Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 15 (1900)

Lt 210, 1900

Irwin, G. A.

Sanitarium Farm, Hornsby Junction, New South Wales, Australia

January 1900

Previously unpublished.

Dear Brother Irwin:

I have been at Summer Hill nearly one week. During that time my mind has been exercised decidedly in regard to some things. A letter came to me from Brother Sisley in reference to the question of royalties. 15LtMs, Lt 210, 1900, par. 1

Again I will tell you frankly that there is no use in my continually writing to the brethren in responsible positions in Battle Creek. All the matter has been verified in a plain, correct statement, made by one whose business it was to search out the matter in regard to the means which never came to the Southern field. That matter is yet not clearly and properly adjusted. 15LtMs, Lt 210, 1900, par. 2

In reference to your position, you have not done that which the president of the General Conference should do to set this matter in order, and God will not remove His censure from the conference until clean work is made and everything has been done that can be done to make full restitution. God is dishonored and the work has languished for years because of selfishness and robbery of the Southern field. There is a great deal of feeling and criticism which is not called for or just or honorable in regard to the carrying forward of the work. 15LtMs, Lt 210, 1900, par. 3

[There should be] restitution both of principal and interest. When I heard in regard to the $1,000 that was restored for The Gospel Primer for the loss sustained, and divided between the two men, I was surprised beyond measure. All I have [to] say is you are not walking in the light. You need your spiritual eyesight anointed. You do not act like men who have the working of the Holy Spirit. The light given me is that a most sinful neglect of that means coming to that field through the [spirit] of selfishness at every point, and taking that means from the field by driving the men in hard places, was robbery in every sense of the word. The Spirit of God was abused, and all through the lack of principle [and] perverted ideas. All such things God hates. 15LtMs, Lt 210, 1900, par. 4

I was shown [this was] acted out in the Norman case, with his appropriation of money which did not come to the cause to God. Our own people are acting out and representing the acted symbol. In their own work [can be seen] the disappointment they have made others to feel—the insincerity of their true missionary spirit, and their apparent willingness to do so much yet doing scarcely anything. Every kind of excuse and determination is evidenced not to do the work in restitution to the Southern field that should be done. 15LtMs, Lt 210, 1900, par. 5

It is presented to me that in the past light has been given and entirely disregarded; that those who figure in these things have blinded their perception in spiritual discernment so deeply they have no real sense of what justice and mercy and equity and truth is. God may in mercy bring every one of them over the same ground. They have been willing to see others struggling to do the work. They will leave that same ground to be placed in the position they were willing to put others in. The plainest light [now] given will be as unheeded as that which has been given. There is a spirit to question, to criticize, to envy, to [be] jealous, and to make, as they suppose, every plausible excuse for going directly contrary from the plain will of the Lord. 15LtMs, Lt 210, 1900, par. 6

My soul is grieved for the Lord Jesus, and I feel an holy indignation stirring my soul as the whole matter and its result is opened before me of what could and should have been done for the Southern field in aggressive warfare that is not done and years lost. I am unable to make any more explanations, for I am instructed they will be unheeded. They pull impatiently away the shoulder; they refuse to take the counsel of God. 15LtMs, Lt 210, 1900, par. 7

And you do not act in this matter, considering all the light given, as the position you occupy demands you should act. You are, I fear, in danger [of] acting as [did] Elder Olsen. There is not a semblance of justification of the course pursued by men in office before you came in to bear the great responsibilities which were required to you to bear as president of the General Conference. In humility and armed with the Spirit of God you should long ago have set things in order, for there were those who would have worked with you. I had rather hear of nothing at all being done than the trifling representation to redeem the past by the restitution made by the people who have been instructed. 15LtMs, Lt 210, 1900, par. 8

Why do they not show their sense of their neglect? Do their feeble, fainting, half-hearted, unwilling works bear any effort to redeem the past? God will not make them the men to come near to Him, to whom He will communicate light either in blessing their own hearts, or in means to be used, for they are under the rebuke of God. “Neither will I be with you any more until the accursed thing is put away from among you,” was said of Achan who dissembled and stole and worked in crooked lines. [Joshua 7:12.] I shall not specify names. 15LtMs, Lt 210, 1900, par. 9

Recently a pamphlet was presented to me to read of the many dishonest transactions that were practiced by men to secure every farthing possible—out of others who were stretching themselves to advance the work by just measure, to make aggressive warfare—and God said, I hate robbery for burnt offerings. 15LtMs, Lt 210, 1900, par. 10

But I have borne the messages God has given me. The light was that if the publishing institution had been worked by the Spirit of God, they would have charged nothing for the publication of The Gospel Primer, which was to be used to work the hardest locality of the missionary field in the world; and that was in some sections of the south, and still is, attended with great peril to the workers. Whatever has been done in some sections has been done at sacrifice at every step. There [has been] reluctance to put into the field [that] which was brought in contributions in response to an appeal the Lord instructed me to make to the people—to work those very perilous sections while the work could be done without so great peril as now. The donations never came to them. 15LtMs, Lt 210, 1900, par. 11

Letters have come to me from all parts of the country, first in congratulation for the help and relief to the Southern field, then inquiries were made [as to] what was done with the means that was raised. Then the light [was] given that misappropriation and robbery of the Southern field was an evidence of the perverted principles brought into the work and cause of God. 15LtMs, Lt 210, 1900, par. 12

The great displeasure of the Lord in this transaction was as the case of Achan. [He] was the means of the withdrawal of the Spirit of God from the whole Israel of God, [so] that defeat in the place of success was the result for a sin they did not know. But the Lord took [Joshua] to do for the matter. He was praying, lying prostrate in humility upon his face, because all Israel was humiliated before their enemies in being overcome [at] Ai. Thirty-six men [were] slain. What was the word? [Read] Joshua 7:8, 9-13. 15LtMs, Lt 210, 1900, par. 13

Is this the way of the Lord’s dealing with Israel? Is not the way of the Lord and His dealings expressed in every case similar? Is there not a cause for the strong dearth of means? [When there is] any action among those of His church that is sinful, the whole church bears the rebuke of God until that sin is hunted out and dealt with according to the grievous character of the sin. 15LtMs, Lt 210, 1900, par. 14

Joshua knew not the sin, but he did know that God’s unseen armies were not with Israel, and the result was defeat, repulse, and death. Man’s offense in Israel called for the unseen armies that were the strength of Israel to withdraw their interposition in behalf of Israel. How the men in holy office, bearing sacred responsibilities, venture to act their own will and way! Joshua 7:3-5. Here was defeat. What did it mean? Verse 6. Here was a great humiliation before God. Verses 7-9. There was the case laid open before God with a great sorrow because the name God would not be magnified before the people. 15LtMs, Lt 210, 1900, par. 15