A PLAIN TALK TO THE MURMURERS by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 10, 1877

A PLAIN TALK TO THE MURMURERS.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

Some Facts for Those Who Are not in Harmony with the Body.

(Continued from No. 17.)

In all my acquaintance among the thousands of our people, and I have had a very extensive acquaintance with them, I have always noticed that those who have rejected the testimonies have largely lost their zeal in the cause, lost their faith in the work, their piety and devotion, and have become cold, unfeeling, and dark in their minds. They have been of no benefit to the cause, and no ornament to Christianity itself. I now refer to those who have had a chance to become informed upon the question, and have taken their stand against the visions. Of course there are a good many who know but little or nothing about them, and have taken no position one way or the other. I do not refer to them, but to those who have taken a decided stand against them. I know whereof I affirm, and I have yet to see one single exception.

Right in connection with this, I want to call your attention to that which has had a powerful influence upon my mind touching this question; viz., the failure and ruin which has every time overtaken those who have undertaken to hold on to the message and the present truth and still oppose the testimonies. Ever since the work began, persons have risen up here and there in opposition to the visions, or perhaps to the work of Bro. White, and have taken their stand against them. They said that they believed the Sabbath, the advent doctrine, the messages, indeed, all parts of present truth except the testimonies. They claimed that the visions and the position of Bro. White were a hindrance to the cause, and a stumbling block

in the way of its advancement; that if these were removed, then the cause would progress finely. So they have started out to try the thing. They have generally begun by protesting that they were in harmony with all the truth except those points named. On several occasions not only individuals but even companies have started off on this track. Here now was certainly a good chance to see what the Lord thought about it. Let us read the counsel of Gamaliel upon this point:—

“Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; and said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to naught. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone; for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to naught; but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.” Acts 5:34–39.

This has always been esteemed most excellent advice. He says, Let these men alone; if this work or counsel be of God, it will stand, and you cannot overthrow it; but if it is of men, it will come to naught. Thus he proves this by citing two cases. One Theudas rose up, and drew a large company after him; but he soon came to naught, and his followers all perished. Then a certain Judas tried his hand at the same thing; but he ended in the same manner, and his followers were all scattered. Now, says Gamaliel, this is the way it will always be. If the work is not of God, it will all come to confusion; but if it is of God, all the powers of hell cannot arrest it.

Now apply this undoubted principle to the history of those who have drawn off from the body of Seventh-day Adventists. I have known of them, and have been more or less acquainted with their history from Maine to California. Six different papers have been started in the interest of that rebellious work, and all, except one, have gone down. Let us notice them, not in the order of their date, but as they come beginning in the East.

A good many years ago, a certain Ransom Hicks, once one of our people, in harmony with our work, became disaffected on a small point of difference, and as the testimonies condemned his position, rather than renounce his theory he chose to begin a war on the testimonies. He was going to do a great work. He started a paper in Rhode Island, called The Voice of the East. He obtained quite a number of subscribers, as all of that class rallied around him, to hold up his hands and bid him God speed. But, alas for them! his race was a short one. His little paper soon ceased to exist, and thus that move came to an end.

Not far from that time, another man, by the name of Lonsdale, not satisfied with the effort of his friend, thought he would undertake a similar project. So he started a paper in Providence, R. I., called The Voice of Truth. Every where we went we were sure to be followed by a bundle of his papers. This was done to get his objections into a new church before our brethren had become settled in all the truth. He held out longer than his predecessor; but finally that “voice” became silent, and I have neither seen nor heard any thing of him or his paper for several years.

Coming West, at about the time the REVIEW was moved to Battle Creek, in 1855, a much more formidable party of these seceders came up, called the Messenger party, from the paper which they published, which was called the Messenger of Truth. About this time, Bro. White was very poorly in health. Sr. White herself was not very strong; and the influence of this faction made our cause look rather discouraging. These disaffected ones thought it was a splendid chance for them to strike. They made a grand rally. A number of ministers went into it, and quite a number of believers were drawn into this movement, some because it just suited their unconsecrated and rebellious souls, and others through sympathy with those who had drawn off, and still others who were really deceived by them.

A press was bought, and the first number of their paper was issued Oct. 19, 1854. The publishers stated in it that it would be “published semi-monthly as long as the cause of God demanded it.” Now they boasted great things. The cause was all right. All they needed to do was to leave Eld. White and the hated visions out of the question, and then everything would go on swimmingly. As all the honest ones were coming with them, the message now was to go with power. The tares had been plucked up, the Achan had been rooted out of the camp, God would bless them greatly, Eld. White would soon die, and the visions would be exposed. Now this certainly was a good chance to try the principle of Gamaliel,—if this be of God it will stand; otherwise it will come to naught. What was the result? Just what it has always been and always will be in the cause which God abhors. Bickerings, quarreling, and division soon came among them. Every man wanted to be leader. Each one thought he knew more than the other. Jealousies soon separated them. The leaders found that there was not a sufficient spirit of self-denial and sacrifice among the brethren to sustain their paper and support the cause. Evidently they found that “the cause of God” did not demand that it should be published longer! So after struggling on for a short time the paper died, the shop was closed, the members were scattered here and there, and their churches were broken up, till there was not a single church left of them in all the world. Many of the honest, after a sad experience, came back, and united with the body; but most of them got so far into the dark that they entirely lost their reckoning, and made shipwreck of their faith. Some struggling ones here and there are still left with just life enough to oppose us. This is the burden of their souls, and all they live for.

One would naturally suppose that these examples would be enough, and that others would not try it. But no, rebellion dies hard. A few years after this, another party came up, of the same class exactly, and on the same principle, to try the old issue over. It was headed this time by one Eld. Crammer, in western Michigan. In these parts another office was set up, and a paper started, called the Hope of Israel. It also was a semi-monthly. Around this leader and this standard rallied all the remnants and wrecks and odds and ends of these other exploded parties. Great things were promised again. Several ministers of small talent, and not with the best of reputation, banded together, to run this enterprise. In their paper were reports from Maine, from Massachusetts, from New York, from various parts of Michigan, and from the West. What a grand prospect! Now they would show them how to do it. Their brethren before them had made mistakes somewhere, but they were to avoid them all this time.

A Conference was formed, and the party became so strong that they sent for Eld. Crammer to come to the State of Maine to attend a Conference there. But here fanaticism ran wild among the believers, and the cause was disgraced, and began to crumble. Quite a number of them came back with humble confession, and joined our people. One went here, another there; and finally the same event happened to them that had to all the rest. The party went down, the paper stopped, the office closed. One who was prominently connected with the publication of that paper joined the Mormons, and went to Palo, Ill., to work on Smith’s paper. There are a few odds and ends of that party left yet, but all in the utmost confusion—just the right material to work into the next secession as we shall see. Another testimony that God is not in these moves. But all this was not sufficient for some.

D. M. CANRIGHT.

(To be Continued.)