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In the Regions Beyond
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by the divine will. They saw that God Himself had decided this
question by favoring the Gentiles with the Holy Ghost, and it was
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left for them to follow the guidance of the Spirit.
The entire body of Christians were not called to vote upon the
question. The apostles and elders—men of influence and judgment—
framed and issued the decree, which was thereupon generally ac-
cepted by the Christian churches. All were not pleased, however,
with this decision; there was a faction of false brethren who assumed
to engage in a work on their own responsibility. They indulged in
murmuring and faultfinding, proposing new plans and seeking to
pull down the work of the experienced men whom God had ordained
to teach the doctrine of Christ. The church has had such obstacles to
meet from the first, and will ever have them to the close of time.
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