Spalding and Magan's Unpublished Manuscript Testimonies - Ellen G. White

establishing a school at Battle Creek that should
not pattern after any school in existence. We were
to have teachers who would keep their souls in the
love and fear of God. Teachers were to educate in
spiritual things, to prepare a people to stand in the
trying crisis before us; but there has been a
departure from God's plan in many ways. The
amusements are doing more to counteract the
working of the Holy Spirit than anything else, and
the Lord is grieved. ...
I am alarmed for you at Battle Creek. Teachers
are very exact in visiting with denunciations and
punishments those students who violate the
slightest rules, not from any vicious purpose, but
heedlessly; or circumstances occur which make it
no sin for them to deviate from rules which have
been made, and which should not be held with
inflexibility if transgressed, and yet the person in
fault is treated as if he had grievously sinned. Now
I want you to consider, teachers, where you stand,
and deal with yourselves, and pronounce judgment
against yourselves; for you have not only infringed
the rules, you have been so sharp, so severe upon
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