Ministers in New York should have been far in advance of what they are. But they have not engaged in that kind of labor which called forth earnest effort and strong opposition. Had they done so they would have been driven to their Bibles and to prayer in order to be able to answer their opponents, and in the exercise of their talents would have doubled them. There are ministers in New York who have been preaching for years, but who cannot be depended upon to give a course of lectures. They are dwarfed. They have not exercised their minds in the study of the word and in meeting opposition, so that they might become strong in God. Had they, like faithful soldiers of the cross of Christ, gone forth “without the camp,” depending upon God and their own energies, rather than leaning so heavily upon their brethren, they would have obtained an experience, and would now be qualified to engage in the work wherever their help is most needed. If the ministers generally in New York had left the churches to labor for themselves, and had not stood in their way, both churches and ministers would now be further advanced in spirituality and in the knowledge of the truth. {3T 49.3}

Prædikanter i New York bør være meget længere fremme end de er. Men de har ikke engageret sig i den slags arbejde som kræver alvorlige anstrengelser og giver stærk modstand. Havde de gjort dette ville de være drevet til deres bibler og til bøn for at kunne svare deres modstandere igen og ved at bruge deres talenter ville de opdobles. Der er prædikanter i New York som har forkyndt i årevis, men som ikke kan blive betroet at holde en foredragsrække. De er dværge. De har ikke brugt tankerne på at studere ordet og imødekomme modstand, så at de kan blive stærke i Gud. Havde de, ligesom Kristi kors trofaste soldater, gået frem »uden for lejren,« stolt på Gud og deres egen styrke, hellere end at læne (50) sig så tungt op af deres brødre, ville de have opnået en erfaring og ville nu være rustet til at gå ind i arbejdet hvor deres hjælp behøvedes mest. Hvis prædikanter i almindelighed i New York havde ladet menighederne arbejde for sig selv og havde de ikke stået i deres vej, ville både menighederne og prædikanterne nu være længere fremme i åndelig henseende og i sandhedens kundskab.