would be ashamed to call them his brethren.
Let us not open a door whereby Satan shall find easy access. We
want large, sound souls. The windows of the soul must always open
heavenward. We must see that the danger is great in the work of
reconsidering past royalties and making restitution. Some who have
received all the real value of their books will think them of much
greater value than they are. Their windows are opened earthward and
not heavenward. Throw open the windows heavenward, and let the
sunshine of Christ’s righteousness in, and the windows of the soul now
opened earthward will close of themselves.
No one can have been hurt financially more than I was hurt when
The Great Controversy lay for nearly two years dead in the office.
Just work was not done in this matter. The book Bible Readings was
crowded in before Great Controversy, which was already printed, and
which should have been placed in the canvasser’s hands first because
it contained important matter, which the people needed to have as
soon as possible. It seemed that I was mocked because of my intense
earnestness in regard to that book, and what it might have done had it
not been dropped as it was, and through unsanctified influences and
selfish, unprincipled methods shut away from the people. This was
a dishonest transaction toward me, and it was unfaithful stewardship
toward God.
But I would not now take any restitution money. I accepted the
lowest royalty on my books, under a most solemn promise that they
would be pushed forward vigorously. This promise was not kept.
There was fraud in the management. But I want no restitution; I want
no increase of royalty for any books of mine sold in the past. God