第27章 致 R. A. 安德伍德
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第27章 致 R. A. 安德伍德
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Chapter 27—To R. A. Underwood
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《信函》1889年第3号U-3-891889年1月26日写于美国首都华盛顿
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Washington, D.C., January 26, 1889,
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亲爱的安德伍德弟兄：
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Dear Brother Underwood,
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我们昨晚抵达这里。威利因为不便没有同我们一道来，他今天才到。波尔顿姊妹陪着我。{1888 251.1}
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We arrived here last evening. Willie could not accompany us conveniently. He comes today. Sister Bolton accompanied me. {1888 251.1}
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感谢天父祂赐我健康的身体，但在一切之上我最珍视的乃是那位赐福的安慰者。祂的平安，祂的安息，祂的爱在我心中。{1888 251.2}
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I thank my heavenly Father that He has given me a good decree of health, but that which I prize above everything else is the blessed comforter, His peace, His rest, His love in my heart. {1888 251.2}
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我到达布道区时发现了两封信，一封是你写的，另一封是某弟兄写的，提到我们到访某地的事。我的弟兄，你非常清楚自己在明尼阿波利斯会议上是怎么看待我和我工作的。我一直没有改变我对我们传道弟兄的状况所持的态度和观点。我在那次会议上所做的见证与我在那次会议前后所作的见证是一样的。上帝在当时以一种特殊的方式将祂的灵赐给我，但我向你传达信息时对我的职责毫无疑问；然而你并没有认出真牧人藉着祂仆人说话的声音。我一再对那些聚集的人清晰有力地作见证，但人们不接受。我来到巴特尔克里克时，曾当着巴特勒长老的面重复了相同的见证，但没有一个人敢站在我一边帮助巴特勒长老看清他以及其他人采取了错误的立场，误解了我的话，对我的立场和工作持错误的观点。巴特勒长老在听了参加明尼波尼斯会议的传道弟兄所作的各种汇报之后，偏见更为严重了。巴特勒长老写信告诉我说，我在那次会议上的态度使与会的一些传道弟兄大为伤心。{1888 251.3}
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I found on reaching the mission two letters, one from yourself, and one from Brother ----- in reference to our coming to -----. My Brother, you well understand your position in reference to me and my work while in the conference at Minneapolis. There has been no change in my ideas and views of the condition of things among our ministering brethren. The testimony I bore in that conference is the same testimony I have borne before and since that conference convened. The Lord imparted His spirit to me in a special manner on that occasion, but I have not had one question in reference to my duty in bearing to you the message I did; but you did not recognize the voice of the true shepherd speaking through his servant. Again and again did I bear my testimony to those assembled, in a clear and forcible manner, but that testimony was not received. When I came to Battle Creek, I repeated the same testimony in the presence of Elder Butler, but there was not one who had the courage to stand 252by my side and help Elder Butler to see that he, as well as others, had taken wrong positions, and had misapprehended my words, and had false ideas in reference to my position and work. The prejudice of Elder Butler was greater after hearing the various reports from our ministering brethren at that meeting in Minneapolis. Elder Butler presented the matter before me in a letter stating that my attitude at that conference just about broke the hearts of some of our ministering brethren at that meeting. {1888 251.3}
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我不想说更多的细节，但你必须知道我并没有改变观点和立场。我对问题的看法在明尼阿波利斯已经对你说得很清楚了。我在思想，精神和信心上没有改变。因为人们所表达和流传的观点，通过信件从会上传出来，之后又传播出去，我就在明尼阿波利斯和巴特尔克里克凭过去45年的工作和经验在你们面前作了声明。但是既然有些弟兄以自己的眼光看待我，认为我的判断并不比任何别人以及任何未蒙召从事这项特殊工作之人的判断更有价值，认为我是受了我儿子威利和其他一些人的影响，为什么你们还要派人去请怀姐妹来参加你们的帐篷大会或特别会议呢？我不能来。我不能给你们带来任何益处，这只会愚弄上帝所加给我的神圣职责。{1888 252.1}
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I will not state any further particulars, but you will need to know that I have not changed my ideas, or my position. The way I viewed things I plainly stated to you at Minneapolis. I am the same in mind, in spirit and in faith. Because of the ideas that had been started and were prevailing, being sent by letters from the conference and afterwards reported, I stated by experience and work for the last forty five years before you at Minneapolis and Battle Creek. But since some of my brethren hold me in the light they do, that my judgment is of no more value than that of any other, or of one who has not been called to this special work, and that I am subject to the influence of my son Willie, or of some others, why do you send for Sister White to attend your camp-meetings or special meetings? I cannot come. I could not do you any good, and it would only be trifling with the sacred responsibilities the Lord has laid upon me. {1888 252.1}
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你只字未提说你的立场和观点已有改变，或者说你对我和我的工作已有不同的看法了。若是我应你的要求前来，你我的观点不一致，你我的劝导也不一致，明尼阿波利斯的精神和态度岂不会重演吗？若是你我的观点能保持一致并执行你真心希望我完成的工作路线，怀姐妹的见证就会大有用处了。若是主给我一点暗示说祂让我到你这里来，我会非常乐意顺从；因为遵行祂圣洁的旨意胜于我日用的饮食。但我目前看不出我这样做如何来荣耀主。你和他人在巴特勒长老面前对我工作的错误评价所导致的误会，你做出什么努力予以纠正了吗？我想我的弟兄们在期望主藉怀姐妹赐亮光给他们以前有一番工作要做，因为他们曾忽略了她的证言，轻视了主所赐给她的工作。我有一项工作要为那些愿意得帮助的人去做，即使所赐的亮光与他们的想法并不一致。他们会看出亮光是来自上帝的，因为他们有主喜悦在过去的四十五年藉着祂卑微的器皿所作之工的果子。他们承认这工作是出于上帝，所以乐于纠正他们的想法，改变他们的作为。但是那些希望保持和保留自己的想法，并且因为受到纠正，就断定怀姐妹是受了影响才采取与他们想法不一致的做法的人，却不能受益。他们随便论断她的证言，因为证言责备了他们的观念，纠正了他们的错误。我不认为这种朋友在艰难的处境，特别是在危机中，会有什么价值。如今你们知道我的心。我不希望以一种拙劣的方式去做主的工作。我希望知道责任是什么，并且与上帝之灵和谐一致地行动。{1888 252.2}
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You have not given me one word to intimate that your 253position or sentiments have changed, or that you viewed me or my work in a different light. If I should come in accordance with your call, and my ideas should not harmonize with your ideas, my counsel not be in accordance with your counsel, would not the same spirit and attitude manifested at Minneapolis be resumed? If I should harmonize with your ideas and carry forward the line of work you sincerely wish me to accomplish, great use would be made of Sister White’s testimony. If the Lord gives me the least intimation that He would have me come to you, I will cheerfully come; for it is more than my meat and drink to do his holy will. But I cannot see now how the Lord would be glorified in my doing this. Have you made any efforts to correct Brother Butler’s misapprehension through the false ideas that you and others presented to him in regard to my work? I think that my brethren have a work to do before they can expect the Lord to give them light through Sister White, for they have disregarded her testimony and shown contempt for the very work that the Lord has given her to do. I have a work to do for those who will be helped, even if the light given does not harmonize with their ideas. They will recognize the light from God, because they have the fruits of the work which the Lord has been pleased to do through his humble instrument in the last forty five years. They acknowledge this work to be of God, and are therefore willing to be corrected in their ideas and to change their course of action. But those who will maintain and retain their own 254ideas, and because they are corrected, conclude that Sister White is influenced to take a certain course of action which is not in harmony with their ideas, and they are at liberty to pass judgment against her testimony because it reproves their ideas and corrects their wrongs, could not be benefited. I would not consider such friends to be of any value in a hard place, especially in a crisis. Now you have my mind. I do not want to do the work of God in a bungling manner. I want to know what duty is and move in harmony with the spirit of God. {1888 252.2}
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让我随时对那些不信任我判断和忠告的弟兄发出指导和劝勉，岂不是浪费时间和精力。我应该对那些还未受偏见和不信所左右，还未采取坚决的立场使我的言语归于无效的人作工，我知道我的言语是上帝为他们的益处赐给我的。主的作为不可等闲视之。它并不是是而又非的，但在基督耶稣里都是“是的”和“阿门”的! 我不愿再有明尼阿波利斯那样的经历，除非主指示说这是我的责任。从那以后我并没有改变我的观点和态度。你改变了吗？若改变了，请告诉我。我不知道主会给我关于你的什么证言，但我必须讲出主所赐给我的话，因我不属于自己，我受制于我的主耶稣基督。祂在明尼阿波利斯给了我当说的话。我应该说出来，不管是否讨人的喜悦。我在人们面前讲话时，常常没有预先考虑我所说的话。上帝可能会赐给我祂看为合适为生灵的益处而赐下的督责、警告或鼓励。我会说这些话，而这些话可能切断我在真理里真诚敬爱的弟兄们的道路。我料到这些话会被不信的人歪曲误解，这对我来说没什么好奇怪的。但熟悉我的使命和我的工作的弟兄们若轻慢上帝赐给我要传的信息，就使祂的灵忧伤，也使我灰心。他们挑出证言中令他们喜悦的部分，解释成是证明他们自己的行为正当的，并且给人印象说他们所接受的那部分证言是上帝的声音，而当有些证言临到，谴责他们的做法，当所说的话不符合他们的意见和判断时，他们就羞辱上帝的工作，说：“这我们不接受。它只是怀姐妹的意见，并不比我的意见或其他任何一个人的意见更好。这样做羞辱了上帝，并使祂的灵担忧。{1888 254.1}
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For me to stand ready to advise and counsel my brethren who have no faith in my judgment and counsel, would be a waste of time and strength. Let me labor with those who have not been leavened with prejudice and unbelief, and who have not taken decided positions to make of none effect my words which I know were given me of God for their benefit. The Lord’s work is not to be trifled with. It is not yea and nay: but yea and amen in Christ Jesus. I wish not to subject myself to any such an experience as I had at Minneapolis unless the Lord shall signify to me that it is my duty. I have not changed in ideas or spirit since then. Have you changed? If so, please let me know. I know not what testimony the Lord may give me for you, and I should have to speak the word the Lord would give me, for I am not my own, I am under the control of my master, Jesus Christ. The words He gave me to speak at Minneapolis, I shall speak , 255whether it pleases or displeases. Frequently I do not anticipate saying the things I do say when I am speaking before the people. God may give me words of reproof, of warning, or encouragement as he sees fit, for the benefit of souls. I shall speak these words, and they may cut across the track of my brethren whom I sincerely love and respect in the truth. To have these words distorted, misapprehended by unbelievers, I expect, and it is no surprise to me, but to have my brethren who are acquainted with my mission and my work, trifle with the message that God gives me to bear, grieves His spirit, and it is discouraging to me. To have them pick out portions that please them in the testimonies which they construe to justify their own course of action and give the impression that that portion they accept as the voice of God, and then when other testimonies come that bring rebuke upon their course, when words are spoken that do not coincide with their opinions and judgment, they dishonor God’s work by saying, “Oh, this we do not accept. It is only Sister White’s opinion, and is no better than my opinion or that of any one else.” This is dishonoring to God and grievous to His spirit. {1888 254.1}
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我的道路被我的弟兄所阻碍。我接触不到上帝想接触和帮助的人。当我的弟兄们告诉我说，他们曾在误解我和我工作的情况下行动，现在愿意努力本着敬畏上帝之心，纠正他们在来到明尼阿波利斯前后对圣工的抵制，愿意尊敬和尊重上帝的灵藉着祂所拣选的任何人所作的工作时，我的工作就明确了，我就愿意做任何事情。但我不可以盲目行动而没有定见，却要智慧地行动。你现在已了解我的立场。我希望你能纠正错误的看法，看请问题。先写到这里吧。{1888 255.1}
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My way is hedged up by my brethren. I cannot reach the very ones God wants to reach and help. When my brethren tell me that they moved under a mistaken idea of me and my work, when they try, in the fear of God, to counteract the work they have done before coming to Minneapolis and since that time, and will give 256respect and honor to the work of the Spirit of God through whomsoever He will choose to work, then my work is clear and I will do any thing. But I must not move in blindness and in uncertainty, but intelligently. You now understand my position, and I hope you will make crooked things straight, and see clearly. I leave this matter now. {1888 255.1}
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愿上帝的平安与你同在。
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With much peace in God, I remain your sister in Christ. {1888 256.1}
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你基督里的姐妹怀爱伦敬上{1888 256.1}Ellen G. White.