THE　GREAT　CONTROVERSY
  by　ELLEN　G。　WHITE
  （iii）
  PREFACE
  THIS　BOOK；　READER；　IS　NOT　PUBLISHED　TO　TELL　US　THAT　THERE　IS　SIN　AND　WOE　AND
  MISERY　IN　THIS　WORLD。　WE　KNOW　IT　ALL　TOO　WELL。　THIS　BOOK　IS　NOT　PUBLISHED　TO
  TELL　US　THAT　THERE　IS　AN　IRRECONCILABLE　CONTROVERSY　BETWEEN　DARKNESS　AND
  LIGHT；　SIN　AND　RIGHTEOUSNESS；　WRONG　AND　RIGHT；　DEATH　AND　LIFE。　IN　OUR　HEART
  OF　HEARTS　WE　KNOW　IT；　AND　KNOW　THAT　WE　ARE　PARTICIPATORS；　ACTORS；　IN　THE
  CONFLICT。
  BUT　TO　EVERY　ONE　OF　US　COMES　AT　TIMES　A　LONGING　TO　KNOW　MORE　OF　THE　GREAT
  CONTROVERSY。　HOW　DID　THE　CONTROVERSY　BEGIN？　OR　WAS　IT　ALWAYS　HERE？　WHAT
  ELEMENTS　ENTER　INTO　ITS　AWFULLY　COMPLEX　ASPECT？　HOW　AM　I　RELATED　TO　IT？　WHAT
  IS　MY　RESPONSIBILITY？　I　FIND　MYSELF　IN　THIS　WORLD　BY　NO　CHOICE　OF　MY　OWN？
  DOES　THAT　MEAN　TO　ME　EVIL　OR　GOOD？
  WHAT　ARE　THE　GREAT　PRINCIPLES　INVOLVED？　HOW　LONG　WILL　THE　CONTROVERSY
  CONTINUE？　WHAT　WILL　BE　ITS　ENDING？　WILL　THIS　EARTH　SINK；　AS　SOME　SCIENTISTS
  SAY；　INTO　THE　DEPTHS　OF　A　SUNLESS；　FROZEN；　ETERNAL　NIGHT？　OR　IS　THERE　A
  BETTER　FUTURE？
  THE　QUESTION　COMES　CLOSER　STILL：　HOW　MAY　THE　CONTROVERSY　IN　MY　OWN　HEART；
  THE　STRIFE　BETWEEN　INFLOWING　SELFISHNESS　AND　OUTGOING　LOVE；　BE　SETTLED　IN
  THE　VICTORY　OF　GOOD；　AND　SETTLED　FOREVER？　WHAT　DOES　THE　BIBLE　SAY？　WHAT　HAS
  GOD　TO　TEACH　US　ABOUT　THIS　ETERNALLY　IMPORTANT　QUESTION？
  IT　IS　THE　AIM　OF　THIS　BOOK；　READER；　TO　HELP　THE　TROUBLED　SOUL　TO　A　RIGHT
  SOLUTION　OF　ALL　THESE　PROBLEMS。　IT　IS　WRITTEN　BY　ONE　WHO　HAS　TASTED　AND
  FOUND　THAT　GOD　IS　GOOD；　AND　WHO　HAS　LEARNED　IN　COMMUNION　WITH　GOD　AND　THE
  STUDY　OF　HIS　WORD　THAT　THE　SECRET　OF　THE　LORD　IS　WITH　THEM　THAT　FEAR　HIM；
  AND　THAT　HE　WILL　SHOW　THEM　HIS　COVENANT。
  THAT　WE　MAY　BETTER　UNDERSTAND　THE　PRINCIPLES　OF　THE　ALL…IMPORTANT
  CONTROVERSY；　IN　WHICH　THE　LIFE　OF　A　UNIVERSE　IS　INVOLVED；　THE　AUTHOR　HAS　SET
  IT　BEFORE　US　IN　GREAT；　CONCRETE　OBJECT　LESSONS　OF　THE　LAST　TWENTY　CENTURIES。
  THE　BOOK　OPENS　WITH　THE　SAD　CLOSING　SCENES　OF　JERUSALEM'S　HISTORY；　THE　CITY
  OF　GOD'S　CHOSEN；　AFTER　HER　REJECTION　OF　THE
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  MAN　OF　CALVARY；　WHO　CAME　TO　SAVE。　THENCE　ONWARD　ALONG　THE　GREAT　HIGHWAY　OF
  THE　NATIONS；　IT　POINTS　US　TO　THE　PERSECUTIONS　OF　GOD'S　CHILDREN　IN　THE　FIRST
  CENTURIES；　THE　GREAT　APOSTASY　WHICH　FOLLOWED　IN　HIS　CHURCH；　THE
  WORLD…AWAKENING　OF　THE　REFORMATION；　IN　WHICH　SOME　OF　THE　GREAT　PRINCIPLES　OF
  THE　CONTROVERSY　ARE　CLEARLY　MANIFEST；　THE　AWFUL　LESSON　OF　THE　REJECTION　OF
  RIGHT　PRINCIPLES　BY　FRANCE；　THE　REVIVAL　AND　EXALTATION　OF　THE　SCRIPTURES；
  AND　THEIR　BENEFICENT；　LIFE…SAVING　INFLUENCE；　THE　RELIGIOUS　AWAKENING　OF　THE
  LAST　DAYS；　THE　UNSEALING　OF　THE　RADIANT　FOUNTAIN　OF　GOD'S　WORD；　WITH　ITS
  WONDERFUL　REVELATIONS　OF　LIGHT　AND　KNOWLEDGE　TO　MEET　THE　BALEFUL　UPSPRINGING
  OF　EVERY　DELUSION　OF　DARKNESS。
  THE　PRESENT　IMPENDING　CONFLICT；　WITH　THE　VITAL　PRINCIPLES　INVOLVED；　IN　WHICH
  NO　ONE　CAN　BE　NEUTRAL；　IS　SIMPLY；　LUCIDLY；　STRONGLY；　SET　FORTH。
  LAST　OF　ALL；　WE　ARE　TOLD　OF　THE　ETERNAL　AND　GLORIOUS　VICTORY　OF　GOOD　OVER
  EVIL；　RIGHT　OVER　WRONG；　LIGHT　OVER　DARKNESS；　JOY　OVER　SORROW；　HOPE　OVER
  DESPAIR；　GLORY　OVER　SHAME；　LIFE　OVER　DEATH；　AND　EVERLASTING；　LONG…SUFFERING
  LOVE　OVER　VINDICTIVE　HATE。
  BEGINNING　WITH　ITS　FIRST　EDITION　（1888）；　FOLLOWED　BY　AN　AUTHOR'S　REVISION
  （1911）；　THIS　OUTSTANDING　WORK　HAS　ACHIEVED　WORLDWIDE　CIRCULATION　THROUGH
  MANY　EDITIONS　AND　TRANSLATIONS。　THE　READER　WILL　FIND　THAT　THE　AUTHOR　WRITES
  FRANKLY　AND　VIGOROUSLY；　POINTING　OUT　ERRORS　AND　SUGGESTING　SOLUTIONS　BASED
  ON　THE　INFALLIBLE　WORD　OF　GOD。　AND　EVEN　THOUGH　THE　LAST　FEW　DECADES　HAVE
  WITNESSED　SHIFTS　AND　ADJUSTMENTS　IN　THE　SOCIORELIGIOUS　WORLD；　THE　MAIN
  SCHEME　AND　THE　FUTURE　PROJECTIONS　PRESENTED　IN　THIS　BOOK　MAINTAIN　TODAY　FULL
  TIMELINESS　AND　ABSORBING　INTEREST。
  FORMER　EDITIONS　OF　THIS　BOOK　HAVE　BROUGHT　MANY　SOULS　TO　THE　TRUE　SHEPHERD；
  IT　IS　THE　PRAYER　OF　THE　PUBLISHER　THAT　THIS　EDITION　MAY　BE　EVEN　MORE
  FRUITFUL　OF　ETERNAL　GOOD。
  THE　PUBLISHERS。
  Introduction
  Before　the　entrance　of　sin；　Adam　enjoyed　open　communion　with　his　Maker；　but
  since　man　separated　himself　from　God　by　transgression；　the　human　race　has
  been　cut　off　from　this　high　privilege。　By　the　plan　of　redemption；　however；　a
  way　has　been　opened　whereby　the　inhabitants　of　the　earth　may　still　have
  connection　with　heaven。　God　has　communicated　with　men　by　His　Spirit；　and
  divine　light　has　been　imparted　to　the　world　by　revelations　to　His　chosen
  servants。　〃Holy　men　of　God　spake　as　they　were　moved　by　the　Holy　Ghost。〃　2
  Peter　1：21。
  During　the　first　twenty…five　hundred　years　of　human　history；　there　was　no
  written　revelation。　Those　who　had　been　taught　of　God；　communicated　their
  knowledge　to　others；　and　it　was　handed　down　from　father　to　son；　through
  successive　generations。　The　preparation　of　the　written　word　began　in　the
  time　of　Moses。　Inspired　revelations　were　then　embodied　in　an　inspired　book。
  This　work　continued　during　the　long　period　of　sixteen　hundred　yearsfrom
  Moses；　the　historian　of　creation　and　the　law；　to　John；　the　recorder　of　the
  most　sublime　truths　of　the　gospel。
  The　Bible　points　to　God　as　its　author；　yet　it　was　written　by　human　hands；
  and　in　the　varied　style　of　its　different　books　it　presents　the
  characteristics　of　the　several　writers。　The　truths　revealed　are　all　〃given
  by　inspiration　of　God〃　（2　Timothy　3：16）；　yet　they　are　expressed　in　the　words
  of　men。　The　Infinite　One　by　His　Holy　Spirit　has　shed　light　into　the　minds
  and　hearts　of　His　servants。　He　has　given　dreams　and　visions；　symbols　and
  figures；　and　those　to　whom　the　truth　was　thus　revealed　have　themselves
  embodied　the　thought　in　human　language。
  The　Ten　Commandments　were　spoken　by　God　Himself；　and　were　written　by　His　own
  hand。　They　are　of　divine；
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  and　not　of　human　composition。　But　the　Bible；　with　its　God…given　truths
  expressed　in　the　language　of　men；　presents　a　union　of　the　divine　and　the
  human。　Such　a　union　existed　in　the　nature　of　Christ；　who　was　the　Son　of　God
  and　the　Son　of　man。　Thus　it　is　true　of　the　Bible；　as　it　was　of　Christ；　that
  〃the　Word　was　made　flesh；　and　dwelt　among　us。〃　John　1：14。
  Written　in　different　ages；　by　men　who　differed　widely　in　rank　and
  occupation；　and　in　mental　and　spiritual　endowments；　the　books　of　the　Bible
  present　a　wide　contrast　in　style；　as　well　as　a　diversity　in　the　nature　of
  the　subjects　unfolded。　Different　forms　of　expression　are　employed　by
  different　writers；　often　the　same　truth　is　more　strikingly　presented　by　one
  than　by　another。　And　as　several　writers　present　a　subject　under　varied
  aspects　and　relations；　there　may　appear；　to　the　superficial；　careless；　or
  prejudiced　reader；　to　be　discrepancy　or　contradiction；　where　the　thoughtful；
  reverent　student；　with　clearer　insight；　discerns　the　underlying　harmony。
  As　presented　through　different　individuals；　the　truth　is　brought　out　in　its
  varied　aspects。　One　writer　is　more　strongly　impressed　with　one　phase　of　the
  subject；　he　grasps　those　points　that　harmonize　with　his　experience　or　with
  his　power　of　perception　and　appreciation；　another　seizes　upon　a　different
  phase；　and　each；　under　the　guidance　of　the　Holy　Spirit；　presents　what　is
  most　forcibly　impressed　upon　his　own　minda　different　aspect　of　the　truth
  in　each；　but　a　perfect　harmony　through　all。　And　the　truths　thus　revealed
  unite　to　form　a　perfect　whole；　adapted　to　meet　the　wants　of　men　in　all　the
  circumstances　and　experiences　of　life。
  God　has　been　pleased　to　communicate　His　truth　to　the　world　by　human
  agencies；　and　He　Himself；　by　His　Holy　Spirit；　qualified　men　and　enabled　them
  to　do　this　work。　He　guided　the　mind　in　the　selection　of　what　to　speak　and
  what　to　write。　The　treasure　was　entrusted　to　earthen　vessels；　yet　it　is；
  nonetheless；　from　Heaven。　The　testimony　is
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  conveyed　through　the　imperfect　expression　of　human　language；　yet　it　is　the
  testimony　of　God；　and　the　obedient；　believing　child　of　God　beholds　in　it　the
  glory　of　a　divine　power；　full　of　grace　and　truth。
  In　His　word；　God　has　committed　to　men　the　knowledge　necessary　for　salvation。
  The　Holy　Scriptures　are　to　be　accepted　as　an　authoritative；　infallible
  revelation　of　His　will。　They　are　the　standard　of　character；　the　revealer　of
  doctrines；　and　the　test　of　experience。　〃Every　scripture　inspired　of　God　is
  also　profitable　for　teaching；　for　reproof；　for　correction；　for　instruction
  which　is　in　righteousness；　that　the　man　of　God　may　be　complete；　furnished
  completely　unto　every　good　work。〃　2　Timothy　3：16；　17；　R。V。
  Yet　the　fact　that　God　has　revealed　His　will　to　men　through　His　word；　has　not
  rendered　needless　the　continued　presence　and　guiding　of　the　Holy　Spirit。　On
  the　contrary；　the　Spirit　was　promised　by　our　Saviour；　to　open　the　word　to
  His　servants；　to　illuminate　and　apply　its　teachings。　And　since　it　was　the
  Spirit　of　God　that　inspired　the　Bible；　it　is　impossible　that　the　teaching　of
  the　Spirit　should　ever　be　contrary　to　that　of　the　word。
  The　Spirit　was　not　givennor　can　it　ever　be　bestowed　to　supersede　the
  Bible；　for　the　Scriptures　explicitly　state　that　the　word　of　God　is　the
  standard　by　which　all　teachi