George I. Butler Confession

Uriah Smith was not alone in coming to see the need of making confessions and coming into the light. Among others was George I. Butler, who soon after the Minneapolis session retired in Florida. In the summer of 1893 he sent to the Review and Herald for publication a significant communication in which he reviewed his experience.3BIO 473.5

I fully believe that God has blessed greatly to the good of His people and the cause the greater agitation of the doctrines of justification by faith, the necessity of appropriating Christ's righteousness by faith in order to our salvation, and the civil and religious liberty principles now so much dwelt upon....3BIO 473.6

I am well satisfied that additional light of great importance has been shining upon these subjects, and fully believe that God has greatly blessed it to the good of those who have accepted it....3BIO 473.7

I hope never to despair, never to fall out by the way. Christ seems very precious to me, the best Friend by far I ever had. My heart burns within me many times to be able yet to bring souls to the truth. I hope yet to labor again in some humble way in His vineyard.—The Review and Herald, June 13, 1893.3BIO 474.1

Butler did labor actively again. Released from the care of his invalid wife by her death late in 1901, he was soon drawn into administrative work, first in Florida and then in the newly organized Southern Union Conference.3BIO 474.2