A GROSS MISREPRESENTATION.
By Editor
“Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongue they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips.” Rom. iii, 13. We are reminded of these words of the apostle by the following from the Hope of Israel, a paper, the principal “hope” of which seems to be that it will be able by and by to make some scandal stick on the cause of present truth, or the character of Bro. and sister White. “‘We felt it to be our duty to visit Iowa before returning to Michigan. We had no knowledge of the rebellion of Elders Snook and Brinkerhoff, but we felt that there was a work for us to do in that State. On our way to Pilot Grove, Iowa, we first heard of the rebellion, which was only a few hours before we met its leaders face to face in the meeting-house.’—E. G. WHITE, in Review, Vol. xxvii, No. 12. “This writer says, that they only knew ‘a few hours before they met the leaders face to face,’ about the rebellion. This may be so, but we have a few serious things to offer. “1. S. D. A. ministers sent to Iowa, have been peddling the idea that Mrs. White saw this ‘rebellion’ two or three years ago; and one of these ministers claims to have a relic, in the shape of an envelope in his carpet-sack which originally contained the knowledge in regard to the rebellion that was then future; but the document had fled. (The envelope ought to be photographed and sent around.) Now if this knowledge was obtained years ago, how could the above statement be true, about seeing it years ago? Both cannot be true. “2. We now present a letter written to us by Eld. James White, which places the statement made by his wife in rather a peculiar position. “‘BRO. BRINKERHOFF: We are pained at the evidences in our hands of Bro. Snook’s rebellion.
See appointment in this week’s Review for Pilot Grove. I hope there will be a full delegation from all the church. Be sure and be present.
“In haste.
“JAMES WHITE. “‘This was directed to us at Lisbon Iowa, and dated June 18. Mrs. White met the leaders on the 30th of June, at Pilot Grove. Subtract June 13 from June 30 and we find a remainder of SEVENTEEN DAYS. This multiplied by 24, the number of hours in a day, gives us FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHT hours. What meaneth all this? Now which is true, Eld. White or his companion?’ “‘Dear reader, do not wonder that we cannot be duped by these things any longer.’” This is simply an attempt to show that sister White has been guilty of uttering a willful and deliberate falsehood. And what possible object can there be in making it public? None, except to brand her as a liar before the people. How amiable a disposition must be which would prompt such a course, is very apparent. But we are engaged in too great a work to stop to run down every lie that may be started about us; and we should probably have let this pass for those to feed upon who like such things, had not the Voice of the West, J. V. Himes’ paper, shown its appreciation of this kind of matter, by spreading all of the above, except paragraph marked 1, as a precious morsel before its readers. It is usually considered a foolish fish that will bite at a bare hook; and we are somewhat astonished that a paper, pretending to respectability, should lend its aid in circulating so grave a charge, which bears upon its very face its own refutation. Just give the matter a serious thought. What does sister White say in her report? “We had no knowledge of the rebellion of Elds. Snook and Brinkhoff.” What does Bro. W. say? He speaks of Snook only, and addresses his letter, “Bro. Brinkerhoff,” urging him to be sure to be present at the meeting. Then he didn’t believe he was engaged in the work of defection, did he? Of course not. What Bro. White had reference to in his letter they could easily have ascertained, had they been so disposed. As they did not see fit to use this precaution against making a false statement, nor try to ascertain the facts in the case before publicly branding sister White as a liar, it is proper that said facts should be here presented. Bro. Loughborough, in his certificate below, has given a full statement of the matter. From the letter of B. F. Snook to Eld. Ingraham, it appeared that he, restive under restraint, like a wayward and willful child, and chafing against the just bounds of authority and law, was preparing to strike against order in the church, as manifested in the organization of Conferences, &c. Bro. W. had no knowledge that any one was joining him in this; and this is all that he had reference to. But this, all must see, is a very different thing from learning just before they reached Pilot Grove, that Messrs. S. and B. were joined hand in hand in a work of open opposition, and had spent no small length of time, still taking pay from the Iowa Conference at $12 per week, in preparing documents, and studying up testimony against the course of Bro. and sister W., and against the visions, ready to make open warfare upon them when they came. This is the work to which sister W. referred in her report, and of which they had no knowledge till a few hours before meeting the leaders in it, who had long been preparing themselves for their sudden and underhanded work. Thus the statements of Bro. and sister W. are perfectly harmonized. Bro. Loughborough, who was with them, is well prepared to testify in the matter, which he does as follows: I hereby certify that I was in Monroe, Wis., when Bro. and sister White arrived there, in the spring of 1865. Immediately after their arrival the matter was talked over concerning the propriety of having the Western Conferences in the spring, and of having what would be held that spring immediately, as Bro. White and myself were already in the West. The appointment was written for the Conferences in Iowa and sent off on Friday afternoon, the day Bro. White arrived in Monroe. We found Bro. Ingraham in trial, but knew not the cause of his trial until the appointment for the Iowa Conference had been mailed to Battle Creek. He told us he had received a letter from Eld. Snook, which was a great source of trial to him. The source of this trial was a statement made by Eld. Snook in his letter, which he afterwards admitted in my presence was a falsehood, and further said that he must have been under the influence of the power of Satan to make such a gross and untrue statement. In this letter the question was also asked, “Bro. Ingraham, what think you of a strike out on the old plan of the independence of the churches?” And this strike against organization was what Bro. White referred to as evidence of Snook’s defection, in his letter to Brinkerhoff. The “extreme urgencies of the case,” mentioned in the appointment for the Iowa Conference, as it appeared in the Review, was owing to the shortness of the time before the Conference would meet. It was decided by the Gen. Conf. Committee, that it would be best to have the Western Conferences in the spring. It had been thought that one or more of the Gen. Conf. Committee should attend all the Conferences. As Bro. White and myself were already in the West, it was deemed advisable to attend to it immediately. The “matters in Iowa” that were referred to in the appointment, had no reference to the opposing work of Elds. Snook and Brinkerhoff; for we had not yet learned that they had commenced such a work. The above letter to Bro. Ingraham did not give us any idea that any open defection had commenced in Iowa, or even intimate that Eld. B. had such feelings as those held by Eld. Snook. The next Sabbath we spent in Princeville, Ill. There a letter was received which Bro. Field, of Anamosa, had written to Bro. Cornell in Battle Creek, which was forwarded to us. This letter stated that Eld. Snook was reporting serious things against the church in Battle Creek. But we did not learn that he was preaching from place to place, denouncing our characters, and raising publicly objections against the visions, till we arrived at the house of Bro. Killgore, in Washington, Iowa, the Wednesday evening before the Conference, and what Bro. Killgore told us was only indefinite hearsay. Thursday morning we met Bro. Henry Nicola, of Pilot Grove, who had come from the Grove to carry us over with his team. He gave us a little more testimony, it being what he had heard concerning the matter, while we were on the way. About noon of that day we saw Bro. Geo. I. Butler at the house of Bro. Nicola. He had passed through Marion, on his way to the Conference, and learned the facts concerning their course, and what they were doing. He gave us testimony as to the real depth of their opposition, stated that they were preaching against us, and had documents prepared with which they were intending to make an attack on Bro. and sister White at the Pilot Grove meeting. Here for the first time we received definite information concerning the true state of things in Iowa; and at 5 o’clock of the same day our meetings commenced! Battle Creek, Mich., March, 1867. In regard to this work in Iowa being seen in vision two years before it occurred, we trust the report may be correct; though we have no positive information on the point. If it was so seen, it furnishes another evidence of the authenticity of the visions, while it can furnish no aid to the objector; for it might be shown that a work of opposition would break out in Iowa, and yet it not be shown when, nor by whom, and hence no particular persons be designated beforehand as objects of suspicion; and still there would be an object in having it foreshown, as thus when it did come, nobody would be really taken by surprise nor thrown into confusion, because it was foretold. The Voice apparently had the sagacity to see that nothing was made by this point against the visions, and hence “suppressed” it. We take no credit to ourselves for trying to do that which is right; but it strikes us that the course of the Voice in this matter, is hardly the honorable course we have tried to pursue toward it. A scandalous report appears against sister White, which, without inquiring as to its correctness, and without provocation, it seizes with an unbecoming avidity, and gives a place in its columns. On the other hand a correspondent, not four months ago, sent a report to this Office, which if true, showed a palpable inconsistency in the course of Eld. Himes, and we immediately wrote to the office of the Voice to ascertain its correctness before publishing; and when informed that it was not correct, at once set our readers right in the matter. We are perfectly satisfied with the course we then took; perhaps the Voice is equally satisfied with its course in the present instance. We claim to be no man’s master and no man’s judge. We shall only endeavor to see that our own conscience is void of offence toward God and man. To all our brethren and sisters, we would say, The fires of opposition are kindling up against us. The tongue of calumny and slander will grow more bitter and biting. The course of unreasonable and wicked men will grow more trying. Let us bear all with patience, return good for evil, and when we are reviled, revile not again. Beware of imbibing the spirit of the enemy in the least degree. It is not the Spirit of Christ. They have no weapons with which to work against us but sophistry and misrepresentation. Such weapons cannot have a lasting effect. The calm and steady light of truth they cannot endure. God will take care of his cause and his people if they take a straightforward, meek and humble course. Shimei may be permitted for a while to curse and throw dirt, but the counsel of Ahithophel will be turned to foolishness. Lies are swift of foot but short of life. So let us take courage, keeping hand and heart unwaveringly fixed on the great work of preparing for the coming of the Lord Jesus, neither saying nor doing anything but that which we shall be willing to meet in the great day.