MR No. 214—Materials Relating to Seventh-day Adventists and Their Institutions and Confederacies and Labor Unions
[.]4MR 67.1
In 1911 Ellen White defined the term “confederacy” as she employed it:4MR 67.2
“The question has been asked, What do you mean by a confederacy? Who have formed confederacies? You know what a confederacy is—a union of men in a work that does not bear the stamp of pure, straightforward, unswerving integrity.”—Manuscript 29, 1911, in The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 4:1142.4MR 67.3
In another statement she explained that “association does not mean confederacy.” Here are her words written to a young minister:4MR 67.4
“Do not feel that you are to be found in any way or necessarily to confederate with unbelievers. It is well always for ministers to make friendly visits with ministers and to seek by that friendly acquaintance to disarm opposition. The same with the physician. There is too much keeping apart with association with both parties. But association does not mean confederacy. You must not confederate with unbelievers or give them preference to our own people.”—Letter 107b, 1900, p. 1. (.)4MR 67.5