Every attempt to resolve the problems associated with the doctrine of
the sanctuary has been aborted by the protest that Sister White had confirmed
it. In his Glacier View treatise Dr. Ford explains his concept of her role
in the church and the relationship of her writings to the Bible. He says
that he "found Christ through the writings of Ellen G. White" and was influenced
by her "more than any other writer since John the Apostle."109 She
led him "to Christ and His Word as supreme in all things."110
He thanks God for the spiritual help he finds in her writings, and acknowledges
her as one of God's greatest saints, specially raised up and
endowed to lead the weak and needy remnant into areas of service allotted by the counsels of heaven.
"What type of people would we be if we followed the counsels of Ellen
G. White?" Ford asks, and replies: "One word answers--saints."112 His conservative
life style as a Seventh-day Adventist is a living demonstration of
the pattern provided by the Bible and her writings.
Of Ellen White's role as God's special messenger to the church today
Ford writes that she "was a special messenger to the remnant, entrusted with
the gift of prophecy":113
Her inspiration should be defined in the terms she herself used as "for
practical purposes," "imperfect," not reflecting God "in logic, rhetoric,"
etc., not infallible or inerrant, but reliable for the divine purposes.114
It is ignorance of the true nature of inspiration that has caused many
problems for Seventh-day Adventists. Our leaders at the 1919 Bible conference recognized this fact.115
[At the 1919 Bible conference] our church leaders . . . while loyal to
Ellen G. White, . . . stressed that a crisis would come if we did not
inform our people on the true nature of her inspiration. That crisis
now confronts us.116
Only a better understanding of the nature of inspiration can save this
church from constant internal turmoil.
In 1942 M. L. Andreasen wrote to J. L. McElhaney, president of the General
Conference, and W. H. Branson, a vice president: "The ever-present
question of the position which Sister White should hold among us is a prolific
cause of difficulty."117 Of the relationship of her writings to the
Bible Ford comments:
Ellen G. White is not our authority [in doctrinal matters]. That position
only Scripture can hold. To divert from "the Bible and the Bible
only" as the "sole bond of unison" and our only "creed," would be to
cease to be either Biblical or Protestant, and could only result in
splitting this church down the middle.118
Ellen G. White certainly never claimed to be the final arbiter regarding
the meaning of any passage of Scripture. . . . By and large the conclusions
of the scholars of this church are that the writings of Ellen G. White
are for the purposes listed in 1 Cor. 14:3 [upbuilding, encouragement,
and consolation] rather than for the purpose of exegesis.119
Let us build our framework of truth solely on the Word, but use with
gratitude the counsels from His Spirit conveyed through Ellen G. White
in these latter days, prophetic counsel meant to be for "upbuilding and
encouragement and consolation."120
"As for me," Ford concludes, "I must make Scripture the sole basis of
doctrine."121 Ellen White "never claimed to occupy the position of a definitive
commentary upon Scripture. . . . many of her applications were pastoral
and homiletic rather than exegetical."122 He cites passages where her
comments "are quite insupportable from the text itself, but appropriate for
homiletic use. In many instances we find different applications of the same
Scriptures."123 Ford
feels he honors her most if he accepts her own understanding of her
inspiration and position, and therefore makes the Bible and the Bible
only the source of his understanding of all doctrines binding upon the
church.124
Our major error has been to make the writings of E. G. White have veto
power over Scripture. . . . Repeatedly, her writingss have been misused
to prevent progress in understanding Bible truth.115
Let us take the writings of Ellen G. White, confident that God has spoken
through her in a way He has not spoken through us, and acknowledge
them as light, though a lesser light when compared with Holy Writ.126
Ellen White's own statements on the relationship of her writings to the
Bible clearly support Ford's position:
The Bible, and the Bible alone, is to be our creed, the sole bond of
union; all who bow to this Holy Word will be in harmony. . . . Let us
lift up the banner on which is inscribed, The Bible our rule of faith
and discipline.127
The testimonies of Sister White should not be carried to the front.
God's Word is the unerring standard. The Testimonies are not to take
the place of the Word. . . . Let all prove their position from the
Scriptures and substantiate every point they claim as truth from the
revelaed Word of God. . . . Never do we want any soul to bring in the
Testimonies ahead of the Bible.128
I request that my writings shall not be used as the leading argument to
settle questions over which there is now so much controversy [the
daily]. I entreat Elders H, I, and J, and others of our leading
brethren, that they make no reference to my writings to sustain their
views of "the daily." . . . I cannot consent that any of my writings
shall be taken as settling this matter.
I now ask that my ministering brethren shall not make use of my writings
in their arguments regarding this question; for I have no instruction on
the point under discussion, and I see no need for the controversy. Regarding
this matter under present conditions, silence 1s eloquence.129
I do not ask you to take my words. Lay Sister White to one side. Do
not quote my words again as long as you live until you can obey the Bible...
I exalt the precious Word before you today. Do not repeat
what I have said, saying, "Sister White said this," and "Sister White
said that." Find out what the Lord God of Israel says, and then do what
He commands.130
In further support of his position on Ellen White's relation to the Bible
Ford quotes A. G. Daniells, then president of the General Conference, at
the 1919 Bible Conference:
It is not our position, and it is not right that the spirit of prophecy
is the only safe interpreter of the Bible. That is a false doctrine, a
false view. It will not stand. . . . It is a terrible position to take!
That is false, it is error. It is positively dangerous! [To understand
the Bible] only as we get the interpretation through the spirit of
prophecy . . . is heathenish!131
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