Fanaticism by James White

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, Cal. · Nov 11, 1875

Fanaticism.

By James White

Eld. J. Paton was considered one of the soundest of First-day Adventist preachers in the Michigan Conference. At their late annual meeting Eld. Himes says: “To-day we got a letter from Bro. J. H. Paton, who has been deeply interested in the time calculations of 1873-5. He, with others, expected the Lord would come in these years, and when the time passed, like some others, took the position that the Lord had come. And so he writes: ‘I believe Christ has come to set up the kingdom.’”

To be consistent with their own theory these deluded ones teach that the resurrection commenced last February! Such is the fruit of time-setting. By such is the way of truth “evil spoken of,” and the name of Adventist brought to reproach. How precious is the light of the third angel’s message, which shows that not time but duty is now to be proclaimed to prepare a people to “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus,” and thus escape the last plagues of God’s wrath. J. H. W.