THERE WAS A COUNCIL AMONG THE GODS

Excerpts From The Official Board Minutes

Leo Mathieu Presiding

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This sacrosanct senate has solemnly and carefully attended to the examination of all evidence presented, which confirms that a certain Eugene Edward Shubert, in this sacred council here present, a disciple not of Jesus Christ but rather of the arch false prophetess Ellen G. White, has obstinately taught doctrines and circulated documents that are full of errors and heresies. I pronounce therefore that all of his teaching is to sunned by faithful Christians [in the SDA church]. Furthermore, to ensure that his heretical teaching be eliminated from the midst of the church, this sacred synod hereby orders the diligent search for those writings — to procure their public burning by fire.

Shubert has scorned the due ecclesiastical process by appealing directly to the Lord Jesus Christ as the Supreme Judge.

In summary of all these various points therefore, this council judges him, Eugene Shubert, as having worked a fraud upon the Adventist people, most of all, in the city of Richardson, and that he was not a true preacher of the gospel of Christ, in accordance with the teaching of the holy doctors, but was actually their seducer.

This sacred synod recognizes that Eugene Shubert is obstinate and incorrigible. He is unwilling to recant the heresies and errors publicly defended and preached by him. For these reasons, this council does hereby declare that Eugene Shubert be deposed and degraded from the priestly order, and from the other orders by which he has been distinguished. Said degradation is to be carried out forthwith in the presence of this counsel according to the order required by law.

This sacred senate of Richardson, seeing that the church has nothing more it can do with Eugene Shubert, relinquishes him to secular judgment and decrees that he be given over to the secular court, to be punished for his bold and unabashed irreverence for our most holy authority and for his obstinate faith in those meaningless portions of the Spirit of Prophecy which we deem offensive, deceitful, and heretical. — Dialogue from a true parabolic prophecy: John Hus, Gateway Films, 1981; the prophecy interpreted, the interpretation inserted.

Rebuttal Number 1

"The saving of human souls is an interest infinitely above any other line of work in our world. Whoever is brought under the influences of the truth, and through faith is made partaker of Christ’s love, is by that very fact appointed of God to save others. He has a mission in the world. He is to be a colaborer with Christ, making known the truth as it is in Jesus; and when men in any line of God’s work seek to bring the minds and talents of the Lord’s human agents under their control, they have assumed a jurisdiction over their fellowmen that they cannot maintain without injustice and iniquity." TM 293.

"God is Commander and Ruler over all. We have a personal Saviour, and we are not to exchange His word for the word of any man. In the Scriptures the Lord has given instruction for every worker. The words of the Master Worker should be diligently studied; for they are spirit and life. Laborers who are striving to work in harmony with this instruction are under the leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and need not always, before they make any advance move, first ask permission of someone else. No precise lines are to be laid down. Let the Holy Spirit direct the workers. As they keep looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of their faith, the gifts of grace will increase by wise use." TM 492.

"God has not appointed any man guide, nor made any man conscience for another; therefore let human hands be withheld from restraining his servants who feel the burden to enter his vineyard to labor. Let God work with his own chosen agents by his Holy Spirit. No human being is to sit in judgment upon his brother. Neither are any to feel that they can handle roughly the precious pearls for which Christ gave his life. The pearl, the precious human pearl, was found by Christ. Let man be warned; be careful how you treat the Lord’s ‘peculiar treasure.’ All discourtesy, all pain, all neglect, which these souls suffer at your hands, is charged against you as inflicted upon Jesus Christ. They are not to be treated in a lordly, commanding manner. Laws and rules are being made at the centers of the work that will soon be broken into atoms. Men are not to dictate. It is not for those in places of authority to employ all their powers to sustain some, while others are cast down, ignored, forsaken, and left to perish. But it is the duty of the leaders to lend a helping hand to all who are in need. Let each work in the line which God may indicate to him by his Holy Spirit. The soul is accountable to God alone. Who can say how many avenues of light have been closed by arrangements which the Lord has not advised nor instituted? The Lord does not ask permission of those in responsible positions when he wishes to use certain ones as his agents for the promulgation of truth. But he will use whom he will use. He will pass by men who have not followed his counsel, men who feel capable and sufficient to work in their own wisdom; and he will use others who are thought by these supposedly wise ones to be wholly incompetent. Many who have some talent think that they are necessary to the cause of God. Let them beware lest they stretch themselves beyond their measure, and the Lord shall leave them to their own ways, to be filled with their own doings. None are to exercise their human authority to bind minds and souls of their fellow-men. They are not to devise and put in practice methods and plans to bring every individual under their jurisdiction.

"Those who know the truth are to be worked by the Holy Spirit, and not themselves to try to work the Spirit. If the cords are drawn much tighter, if the rules are made much finer, if men continue to bind their fellow-laborers closer and closer to the commandments of men, many will be stirred by the Spirit of God to break every shackle, and assert their liberty in Christ Jesus. If men would act toward their fellow-men as to those whom Christ loves, if they would obey the commandment to ‘love thy neighbor as thyself,’ there would be sweet harmony among the brethren. How much better it would be if those who claim to be Christians would behave like Christians. How much better it would be if all would cease speaking of their own good works and ways, indulging their self-esteem; refrain from the putting forth of the finger, imagining evil, and using their influence to weaken, oppress, and destroy. If men will not come to the terms made by the leading workers, they will not entertain them, they do not care what results may follow their injustice. With them it is rule or ruin. God has not appointed any man to do such work. And no human being shall be permitted to prescribe my liberty or intrench upon the perfect freedom of my brethren, without hearing my voice lifted in protest against it." RH, July 23, 1895.

Rebuttal Number 2

E.G.W., Let Both Grow Together, Review & Herald, Jan. 3 & 10, 1893.

"The spirit that instigates accusation and condemnation in the church which results in uprooting those that are looked upon as evildoers, has manifested itself in seeking to correct wrongs through the civil power. This is Satan’s own method for bringing the world under his dominion; but the Lord Jesus Christ has given us no such example for thus dealing with the erring. God has been misrepresented through the church by this very way of dealing with heretics; He has been represented as the one who empowered the church to do these wicked things.

"Those who have differed from the established doctrines have been imprisoned, put to torture and to death, because the dignitaries of the church could not endure those who dissented from ideas which these leaders deemed to be true. Satan himself is the sower of tares; but even though he is the sower of them, they are not to be rooted up, lest by chance the wheat be rooted up with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and the harvest is the end of probationary time. Fiendish zeal has been manifested in excluding dissenters from the fellowship of the church, and passing upon them the sentence of excommunication by which the Roman Church asserted its power of excluding them from all possibility of entering heaven.

"How does Heaven look upon such things? With what amazement do angels hear men judging and condemning their brethren, causing them most cruel suffering of body and mind, and claiming that they do it under the sanction of God? Instead of being under the leadership of Christ, they are following the leadership of Satan. Paul at one time pursued this course, actually believing that he was doing God service; but Jesus spoke to him, and told him that in persecuting His saints he was persecuting Him. All persecution, all force employed to compel conscience, is after Satan’s own order; and those who carry out these designs are his agents to execute his hellish purpose. In following Satan’s cruel proposals, in becoming his agents, men become the enemies of God and His church, and will be judged in that great day by that man whom God hath ordained; for He hath committed all judgment into the hands of His Son." RH, Jan. 10, 1893. Also see Brotherly Love Needed, RH, Oct. 24 & 31, 1893.

"Those who have sought unjustly to ruin their fellow men, who have taken man, soul and body, under their control, will have an account to render to God. Some in [the Richardson church] have sought to guide and control God’s human instrumentalities. God says, They are Mine, Mine to work, Mine to impress, Mine to imbue with My Spirit, Mine to use to My name’s glory. I give to every human being opportunities to use and improve his abilities and talents, to advance My work, to proclaim My righteousness in the earth. How dare you dictate and seek to control My chosen instrumentalities?" 17MR 197.

"The great work for this time demands that men shall go everywhere, nigh and afar off, into the highways and hedges, to diffuse light, holding forth the words of life. Has God laid upon one man or a council of men to take this work into their hands, as though the workers, God’s own property, were to be under their control?

"The business connected with the work of God in any and every branch requires men who are working in harmony with God, for power and success in the work can be attained only through the cooperation of the human and the divine. Without the best of evidence that one understands heavenly and eternal things, he should not be authorized to minister in matters connected with the work that concerns the salvation of souls for whom Christ has died. Unsanctified hands and brains have had altogether too much power entrusted to them, and very unwise moves have been made, that are not in accordance with the will and ways of God.

"No man is a proper judge of another man’s duty. Man is responsible to God; and as finite, erring men take into their hands the jurisdiction of their fellowmen, as if the Lord commissioned them to lift up and cast down, all heaven is filled with indignation. There are strange principles being established in regard to the control of the minds and works of men, by human judges, as though these finite men were gods.

"And how is it with some who are bearing these sacred responsibilities? Men who are not spiritually minded, who are not consecrated to God, have no commission to perform, nor authority to exercise, in regard to the willing or doing of their fellowmen. But unless men are daily in communion with God, instead of seeking Him with all their heart for a fitness for the work, they will assume the power of dictation over the conscience of others. A sense of the divine presence would awe and subdue the soul, but this they have not. Without the love of God burning in the soul, love to men grows cold. Their hearts are not touched at the sight of human woe. Selfishness has left its defiling imprint on life and character, and some will never lose this image and superscription.

"Is the working of the cause of God to be entrusted to such hands? Are souls for whom Christ has died, to be manipulated at the will of men who have refused the light given them of heaven? We should be afraid of man-made laws, and of plans and methods that are not in accordance with the principles of the word of God concerning man’s relation to his fellow. ‘All ye are brethren.’

"The present order of things must change, or the wrath of God will fall upon His instrumentalities that are not working in Christ’s lines. Has God given any one of you a commission to lord it over His heritage? This kind of work has been coming in for years. God sees it all, and He is displeased with it. When men come in between God and His human agents, they dishonor God and wrong the souls of those who need true encouragement and sympathy and love. I am constrained to appeal to our workers: Whatever your position, do not depend on men, or make flesh your arm." TM 348-350.

"Many have given abundant evidence of their selfishness. They have placed themselves as judges, to judge their fellow men. Yet their cruelty and injustice have not been sufficiently discerned to enable those connected with them to see to what a pass we are coming. God is displeased. His anger is kindled against the men who have acted as gods. Like the Jews, they have been loading the cloud of vengeance, which must at last break upon them. Unless they shall now understand that the souls of men are not given into their hand, that they cannot act out their selfish, avaricious covetousness under the plea that it is for the cause of God, there will be no remedy for them." 17MR 206.

"When a man in a position of responsibility grows in self-sufficiency, and lifts up his soul unto vanity, feeling the inclination to act as ruler toward any member of God’s family, wait no longer, relieve him of his trust; for God is not with him. He will hurt souls. He is venturing a warfare at his own charges. He feels capable of doing a great work without Christ’s help. He will exalt himself as a man of superior wisdom, who must be highly esteemed. He thinks that his brethren must do as he decides. God is given no chance to work; for he will tell what this one shall do with his talents and what place that man must occupy, as if he were God. He will take it upon him to lord it over God’s heritage. It is not safe to keep any such one in the work in which eternal interests are involved; for he will mingle selfishness, injustice, and unrighteousness with his service. He is a backslider from right principles, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from iniquity." 17MR 203-204.

"Be sure men are not chosen to act on your councils who have withstood the Spirit of God and have opposed truth and righteousness." 1888, p. 911.

"I call upon God’s people to open their eyes. When you sanction or carry out the decisions of men who, as you know, are not in harmony with truth and righteousness, you weaken your own faith and lose your relish for communion with God." TM 91.

"There are fearful woes for those who preach the truth, but are not sanctified by it, and also for those who consent to receive and maintain the unsanctified to minister to them in word and doctrine." 1T 261-262.

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"Those who begin their Christian life by being half and half, will at last be found enlisted on the enemy’s side, whatever may have been their first intentions. ...

"Double-minded men and women are Satan’s best allies. Whatever favorable opinions they may have of themselves, they are dissemblers. All who are loyal to God and the truth must stand firmly for the right because it is right. To yoke up with those who are unconsecrated, and yet be loyal to the truth, is simply impossible. We cannot unite with those who are serving themselves, who are working on worldly plans, and not lose our connection with the heavenly Counselor. We may recover ourselves from the snare of the enemy, but we are bruised and wounded, and our experience is dwarfed." RH, April 19, 1898.

"God has important lessons for his people to learn. Had these lessons been learned before, his cause would not be where it is today. One thing must be done. The truth is not to be withheld from ministers or men in positions of responsibility for fear of incurring their displeasure. There are to be connected with our institutions men who with meekness and in wisdom will declare the whole counsel of God. God’s wrath is kindled against those who in carnal security and pride have shown contempt for his management. They are endangering the prosperity of the cause." KC 106.

"Only those who have been trained in the knowledge and fear of God should be chosen to take responsibilities. Those who have been long in the truth, yet who cannot distinguish between the pure principles of righteousness and the principles of evil, whose understanding in regard to justice, mercy, and the love of God is beclouded, should be relieved of responsibility." KC 105.

"Here are the very words that we want to bring into our life practice. The men that have long stood in positions of trust while disregarding the light that God has given, are not to be depended upon. God wants them to be removed." 1888, p. 1745-1746.

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"The church as a whole is in a degree responsible for the wrongs of its individual members because they countenance the evil in not lifting up their voice against it." 4T 491.

The Spirit Of Prophecy Abundantly Fulfilled

"God gives men the light, but many are filled with a self-sufficient, masterly spirit; and they strive by carrying out their own ideas to reach a height where they will be as God. They place their mind first, as if God must serve with them. Herein lies the danger in this: Unless God shall in some way make these men understand that He is God, and that they are to serve Him, human inventions will be brought in that will lead away from Bible truth, notwithstanding all the cautions that have been given." 14MR 101-102.

The Most Basic Point About Justification By Faith

Answers To Questions

"Several have written to me, inquiring if the message of justification by faith is the third angel’s message, and I have answered, ‘It is the third angel’s message in verity.’ " 1SM 372.

"Christ says, ‘Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.’ ‘Take My yoke upon you.’ Will we do this? Will we wear the yoke of Christ? Will we be renewed in the spirit of our mind, and daily strive to cultivate humility and childlike simplicity, willing to be the least of all, and the servant of all? Without this spirit our life is not hid with Christ in God. The self-importance which many manifest is exactly opposite to the meekness and lowliness of Christ. Those who think least of self and exalt Jesus most, will be greatest in the kingdom of heaven." 15MR 196.

"Do Not Fail To Look Upon Yourself As A Sinner In The Sight Of God." ST, Dec. 1, 1890.

"Are you in Christ? Not if you do not acknowledge yourselves erring, helpless, condemned sinners. Not if you are exalting and glorifying self. If there is any good in you, it is wholly attributable to the mercy of a compassionate Saviour. Your birth, your reputation, your wealth, your talents, your virtues, your piety, your philanthropy, or anything else in you or connected with you, will not form a bond of union between your soul and Christ. Your connection with the church, the manner in which your brethren regard you, will be of no avail unless you believe in Christ. It is not enough to believe about Him; you must believe in Him. You must rely wholly upon His saving grace." 5T 48-49.

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a little child and had him stand among them. And He said: ‘Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me." (Mt 18:1-5).

"Nothing is more essential to communion with God than the most profound humility. ‘I dwell,’ says the High and Holy One, ‘with him that is contrite and of a humble spirit.’ While you are so eagerly striving to be first, remember that you will be last in the favor of God, if you fail to cherish a meek and lowly spirit. Pride of heart will cause many to fail where they might have made a success. ‘Before honor is humility, and the humble in spirit is greater than the proud in spirit.’ ‘When Ephraim spake tremblingly, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.’ ‘Many are called, but few chosen.’ Many hear the invitation of mercy, are tested and proved; but few are sealed with the seal of the living God. Few will humble themselves as a little child, that they may enter the kingdom of Heaven." PH117 p. 25.

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