September 5-Doing Theology: Appeals To Ellen White's Authority-2

Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. Rom. 15:4, RSV.

We left President Butler yesterday in his attempt to try to maneuver Ellen White to "produce" a testimony to solve the Galatians controversy. He hadn't gotten very far by August 23, 1886. By December 16 his patience with the silent prophet had rapidly deteriorated. His plan to have the issue settled by creedal resolution at the 1886 General Conference session had failed, and he was beginnig to feel desperate regarding her lack of cooperation. "We have been waiting for years to hear from you on the subject [of Galatians]," he blurted out, "knowing that its agitation would end only in debate." Twelve days later he flatly told her that "nothing short of a testimony from heaven" would change his mind.

March 1887 found Butler in somewhat better spirits, having received Ellen White's rebuke of Waggoner and Jones for making their controversial views public. Interpereting some of her remakrs to indicate that she was on his side in the Galatians controversy, and believing that she would say the correct things, he therefore reminded her that he had repeatedly written to her on the subject, "but got no reply."

While claiming that he was not urging her to make a statement, he ominously hinted that he felt "certain that after all the stir over this question it will make constant trouble till your opinion is known." If our people knew that you had light that the moral law was not the added law, the question would be settled in short order. That is precisely what our people are waiting with much anxiety to know."

Positive that she would now come out in public for his side, Butler was both hurt and shocked when she wrote to him in April 1887 that her letter rebuking the younger men did not mean that his position was correct.

After that "betryal," he did not waste any more ink asking for her opinion on the topic. Rather, specters of theological disaster, prophetic betrayal, and conspiracy began to grow in his mind, eventually leading to a nervous breakdown and the massive October 1, 1888, letter in which he finally attacked her for not coming up with the correct answer.

And that all in the face of her repeated counsel that the issue was of no importance and shoudld be dropped.

Here is a question for each of us. How much of our own agenda dominates our thinking as we approach the Bible and Ellen Whtie's counsels? Think about it! Be honest!