"Avondale," Cooranbong, N. S. W., Jan. 16, 1896.

Dear Brethren Who Occupy Responsible Positions in the Work:--

The Lord has a controversy with you. I have no need to specify the reasons; you have had them laid open before you again and again. The clean hands, the pure, unselfish, holy purposes have not been brought into your practise, and the benediction of God has not come upon many of those who handle sacred things. The lifting up of the soul and speaking vanity, and the lifting up of men to manage their fellow men, body and soul, is all open before God, with whom we have to do. There is no man or set of men that can manage men. "All ye are brethren." The Holy Spirit of God alone can do this. When you, because of your position, supposed you could say the word, and it would be done just after your idea, you made a mistake. Truth, honor, and integrity have been compromised to gain certain advantages. Justice hath fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. {SpTA06 17.1}

Religious principles have been corrupted. We will either make more pure, noble, and holy the principles held by God's heritage, or else we will mislead by false proposition, unholy schemes, saying, "The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are" we. The work and cause of the Lord are sacred. There is to be no mingling of human, common, unholy fire with God's offering. This has been and is still being done; but the men are blind, and see not the result of their zealous efforts. The question is, Shall those who are called from place to place to act a part in the sacred work of God, use the fire of God's own kindling? or shall they use the common fire, of which not one spark should be used, to kindle the incense upon the censors which are offered to God? {SpTA06 17.2}

The spirit which was manifested to the believers by those who established the work in Battle Creek, led them to understand that there was no hidden closet. All was open and clear as the light of day. But the Lord's holy purpose has been grieved. Heaven has manifested its purpose to impart power to those who believe; and the Holy Spirit has been revealed. "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me." {SpTA06 18.1}