Some have been ready to say anything, to prefer any charge, against the servants of God, and to be jealous and faultfinding. And if they can find any instance where, in their zeal for the cause of God, they think ministers have spoken decidedly, and perhaps severely, they have been willing to make the most of their words, and have felt at liberty to cherish the most bitter, wicked spirit, and to charge the Lord’s servants with wrong motives. Let these faultfinders ask what they would have done under similar circumstances, bearing similar burdens. Let them look and search and condemn their own wrong, overbearing course and their own impatience and fretfulness; and when without sin themselves, let them cast the first stone of censure at the brethren who are trying to get them into working order. A holy God will not bring out souls to the truth to come under such an influence as has existed in the church. Our heavenly Father is too wise to bring souls into the truth to be molded by the influence of these men who are unconsecrated in heart and life. These men are not in harmony with the truth. They are not in union with the body, but are drawing off from the church. They are working at cross purposes with those whom God is using to bring souls into the truth. {4T 238.1}

Nogle har været hurtige at sige noget, give en beskyldning, mod Guds tjenere og være skinsyge og kritiske. Og kunne de finde en anledning hvor de, i deres iver for Guds sag, mener at prædikanter har talt bestemt og måske strengt, så de pludselig ville skælde ud, gemme på den største bitterhed og anklage Herrens tjenere for forkerte motiver. Lad disse kværulanter spørge, hvad de ville have gjort under lignende omstændigheder og med lignende byrder på sig. Lad dem se, ransage og fordømme deres egen fejl, undertrykke opførsel og deres egen selvstændighed og irritabelhed; og da uden at synde selv, kaste den første kritik-sten på brødre, som vil have dem i arbejds-orden. En hellig Gud vil ikke bringe sjæle ud til sandheden, for at de skal komme under den påvirkning, der har hersket i menigheden. Vor himmelske Fader er for viis til at bringe sjæle ind i sandheden, for at blive formet af disse mænds indflydelse, som er uhelliget i hjerte og liv. Disse mænd er ikke i overensstemmelse med sandheden. De er ikke i forening med legemet, men trækkes væk fra menigheden. De arbejder på tværs af dem, Gud bruger til at bringe sjæle til sandheden.