[Letter to one who had come to the conclusion that the Seventh-day Adventist Church had fallen into the low spiritual state described as Babylon.—Compilers.]
(2SM 63)
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Your letter addressed to me was received at the beginning of the Sabbath I should advise you to attend the school, and not to leave this country until you become thoroughly settled in your mind as to what is truth. I sincerely hope that you will attend this term of school and learn all you can in regard to this message of truth that is to go to the world.
(2SM 63.1)
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The Lord has not given you a message to call the Seventh-day Adventists Babylon, and to call the people of God to come out of her. All the reasons you may present cannot have weight with me on this subject, because the Lord has given me decided light that is opposed to such a message.
(2SM 63.2)
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I do not doubt your sincerity or honesty. I have written long letters at different times to those who were accusing the church of Seventh-day Adventists of being Babylon, that they were not handling the truth. You think individuals have prejudiced my mind. If I am in this state, I am not fitted to be entrusted with the work of God. But this matter has been brought before my mind in other cases where individuals have claimed to have messages for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, of a similar character, and the word has been given me, “Believe them not.”“I have not sent them, and yet they ran.”
(2SM 63.3)
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Elder K, [See p. 96, also Selected Messages 1:176-184.] a dying man, had his room filled with interested people, while he was at the hospital at Battle Creek. Many were deceived. The man seemed to be inspired. But the light that was given me was, “This work is not of God. Believe not the message.”
(2SM 64.1)
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A few years since, a man named N, of Red Bluff, California, came to me to deliver his message. He said it was the loud cry of the third angel which was to lighten the earth with his glory. He thought God had passed all the leading workers and given him the message. I attempted to show him that he was mistaken. He said Seventh-day Adventists were Babylon, and when we told him our reasons and set the matter before him, that he was in error, he had great power come upon him, and he certainly gave a loud cry We had much trouble with him; his mind became unbalanced, and he had to be placed in the insane asylum.
(2SM 64.2)
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One, Garmire, [See Proverbs 9:1.] advocated and published a message in regard to the loud cry of the third angel; he accused the church in a similar manner to what you are now doing. He said the leaders in the church would all fall through self-exaltation, and another class of humble men would come to the front, who would do wonderful things. This man had daughters who claimed to have visions.
(2SM 64.3)
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This delusion was opened to me. This is an intelligent man, of an acceptable address, and self-denying and full of zeal and earnestness, and carrying an appearance of consecration and devotion. But the word of God came from God to me, “Believe them not, I have not sent them!”
(2SM 64.4)
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