Battle Creek Letters

Recopied July 11, 1928 K—55—99 V. E. R.

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, N. S. W.

March 24, 1899

Dr. Kellogg:

Dear Brother,

I have nothing more at present to send you, except that the Lord has impressed my mind forcibly that anything more I might say would do no good. There are some things that can be said in the future, when hearts and minds are where the Holy Spirit can work Them. BCL 19.1

All I have to say now is that your way and spirit toward your brethren is not approved by God. He calls for unity. Variance and dissension are not created by the Lord. The Lord has given light to men that it may be a help to them and all connected with them. If the same spirit is manifested to justify and condemn what has been cherished in the past, settle it in your mind that Jesus Christ is not glorified. The softening, subduing influence of the Spirit of God is greatly needed. Nothing can dishonor God more than the independent self-sufficiency which marks the defections of your brethren and fails to see your own dangers and defects. I am afraid for you. I am afraid for my brethren in responsible positions. BCL 19.2

I will now hold my peace; for anything I might say may confuse. I fear for nothing that I have written. It lies out in clear, straight lines, because the Holy Spirit is working with the human agent. I greatly fear that the power and glory of God which may come in will not be recognized. God says, Work in unity. He does not say that your course has been one which will advance and unite hearts. You need to put on Christ, to follow your own Leader more closely. You are in a positive danger through your own spirit, which will always strive for the supremacy unless it is kept in subjection. You are upon a high pinnacle of greatness, because the Lord has prospered the principles you have advocated. But the Lord never designed that you should criticise your brethren and hold yourself aloof from them because they do not put their whole interest in the work you are interested in. BCL 19.3

My brother, the Lord does not sanction any disunion or any variance. If you draw in even cords with your Redeemer, you will draw in even cords with your brethren. There is need of unity, else Christ would not have prayed for this oneness. This oneness does not mean that all should do the work you are doing, or that you are to feel that you are to do the work your brethren are doing. Your several works are to blend together. If you are one with Christ and with one another, you bear the credentials that God has sent His Son into the world. The Lord then has a seal to His work. We must cease the work of criticising and fault-finding, and sustain the hands of our brethren. BCL 19.4

We must not tear one another down, the work of absorbing in America the means in the churches, so that foreign fields are deprived of facilities with which to carry on the work should not be encouraged. We have been deprived in this country of means we should have had. BCL 20.1

The light came to me, clear and distinct, that the Medical Missionary work was absorbing too much, while a more definite work in special lines was being neglected, that you gathering into your arms a class of work that is never-ending, which was eclipsing the work that needs to be done in every city,-the proclamation of the soon coming of Christ. The third angel's message was being blanketed, and you were not altogether straight on these things. There was danger in several ways that you did not discern. You are a man of special influence. You will sway heavily in any course you take, whether right or wrong; and I wrote to this effect. The danger is that you will withdraw yourself, and make of your work a great center; and this you will certainly do unless you fulfill to the letter the word of the Lord. You are to build up, and in no wise to weaken or tear down. The Lord will lead you if you do not pull too strong to lead yourself. When you are baptized with the Holy Spirit of God, you will draw in harmony. You are to stop censuring your brethren, and they are to help to sustain you; for a heavy responsibility rests upon you. You are not to exalt the work you are doing; for it is only as the arm is to the body. This cannot and must not be. You would make the medical missionary work the body and not the arm. You are out of order, and you must be called to order. I write this because I do not want everything turned in this one channel to the extinguishing of every other important work. God does not want your sympathies drawn wholly in one direction while everything else is ignored. BCL 20.2

I leave these words with you, my brother. You are certainly gathering more than you can carry. God help you to be wise, that the church, as well as the medical missionary work, may be helped. The medical missionary work needs to be more proportionately balanced. God help you. BCL 20.3