Let us take the very specific situation that generally prompts the question before us. Some observe that the Bible permits meat eating but that Mrs. White urges abstinence from it. Therefore, they believe that Mrs. White’s counsel is extrascriptural and thus not binding on us. But the Bible also permits slavery—and atheists keep us reminded of that fact. Nor do the apostles raise their voices calling on masters to free their slaves, or rallying slaves to revolt. And atheists keep us reminded of that also. But what of Mrs. White? From almost the beginning of her public life she thundered against what she declared was the sin of slavery. Incidentally, even as she began to speak out there were almost half of the clergy in the United States who declared that slavery was a part of the divine plan and wholly justified by Scripture.WBEGW 110.2

Now was Mrs. White extrascriptural, simply offering us counsel that was “good,” or otherwise, depending on our personal mood in the matter? None of us would say so today. We would vigorously declare that she was setting forth the original plan of God as pictured in the story of Eden, and also pointing us forward to the ideal in the earth made new.WBEGW 111.1

Because God permits something, it does not follow that that is the ideal. Take, for example, the Mosaic permission for divorce. Christ declared that such permission was given because of the “hardness” of the hearts of the Israelites. But He immediately added that this was contrary to the original plan of God for man. (See Mark 10:2-9.) Christ’s words apply to all the permissives of Scripture that seem so strangely different from the original Edenic picture, or the ultimate picture of Eden restored. Our dim vision, our unheavenly heritage, and other factors explain the permissives. But such permissives do not warrant our concluding that Mrs. White does not offer us inspired instruction because, forsooth, she lifts our eyes above the permissives to the ideal. And should that not uniquely be the mark of a prophet who seeks to prepare us for the better world so soon to come? And in that better world, even as was true in original Eden, there will be no flesh eaters. “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 11:9).WBEGW 111.2

There is nothing extrascriptural in the advocacy of vegetarianism. That was the diet set down in Eden and will be the diet in Eden restored. And no permissives of Scripture change that fact. Remember that the permissives permit not only flesh but also strong drink, easy divorce, plural marriages—to mention some of the more startling. And these permissives reveal, not the standards of a gross God—as atheists charge—but the long-suffering and patience of a holy God. They certainly do not offer to us any permanent standard for life or any justification for living below the level of the light that has been revealed to us.WBEGW 111.3

Ever and anon God’s prophets seek to lift us to higher levels, to help us to set our “affection on things above” (Colossians 3:2). And in doing that they do not depart from all that Moses and the prophets wrote. They simply build for us steps of divine principles that would lead us above the sad level of permissives to the high level of the heavenly country.WBEGW 112.1

Does She Give Extrascriptural Counsels?

Reasons for Questions