怀爱伦本卷的证言写于她旅居澳大利亚期间。除了偶然提到当地的情况之外，读者看不出作者是在国外写的，因为其中的教训是针对全世界的。然而赐给怀爱伦的启示对当时的问题和写作期间的圣工发展有着直接的影响。因此本卷有些话题针对这段时期澳大利亚园地所开展的各项工作，这是可以理解的。本卷的出版是在1900年末，怀爱伦返回美国不久。3.1
本卷题目的编排与前五卷不同。以前的证言最初是以小册子形式的勉言逐步提供给教会的。文章大部分按时间排列，几乎涉及基督徒经验和本会工作的所有方面。一至五卷是三十三本小册子的再版，因此没有改变原来的顺序。许多文章原是写给个人的信函，而后对教会发表，因为其中的教训也符合其他许多人的情况。一些文章涉及局部和具体的问题。有的观点重复出现，因为教会面临疏忽某项事工，或偏离某项标准的危险。一些重要的真理需要一再强调。这些证言在安息日复临信徒的生活和本会的工作中结出丰硕的果实。3.2
本卷是在卷五发行后的十一年出版的，采用了新的形式。本会的工作已经扩大到世界的范围，出现了各种需要和问题，要求在某些方面提供大量劝勉和指教。在很多情况下，要对早年的教训和勉言进行引申和重新强调。所以按题目编辑卷六的文章并不困难。3.3
为了协助创办了一所培训学校，怀爱伦于1891年应邀前往澳大利亚。她带头呼吁办学，帮助制订工作计划。这是一个新的领域，没有以往的经验影响计划的实施。在这种有利的环境下，加上预言之灵勉言的引导和保守，澳大利亚传道学院在一个落后的乡村地区建立起来了。澳大利亚的青年在阿奉代尔的这个培训中心获得了实用的教育，被派往本国的传道园地服务，并深入到遥远的南太平洋岛屿。阿奉代尔学校地处乡村，提供广泛的实用课程，加上其它的一些特征，成为一所模范的学校。关于如何办学的教训重新提了出来，以指导和规范这所学校，涉及选址，财务，课程，纪律和管理等细节。本卷收录了这些教训，让全球教会受益。4.1
怀爱伦到达澳大利亚海岸的时候，发现那里的工作已经有了一个良好的开端，但仍处于初级阶段。在提出和实施雄心勃勃的布道计划时，不仅传道士自己参加工作，不少传道人妻子也协助进行查经，有时还有讲道。举行了几次精心策划的帐棚布道会，接着小心进行后续的工作，来保护收成。有许多人悔改，受洗。组织了新的教会，设立了聚会的场所。4.2
预言之灵不仅影响了工作的规划，怀爱伦还积极参与讲道，个人工作，帮助新建教堂筹款。本卷收录了这方面工作的勉言。 5.1
在本卷的写作年代，安息日复临信徒有了更强的布道意识，开始以全球作为工作的园地。1890年在加利福尼亚州“皮特凯恩号”布道船的建造和下水，激发了青年人和老年人的理想，将人的注意力吸引到全球的布道计划上。有关“皮特凯恩号”号在南海群岛进行开拓性航行的报告，引起了广泛热烈的关注。5.2
不久书报员带着我们的书刊进入印度。1894年，我们在非洲的传道士把工作推进到非常原始的地区，建立了索卢西区会。这是我们在国外异教民族中建立的第一个区会。不久往南美也派遣了传道士。接着，怀爱伦旅居澳大利亚九年进行开拓工作，帮助安息日复临信徒将眼光关注世界各地，强调了本卷31页的劝勉：“我们的工作是向全世界各国，各族，各民，各方传讲第三位天使信息的救恩真理。”本卷经常提到各布道园地，包含了涉及人和工作方法的教训，以及针对各地工作的劝勉和鼓励。5.3
在本卷的写作年代中建立了许多学院和工人培训学校。这段时间的初期，内布拉斯加州林肯市的联合学院于1891年开学。1892年华盛顿州沃拉沃拉学院创立。其它学校在澳大利亚，南非和丹麦建立。1896年在科罗拉多州的博尔德，1897年丹麦和南非，1899年在马萨诸塞州的南兰开斯特分别开设了疗养院。新建了两家出版社，一家在1895年建于德国汉堡，另一家在1897年建于南美的布宜诺斯艾利斯。教会的小学也开始在各地开办。5.4
虽然曾多次警告本会不要建立庞大的中心，避免权力集中的倾向，但圣工的不断发展似乎要求本会设在密歇根州巴特尔克里克的总部增加人手和设施，甚至制定让本会的一些部门受战溪的集中控制。因此制订各部门工作计划的，不是那些在基层工作的人员，而主要是由巴特尔克里克总部来指导。这样做表面上提高了工作效率，但实际上给上帝圣工的效率和重要领导带来了严重的威胁。在九十年代，这些倾向迅速发展，但上帝按照自己的时间和方式予以制止。6.1
这段时期中在预言之灵勉言的影响下，本会全球工作管理的组织变化奠定了基础。在澳大利亚的有利环境下，圣工迅速开拓和发展，于是采取了步骤，把一些地方教会合并成联合会，从而确定了介于地方教会和全球总会之间的组织机构，使出现问题之地附近的工人团队能现场进行解决，从而减轻了总会在许多琐事上的负担。其结果令人鼓舞，不久就成为本会各地教会效仿的模式。6.2
在这段时期中，澳大利亚的医疗布道工作开始起步，在美国则是大发展阶段。开办了一所医学院，吸引了越来越多立志作医疗布道士的安息日复临青年。建立了新的分支机构，从战溪中心机构里获得指导，财力和人力。同时开展了大规模的工作，帮助堕落和不幸的人。但善工往往也有过分强调的危险，致使上帝圣工的全局失去平衡。作为传福音信息工作右臂的医疗布道工作，似乎有取代身体的危险。6.3
尽管巴特尔克里克疗养院的医疗布道士的培训和医疗布道工作有了很大的进展，但一些安息日复临信徒对于健康生活的基本原则越发无动于衷。这些情况有助于我们理解本卷为什么一再呼吁人们度更高标准的生活，敦促医药和福音工作联合起来，阐述我们对孤儿和年长同道的责任，防止工作失衡。7.1
随着本会各地区圣工的展开，文字工作的地位越显重要。文字布道士形成了一支大军，每一位书报员都成了世界园地各部分福音先锋队伍的正式成员。在许多情况下，这些文字布道士成为先驱，把信息带到遥远的新区。本卷指出了书报工作的尊严和重要性。.7.2
在卷五和卷六出版的十一年间隔中，有几本重要的怀爱伦著作问世。在1890年《先祖与先知》出版。1892年《拾级就主》出版。同年《传道良助》旧版发行。《教育伦》的前身《基督徒的教育》于1894年出版。两年以后出版了《福山宝训》和《基督我们的救主》。《历代愿望》于1898年完稿付印。1900年《基督实训》出版。7.3
为了减轻本会机构的沉重债务，怀夫人捐献了《基督实训》的文稿，呼吁本会信徒和工人积极向邻居和朋友推销。通过这种赈济图书销售活动，募集了大量资金，同时把数以万计满载真理的书籍散发了出去。8.1
一种新的工作方式就这样开始了，从此，许多平信徒为教会的工作挨家挨户地访问，为“收割”运动铺平了道路。几年以后，这场运动将发展成为上帝圣工的数以百万计美元收入的来源。8.2
当然，在这十二年时间里，主的使者写下了数以百计警告，劝勉和鼓励的信函，以信件和本会书刊文章的形式进入传道的园地。其中有许多涉及一些早期证言尚未充分论述的题目，也提出了一些新的勉言，或对原来的勉言予以强调。这些勉言收录在《警告和劝勉》和《服务的呼召》等编目之下。这些编目中重要的文章包括《遵守安息日》，《健康改良的复兴》，《我们对于政府当局的态度》，《为最后的危机作准备》和《接济我们的学校》等。本卷的问世，丰富了不断增加的教会证言系列，作为上帝继续直接引导和带领祂子民的方式，在安息日复临信徒的心中留下了深刻的印象。8.3
怀爱伦著作托管委员会
This volume presents testimonies penned by Ellen G. White during her sojourn in Australia. Except for an occasional reference to the local field, the reader would not detect that the writer was in another continent, for the instruction is world wide in its scope. It is a fact, nevertheless, that the revelations given to Mrs. White had a direct bearing on current issues and the development of the work at the time of writing. It is understandable, therefore, that there are represented in this volume topics which were related to the lines of work being developed in the Australasian field during this period. Publication of the book took place in the year 1901, after Mrs. White had returned to the United States.?{6T 3.1}[1]
In its topical arrangement, volume 6 is quite different from the preceding five volumes. Up to this time the testimonies had first appeared in pamphlets and small books as counsel was progressively given for the Church. The articles were printed largely in chronological order, and dealt with almost every phase of Christian experience and every line of denominational work. As the content of these thirty-three publications was reprinted in volumes 1 to 5, the original order was left unchanged. A number of the articles were communications addressed first to individuals and later published for the church because the cases presented illustrated the experience of many others. Some of the articles dealt with local situations and special issues. There was some repetition of thought, as important lines of truth were stressed again and again as the Church was in danger of neglecting some line of work or of letting slip some church standard. These testimonies bore rich fruit in the lives of Seventh-day Adventists and in the work of the denomination.?{6T 3.2}[2]
With the publication of volume 6, eleven years after volume 5 was issued, the?Testimonies for the Church?took on a new form. The work of the denomination, now becoming?world wide in its scope, presented needs and problems which called forth considerable counsel and instruction in certain particular lines. This represented largely an amplification of lines of instruction presented in earlier years and a re-emphasis of counsel. Consequently it was not difficult, when the articles for volume 6 were gathered for publication, to arrange them in topical order.?{6T 3.3}[3]
That Mrs. White might assist in the starting of a training school in Australia, she was asked to go to that field in 1891. She led out in the appeals for the school and assisted in laying plans for the work. Being in a new field, there was little by way of past experience or precedent to influence the plans. Under these favorable circumstances, and with the spirit of prophecy counsels to guide and guard, the Australasian Missionary College was established in a backward country region. From this training center, Australian youth, with the practical education gained at Avondale, were to serve in the home fields and to penetrate the far-flung islands of the South Pacific. In its rural environment, in its broad industrial program, and in some other features the Avondale school was to become a pattern school. As the instruction concerning the conduct of our educational work was presented anew to guide and mold this institution, entering into the many details of location, finance, curriculum, discipline, and administration, it was included in this volume for the benefit of the church around the world.?{6T 4.1}[4]
When Mrs. White reached Australian Shores, she found a work well begun, but still in its infancy. In the aggressive evangelistic program which was developed and fostered, not only the evangelists themselves were engaged in service, but in not a few cases they were joined by their wives in giving Bible studies and sometimes in preaching. Several well-planned evangelistic camp meetings were held, which were carefully followed up so as to conserve the harvest. There were many conversions, followed by baptisms and the organizing of new churches and the building of meetinghouses.?{6T 4.2}[5]
Not only in the planning for the work was the influence of the spirit of prophecy felt, but Mrs. White herself took an active part in preaching, in personal work, and in assisting in the raising of money for the new church buildings. Counsel regarding these phases of our work is found in this volume.?{6T 5.1}[6]
It was in the times of volume 6 that Seventh-day Adventists became more fully mission conscious and accepted the whole world as a field of labor. The building and launching of the mission boat, “Pitcairn,” in California in 1890 fired the imagination of young and old alike and focused attention on an around-the-world mission program. The reports of the voyages of the “Pitcairn,” as it pioneered mission work in the South Sea Islands, were eagerly watched by all.?{6T 5.2}[7]
It was not long until colporteur evangelists entered India with our literature, and in 1894 our missionaries in Africa pushed up into distinctively native territories and established the Solusi Mission, our first foreign mission among heathen peoples. Ministers were also soon sent into South America. Then, too, Mrs. White’s presence in Australia for nine years as a pioneer worker helped to keep the eyes of Seventh-day Adventists on the ends of the earth and to place emphasis on the admonition given on page 31 of this volume: “It is our work to give to the whole world,—to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people,—the saving truths of the third angel’s message.” Throughout the volume various mission fields are mentioned by name, and appeals for men and means are presented, together with counsel and encouragement concerning the work in different lands.?{6T 5.3}[8]
A number of colleges and worker training schools were started during the times of volume 6. Early in the period Union College at Lincoln, Nebraska, was opened in 1891 and Walla Walla College in the state of Washington in 1892. The others were in Australia, South Africa, and Denmark. Sanitariums were also opened at Boulder, Colorado, in 1896, in Denmark and South Africa in 1897, and at South Lancaster,?Massachusetts, in 1899. Two new publishing houses were added to the list of institutions, one in Hamburg, Germany, in 1895, and the other in Buenos Aires, South America, in 1897. Church schools presenting elementary work were also begun in several places.{6T 5.4}[9]
Though many warnings were given against large denominational centers and centralizing tendencies, the steadily growing work seemed to require more people and larger facilities at our denominational headquarters at Battle Creek, Michigan, and plans were even initiated to bring certain lines of denominational work under central control at Battle Creek. Thus instead of the plans for the work of various sections of the field being laid by those on the ground, they were directed largely from the home offices in Battle Creek. This had the appearance of business efficiency, yet it actually was a serious menace to efficiency and vital leadership in the work of God. Through the nineties these tendencies developed rapidly, but in God’s own time and in his own way they were checked.?{6T 6.1}[10]
It was in these times and under the influence of the spirit of prophecy counsels that the ground structure was laid for organizational changes in the administration of the denomination’s world work. As the cause was pioneered and developed rapidly under the favorable conditions of Australia, steps were taken to bind the local conference organizations into a “union conference,” thus establishing an organizational unit between the local conference and the General Conference. This made possible, on-the-ground planning by the group of workers close to the problems, and thus relieved the General Conference of many minor details. The result was encouraging and formed the pattern which was soon to be followed throughout the denomination.?{6T 6.2}[11]
In the lines of medical evangelism a beginning was made in Australia during this period, but in the United States it was a time of great expansion. A medical college was set in operation which attracted an increasing number of Seventh-day?Adventist youth desiring preparation as medical missionaries. New branch institutions were opened, receiving their guidance, finance, and personnel from the great parent institution at Battle Creek. A large work was also launched for the fallen and unfortunate. But good enterprises are often threatened with the danger of overemphasis, thereby bringing an unbalance into the work of God as a whole. So now it seemed that the medical missionary work, which had been designated as the right arm of the message, threatened to become the body.?{6T 6.3}[12]
Too, while there was great advance in the development of medical missionaries and medical missionary work in connection with the Battle Creek Sanitarium, there was growing indifference on the part of some Seventh-day Adventists to the basic principles of healthful living. These conditions help us to understand the significance of the repeated appeals in volume 6 calling the people to higher standards of living, urging a united medical and evangelistic ministry, delineating our duty to orphans and the aged of the household of faith, and cautioning against an unbalanced work.?{6T 7.1}[13]
As the denominational work developed in many fields, literature found an ever increasingly important place. Colporteur evangelists constituted an army, with the individual colporteur a part of the recognized staff of gospel heralds in each section of the world field. In not a few instances these literature evangelists had formed the spearhead of attack in carrying the message to new and distant lands. Volume 6 sets forth the dignity and importance of the colporteur ministry.?{6T 7.2}[14]
This eleven-year period between the publication of volumes 5 and 6 of the?Testimonies?marked the issuance of several important E. G. White books. In 1890?Patriarchs and Prophets?came from the press.?Steps to Christ?was published in 1892, and what is today known as “the old edition” of?Gospel Workers?Was also printed that year.?Christian Education, the forerunner of?Education, was issued in 1894, and two years later?Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing?and?Christ Our Saviour?were printed. Work on the manuscript for?The Desire of Ages?was completed and the book printed in 1898, and in 1900?Christ’s Object Lessons?was published.?{6T 7.3}[15]
In an effort to relieve our institutions of the heavy indebtedness which they were carrying, Mrs. White donated the manuscript for?Christ’s Object Lessons?and urged our church members and workers to join in its wide sale to their neighbors and friends. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were thus brought into the cause through this relief book campaign, and thousands of copies of this truth-filled book were distributed.?{6T 8.1}[16]
A type of work was in this way initiated which led large numbers of lay members to call from house to house in behalf of the work of the church. Thus the way was paved for the “ingathering” campaigns which were to develop a few years later into a source of revenue to the work of God, yielding millions of dollars.?{6T 8.2}[17]
Of course, all through this eleven-year period, scores and hundreds of communications bearing warnings, counsels, and encouragement were penned by the messenger of the Lord and were sent into the field in letters and in articles in the journals of the denomination. While many of these dealt with subjects already presented less comprehensively in the earlier?Testimonies, some new phases of counsel were set forth and former counsels emphasized. These are found in such general sections as “Cautions and Counsels” and “Calls to Service.” among the important articles comprising these sections are such as deal with “The Observance of the Sabbath,” “A Revival in Health Reform,” “Our Attitude toward the Civil Authorities,” “Preparation for the Final Crisis,” and “The Relief of Our Schools.” The adding of this new volume to the growing series of?Testimonies for the Church?deeply impressed Seventh-day Adventists with the direct way in which God was continuing to guide and lead his people.?{6T 8.3}[18]
The Trustees of theEllen G. White Publications.[19]
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